PLUM. 203 



planting of self-sterile ki"nds singly, as, notably, the Wild Goose. 

 It can be laid down as a general rule, and it will apply espe- 

 cially to the native kinds, that varieties of the same time of 

 flowering should be mixed in orchards. 



Cultivation. Good cultivation is as essential in the plum orch- 

 ard as with other kinds of fruit. The best growers agree that 

 spring plowing, followed by shallow cultivation during the sum- 

 mer, and the planting of a cover crop in July or August will give 

 best results. Growing the trees in sod will lessen the size of 

 the fruit. Frequent cultivation during the spring months will 

 keep down the sprouts which are likely to come up around plums 

 which are on Americana roots. 



Pruning. The European plums usually make good heads and 

 need Ijttle pruning. On the other hand, many varieties of Amer- 

 ican and Japanese plums are of a very sprawling and awkward 

 habit of growth and require severe heading in to keep them in 

 good shape. Pruning should be done regularly, so that it will 

 not be necessary to remove large limbs. The larger wounds are 

 quite likely to become diseased if they are not painted or cov- 

 ered with grafting wax. Broken or split branches, which are 

 often found on plum trees unless the fruit is properly thinned, 

 should be removed at the first opportunity. 



Thinning. Proper thinning is even more essential with 

 plums than with most other fruits. Nearly all varieties have a 

 tendency to set many more fruits than the trees can mature 

 properly. Thinning increases the size of the individual fruits 

 and their market value, and saves many broken limbs. Over- 

 bearing may even shorten the life of the tree, particularly in the 

 Japanese varieties. The fruit should be thinned after the June 

 drop, the proportion of the fruit which is removed being a mat- 

 ter which the grower must settle for himself. The fruits should 

 not be less than five or six inches apart on the branches. 



Picking. The European plums should be picked with the 

 stem on; the American plums naturally become detached from 

 the stem at maturity. The fruit may be either a free stone or 

 a cling stone and examples of each are found among the differ- 

 ent classes of the plum. (The word "prune" is applied to a 

 class of plums having firm flesh and a larger per cent of sugar 



