PRUNUS SUBCORDATA 215 



well upon the Wild Goose, and Mr. Bassett writes me 

 that he has a tree on such roots which is fifteen feet 

 high. It was brought to notice largely through the 

 efforts of the Rumson nurseries, in New Jersey, where it 

 was worked upon the myrobalan plum and the peach. 

 I have seen a vigorous, large tree at Mr. Kerr's, in 

 Maryland, grafted upon the Richland, which is Prunus 

 domestica. Mr. Kerr also finds that it grows upon 

 the Chickasaws. The variety has small merit. 



The beach plum type is variable, and Small has 

 recently described a new species of it, Prunus Gravesii, 

 from Connecticut.* 



The Pacific Coast Plum 



The wild plum of the Pacific coast is the nearest 

 approach to the European type of any plum in the 

 American flora. There is a reason for this in the 

 similarity of climate of our western coast to that of 

 Europe, for similar conditions develop similar plants. 

 It is interesting to note, also, that- the pomology of 

 California with its wine and raisin grapes, olives, 

 figs, almonds, and citrous fruits is more akin to that 

 of Europe than it is to that of eastern America. 

 This wild Pacific plum is Prunus subcordata (Fig. 

 34). It grows west of the mountains in northern 

 California and southern Oregon. The typical form 

 grows either as a tall shrub or a small tree, but usu- 

 ally not reaching above three to six feet high. The 

 fruit varies from nearly globular to oblong, and is 

 usually dark red and subacid, the flesh clinging 

 tightly to the flat, smooth stone. It is usually unpalat- 



*Bull. Torr. Bot. Club, xxiv. 45. 



