46 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
air or with the injured cells, is entirely changed in its composition 
from original sap, like the gum of the peach or cherry trees, or like 
the mycelium of plum pods or other plants. The natural cell pro- 
toplasm of plants when brought to the air absorbs oxygen, and this 
combines with various compounds of the protoplasm forming new 
unions containing starch, glucose and other carbonates. Nitrogen 
is also absorbed, organizing nitrogenous compounds, known as the 
active principles of life. Where they are sporadic, they are easily 
cultivated in other vehicles adapted to their life. In some cases 
these compounds assume mycelial forms which may be made to 
grow, though not strictly sporadic.” The peculiar mycelium of 
plum pods may sometimes be found in the small twigs and branches 
of the trees and may in extreme cases be carried over the season in 
the tree and permeate the fruit the next year; butif the season be 
favorable, this will only be observed to a very slight extent. A row 
of twenty cherry trees a few years ago produced a large crop of 
pods, while other trees close by blooming a little later had no pods. 
Those same trees have produced fine crops since then without a 
single pod. From the observation of this habit for twenty years, I 
infer that if the season be favorable no fear need be entertained of 
the occurrence of plum pods. 
The fungous growth is not a disease of the tree but the result of 
injury to the tender tissues of the plant at a particular stage of its 
growth by excessive cold. 
I wish I could speak as confidently of the plum rot. This is a 
sporadic disease of the fruit; and if the spores fall upon moist fruit 
or fall upon plums that are in contact, they will multiply, pene- 
trate and spoil the fruit. I received a tree from Mr. Taylor, of 
Forestville, several years ago, that for three or four years had its 
fruit rot. It was top-grafted with Desota, which does not rot, though 
the fruit on some of the original branches continued to be affected. 
I believe the rot to be more disastrous in a wet season than in a dry 
one, and that some varieties are much more susceptible than others. 
I have never seen any rot upon some varieties. As aremedy I can 
only suggest a resort to spraying with some of the copper com- 
pounds or to pick and destroy the infected fruit as soon as dis- 
covered. The non-bearing habit has also been attributed to im- 
perfect pollenizing, and the remedy suggested is planting different 
varieties near together and using some kinds known to be prepo- 
tent and furnishing abundant pollen.- This has been found to be 
beneficial in many cases, but nearly all the native plums bear more 
or less imperfect blossoms every year; and in some years all the 
blossoms of a tree may have no pistils and, of course, be abortive. 
Whether this is the natural habit of the tree or whether the plum 
tree is functionally, if not strictly, dioceous, has not been deter- 
mined. With our present knowledge, want of pollenation is as 
good a reason for non-bearing as fungus disease is for pods or 
heart failure and want of breath is for dissolution. I have now 
named all the serious obstacles to successful native plum culture, 
and in spite of them have personally had more or less fruit for the 
last thirty years and, usually,a surplus for market. Mr. C. L. Smith 
