284 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



certainly has a very tidy look, as it apparently grows up out of the 

 brown base, made so by this deep covering- of straw, and the dark 

 green of the leaves, lightened very frequently by the lighter green 

 of the new shoots in the top branches. 



There is no more pleasant sight upon the place during the grow- 

 ino- season than this plum grove in the time of blossom. It then is 

 a perfect bank of bloom, and if there is a breeze blowing and you are 

 on the leeward side of it you will perceive the abundance of perfume 

 that passes from it. I had occasion one spring day to work upon 

 that side of the grove, and I shall not forget very soon the pleasure 

 of that day's labor. 



Any farmer who reads this article can readily understand how 

 cheaply and how easily such a grove as this can be maintained on 

 the farm. If the trees are once set, this annual mulching with the 

 straw completes the labor of the year. The cutting- of the shoots is 

 such a small affair that it can be done at odds and ends of time 

 without any burdensome tax of labor. The shoots do not come up 

 so quickly throvigh this heavy mulching of straw as they would if 

 there was nothing upon the ground. This mulching is done in the 

 early spring at intervals during the spring's work when you cannot 

 go upon the field on account of rain or inclement weather. So the 

 plum grove in this way helps save some of the odds and ends of 

 time that otherwise might be wasted. 



I am fully persuaded that the farmer who will take hold of this 

 matter can make a nice little revenue from this fruit. There are 

 few, if any, cities in this state which have as much of this fruit as 

 they would consume, provided they could get it. There are many 

 people in Minnesota who do not know how luscious the native plum 

 of their own state is. It is far superior to any of the imported fruits 

 of that kind. We rarely find it in the markets of the cities. 



Mr. Clarence Wedge, who has been with us in institute work dur- 

 ing the past year, has very wisely laid much stress upon this fruit 

 in his institute talks and has, beyond doubt, impressed many of our 

 farmers so strongly that they will take hold of this matter, and we 

 shall see many more plum groves in the future than we now have. 

 It was very evident that there was much interest in this subject, as 

 it was customary with us at most institutes to have a very early 

 morning session at which Mr. Wedge explained to the farmers who 

 were present how they could start and also how thej-^ could improve 

 which they might have by grafting-, etc., and the attendance at those 

 early sessions was very good. 



I will close this article by saying that while we have upon our 

 place many things which excite the interest of those who visit 

 us, there is not one thing that seems to interest farmers more than 

 this simple matter of fact grove, so largely composed of the native 

 plums from our adjoining woods. They are surprised at its luxu- 

 riant growth, pleased with the beauty of its appearance, more than 

 surprised when they look upon it at the time of bloom, and until 

 this blight of the plum pocket came upon us they were delighted 

 with its abundance of fruit. 



