li)05.] PUBLIC DOCUMENT — No. 33. 157 



EEPORT OF THE HOKTICULTUKISTS. 



F. A. WAUGII; GEO. O. GREENE, ASSISTANT. 



The work of this division has followed the plans outlined 

 in the reports of 1902 and 1903. The following subjects 

 are ready for discussion, and reports are made herewith : — 



I. Report on plums. 

 II. Experiments in pruning peach trees. 

 III. Growing clirysantliemums for a retail trade. 



Keport on Plums. 

 The horticultural department has a fairly large collection 

 of plums. A number of these are represented by several 

 trees each, enough to determine their commercial quality. 

 The plum crop of 1904 was unusually good ; it was abundant 

 in quantity, and generally of good quality. This was true 

 of all classes of plums, practically every variety on the 

 grounds bearing a normal crop. This furnished an excellent 

 opportunity for making observations on the different vari- 

 eties. The notes follow below. It has been thought best 

 to omit any extended description of these varieties for the 

 present. This form of report is justified by the fact that 

 nearly all the varieties mentioned are old and well-known 

 sorts. The notes this year are valuable chiefly in showing 

 the behavior of these well-known varieties in this particular 

 locality. The problem of local adaption of varieties is now- 

 adays considered to be one of the most important in horti- 

 culture, and in no class of fruits or vegetables are these local 

 adaptations more complicated than with plums. The vari- 

 eties below are classified as nearly as possible into the more 

 commonly accepted pomological groups. 



