AN ENCYCLOPDIA 
165 
OF HORTICULTURE. 
Plum—continued. 
according as the variety may be a vigorous or a weak- 
growing one. New varieties are raised from seeds, 
Soil and Situation. Plum-trees succeed in any fairly 
good loamy soil, provided the subsoil is open and properly 
drained, The ground should be well trenched previous to 
planting, although the roots of Plums are naturally dis- 
posed nearer -to the surface than those of Apples and 
Pears. In a very rich soil, the growths usually made are 
too vigorous to become well ripened; in that which is 
moderately light, yet sufficiently moist, the trees succeed 
and produce the best-flavoured fruits. Respecting flavour, 
however, much depends on the amount of sunshine and 
light available. In market gardens, where the trees under 
notice are very extensively grown, they are planted in lines 
ranging from 15ft. to 20ft. apart, and the intervening 
spaces are occupied with Gooseberries and Currants. 
Standards and half-standards are generally favoured; but 
dwarf and bush-trees are also extensively planted in market 
as well as in private gardens. All the finer dessert sorts 
should, if possible, be favoured with wall space in private 
establishments, as their fruits are invariably of so much 
‘importance, and the crop is more certain with the pro- 
tection of a wall than when the trees are fully exposed. 
A temporary covering, while the blossoms are open, may 
also be readily applied, should frost or unfavourable 
weather prevail. In a southern aspect, the fruits attain 
their highest flavour; but this position is usually required 
for Peaches and other trees that are less hardy than 
Plums, and the latter are relegated to the walls with 
an eastern or western exposure—positions in which they 
succeed admirably. As already noted, the roots of Plum- 
trees run near the surface, and especially is this the 
case when the soil is left undug, All the available 
border space is invariably required for numerous crops; 
and if a width of about 2ft. or 3ft. is left untouched next 
the wall, the other portion may be dug and cropped 
annually. The digging-over of this portion should not, 
however, be left longer than one season without being 
attended to, or the young roots will ascend, and the 
work cannot be performed without cutting them off. 
Pruning, Training, §c. For Plum-trees against walls, 
the fan method of training is the best, as one or other 
of the branches is liable to die off occasionally, and its 
place can be more readily occupied by those next 
situated than would be possible with another method, 
as, for instance, horizontal training. For the open ground, 
standards, half-standards, pyramids, and bush trees, are 
available, as already stated. Mr. Rivers states that 
“Plums form most fertile oblique cordons ; no matter how 
the shoots are pinched, they will produce large crops of 
remarkably fine fruit, and continue to bear in spite of 
excessive pinching, forming cylinders of fruit; their 
worst tendency is to excessive growth, which must be 
checked by root-pruning.” Plums are admirably adapted 
for culture in pots: late sorts, which can only be ripened 
with difficulty outside, arrive at great perfection under 
glass. See Orchard House. The fruit of the Plum is 
produced on small spurs, which form in great quantities 
on the ends and along the sides of bearing shoots of from 
one to three years’ growth—that is, supposing they are 
well ripened. In pruning, therefore, these spurs should be 
carefully preserved, and also a sufficient quantity of young 
wood kept annually to replace any which becomes old 
and unfruitful. The main branches on a fan-trained tree 
should be allowed plenty of space, and any irregular or 
misplaced ones removed, after — can be made for 
filling their places with others of a better description. 
Summer pruning consists in shortening back the young 
shoots, treating the upper part of the tree first, to 
encourage the production of blossom-buds on the short 
spurs left. At the winter pruning, weak and un- 
ripened wood form the chief parts to be cut away. If 
Fium- trees become unfruitful, because of — wood- 
| 
Plum—continued. 
growth, they should be lifted early in autumn, and root- 
pruned. It has been recommended that pyramid trees 
should be lifted and replanted, if necessary, every two 
years; this operation gives them a proper check, and 
greatly increases their fertility. Standard Plum-trees 
in the open ground, when once they are properly started, 
require but little pruning or training, unless the heads 
become too much crowded, when the weak wood should 
be cut out. If vigorous shoots appear, as they often 
will, in the centre of a young tree, they should be 
pinched at an early stage, in order to check the sap. 
Such shoots seldom ripen properly on any fruit-tree, and 
their production should not be encouraged. Sometimes 
excessive vigour may be materially checked by simply 
clipping off a quantity of the leaves, on shoots so dis- 
posed, across the centre, with a view to arresting the 
flow of sap to the leaves, and thus indirectly affecting 
its progress to unduly enlarge the shoot. 
Plums intended for dessert should be allowed to hang 
until they are nearly ready to drop from the tree; when 
only required for cooking, it is not of so much import- 
ance. The bloom on choice fruits should be carefully 
preserved, by handling only the stem when gathering 
them, and placing single layers in a shallow basket or 
box for transmitting to a cool fruit-room. Fruits with 
their bloom uninjured by rubbing are better able to 
withstand atmospheric changes than are those roughly 
handled, the bloom being their natural protection. Some 
few sorts, amongst which Coe’s Golden Drop is a well- 
known example, will keep good for dessert a long time 
after being gathered, if wrapped in paper, and stood in a 
dry, airy place: these fruits attain their highest flavour 
when they become partially shrivelled. Plums and 
Damsons for cooking may be sent, before they get too 
ripe, very long distances, by being packed closely in a 
box, with a little soft chaff shaken in to fill up inter- 
stices between them. That cut from Oat straw is the 
best. 
Sorts. The following list includes most of the best 
varieties of Plums, both for dessert and kitchen use, 
which ripen from the early until the latter part of the 
season. There are many others in cultivation which it is 
thought unnecessary to refer to here, but it is not unlikely 
that some are omitted which should have had their merits 
recognised. Plenty are, however, enumerated for all pur- 
poses. 
Angelina Burdett. Fruit round, of medium size; skin dark 
purple, — — with brown rown spots and a blue ‘bloom ; flesh 
very rich and juicy. > tet antl i um, which ripens early in 
September, and may be t until it —— when the flavour 
is very rich. 
Autumn (Rivers’). Fruit oval, very larg 
and —— of first-rate quality for ee PE e, bright red, Sep- 
variety. 
tember. A valuable, late 
Belgian Purple, Fruit medium or roundish, deep purple 
flesh juicy and richly flavoured, Middle of PTPRE ET ae 
Belle de bre. Fruit and handsom 
pe he ir —— 
Early in October. An —— tenets arg 
enormous bearer, 
perenne bloom. 
The tree is an 
Blue Impératrice. Fruit medium, roundish-ovate, deep 
with thick, blue bloom ; flesh rich, — not very — 
An excellent variety for } preserving "and for dessert; when allowed 
to hang, become ey richly stoma The tree is an 
excellent enc ae it should be grown against a wall. 
Fruit * round, — blotched with 
uicy —— rich. ber. A large and excellent 
ae — REEN iggy Ae w. ripens about a fortnight later 
— the last-named. 
Fruit v — oy: e w, with 
s Goldgn Drop, Enis ny t very Y, richo and most € delicious 
t September One of the finest late 
Cooper’s Large. — ——— oval, — 
the sun, with numerous brown dots; flesh ane and of vi 
flavour, End of Beppember aud Sep = of October. Dessert 
