390 STATE HORTIOULTURAL SOCIETY. 



Russian Plums. 



I have at least five varieties of Russian plums that have not failed 

 in bearing as much fruit as they could well sustain every year since they 

 were old enough to do so. The Early Red's great fault is that of the 

 Lombard — overbearing. They are more acid than the Lombard, and 

 must hang on the trees until absolutely ripe to afford the best results* 

 The tree is willowy in appearance, and the fruit hangs out to the very 

 tips of the limbs. The Yellow Varnish is equal in quality to any of the 

 California plums I have seen, unless it be one or two of the Japanese 

 sorts. It is very large, yellow, pear-shaped, and sweet and delicious 

 enough to satisfy the taste of the daintiest epicure. I did not spray 

 the trees this year, and yet they matured as many plums as was good 

 for their health. People in passing often wondered if they were not 

 pears. Two other varieties, both blue, I have not identified, having 

 lost the labels soon after receiving them from the Agricultural College. 

 One is medium in size, quite acid until fully ripe ; the other is very 

 large and sweet, and a perfect freestone. Altogether I do not see any 

 cause for discouragement. As stated in the beginning, some of these 

 Russian sorts are decided acquisitions, and have come to stay, and we 

 may as well cultivate the acquaintance of our worthy neighbors. 



The inferior sorts will be siftei out in time, and we shall yet see 

 the day when Prof. J. L. Budd will be more fully honored for the work 

 he has done in his recent introductions from Northern Europe. 



J. J. Maxfield, Iowa. 



Plum Culture. 



Plum culture in the Northwest must build on our native species, 

 if this industry -ever reaches that permanent success already attained 

 in grape culture. That it has grown in a few years to such magnitude 

 without any special effort seems marvelous, and clearly indicates the 

 intrinsic value of our native plum. Had our leading horticulturists 

 devoted to this fruit the same care and culture bestowed upon the 

 foreign sorts, that so far, in a commercial sense, are a failure, 1 am 

 quite sure long ere this Iowa would be noted for its large plum orchards 

 as Michigan is for its peach orchards. If Iowa planters desire great 

 success in plum culture, fine, long-lived trees in orchard, bearing heavy 

 annual crops of fine fruit, they should plant more of our best improved 



