246 Plums and Plum Culture 



seedlings are used almost to the exclusion of other 

 stocks. Some Myrobalan stocks are used in southern 

 Iowa and Nebraska for Domestica and Japanese va- 

 rieties and occasionally for Wildgoose sorts. But this 

 is the only exception. Americana seedlings make 

 good, strong, thrifty stocks; and they seem to unite 

 well with nearly all classes of plums. Experiments 

 made by the writer 'indicate that they are adapted to 

 a much wider range, botanically and geographically, 

 than has been generally supposed, though it is said by 

 propagators of experience that they are not suited to 

 the Japanese and Domestica varieties. Their use, 

 now practically exclusive in the northwest, is rapidly 

 increasing in other neighborhoods; and we may expect 

 to see them tried more and more by nurserymen in 

 other localities as the price of the stocks decreases. 

 Already Americana stocks are a staple article in the 

 northwest, and are regularly quoted in the wholesale 

 price-lists. The price is still considerably higher than 

 for Myrobalan, Marianna or peach stocks, but seldom 

 exceeds ten dollars a thousand. Some correspondents 

 in the northwest recommend Mner stocks ; but I doubt 

 if these can be distinguished from Americanas. 



Chicasaw stocks. Seedlings and suckers of the 

 Chicasaw species have been used for stocks, though 

 never on a large scale. They are supposed to be es- 

 pecially adapted to low, wet lands, or where an annual 

 overflow is to be expected. The serious objection to 

 them is their tendency to sprout. 



The western dwarf form of this species (Prunus 

 an gust if olio, watsoni) has been recommended time and 

 again for trial as a stock; but though I have known of 

 various experiments undertaken, I never heard of one 

 so far finished as to give a fair idea of the advantages 

 and drawbacks of this plum as a stock. It would prob- 



