50 MASSACHUSETTS HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY 



desirable plums would be obtained but, so far as we are aware, 

 this has not been done successfully. The Japanese Plum, Pninvs 

 triflora, will, however, cross with the American and one of the most 

 useful plums now growing at Ottawa is the Omaha a hybrid origi- 

 nated in Nebraska. The flower buds are hardy and the fruit 

 ripens early and combines the qualities of the Japanese and Ameri- 

 can. No doubt, there will be many useful plums for the colder 

 districts originated as a result of crossing these two species. A few 

 have been originated at Ottawa already. 



The Canada plum, Prunus nigra, whfch grows mainly in eastern 

 Canada and the north-eastern states is a more promising species 

 to work with than the common species of the Middle West Prunus 

 aviericana. The latter has, as a rule, a very thick skin while the 

 former has a thin skin and is better for canning and preserving on 

 this account than Prumis amcricana, although the latter is, as a 

 rule, better in quality. The tree of Prumis nigra is much tougher 

 than P. aviericana and does not break down from snow and ice 

 in the winter the way P. americana does. Some of the earliest 

 plums such as Cheney and Aitkin are varieties of the Canada plum. 

 The fruit of local sorts of Prunus nigra is ripe early in August at 

 Ottawa and a few growers are finding them very profitable to grow 

 as they come on the market before the Domestica or European 

 plums from any part of Canada. The only plums they come in 

 competition with there being those from California, of which few 

 are used for canning or preserving. It is believed that there is an 

 excellent opportunity for improving this native plum and obtaining 

 better varieties especially suited for the colder parts of Canada and 

 the United States. The Minnesota Fruit Breeding Station is pay- 

 ing especial attention to the improvement of American plums as in 

 Minnesota, Wisconsin, and the Dakotas this type of plum is par- 

 ticularly valuable. 



Some of Luther Burbank's best productions are his plums which, 

 although they do not seem to have a very wide adaptation, are 

 particularly suitable for California and some of the other Western 

 States. 



