220 BOARD OF AGRICULTUBE. 



VARIETIES OF PLUMS RECOMMENDED FOR COMMERCIAL, 



PLANTATIONS. 



BY WILBUR C. STOUT, MONROVIA. 



I have been making a specialty of select varieties, of fine quality, 

 and have paid little attention to native plums; however, Robinson and 

 Wild Goose bear well and sell well at low prices— the plum for the aver- 

 age farmer. Niagara is the prettiest plum of the European type I have 

 ever fruited, and sold best. Unfortunately, trees generally of this type 

 have bodies killed by severe freezing or sun scald. I don't know which it 

 is; very probably both. 



Last year we sold our plums for about $200, and my books show 

 Abundance, Burbank, Gold, Chabot and the Damsons to have brought 

 88 to 90 per cent, of the amount, although they occupied about one-third 

 of the ground. 



If I was going to set a commercial plum orchard I would set those 

 named above, and in addition. Climax, a new Japan plum, sent out by 

 Luther Burbank some three j^ears ago. It is very hardy in tree and fruit 

 bud, and the largest and finest in fruit I have every seen, but trees will 

 sell high for a few years. 



America is a very large hybrid plum, quality about like Robinson; 

 very heavy bearer; size two to thi-ee times as large as Wild Goose, and 

 bears as heavily as Robinson. It should be borne in mind that the native 

 type of plum must be planted on a commercial plantation for profit, un- 

 less the planters will jar for curculios three to five times per week for 

 two and one-half to four weeks. 



We have several other new plums, but none better than the ones 

 mentioned, unless you want an early kind; then set Red June. Faults, 

 very poor quality; tree subject to black knot. 



President Stevens: Our next is varieties of cherries. 



VARIETIES OF CHERRIES FOR SOUTHERN INDIANA. 



BY G. W. TRUEX, LOCKMAN. 



I will have to make some apologies, not having prepared a paper. 



Cherries ought not to be left without a word of encouragement for 

 marlvct purposes. In my own immediate neighl»orhood I have never 

 known a commercial orchard. Every farmer has a few cherries, differ- 

 ent varieties, early and late. Some have proven good, some have not. 

 From what I know about growing cherries, they certainly could be grown 



