4 BULLETIlsr 179, U. S. DEPAETMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



Monette (56, p. 48) places it on the White River, about 150 miles 

 above its junction with the Mississippi, McCulloh (48, p. 526), on 

 the Red River beyond the ''Wachita." It was evidently the custom 

 of the Indians of the Southwest to dry fruit for use at other times thari 

 when it could be gathered fresh from the tree, for De Soto's narrator 

 says (16, p. 119): 



For when they came downe from Nicola, they saw on the other side of the river 

 new cabins made. John Danusco went and brought the canoes loden with maiz, 

 French beanes, prunes, and >many loaves made of the substance of prunes. 



This is supposed to relate to a locality on the Mississippi not far 

 from the mouth of the Arkansas, and to have been ui the latter part 

 of April, 1542. 



Plums are mentioned by Rene Laudonniere (29, p. 369) in ''The 

 Description of Florida," 1565; by William Strachey in Virginia, 

 writing about 1610; by Francis Higginson, in "New England's Plan- 

 tation," 1630; by William Wood, ui ''New England's Prospect," 

 1635; and by a number of others (5, p. 170-173). 



A little less than a century after the above-named authors gave 

 their accounts, John Lawson (41) gave a much better description of 

 native fruits, as follows : 



The wild Plums of America are of several sorts. Those which I can give account 

 of from my own knowledge, I will, and leave the others till a farther discovery. The 

 most frequent is that which we call the common Indian Plum, of which there are two 

 sorts, if not more. One of them is ripe much sooner than the other, and differs in the 

 bark; one of the barks being very scaly, like our American Birch. These trees, when 

 in blossom, smell as sweet as any jessamine, and look as white as a sheet, being some- 

 thing prickly. You may make it grow to what shape you please; they are very orna- 

 mental about a house, and make a wonderful fine shew at a distance, in the spring, 

 because of their white livery. Their fruit is red, and very palatable to the sick. 

 They are of a quick growth, and will bear from the stone in five years, on their stock. 

 The English, large black plum thrives well, as does the cherry being grafted thereon. 



The American damsons are both black and white and about the bigness of an 

 Eiiropean damson. They grow anywhere if planted from the stone or slip; bear a 

 white blossom, and are a good fruit. * * * I have planted several in my orchard, 

 that came from the stone, which thrive well amongst the rest of my trees, but they 

 never grow to the bigness of the other trees now spoken of. These are plentiful 

 bearers. 



There is a third sort of plmn about the bigness of the damsons. The tree is taller, 

 seldom exceeding ten inches in thickness. The plum seems to taste physically, yet 

 I never found any operation it had, except to make their lips sore, that eat them. 

 Thp wood is sometimes porous, but exceeds any box, for a beautiful yellow. 



The native plums were observed by John Bartram (7, p. 19) on 

 his journey from Pennsylvania to central New York in 1751. 



Our way from hence lay through an old Indian field of excellent soil where there 

 had been a town, the principal footsteps of which are peach trees, pliunbs, and 

 excellent grapes. 



Plums were not infrequently found by early voyagers about 

 Indian villages, and in some instances they may have been planted 



