82 

 THE PLUM. 



The chief practical difficulty in the growing of plums 

 of sorts, grown as formerly on the plum stock, was the 

 vast proportion of suckers sent out. The portion of the 

 orchard given up to them used to become full of these waste 

 shoots in a very few years. To avoid this result, many 

 growers used peach stocks. It was found that only a 

 limited number of plum sorts would thrive on that stock, 

 and, moreover, there was always the objection that unless 

 the ground is thoroughly drained the peach roots are apt 

 to die off. Everybody now knows the way peach trees in 

 heavy soils are apt to fail, though the cause is put down to 

 '< yellows " or anything else rather than to the want of a 

 well aerated root-bed. Both difficulties are avoided the 

 former completely, the latter to some extent, by the use of 

 the myrobolan as a stock. It does not sucker out, and it is 

 not so tender at the root as the peach. On the whole it 

 may be recommended as the best general resource for 

 average soils. At the same time in places where the soil is 

 light and sandy, it may be advisable to use the peach for 

 stocks, and the grower must decide on the course he takes, 

 by observation of the growth and success of these two 

 trees on their own roots in established orchards in the 

 locality in which he intends to begin planting. Formerly 

 the apricot was a favourite stock, but it is now very pro- 

 perly disused. It makes a very indifferent union with the 

 plum, and when the tree has got up high enough to catch 

 the wind it generally breaks away at the joints. But 

 whenever the soil is retentive through a large percentage 

 of clay, the Myrobolan will give the best results. Wickson 

 points out the variability of success of the plum upon 

 peach, apricot and almond, and it would appear that not 

 only is difference of soil an element in the matter, but 

 also there are certain plums which will not succeed upon a 

 given stock while others answer admirably. He therefore 

 recommends, as an all-round stock, the use of the Myrobo- 

 lan (which practically places the plum upon its own roots) 

 until such time as experiment shall have shown the special 

 fitness of some other stock in the locality which may be in 

 question-. 



