a 5 
66 ANNUAL REPORT. 
NTA De Soto. “ste Loe 
Mr. Jeweil moved to recommend for trial the De Sates niialicien 
seconded by Mr. Harris. It bears young and bears heavily, but the 
size is not as great as was expected, and in quality it is tiie: wnat 
as others, second rate. 
_ Mr. Elliot :—Three years ago I bought four trees for $5, and 
planted them. The second year they bore a few and last year they 
were loaded. From the four trees, I got half a bushel of fruit. The 
tree is extremely productive and perfectly hardy. The quality is 
not as high as that of the Miner or Harrison’s Peach. The fruit is 
of good size, yellow with a red cheek. It is a soft plum, It comes 
from Mr. Hale, of Iowa, and is a seedling from the native plum. 
Expect to have twenty varieties in fruiting next year. Consider 
the De Soto a good plum. The Harrison’s Peach, unless highly 
cultivated, is not productive. Mr. Wilson, of Richfield, had a 
seedling at the State fair that I consider of promise. Some plums 
have a sour pit, with an astringent skin, not noticed when first taken 
into the mouth. 
Mr. Harris:—The De Soto originated in Wisconstae and Mr. 
Hale got his stock by getting several large trees. ; 
Mr. Brand :—We should make it a principle not to recommend a 
variety until we know something about it, and nurserymen should 
not sell it until they know it at sight. 
Mr. Elliot-—-No spurious trees of the De Soto have been sent out. 
Mr. Hale is honest with it and deserves credit for it. 
The De Soto was then recommended for trial by a vote of 10 for 
and 8 against. 
Mr. Harris :—Am satisfied that’ better plums grow wild in every 
county than the Miner or De Soto. 
Natives. 
Mr. Dartt offered the following resolution : 
Resolved, That in view of the vast number and variety of native plums of 
great excellence in our State and the uncertainty of getting a genuine arti- 
cle by importation, therefore we recommend that our people depend prin- 
cipally upon our own native thickets for a supply. 
Mr. Buck wanted to know what some of the excellent varieties 
were. 
Mr. A. C. Hamilton hoped to see the resolution adopted. He 
was impressed with the value of the native plum while driving 
