PLUMS AND CHERRIES. 481 



PLUMS AND CHERRIES. 



nEWAIX COOK, WIXDOM. 



The season of 180,") was rather unfavorable to both the plum and 

 the cherrj'. The blooming season was about three weeks earlier 

 than usual, while we had the May frosts at their usual season. Wild 

 plums were scarce. My Desota, Wolf and Speer trees bore their 

 usual heavy crop. I also have nearly fifty Desota and Wolf, set eight 

 years, that bore almost nothing-. They were grafted on Marianna 

 stock. With the exception of three or four trees I overlooked, I cut 

 down all of the Russian plum trees last spring: they were on the de- 

 cline from winter-killing and were unfruitful. The Milton plum is de- 

 cidedly tender; we cannot even raise the trees here. Mr. Jno. Wood.of 

 this place, has a very good wild plum that is soine two weeks earlier 

 than the Cheney. He calls it the Early Minnesota. A sprout of the Man- 

 kato plum, sent me by Mr. S. D. Richard.son four j-ears ago, borethis 

 season. The fruit, in appearance, resembles the Forest Garden, but 

 is a little larger, earlier and of much better qualitj', and is a better 

 tree. It promises to be a valuable addition to our list of plums. 

 The Rockford seems to be a shy bearer, and the fruit is much injured 

 by the curculio. The Forest Garden produced little fruit the 

 past season, and the trees set eight years ago seem to be on the de- 

 clirte. I do not think as highlj' of this variety as I used to. 



As to cherries, we have little to report. Some seedling sand cher- 

 ries bore a verj' good crop, but most of them bore little or none of a 

 rather bitter and puckery fruit, but on the whole they average better 

 than the choke cherrj'. The Dwarf Rocky Mountain cherry is a va- 

 riety of the sand cherry; it bore no fruit, but is perfectly hardy. 

 There are a good many seedling Russian cherries grown by the 

 Mennonites near here, but I have had little time to investigate 

 them. My Russian cherries, especially the seedlings, set for an e.x- 

 traordinarily heavy crop, more so than most of the plums, but the 

 May freeze took all but a few specimens. The seedlings trees look 

 better than the named varieties. 



I received specimens of Mr. Knudson's hybrid sand cherry, which 

 resembles the plum fully as luuch as it does the cherrj', and I have 

 no doubt that it will prove a most valuable addition to our list of 

 hardy fruits. 



Pres. Underwood: Has any one any questions to ask on this 

 report? 



Mr. E. J. Cutts: Have you ever fruited the Rocky Mountain 

 cherry? 



Mr. Cook: No. sir. 



Mr. C. Wedge: I have fruited it on my place. It is not so 

 good as the best variety of sand cherry. 



Mr. J. S. Harris: You probably refer to that sent out from 

 Colorado. 



Prof, N. E. Hansen: I tested the Rocky Mountain cherry at 

 Ames last summer and concluded it was not half as good as 

 those selected sand cherries that we grew from seed. 



