ON THE PLUMGOT 



called. The tree thrives, blossoms well, but rarely 

 fruits in this region, chiefly because of the tender- 

 ness of its blossoms. Partly because the climate 

 here made it difficult to attempt the improvement 

 of this tender plant, I decided to try crossing the 

 apricot with the plum, which thrives unusually 

 well in this locality. 



Had I known how much time and labor and 

 patience these experiments were to demand, they 

 might never have been undertaken. Plant im- 

 provement of any kind tests purse and patience; 

 but the improvement of tree fruits strains both to 

 the breaking point. Working with vegetables or 

 flowers, it is possible to get valuable improve- 

 ments well under way in from three to five years 

 after which, continued selection makes progress 

 more rapid. 



With tree fruits you have only just begun after 

 a dozen years of crossing, growing, testing, and 

 selecting. 



Nevertheless it was with pleasurable anticipa- 

 tions that I began these experiments which later 

 were to produce the plumcot. It was like entering 

 an unexplored country. 



Apricot flowers were dusted with plum pollen 

 and plum flowers with apricot pollen. But for a 

 long time the experiment failed. 



Finally, however, when I about despaired of 



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