THE CHICKASAW PLUMS l'-'l 



I'h' Chickasaw Group 



It dow remains to discuss the botanical status of 

 the southern type of plums, of which the Newman, 

 Pottawattamie, Wild Goose, Miner and Wayland are 

 examples. We shall find that greater uncertainty 

 and confusion attach to these fruits than to their 

 congeners of the North. These southern fruits are 

 generally known as the Chickasaw plums. If we 

 examine them critically, however, we shall find thai 

 they tall somewhal readily into two groups. One of 

 these groups we shall call the true Chickasaws (Pig. 

 This group differs from other plums by a more 

 Blender, spreading and zigzag growth, usually smaller 

 size of tree, red twigs, by smaller, Lanceolate or 

 oblong-lanceolate, very closely serrate, shining leaves, 

 which arc conduplicate or trough-like in habit, by 

 early small flowers which, upon old wood, are densely 

 clustered on the spurs, and by an early red (rarelj 

 yellow) and more or Less .-potted translucent fruit, 

 the flesh of which is soft, juicy, and more or Less 

 Btringy, and very tightly adhere n I to the small, broad, 

 roughish Btone. 



This species, Like Prunus Americana^ was founded 

 bj Humphrey Marshall in 1785. His full descrip- 

 tion is as follows: "Prunus angusti folia. Chickasaw 

 Plumb. This is Bcarcely of bo targe a growth as 

 tli" former [/'. Americana'], bul rising with a Btiff, 

 shrubby Btalk, dividing into main branches, which 

 are garnished with smooth lance-shaped leaves, much 

 smaller and narrower than the first kind [ /'. Ameri 

 "'""I. a little waved on their edges, marked with 

 \'-i\ line, slight, coloured serratures, and of an equal, 



