PEARS, PEACHES, QUINCES, ETC. 177 



The Japanese Plum. 



Within the past ten or fifteen years the Japanese 

 plum has been largely planted and is a very desirable 

 addition to our list of fruits. It is rapid in growth, 

 comes into bearing young (from three to five years after 

 planting), the fruit is attractive and of fair quality. It, 

 however, is not quite hardy ; the fruit buds are often 

 killed by cold, and the trees are short lived. This is 

 not a very serious objection, as young trees can be very 

 quickly and cheaply grown to fruiting size and the fruit 

 is better from young trees than from those of older 

 growth. It is propagated by budding upon the peach 

 and plum stocks, the former being most generally used. 

 It succeeds best upon thin soil but should be in full ex- 

 posure to sunlight and air. One-year-old trees are best 

 for planting, and are prepared for setting in the same 

 manner as the peach. They should be trained low, some 

 varieties requiring frequent heading in to keep them in 

 a close, compact form. 



For insects and fungous pests the trees should be 

 sprayed with the Bordeaux mixture in full strength 

 before the leaves open, as this would not injure them. 

 After the leaves have unfolded the Bordeaux must be 

 diluted at least one-half and arsenate of lead used in 

 place of Paris green. The same insects and fungous pests 

 attack this species as are injurious to the European 

 plum and the remedies are the same with the above 

 modifications. 



To obtain fruit of large size and good quality it must 

 be thinned before it is half grown, all specimens bearing 

 the curculio's crescent-shaped mark be picked off, and 

 no two plums be allowed to touch each other. Varie- 

 ties of this species are rapidly increasing and much im- 

 provement in quality of fruit and hardiness of tree is to 



