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122 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
in the west. But I found on examining the plum buds last spring 
that almost without exception the European plum buds were des- 
troyed; they were all black at the center after the cold snap we had, 
during which the thermometer went down to 23° below zero. I ex- 
amined our Americana varieties and found that every plum bud 
was bright. I examined our Japanese varieties, and I found that a 
portion of them was totally destroyed and a portion of them were 
alive. The only European varieties that opened any flowers last 
spring were a few of the Russian sorts. So I discovered, at least, the 
fact that the Americana plums are much hardier than the Europe- 
an. It isa fact I have seen stated frequently, but never had it so 
forcibly brought to mind before. I began to look up the published 
reports on the subject, and found in Manitoba the native plums had 
borne good crops when the mercury during the winter had de- 
scended to forty degrees below zero. 
During the summer I asked a variety of questions ofa good many 
people in regard to plums. One question I asked was about the 
market price of plums, [learned of a plum grower in Manitoba, 
by the name of Frankland, from whom I received a letter, of which I 
will read a brief extract. Among other things he says, “This year 
I had forty bushels of plums, twenty-five of which Isold to Messrs. 
Robinson & Co., of Winnipeg. I sold some out for preserving, and 
they were sold at the same price as the Oregon and British Colum- 
bia fruit. They conclude a letter by asking advices in regard 
to next season’s crop.” When I read this letter I thought of it ser- 
iously. Here isa fruit grower living several miles north of Winni- 
peg, a country that I had supposed not suitable to the culture of any 
tree fruit, and we find him selling Americana plums, and selling 
them on the market at the same prices as the Oregon and California 
plums. It came across my mind very forcibly that the native plum 
is the fruit that we in the northwest will do well to tie to. It’is a 
fruit that we can grow and grow svccessfully, furthermore, and a 
fruit that we can sell successfully. 
A few years ago, while Prof. Smith was director of your experi- 
ment station, he remarked to me one day, “We cannot grow the ap- 
ple in Minnesota; we may be able to grow it in the southern part of 
the state, but in the central and northern portion I have no hopes 
whatever that we shall ever be able to grow the apple.” I don’t 
know whether he was prejudiced or not. We can grow the Ameri- 
cana plum in northern Minnesota and northern Wisconsin and 
throughout all the northwest, I believe. 
I have also taken the trouble to learn how the fruit sells in the east- 
ern partof the country, and will read part of a letter from Mr. Kerr,of 
Maryland, whom some of you know asa plum grower. He writes, 
“The facts in the premises are about in this way: from about two 
hundred native trees I have not gathered fruit sufficient to make a 
test of value between the native and European varieties. But the 
European varieties were a drug in the market at from 20cts. to 30 cts. 
per peck, while the natives sold here readily at from 40 cts, to 60 cts. 
per peck” Ialso havea note from Dr. Dennis, of Iowa. He says, 
“The prices here ranged from one dollar to two dollars per bushel 
