226 THE EVOLUTION OF OUR NATIVE FRUITS 



from the Americana plums nearly forty years ago, but 

 it was not described as a distinct species until 1877, 

 when Professor T. C. Porter named it Prunus Alle- 

 ghaniensis. According to Sargent, "the fruit is col- 

 lected in large quantities, and is made into excellent 

 preserves, jellies and jams, which have a considerable 

 local consumption." He holds the opinion that it 

 "will probably be improved by selection and cultiva- 

 tion." As I have grown the Alleghany plum, it 

 makes an upright small tree, and bears rather freely 

 of small, hard, spherical plums (see Fig. 36) of dark 

 purple color, with a decided bloom, and acerb and 

 uneatable in quality. Its merits as a fruit-bearing 

 plant seem to be so inferior to those of the Ameri- 

 cana plums, that I do not look for any attempt to 

 ameliorate the species for many years to come. 



NOTE. Persons who wish to follow the details of varieties 

 and methods of cultivation of the native plums should consult 

 Goff's excellent account of "The Culture of Native Plums in the 

 Northwest," Bull. 63, Wis. Exp. Sta. Oct. 1897; also Waugh's 

 "Pollination of Plums," Bull. 53, Vt. Exp. Sta. Aug. 1896, and 

 10th Rep. Vt. Exp. Sta. 1896 7. A good account of the botany 

 of plums and cherries, by Bessey, may be found in Rep. Nebr. 

 Hort. Soc. 1895. See, also, Waugh, Bot. Gaz., July, 1898. 



The Native Cherries 



North America has little to attract the experi- 

 menter in the way of native cherries. Most of the 

 tree cherries belong to the racemose type, the flowers 

 being borne in more or less elongated clusters, of which 

 the lowermost those nearest the parent shoot open 

 first. This type of cherries has never given important 

 results in the amelioration of the fruits in any part 



