ON NEW PLUMS AND PRUNES 



compact bush, rather than a tree, with rough, 

 even thorny, branches, and small dull green oval 

 leaves. The flowers are small, but are produced 

 in great profusion, making it almost worthy as 

 an ornamental plant. The fruits, as I have said, 

 are small, usually less than half an inch in diam- 

 eter; and they are bitter, being almost or wholly 

 inedible unless cooked yet making excellent 

 preserves. 



The Beach plum for many years has been 

 known to possess some horticultural possibilities, 

 especially hardiness, productiveness, and general 

 "staying" qualities under the most trying condi- 

 tions. The value of these characteristics was dis- 

 covered soon after my general plum experiments 

 were started, and every effort was made to cross 

 it with some of the larger and finer species. For 

 several years this cross could not be effected, 

 mostly because the Beach plum blossoms very 

 late, long after all other plums have shed their 

 bloom. 



Finally, however, very late blossoms of the 

 latest plums of other species were cross-fertilized 

 with some of the earliest Beach plum blossoms, 

 the crosses being made both ways. 



In the meantime 1 had been growing seedlings 

 of the Beach plum by the hundred thousand. By 

 continuous selection I had produced varieties 



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