Trees and Shrubs. 



THE BEflCft PLUM. 



{Prunus rnaritima.) 

 The beach phim is a big bushy shrub or 

 a small bushy tree found wild in abund- 

 ance in sandy banks along the seashore. 

 There is a current impression that the 

 beach plum grows only three or four 

 feet high, but this is wrong; we had it 

 fifteen feet high at Hosoris, and when 

 we used to cut it back, young growths 

 two to three feet long would shoot up 

 in a 3'ear. Along the seacoast at Do- 

 soris it was (juite plentiful. .\s a wild 

 plant it is one of our most beautiful 

 shrubs and fortunately, it is perfectly 

 at home in cultivated "grounds. In the 

 garden it roots well, grows well, looks 



well all summer, blooms with the ut- 

 most profusion, and later on ripens a 

 heavy crop of little purple plums. Al- 

 thouah the fruit is edible and gathered 

 and used for preserves, it isn't a plum the 

 small boy will ever hanker after; and it is 

 as much insect stung and wormy as are 

 any other plums we know o'f 



Our illustration is from a photograph 

 of a piece of a bank of these plum trees in 

 full bloom at Dosoris and taken two 

 years ago. The flowers are small, white, 

 and produced in such abundance on the 

 still leafless branchlets as to give the 

 shrubbery the appearance of a bank of 

 snow. 



For seaside planting, that is, for places 

 where the salt water may now and then 

 wash over the roots, we have nothing 

 better for use than the beach plum It 

 stands pruning well. And strange to say, 

 although a denizen of our sandy sea- 

 shores, it likes good garden ground" when 



it can get it, but is grateful for a foothold 

 anywhere. 



Perhaps a leaf from our diar written 

 at the time when this photograph was 

 taken may he interesting to some of our 

 readers, as it wi 1 show what other trees 

 and shrubs were in bloom at the same 

 time as was the beach plum. 



May 5. '94. Fine weather, verv drv. 

 Prunus rnaritima (beach plum) in fine 

 flower, but hardly at its best; not fragrant. 

 No leaves yet. 



Prunus spinosa H. pi. (double-flowering 

 sloe)— at best in flower, and leating out 

 nicely. 



Prunus Mume from Japan, large pink 

 flowers; about past. 



Prunus Maackii, Siberian bird cherrv; 

 grand. Flowers larger and sweeter than 

 those of any other bird cherry. 



Prunus Americana, trees are perfect 

 snowhills of white flowers; leaves not 

 vet. 



