52 NEBRASKA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



Myrobolan — Native wild plum of France. Used as stocks in propaga- 

 tion of cultivated sorts. Americanas are largely used for Americanas 

 and peach for Japanese where winters are not too severe. 



Beech Plum — Native of New England states. Chief value is orna- 

 mental. Of all these varieties and groups the ones of most interest to 

 us are the Americanas, Hortulanas, Japanese, and their hybrids. We 

 grow a few Domesticas with indifferent success, and as a class they are 

 of no importance at all here. 



The Japanese make strong growing trees and bear abundant crops 

 of fruit. They will stand lower temperatures in winter than the peach. 

 Their great drawback is early blooming in spring and danger of being 

 destroyed by late frosts. However, this can be overcome by the use of 

 orchard heaters. The fruit of the Japanese is usually good sized, fair 

 quality, and good shippers. 



Americanas are hardy, vigorous growers and bear annual crops of 

 medium size, various colored fruits, of good flavor, somewhat astringent 

 as a class, but fine for canning and preserving. Some varieties are ex- 

 cellent eating out of the hand. This group is the best class of plums for 

 Nebraska. There are numerous varieties of this class, so that no one 

 can fail to find something suited to their conditions. 



Of the Hortulana group we have only a few varieties of importance. 

 The Wild Goose. Miner, Wayland, are representative types and too well 

 known to need description. 



The only representative of the Chicasas that is hardy this far north 

 is the Pottawattamie, another very worthy plum. 



Out of Professor Waugh's list of three hundred varieties there are 

 only a comparatively few varieties that are successful here in Nebraska. 

 Of these the majority would be Americanas, a few Japanese, and several 

 hybrids. There arc a number of hybrids of recent introduction that are 

 worthy of extended trial. Of these the best way to find out their be- 

 havior is to try them out under our individual conditions. Professor 

 Hansen has done considerable work along this line in producing varieties 

 that would withstand the cold dry winters of the Northwest. There is 

 yet great work for plant breeders to produce varieties that have the high 

 quality of the Domesticas, hardiness of the Americanas, and bearing and 

 vigor of the Japanese. 



Yet, after all, what will it profit us if we get better sorts and let the 

 curculio and fruit-rot destroy our crops? 



In the old order of things the grower would set out a plum thicket 

 or orchard and let it care for itself. Then the curculio and fruit-rot or 

 monillia came along and harvested the crop before the owner could get 

 around. So that pluin growing was very unprofitable, and growers gave 

 up in disgust. 



Under the new methods, with improved machinery, sprayers, etc., 

 we can control these enemies and make plum growing one of the profit- 

 able ^branches of horticulture. There is always a good demand for good 

 pium's at remunerative prices and not enough to go round. In order to 



