104 FRUIT BOOK. 



THE PLUM. 



The native country of the plum is supposed 

 to be Asia. The majority of our finest varieties 

 have been introduced from France. Of sixty- 

 four sorts, described by Professor Bradley, not 

 one has other than a French name. Since his 

 time, however, a great variety has been pro- 

 duced in England and in this country, and new 

 sorts are constantly being produced. Corse of 

 Montreal, and Downing of Newburgh, have 

 brought forward many fine plums. Among those 

 kinds which have originated from seed in our 

 country, the Washington, Jefferson, Lawrence, 

 Coopers, Roe's Autumnal, and Columbia, are 

 among our best native varieties. The plum 

 tree flourishes best in a rich sandy loam, neither 

 ' too dry nor too moist ; a cold, wet, clayey soil, or 

 dry sandy situation, is not so favorable. They 

 appear to thrive best in our neighborhood, near 

 the borders of the sea ; which we think is ow- 

 ing to their being in situations not so subject to 

 the insect called curculio, which perforates the 

 fruit. We have, since 1841, applied annually, in 

 the spring, coarse salt around these trees, with 

 good effect, spreading upon the top of the ground, 

 as far as the branches extend, about one inch in 

 depth, and, in the course of a fortnight after its 

 application, turning it under the surface nearly 

 the depth of a spade. In 1843, we fruited thirty 

 varieties, all ripened, with the exception of Coe's 

 Late Red. The following, from a practical cul- 

 tivator of this fruit, we would recommend : 

 "When this tree has arrived to maturity, and 



