62 Plums and Plum Culture 



have originated in various localities. So far as known 

 their origin is as follows: 



American Golden Missouri. 



Crimson Beauty Texas. 



Cumberland Tennessee. 



Garfield Ohio. 



Golden Beauty Western Texas. 



Kanawha Kentucky. 



Nimon Northern Texas. 



Reed Illinois. 



Sucker State Illinois ( ?) 



Wayland Kentucky. 



It will be seen that these points cover a much 

 wider range than that assigned to Primus rivularis. 

 It can hardly be supposed that a distinct species of such 

 importance as to furnish these well-known varieties 

 could be growing in the woods of Missouri, Illinois, 

 Kentucky and Tennessee without being known to bot- 

 anists. What, then, is the genealogy of the horticul- 

 tural varieties in question? Let us recall the discus- 

 sions of a previous chapter. 



It will be seen by referring to Chapter XV that 

 there is good reason for believing that natural hybrid- 

 ization has played an important part in the history of 

 the wild plums on this continent. The entire group 

 once described as a species with the name Primus 

 hortulana may reasonably be called a congeries of nat- 

 ural hybrids. The varieties of the Wayland group 

 were at first included in the so-called species P. hortu- 

 lana. May they not, in fact, have originated in the 

 same way? 



It seems almost necessary to take the affirmative 

 view. If we accept the hypothesis of a hybrid origin 

 for the Wildgoose group, we must also conclude that 

 the Wayland group has a similar origin. The same 

 arguments apply to both. These arguments briefly 

 reviewed and adapted to this group are: (i) The Way- 



