PLUMS AND CHERRIES. 63 



Are they adapted to cultivation? Xo wild fruit is more variable in 

 character or more widel}- distributed; and, being" indigenous when 

 the rig-lit kinds are selected, it will succeed under cultivation in 

 every habitable portion of this continent. As thej' grow naturally, 

 the inferior kinds are no doubt the most abundant, but selections 

 have been made that rival the Europeans in size, color, quality and 

 productiveness of fruit, to say nothing of adaptability, hardi- 

 ness, etc. 



Varieties.— The species generally include the sand or beach plums 

 of the Atlantic coast, the Chickasaw of the South and the Northern. 

 The Northern is sometimes found as far south as Alabama and the 

 Chickasaw as far north as Illinois. Each variety appears to be best 

 adapted to its own latitude, though they mix freel3^ in fruit, where 

 planted near together. It is the purpose of this paper to consider 

 more particularly the Northern plum. Late observations have 

 thrown some light upon their peculiarities of bearing and non-bear- 

 ing and habits of growth and the production of abortive fruit, or 

 pods, instead of fruit. 



Blossoms. — The time of blossoming varies with the season. Nearly 

 all varieties when in bloom are extremely sensitive to cold or to wet 

 weather; high winds will also effectually destroy the pollen. If 

 frost, or wet and cold weather occur immediately after the fruit has 

 set the result will be abortive plums or pods. It has been supposed 

 that the production of plum pods was owing to a diseased condi- 

 tion of the trees; also, that it was the work of insects; but these are 

 mistakes, the difficult}' is entirely climatic. No well attested ex- 

 periments have yet demonstrated that sound fruit can be inoculated 

 by contact with the pods, therefore, it is not contagious, like the rot; 

 nor can it be shown that the pods produce spores, like the black 

 knot, to be transmitted through the atmosphere to become infectious. 

 Destroying the pods will have no effect, as the mj^celium which 

 forms the pod is frequently found permeating the leaves and twigs 

 of the new growth, whenever the fruit is affected. If any mj-cologist 

 should succeed in cultivating- the mj'celium, he will need to dis- 

 organize the tissues of the tender fruit and leaves by excessive cold 

 or wet before he can demonstrate anj- marked effects from its intro- 

 duction. All varieties are liable to these conditions; that some are 

 apparently more so than others is owing to the difference in time of 

 setting fruit or to a more exposed Location of tree. The opening of the 

 blossoms is not materially dependent on the condition of the soil, 

 as they will perform that office without any root connection; as 

 when the ground is frozen, or when large limbs are severed from 

 the trunk, which shows that blossoming cannot be retarded by 

 mulching, as some have supposed. All varieties usually blossom 

 before the leaves appear. A close study of the blossoms of the dif- 

 ferent varieties shows a marked difference in their structure, from 

 which some observers conclude that the native plum trees are dioe- 

 cious, at least functionallj*, if not in form and appearance. They 

 are not distinctly so, like the strawberrj-, but all varieties sometimes 

 produce more or less blossoms without pistils; and on some trees 

 and even groups of trees none of the blossoms ever have pistils and, 

 of course, bear no fruit. What is more peculiar, some trees will bear 



