PRUNUS BESSEYI 243 



appear to differ a good deal in the amount of astrin- 

 gency, as well as in the size and shape of the cherries 

 which they bear. In many parts of the state the 

 sand cherry has been transplanted to the garden or 

 orchard. Wherever this has been done the results 

 have been encouraging. The plants become larger, 

 and the cherries are larger and more abundant. They 

 root freely from layers, and hence are propagated with 

 the greatest ease. My studies of this interesting 

 native cherry, supplemented by the testimony of 

 numerous observers in all parts of the state where it 

 grows, lead me to the conclusion that we have here 

 a fruit which needs only a few years of cultivation 

 and selection to yield us a most valuable addition to 

 our small -fruit gardens. It has recently attracted the 

 attention of cultivators in the states eastward as a 

 promising stock upon which to graft or bud some of 

 the more tender varieties of the cultivated cherries of 

 the Old World." 



The efforts to improve Prunus Besseyi by means 

 of crossing have been made chiefly in Minnesota. 

 Professor S. B. Green, of the Minnesota Experiment 

 Station, writes (1894) that he has "raised probably five 

 thousand seedlings in the last four years, and has seen 

 many seedlings on the grounds of the Jewell Nursery 

 Co., at Lake City, Minn. Among these I have seen 

 many that produce very good fruit, but I have not 

 yet selected the one which I shall propagate. I have 

 attempted quite a number of hybrids between it and 

 Prunus Americana, but have so far failed to get one 

 that I felt sure represented both species. It is a very 

 good stock for the P. Americana. It suckers very 

 freely the first season, but when the graft or bud gets 



