4 
ry 
: 
= We lag Sn ek 
151 
PLANTING AND CULTIVATION OF THE 
PLUM ORCHARD. 
OLIVER GIBBS. JR., MINNEAPOLIS. 
This subject is very much like a plum thicket itself. I would rath- 
er skirmish around it for an hourthan go into it for even five min- 
ufes, and for an open confession let me say I shall bring a large 
amount of ignorance to bear upon it—how large that is, you may 
estimate when I mention one item of it, which is, that I do not know 
why itis that at this time, about twenty-five years since the Desota 
was introduced, our markets are still unsupplied with this or any 
any other good native plum—a fruit that itis and always has been 
hungry for and willing to pay a high price forif offered in proper 
condition. 
I have watched the native plums for twelve years past on my 
farm in South Dakota, where there have been thousands of them 
around me, of many varieties and on different soils, elevations, ex- 
posures, etc.,and my conclusion is that they are worthy of more 
careful study than anybody seems to have given them, and that 
when horticulturists find out about them what there is to be 
learned, by that study we shall discover that we have a Klondyke 
in allour guiches. The main study liesin the blossoms. 
In their native situations they are found growing best on deep al- 
luvial soils orin gulches where they are receiving deposits of the 
surface soils brought down from adjacent uplands by winds and 
washes, but they do wellon uplands, properly prepared by deep 
plowing or subsoiling. For good fruitage, they want plenty of sun- 
light and good air drainage. Frosty situations are to be avoided 
in selecting the.orchard site. 
Planting in groups is an imitation of nature’s method, but I pre- 
fer straight lines for convenience in planting, cultivation, gathering 
the fruit, etc. I would place the trees not more than ten feet apart 
in the rows and the rows not more than twenty feet apart. 
This is about as far as the plum pollen is supposed to drift 
alive from one tree to another. I would mix up the varieties 
so as to have every other tree a strong, constant pollenizer, 
and would be as careful as possible to have the alternates agree 
with each other in their social habits of season and intermingling 
in the bloom. The Desota and the Miner are examples of this. 
I would give clean fine cultivation, keeping it up throughout each 
season, year after year, till the shade covers the ground in the rows 
and the most or all of the space between the rows. I would have 
the trees headed high enough to get under the branches with the 
scythe, and then mow over the ground closely every year in June, 
July and August, so as to have the surface fine and clean for har- 
vesting. I would fertilize with wood ashes or barnyard manure, 
one or both, but rake all lumps and rubbish, if there are any, away 
from under the trees, before the picking season begins. 
I would impound the chickens in the plum orchards, and perhaps 
the little pigs also, but have no pigs in there large enough to break 
up the roots and multiply root sprouting. At the New York agri- 
cultural experiment station I was shown a small orchard of Euro- 
pean plums, fifteen years ago, which the director told me had been 
