THE NURSERY LIST. 



253 



budding is usually employed in late summer or early fall, as 

 for peaches and cherries. Root-grafting by the common 

 whip method is sometimes employed, especially when own- 

 rooted trees are desired (page 78). In the north and east, 

 the common plum (P. domestica) is commonly worked upon 

 stocks of the same species. These stocks, if seedlings, are 

 apt to be very variable in size and habit, and sometimes half 

 or more of any batch, even from selected seeds, are practi- 

 cally worthless. Stocks from inferior or constant varieties 

 are therefore essential. Such stocks are largely imported ; 

 but there are some varieties which can be relied upon in this 

 country. One of the best of these domestic stocks is the 

 Horse plum, a small and purple-fruited variety of Primus 

 domeslica, which gives very uniform seedlings. This is large- 

 ly used in New York. The French stocks which are in most 

 common use are St. Julien and Black Damas. The Myro- 

 bolan (P. cerasifera] is much used in California for standards, 

 but in the east it makes dwa'rf ' trees. The peach is often 

 used as a plum stock, and it is valuable in the south, especi- 

 ally for light soils. In the north plum stocks are better. 

 Almond stocks, especially for the French prune and for light 

 soils, are considerably used in California. The apricot is 

 sometimes employed, but results appear to be poor or indif- 

 ferent, on the whole. Prunes thrive upon the above stocks 

 also. 



Various stocks dwarf the plum. The chief dwarf stock at 

 present is the Myrobolan. This is usually imported. It is 

 easily grown, either from seeds or cuttings. The Mirabelle, 

 a foreign stock, is sometimes used. The many species of 

 native plums, of the Prunus Americana and P. angustijolia 

 (Chickasaw) types, are good stocks for dwarf or intermediate 

 trees. In most cases, the bud or graft grows luxuriantly for 

 two or three years, and thereafter grows rather slowly. It 

 is best to bud or graft low upon these stocks. The Mari- 

 anna is at present the most popular native stock. 



The native or American plums are budded upon native 

 seedlings, or rarely upon Prunus domestica seedlings ; or they 

 are grown from cuttings, as in the case of Marianna. 



The Japanese plums are worked upon peach, common 

 plum or upon natives, preferably Marianna. 



Primus Simoni works upon peach, common plum, Myro- 

 bolan and Marianna. 



The ornamental plums are worked upon the same stocks 

 as the fruit-bearing sorts. See Prunus. 



Plum, Coco. See Chrysobalanus. 



