PROPAGATION 29 



many years the one principally used for propagating 

 all kinds of plums in America. It has come to be 

 looked upon as -a standard rather than a dwarf stock. 

 When we think of dwarf trees, therefore, we expect 

 .to see something smaller than what will grow under 

 ordinary circumstances on a Myrobalan root. 



The Americana plum, already mentioned, is a first- 

 rate stock in nearly all respects except that it can not 

 be bought so cheaply as the Myrobalan. It is now 

 grown to a considerable extent by nurserymen in 

 Minnesota, Iowa and the neighboring States. If 

 grafted, or budded early, all varieties of plums take 

 well upon it. The trees on Americana roots make 

 a good growth in the nursery and are easily trans- 

 planted. The tree produced on this stock is only 

 moderately dwarf. Still this dwarfing effect is always 

 well marked, this result being shown by the over- 

 growing of the cion. The top thus appears to out- 

 grow the root, and such trees are apt to blow over 

 during wind storms. Suitable precautions should be 

 taken to guard against damage of this sort. 



Prof. A. T. Erwin of Iowa writes on this subject 

 as follows: 



"Regarding the Americana as a plum stock, I would 

 state that we are using it by the thousands out here; 

 in fact, have about quit using anything else. As a 

 stock for the European and Japanese sorts, it does 

 dwarf them, and the cion tends to outgrow the stock 

 at the point of union, causing an enlargement.. The 

 union is also not very congenial, and they frequently 

 break off on account of high winds. However, in my 



