362 ANNUAL EEPOKT 



within 25 years, and cultivation does not materially change their 

 habits in this respect. In regard to non-bearing, it must be re- 

 membered that in attempting to cultivate them, they are entirely 

 changed from their natural conditions. 



When wild they usually grow in groups more or less shaded 

 with the soil deeply mulched, with leaves or other vegetation, and 

 the trees so close together that the branches often interlock. 



Some of these groups of trees, are known to have grown vigor- 

 ously in their wild state and die of old age without producing any 

 fruit. When trees have been taken from the woods for cultivation 

 they are often set too far apart, and are not selected with sufficient 

 care in regard to quality of fruit and habits of bearing; and it will 

 be found that variety and conditions of pollenization have more to 

 do with the habit of bearing than all other things put together. 

 Trees of some kinds refuse to bear, though blossoming profusely, 

 unless planted near some other variety. While the general char- 

 acter of the fruit is similar in many respects, there are some vari- 

 eties entirely distinct in quality, size and appearance, differing in 

 blossom and habits of growth. Experience has shown, that the 

 best results have been attained when these varieties are freely 

 mixed in setting the trees. Indeed some kinds that are barren 

 when isolated, produce abundantly when thus mixed. 



The pollen of nearly all varieties is abundant, but remarkably 

 short-lived; or in other words, the time in which the stigmas are 

 fitted to receive the pollen is limited to a few hours. With these 

 conditions understood, the cultivation of native plums is no more 

 difficult nor likely to result in failure than the cultivation of other 

 fruits. In this age of science and progress it is hardly wise to 

 charge any failure to the inherent disposition of the plums, that 

 would bar all attempts to improve them in quality and prevent their 

 general cultivation. To refute any such idea it is only necessary 

 to refer to the names of some wild plums that have established for 

 themselves a reputation almost national in quality, productiveness 

 and general adaptation to market and home use. The Miner and 

 the Wild Goose among the first brought to notice, and later the 

 De Sota, theRollingstone, the Cheney, the Weaver, the Robinson, 

 Mariana and numerous others. That some of these varieties might 

 fail in some localities, is not doubted, and that the failure might 

 be chargeable to the variety is true; but because the Mariana, 

 Texas Plum or the Robinson from North Carolina do not suc- 

 ceed in Minnesota, it would be absurd to declare that wild plums 

 are a failure, or to make such a statement in face of the fact that 

 the De Sota and some other kinds bear abundantly from year to 

 year under all conditions of culture and varieties of soil. Every 

 fruit grower has learned that climatic conditions exist whereby we 

 sometimes get no fruit, but in the case of plums, in this vicinity 

 they have not failed for two years in succession but once in thirty- 

 five years — 1881 and '82. The opinion is prevalent that they pro- 

 duce only every other year, but we have seen them bear succes- 

 sively for several years. Much more might be said on the non- 

 bearing question of plum trees in comparison with the smaller 



