xviii Preface 



tion of a plum which has had its turn and is practically 

 lost. This is why some greater liberty has been taken 

 with the list of Domesticas. Doubtless some varieties 

 have been included which are not really in cultivation, 

 and perhaps a few have been excluded which are still 

 to be found, but the author hopes that no serious 

 oversights of this sort have occurred. 



The author wishes to acknowledge his deep sense 

 of gratitude to the whole fraternity of plum men for 

 the interest they have taken in his work and the 

 material help they have given him. Without their 

 hearty co-operation this book might have been much 

 worse. It is impossible to thank them all by name, 

 for their name is legion. Nevertheless the author is 

 sincerely grateful to them for their help. 



Rather more than usual pains have been taken 

 to make this work accurate, authoritative and up-to- 

 date. The author, under the direction of the Vermont 

 Experiment station, whose sympathetic support he 

 wishes especially to acknowledge, has for several years 

 devoted himself continuously to the study of plums 

 on every side. The various parts of this book have 

 been subjected to the criticism of experts. All the 

 descriptions have been edited by Mr. J. W. Kerr, who 

 needs no introduction here. The chapter on plum 

 botany has been gone over by Professor L. R. Jones 

 of the University of Vermont, and by Dr. W. W. 

 Rowlee of the Cornell University. The chapter on 

 propagation has been reviewed by Professor John 

 Craig and by Mr. J. W. Kerr. The latter gentleman 

 has also edited the chapter which discusses plum trees 

 as ornamental plants, the chapter on propagation, and 

 several others. The chapter on plum diseases has 

 been revised by Professor L. R. Jones, and the one on 

 plum insects by Professor M. V. Slingerland of the 

 Cornell University. The chapter on cooking plums 



