HOETICULTUEAL SOCIETY. 121 



fruit it is superior to those above mentioned; it also keeps 

 longer after ripening, and being much firmer is a Vjetter mar- 

 ket variety. In season a week or more earlier than De Soto or 

 Weaver, 



These kinds have been grown in Minnesota so successfully 

 that no doubt is entertained of their entire hardiness and relia- 

 bility in all parts of the state. Northern Iowa has also produced 

 some excellent varieties that are recommended with great confi- 

 dence for our state. Among these are the Spear, the Eockford, 

 the Wolf and some others. 



As to the subject of non-bearing, it may be well to suggest 

 that the best practical remedy is, in planting, to mix different 

 kinds, and to plant closely together, from four to six feet one 

 way and twelve the other. The claim is also made that this sys- 

 tem of planting effectually defeats the ravages of curculio. The 

 rot can be obviated only by carefully thinning the fruit; bnt it 

 is believed that the varieties above named are peculiarly free 

 from it. 



PROPAGATING FROM SEED AND GEATTS. 



As plum trees are rarely sold at the nurseries at less than half 

 a dollar, the price has been an obstacle to large planting. A few 

 hints in regard to propagating, where natural thickets are not 

 available, may be useful to some who have no experience. The 

 seed, to be reliable, should be placed in moist sand and slightly 

 covered as soon as possible after the fruit is ripened, where it 

 will be exposed to freezing, and then planted as soon as the 

 ground is open in the spring. If seed is planted from natural 

 trees that are entirely isolated, the fruit will bear a strong re- 

 semblance to the parent. But if other varieties are near the 

 parent when blossoming the character of the fruit can not be 

 predicted. From the success in some experiments in hand fer- 

 tilizing we are led to hope that all the best qualities now known 

 can be combined to produce plums not inferior to the best Euro- 

 peans. 



As with grapes and strawberries, plums and other fruit, the 

 natural or chance process of cross fertilization is not known to 

 produce a superior variety once in ten thousand times. Seed- 

 lings may be successfully top grafted, but the trees will not be 

 so long lived nor any more productive than sprouts transplanted 

 from bearing trees. The grafts, however, will be more vigor- 

 ous in growth and more' symmetrical in form. Sprouts wiU 

 Vol. IT.— 16. 



