NATIVE PLUMS, THEIR HYBRIDS AND THEIR IMPROVEMENT. 323 



There is another class of hybrid plums I consider worthy 

 of notice and that is the sand cherry hybrids, crosses of the 

 sand cherry and native plum, also of the sand cherry and Japan- 

 ese plums. These hybrids have added one week to the season 

 we can have ripe plums, by giving us a variety that is one week 

 earlier than any variety we heretofore had. 



The fruit of these sand cherry hybrids as a class, especially 

 those crossed with the Japanese plums, is to my notion extra 

 fine for eating out of hand, having a peculiar, pleasant half sand 

 cherry flavor. The fruit of all of these sand cherry hybrids are 

 ideal breeding places for the plum curculio. Sometimes every 

 one of the sand cherry plums on the tree will have a worm in it. 

 Another thing about the fruit of this class of plums is its suscepti- 

 bility to the disease known as the brown rot, which often takes 

 the whole crop, leaving only mummified plums on the trees. The 

 plum curculio destroys the plums, the brown rot destroys both 

 the fruit and the worm, thus holding the curculio in check. Then 

 perhaps we may have a favorable year. Along comes a season 

 that is dry and hot all through, but little rain, no dews, abun- 

 dance of hot sunshine — the brown rot cannot exist under these 

 conditions — then the sand cherry hybrids are at their best. 

 The curculio having in previous years been kept in check by the 

 brown rot, we get a fine crop of this elegant fruit tl-iat is a 

 delight to the grower. 



There will be less disapointment in growing this class of 

 fruit if only an occasional crop is expected. I have now given 

 you the best I know regarding the way to get better plums. I 

 may be wrong in my conclusions, and I want up-to-date opinion 

 on this subject, therefore will read to you a letter from A. B. 

 Dennis, the Iowa plum expert. The letter speaks for itself, and 

 here it is : 



Cedar Rapids, Iowa, November 12, 1916. 

 A. W. LATHAM, 



Minneapolis, Minn. 



Dear Sir : I write you to get a list of the best pure native 

 plums in your state or Wisconsin. 



It seems our plum breeders have gone crazy in using our 

 natives to get Japan hybrids. I have tested over 40 varieties of 

 Japanese and Chinese plums, and many of the so-called cross 

 bred seedlings, and find very few of them equal to our first 

 natives, for they always manifest some weak points somewhere. 

 So I think it is time to call a halt, and give our hardy natives a 



