98 VARIETIES OF FRUITS. 



were supplied with a heap of ashes or sand from which to' 

 load the cups. 



The second prevention, and one now most generally, is 

 that of giving the tree a sudden and severe jar by means 

 of a mallet or pole, so protected with India rubber or 

 gutta percha that it will not bruise the bark. When it can 

 be done, without injury to the tree, a large lower limb is 

 sawed off square about two inches from the body of the 

 tree, and the blow given on it to create the sudden jar. 



THE BLACK KNOT on plum trees has in many places 

 been a destructive enemy to the trees. We have known 

 the following to be successful as a remedy : Take a paint 

 brush, dip it in spirits of turpentine, and thoroughly satu- 

 rate the knot, being careful not to touch the tree except 

 in the diseased part. It stops the knot, and the tree puts 

 out healthy branches below it. Be careful to burn all 

 branches removed in pruning. As the summer is the 

 time the mischief is done, every fresh excrescence should 

 be pared off, the turpentine applied, and it will harden in 

 a week. 



Having said so much touching the value and troubles 

 of the plum and its culture, we will make out our regular 

 table list, copied in form from the Am. Pom. Society, and 

 following as with other fruits, give our views of the values 

 in certain latitudes to a certain number of varieties. The 

 columns explain after names as follows : Size 1, large ; 

 m, medinm ; s, small. Color p, purplish or very dark 

 red ; r, reddish or copper color ; y, yellow ; g, y, green- 

 ish yellow ; y, r, yellowish with shades and spots of red. 

 Form r, roundish ; o, oval; r, o, roundish oval ; o, ob, 



