No. 4.] PLUM CULTURE. 357 



Where no highly developed system of management is attempted, 

 the plum tree may be pruned essentially the same as the apple tree. 

 This refers to ordinary farm methods. The center of the tree is kept 

 reasonably well opened, in order to let in light and air; broken branches 

 are cut out as required, and wounds are painted over. This sort of 

 pruning is usually done early in the spring, — the earlier the better; 

 the latter half of March is usually the most convenient time. As a 

 rule, it may be considered better to do this soft of pruning during 

 the month of June; and the transfer of the pruning season from 

 March to midsummer is to be recommended under most circumstances. 



Where plums are extensively cultivated for market, so that more 

 critical care is given to them, a more exact system of pruning is to be 

 recommended. Many plum growers adopt the system of heading in 

 their trees annually. This heading in is practised especially at the 

 top of the tree, where strong growth is apt to be made. Most varieties 

 of plums will thrive better under a system of severe cutting back than 

 apple trees will. Under such a system of pruning, branches of a 

 considerable size have to be removed from the interior of the tree 

 from time to time, in order to prevent choking the head. In all these 

 operations it may be borne in mind that the plum tree is naturally 

 shorter lived than the apple (especially the Japanese plum), and the 

 fruit grower is giving himself unnecessary worry when he endeavors 

 to transmit his plum orchard unimpaired to his grandchildren. 



Cultivation. 



Plum trees require cultivation. Of course they live for a while 

 when growing in grass, but it is very seldom that they will produce 

 even reasonably good crops under such treatment. The system of 

 cultivation to be followed is that now commonly practised by suc- 

 cessful apple growers. It consists in plowing the soil early in the 

 spring, or cutting it up with a spading harrow, following this with 

 frequent surface cultivations, using such tools as the spring-tooth 

 harrow, Acme or smoothing harrow, ceasing cultivation about July 1, 

 and planting some sort of cover crop. The cover crop may be omitted 

 in some cases, but is worth while, on account of the fertility which it 

 adds to the soil. 



A substitute for cultivation of plum trees which is often advised 

 and used is to plant the trees in a poultry yard. This is recommended 

 on the theory that the poultry will eat up the curculios; but the real 

 advantages come in the partial cultivation of the soil by the scratch- 

 ing poultry, in the elimination of weeds, and in the supply of plant 

 food from the poultry droppings. Certainly plum trees are about the 

 best things that can be found for growing in the poultry yard. 



