80 STATE POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



perienced. Mr. Downing describes about three hundred varieties, 

 from which we can select, if we know the conditions of success 

 required. At one time I had thirty-two varieties, but I have learned 

 to multiply the best and drop the poorest. Those best adapted to this 

 locality are the Washington, McLaughlin, Bradshaw, Green Gage, 

 Lawrence's Favorite, Heine Claude, Smith's Orleans, Penobscot, 

 Columbia, Victoria, Moore's Arctic, Imperial Gage and Lombard. 



Fertilizers — 1 have never used stable manure, but find bone meal 

 and hard wood ashes (and in spring and fall throw broadcast about 

 a pint or coarse salt), the best treatment for plum trees. 



DISCUSSION. 



Qaes. You place the Lombard the last on the list. What do 

 you think of that? 



Mr. Low. It is the most productive plum. 



Qices. Have you tried the Quackenbos ? 



Ans. Not to get fruit. If a tree don't respond after the care I 

 give it, I wipe it out of existence. I have almost envied you, in 

 the countr}^, with plenty of land. Here we have but little land ; — 

 a man spoke about putting berries four feet apart; — why we should 

 get upon our neighbors. I have a farm out here ; when I bought it 

 I used to get thirty-two dollars a ton for my hay ; now, I cannot get 

 but six dollars for it. 



Ques. How about Moore's Arctic? 



Ans. It is a very productive, but not a rich plum. They told 

 me it would be free from black knot, — 1 have never found any that 

 was not recommended, — but 1 notice that the black knot puts in an 

 appearance. I consider the Washington and McLaughlin two of 

 the richest plums. The Bradshaw is a good, large, purple plum ; 

 I think it is a good one. 



Ques. How long is the average life of the plum tree? 



Ans. I think I have trees in my garden that are over twenty 

 years old. Some years the}^ get overloaded, vvhen a man gets too 

 busy to think to thin out one-half of the fruit ; and that requires 

 some courage. I gave my neighbors an invitation to help them- 

 selves, and the next year I didn't get any. The trees want to be 

 fed as well as the horse and cattle ; j^ou must put back what you 

 take away. This lesson people have to learn. 



I think there is a difference in the length of life of the plum tree. 

 I don't think they are so very short lived. 1 have a McLaughlin 



