PLUMS. 101 



practical cultivator of this fruit, we would recom- 

 mend : " When this tree has arrived to maturity, 

 and ready to bear, the soil around, to the spread of 

 the branches, should be thrown into a hard texture 

 of the consistency of a gravel walk. A pig or poultry 

 yard, with a hard pan, is a fine position for a plum 

 nursery. The advantages are, a more stinted, 

 and, consequently, a less exuberant growth of the 

 branches, a greater supply to the fruit, and a pre- 

 vention, in some degree, from the attack of the 

 curculio, as that insect, not meeting with a proper 

 soil to deposit its egg, will take shelter elsewhere." 



Removing the soil from around these trees to the 

 extent of its branches, even to the laying bare the 

 top roots, and filling the hole with fresh sea mud or 

 salt sand, is found beneficial to the production of its 

 fruit. Many set their plum trees too deep, particu- 

 larly in rich soils, causing them to produce strong 

 watery shoots, growing so late as to be imperfectly 

 ripened. "They require," says Kennedy, "like all 

 other stone fruit, to be planted on a dry sub-soil ; in 

 such situations they bear high flavored fruit in great 

 quantities. They are not so large as when planted 

 in strong earth, but the quality and richness of the 

 flavor make amends for that deficiency." M'Intosh 

 observes, " That in planting this tree the tap-roots 

 should be shortened, and the others spread out in a 

 regular manner near the surface, so that they may 

 enjoy the warmth of the sun, heat and air, which is 

 necessary for the welfare of all fruit-bearing trees. 

 If planted in too rich a soil, they become so luxuri- 

 9* 



