MISCELLANEOUS PAPERS. 391 



natives. If properly planted and cultivated they will not be a disap- 

 poiatment, and our commercial centers can be supplied with superior 

 fruit and keep the money at home that is sent out of the State for 

 plums inferior to these best natives. We do not wish to be under- 

 stood that our natives at present are superior in size and quality to the 

 best European or Japanese sorts, but what we do say is, the high 

 coloriug and extreme earliness of some new natives give them ad- 

 vantages as market fruit over all others : and to this add their sure 

 annual bearing habits, extreme hardiness of tree, and late bloomers, 

 more often escaping our late frosts, which makes them the safest and 

 most profitable plum to plant in commercial orchards in our State. I 

 hope in future articles to describe those varieties of natives as well as 

 others that have proven the most successful and profitable to plant. 

 There is a rich field for the scientific horticulturist to improve by seed- 

 ling production our native plum. There is also a much-felt want for a 

 standard work on "plum culture" outside of catalogues put out by 

 nurserymen and bulletins of our experimental stations. There is no 

 book to guide the inexperienced planter. There are many good works 

 on grape culture, peach culture, apple culture, etc., but not a single 



volume on plum culture. Why is this ? 



A. B. Dennis, Iowa. 



Growing the Cherry. 



This fruit does not receive the attention it should. Its planting 

 is often limited to but a few trees on home premises, and because of 

 limited amount of fruit, birds are most damaging to it. Its early bloom 

 and fruit are subject to destruction on level lands, low lands, hot, 

 sheltered localities that release the frosts quickly when they drop un- 

 timely and late. The cherry does not do well on wet lands, and thorough 

 drainage is an absolute necessity. This is best attained if the fruit is 

 grown on high, rolling lands, ridges, bluff's and in such localities where 

 the grape thrives. If so planted it will be a fairly sure cropper, more 

 sure with us than the apple. It is^advisable to plant trees that are in 

 vigor and not too old. One year we consider better than two, and 

 considerable care should be taken to plant trees very early and on 

 well-tiled ground. It is beneficial if they are planted among raspber- 

 ries — small fruits of bush form three or four years — till well established 

 and they come into bearing. Pruning from the start should receive 

 some attention, and no knife used on the stem, but the leading shoots 

 should be pinched back, and heading-in practiced on the trees. The 

 cherry has the unfortunate habit of the peach — making principally 



