VARIETIES OF FRUITS. 95 



Chick's Early, Connor's White, Darby, Governor, Im- 

 proved Pyramidal, Amelia, Muscogea, Thurber, Tuskuna. 



PLUMS. 



The Plum is highly esteemed both as a dessert and 

 cooking fruit. It is stated that the original parent of our 

 cultivated varieties is a native of Asia. There are besides 

 the cultivated varieties, known botanically as Prunus do- 

 mestica, many others, native of our own country. They 

 are known under various botanical terms, Prunus Chicasa, 

 Prunus Americana, Prunus Maratima, and in general 

 terms called Chickasaw, to the latter of which belong the 

 varieties called Wild Goose, Newman, Mountain Plum, In- 

 dian Chief, one of the Chicasa family. The North and 

 the South can depend for hardiness only upon what we 

 -call native varieties. Vermont can do little with our cul- 

 tivated varieties, except in certain localities, and so with 

 all the extreme north ; while the records from South Caro- 

 lina. Georgia, Tennessee, etc., give place only to our native 

 wild varieties. Ohio and westward had originally many 

 varieties of wild Plums, from round to oval, color from 

 dark purple to red and yellow, time of maturity from Sep- 

 tember to midwinter, if the later were not gathered. The 

 trade in these native wild plums was at one time a large 

 source of profit, but the clearing up of the country has 

 destroyed them as it has blackberries. 



The plum to be of value should hang upon the tree 

 until perfectly ripe, no matter what the variety. This, 



