92 STATE POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



Aas. A clayey loam — not a heavy clay — is best for European varieties 

 but experience lias proved that the Japanese plums, in particular, will 

 grow on light soils. While I have all respect for Mr. Lowe, I think he 

 was mistaken on this point. The soil of his plum orchard was claj-ey 

 loam. I do not know how your soil is here, but we have thousands and 

 thousands of acres of claj^ey loam in our section, and 1 do not see any 

 trouble in raising plums. What is your soil, Mr. Vinton? 



Mr. A^iNTON. My soil where I undertook to raise plums is a light soil, 

 not exaetlj^ a sandy soil but a light loam soil. There is no clay anywhere 

 near it that I ever knew of. Does the plum require clay? 



Ans. The European varieties do best in clayey loam, and the European 

 vai-ieties were the ones you tried, I presume. I think if you should try 

 some of the Japanese plums you would have no trouble in raising them. 

 But do not be fooled with the Prunus Simoni. You can grow the tree 

 but you cannot run the buds through ; and if it did fruit [• should not 

 want it. We tested it and very soon decided that it was no good for us. 

 It is one of the most beautiful fruits that you ever looked at, a very clear, 

 handsome red with a purple bloom, a most delightful combination of 

 colors. 



Ques. Do you have any varieties that you lay down in the winter? 



Ans. No, sir. I do not have to lay down anj^ of the trees. My trees 

 have grown very rank. I have one Bradshaw that was set in 1887, the 

 largest tree I have that was set at that time, which I measured this year 

 and it measured twenty-three inches in circumference and about seven 

 inches in diameter. 



Ques. What has been your experience with the Botan? 



Ans. The Botan, as I understand it, is a class. The Abundance is the 

 Sweet Botan; at least, it is claimed they are the same thing. 



Mr. Pope. Pardon me if I just say that the plum that is sold mostly 

 through our section as the Botan is the Botan Xo. 26. The Botan is a 

 class, and this No. 26, which is now called the Willard, has been sold as 

 the Botan. 



Mr. Luce. Difterent nurserymen have different ways of expi-essing 

 the same thing. Each one likes to express it in his own way. 



If I were going to set plum trees on a large scale I should send directly 

 to Mr. Willard of Geneva, N. Y., and get the trees from him. He will not 

 charge you more than $15 a hundred for j-earling trees. We had Mr. "Willard 

 in our pomological meeting a few j^ears ago, and I got acquainted with him. 

 He is a great plum grower, he had 40,000 baskets of plums this year. He 

 is one of the most enthusiastic fruit growers I (jvei' saw ; in fact, most of 

 the fruit growers are enthusiastic, and those that are specialists are even 

 more enthusiastic than those growing in a general way- 



Ques. Is there any section of the State where laying the trees down 

 is practiced except here in Aroostook county? 



Ans. I know of no other section. It is not at all practiced with us. 



Ques. Have you made any inquirj'' as to the necessity of laying them 

 down here, — whether they will live without it? 



