298 Plums and Plum Culture 



latter do not blossom too late. They are usually 

 inter-fertile also with the Japanese plums. Accumu- 

 lating evidence goes to show that the Chicasaw plums 

 have long been interbreeding with the Americanas in 

 the field, and that the woods are literally full of the re- 

 sulting hybrids. In fact, the whole so-called Hortulana 

 series, including the Wildgoose, Miner and Wayland 

 groups, seems to have no other pedigree. This 

 would, of course, indicate some considerable degree of 

 affinity between the two groups; but experience in the 

 orchard shows that Americana varieties are seldom the 

 best pollenizers for the Chicasaws, and, vice versa, 

 that the latter are not the most effective with the for- 

 mer. The Chicasaws also blossom earlier than the 

 Americanas in most cases. 



Wildgoose group. — Many of these varieties 'are 

 good mutual pollenizers, though others are not. For 

 instance, Mr. Kerr's experience has shown that Wild- 

 goose, Whitaker and Milton, though blooming simul- 

 taneously, will not pollinate one another. Sophie will 

 pollinate either, but neither will pollinate Sophie. Va- 

 rieties of the Miner and Wayland groups are usually 

 entirely effective when agreeing in blossoming season. 

 Japanese varieties often do the work. The best pol- 

 lenizers, however, seem to be of the Chicasaw group. 

 Newman, for instance, is a remarkably useful com- 

 panion for all varieties of the Wildgoose group blos- 

 soming at the same time. The Americana varieties 

 are sometimes effective, but are not to be chosen 

 as a rule. 



Wayland group. — On account of the late blossom- 

 ing of most of these varieties, it is difficult to select 

 pollenizers for them from other groups. Such varie- 

 ties as Miner seem to be satisfactory, however, and 

 the several sorts are generally mutually inter-fertile. 



