32 Plums and Plum Culture 



ing wild in quantities in western Europe, (see Koch, 

 Die Deutschen Obstgeholze, p. 145); and second, 

 that their characters differ from those of the Domes- 

 tica plums as those of any wildling plant usually 

 differ from those of its cultivated and domesti- 

 cated descendants. 



Speculation has sometimes run still further, and 

 has surmised that the Damsons were derived from the 

 Sloe, Prunus spinosa, so that the genesis of the modern 

 Domesticas would stand: 



Primus spinosa — P. damascena — P. domestica. 



This pedigree, however is only a surmise. 



The Bullace, spoken of by many writers as a sep- 

 arate thing with a botanical specific name of its own, — 

 Primus insititia, — is evidently to be put into the Dam- 

 son group. (See Waugh, Botanical Gazette, 27:478.) 



The Damsons are hardy, thrifty and easy of cul- 

 tivation. What is more, they bear regularly and 

 abundantly, and there is usually a good demand for 

 the fruit, so that they have been found among the 

 most profitable plums to grow by many cultivators. 

 They have considerable culinary value, especially with 

 those persons who have not become acquainted with 

 certain varieties among the natives. To the writer it 

 seems that Wayland, Moreman and Golden Beauty 

 might supplant the Damsons almost altogether, to the 

 mutual satisfaction of the cook and the plum grower. 

 This may be merely a matter of personal taste, how- 

 ever, or it may be nothing better than prejudice. 



The Damsons come fairly true from seed; and 

 they have often been propagated in that way. This 

 accounts for some of the perplexing variations which 

 they present, and for the confusion of varieties. It is 

 only within recent years that a few of the better varie- 

 ties have been selected and perpetuated by grafting. 



