Till: FIKST NAMED VARIETY 17.") 



there obtained their first notoriety. Thus, Borne forty 

 or titty years ago, a native plnm was taken from Ala- 

 bama to Texas, ami it is now introduced from Texas 

 nnder the name of Saffold. The most interesting 

 instance of this migration and subsequent fame is 

 thai of tin- Miner plum ; ami as this appears to have 

 been tin- first native plum to have received a name, it 

 may well serve to introduce our narrative. 



The >«'<-<l whieh produced tin- Miner plum was 

 planted in 1814, in Knox eounty, Tennessee, bj Wil- 

 liam Dodd, an officer nnder Genera] Jackson. Dodd 

 appears to have hail two batches of seed, one which 

 gathered the year previous upon Talaposa creek, 

 ami tin- other given him by an Imlian chief. It is 

 not clear from which lot this plum sprung. The 

 plum gained some ootice when it came into bearing, 

 and waa known ,-i> <M<1 Hickory and General Jack- 

 son. In 1823 or 1824 Dodd moved to Illinois ami 

 settled oear Springfield, taking sprouts of this plum 

 with him. Tin- plum-- Boou attracted attention among 

 Dodd's neighbors, ami tin- variety was called in it> 

 new home William Dodd and Chickasaw Chief. The 

 year following William Dodd's removal to Qlinois, his 

 brother moved to Galena, Illinois, ami took some of 

 thi- plums. A I M >u t Galena the plum became known ;i>. 

 tin- Hinckley. I do not know how the oame Miner 

 came to in- applied to it, !>ut Downing's reference to 

 Mr. Miner of Pennsylvania — who probably grew ami 

 disseminated it — undoubtedly explains it. It i< said 

 by D. B. Wier thai the late Hon. James <;. Soulard, 

 of Galena, introduced this plum t<> general cultivation. 

 A> tlie variety Iwcame disseminated, it received new 

 or local Barnes. Downing gives Hinckley, Isabel, 



