222 THE EVOLUTION OF OUR NATIVE FRUITS 



quality, considering the conditions under which it grew. The 

 plums were quite uniformly large I would say from memory that 

 they often reached three-fourths of an inch to an inch in diameter. 

 They were thin-skinned and of good flavor, not having the un- 

 pleasant astringency of the wild Americana plums, which were also 

 sometimes gathered. They were excellent for canning, and made 

 the finest of jelly. In this connection I may quote F. T. Ramsey, 

 nurseryman of Austin, Texas, who writes me: "As far back as I 

 can remember, I have heard people who crossed the upper plain of 

 Texas speak of the large wild plums that grew there. It seems 

 that in their wild state they grew as large as a Wild Goose." 



Naturally, the settlers who went every year to the- sand hills 

 for plums brought back trees to plant in the gardens they were 

 opening. Almost every farm within the range mentioned above 

 had a few or many of the dwarf trees growing. Some of these 

 were fruitful and worth their room, but most of them have now 

 died out, or are neglected and forgotten. This is because people 

 have paid no attention to their selection, propagation and culti- 

 vation. Further than this, however, the sand plum has often 

 failed signally to come up to its record when transferred to culti- 

 vation. It seems not to adapt itself readily to a wide diversity of 

 soils and conditions. 



Still, an occasional variety has been deemed worthy of 

 propagation and the distinction of a name. The Bluemont was 

 introduced by E. Gale, of Manhattan, Kansas, during the sixties 

 (Vermont Exp. Sta. Bull. 53, p. 62, 1896). A reliable nursery- 

 man of Junction City, Kansas, writes me that the Bluemont is 

 considered the best variety they have for canning, but it has 

 always been propagated from root- sprouts, which is a drawback 

 to its widest popularity. Recently I have found four other 

 varieties growing in Mr. Kerr's orchards in Maryland, which I 

 have referred to this species (Vermont Exp. Sta., 10th Ann. 

 Rept., p. 106, 1897). These are Strawberry, Purple Panhandle, 

 Red Panhandle, Yellow Panhandle. Strawberry is mentioned 

 by Bailey (Cornell Exp. Sta., Bull. 38, p. 31, 1892), who knew 

 nothing of its history, and is by him put with the Chickasaws, 

 as were all forms of Prunus Watsoni at that time. On the same 

 page where Strawberry is mentioned, the author says : "I have 

 plants from Kansas, under the name of ' Kansas Dwarf Cherry,' 



