314 Plums and Plum Culture 



originated in Iowa, and seems to be reliably hardy in 

 the southern part of that state, and in the Champlain 

 valley in Vermont. Other varieties, as Newman, are 

 hardy well northward in New York and Massachu- 

 setts, so that we may fairly say that the group has al- 

 most the same northward range as the Wildgoose 

 group. 



COMMERCIAL RANGE 



If we examine the areas of commercial culture of 

 groups and varieties, however, we shall find that they 

 bear no close correspondence to the geographical 

 ranges. The areas of profitable culture are determined 

 by many factors, among which hardiness is not of first 

 importance. Frequently a given variety, or a few 

 varieties, have a very local favor. They are esteemed 

 by a few people in some particular town. In other 

 cases, soil conditions, the presence of bodies of water, 

 or transportation facilities, determine the culture 

 of plums. 



The Domesticas are the leading plums in western 

 New York, on the Pacific coast, and in a few back- 

 country towns in New England, where nothing newer 

 has been fairly tested. The great prune industry of 

 the Pacific slope is dependent wholly on the Domes- 

 ticas. Eastward from the Rocky mountains the Do- 

 mesticas are of paramount importance only in western 

 New York and neighboring areas in upper Ontario 

 and Michigan. Here they flourish. Here other plums 

 do not seem to thrive. It is surprising how worthless 

 some of the best natives seem to be in that section; 

 and even the Japanese sorts do not make a creditable 

 appearance. This makes the Domesticas all the more 

 exclusively the plums of this particular region. 



The Americanas are the principal reliance of the 

 dry, cold prairie region of the north-central west, in* 



