THE PLUM IN KANSAS. 77 



the morning [which causes them to fall], catching them on sheets and destroying 

 them. Begin this work as soon as the blossoms fall, and continue as long as you 

 catch any. If this is too much trouble and you think it will not pay, the best thing 

 to do is to plant your trees where the chickens will run under them and pick up 

 the "little Turks"; also plant plenty of trees, so that there will be fruit enough 

 for both the insects and yourself. It is also a very good plan to jjick up and burn, 

 boil, or otherwise destroy, all wormy and rotten fruit, leaving no insects or fungus 

 spores alive. For canker-worms and other leaf- eating insects add Paris green to 

 the Bordeaux mixture, and spray. If that does not do the work thoroughly, spray 

 again in a day or two. Be sure you get a pure article of Paris green. There 

 are different grades; some of it is adulterated. The best is cheapest in the 

 end. One reason why people do not always succeed in killing canker-worms is 

 that they do not begin spraying early enough. The young worms are much 

 more susceptible to poison than when they are nearly or quite full grown. 



Most varieties of plums are of better flavor if they remain on the trees until 

 fully ripe. For market, however, they must be gathered before they get soft, 

 but they should be full grown and pretty well colored. As to varieties suitable 

 to the climate and soil of Kansas, I can only judge from my limited experience 

 and observation. Of the European varieties, the Lombard and Spaulding are the 

 only ones that I have had in bearing. They set plenty of fruit, which is of fair 

 quality when ripe, but they are not curculio or rot proof, and in some seasons, in 

 spite of spraying or anything that I have done, the amount of sound, ripe fruit has 

 been very small. Of the Japan plums, the Burbank has proved most worthy of 

 cultivation. It is of large size and good quality, especially for cooking, and an 

 abundant bearer. Indeed, it usually sets so much fruit as to require severe thin- 

 ning. The Abundance and Botan are good, but have not been such sure or abun- 

 dant bearers as the Burbank. The Ogon seems more hardy than any of the Japan 

 plums, but the quality is hardly as good as those mentioned above. It is a good 

 bearer. The Satsuma and ^^imonii have been unproductive and unprofitable. Of 

 our native American varieties, the following, I think, are worthy of cultivation : 

 Wild Goose, Miner, Bluemont, Golden Beauty, and Moreman. The Bluemont 

 sometimes rots badly. All need to be thoroughly ripe before they are good to 

 eat without cooking. I have found no curculio-proof plum. Besides those men- 

 tioned above, the following are grown on the grounds of the Kansas State Agri- 

 cultural College and are thought worthy of cultivation — all are American: 

 Wyant, Weaver, Wayland, De Soto, Robinson, and Clayton. 



M. E. Wells, Smith Center, Smith county. Have fifty plum trees in 

 bearing which have been planted seven years; those doing best for me are a wild 

 variety; soil is a clay loam, sloping to the east; sandy bottom next to creek is 

 best. Plant ten feet apart. Sell at the orchard, receiving one dollar per bushel. 

 Have never grown, budded or grafted my own trees. I would keep a new orchard 

 clean for three years, then mulch with straw a foot deep. Neighbors are growing 

 a few plums. I consider them a good paying crop in this locality. 



D. M. Adaiii.s, Rome, Sumner county. I have a dozen plum trees in l)ear- 

 ing, planted twelve years; they are Marianna and Wild Goose: they are profit- 

 able for home use only. My soil is prairie, sloping to the southeast. Have tried 

 several wild varieties, and find some to be very good. Have never grown, budded 

 or grafted my own trees. If planting over, I would set out the above-named va- 

 rieties and the Abundance and German Prune. Neighbors are growing them 

 only for home use. 



