STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 123 



tively unknown, that in quality and desirability compare favorably 

 with any of those mentioned, and if they could be brought into 

 notice by propagation, would be considered valuable additions to 

 our list of fruits. 



A prominent fruit dealer of Winona informs me that he has 

 frequently received some of our natives, that in quality were su- 

 perior in every respect to many of the old kinds that were offered 

 in the market, not excepting the little damson, nor the far-famed 

 Californias. 



By far the larger part of our natives do not differ materially in 

 character; I believe the species in America is limited to three: the 

 sand or beach plum of the Atlantic coast, the chickasaws of the 

 Gulf States and our common wild plum. This latter is too well 

 known to need description here; but there are a few points that 

 need to be borne in mind in making selections for improvement. 

 As a rule, this species has a thick acrid skin, which in cooking has a 

 tendency to dry up and toughen; a soft, juicy pulp, which spoils in 

 carrying, and an acrid taste about the seed, that imparts often a 

 disagreeable flavor. 



Whenever a native can be found with a skin that is thin 

 and tasteless, which disappears in cooking, with a pulp fleshy 

 instead of juicy, and with the seed small and free, we may be 

 sure of something worth propagating. Prof. Budd says the Speer 

 plum possesses the first of these qualities, and is excellent for cook- 

 ing. Mr Taylor has secured among his, one with the second, a 

 fleshy pulp with a rich peachy flavor, of large size, bears carrying 

 well, and valuable for table use. Mr. Cottrell's plum, and some 

 others growing in this and adjoining counties, possess very nearly 

 all these desirable qualities. They are also from one to three weeks 

 earlier than the Desoto, but do not appep.r so fine in tke market. 

 They have, however, one quality which makes them for canning 

 superior ; when mature the skin slips off easily, leaving the pulp 

 firm and shapely. 



As in the cultivation of all fruit there are some difficulties to 

 encounter, it may be well to mention some of the most common 

 to the plum. The curculio is probably the greatest; the black 

 knot is next, and there is a tendency of all wild ones to rot on the 

 tree when brought into cultivation. 



Probably no good plum will be found to be curculio proof. 

 Nature beats them with numbers of trees and quantity of fruit. 

 This may be a hint to us ; but the journals have thoroughlj' dis- 

 cussed this part of the subject, and have attempted to point ou 



