THE PLUM ORCHARD IN JULY AND AUGUST. 247 



a mistake, as it seems to increase the plum rot by scattering the 

 plum rot fungus spores. We now let the rotten plums stay upon 

 the trees until we gather the ripe fruit. 



Early plums begin to ripen here usually about August lo to 

 August 15. Little or nothing is done to the plum orchard after 

 this date except to gather and market the fruit. Where only a few 

 trees are grown it is advisable to gather the fruit by hand, picking 

 them off from the trees, but with us we have but little time to 

 hand-pick the fruit, so we have a tent that we spread out under 

 the plum tree. Sometimes we use blankets, etc., instead and shake 

 them off onto them, from which they are easily and quickly gathered 

 and put into crates or baskets and marketed as quickly as possible. 



Evergreen orchard shelter at Dewain Oook's. 



The President : Mr. Cook is one of our best authorities on 

 plums, so while we have him before us we want to make the most 

 of our opportunity. It is a practical paper on a practical subject 

 and ought to draw out an interesting discussion. 



Mr. Henry Husser : Would you advise cutting the one-year 

 limbs back on plum trees in summer when they get so long and 

 heavy that they break down ? 



Mr. Cook : Yes. I cut them back nearly to the stock and give 

 the limbs a chance to start out again. 



Mr. Husser: What would you say about an old plum tree that 

 bears very heavily? Would it be impracticable to cut out a lot of 

 the old wood? 



Mr. Cook: If I remember rightly it was stated in the paper 

 that was the way I pruned out the plum trees, cut out a lot of 

 limbs, go for them with an axe and cut them out. 



Mr. Sandsten: What effect would it have to graft, for instance, 

 the De Soto on the wild plum ? Would it not grow too fast and rot ? 



