NATIVE AMEKICAN SPECIES OF PEUNUS. 7 



foUovsing: CMcasaw, Early Coral, Golden Drop, The Cherry plum, Flushing Gage, 

 Yellow Egg plum, Balmer's Washington * * *. 



The "CMcasaw" is the only one of these varieties that can be rec- 

 ognized as a native, and Thacher is perhaps the second author to 

 refer in an Anierican horticultural work specifically to a native, 

 although the name ''Chicasaw" may have appeared before in one of 

 Wilham Frince's catalogTies, as well as in M'Mahon's work. Prince 

 (63, p. 22), in 1828, mentions but does not describe the ''Yellow and 

 Red Chicasaw," and "American Red and YeUow," these being pre- 

 sumably Prunus angustifolia and P. americana. Three years later 

 the same author (64, p. 104, 108) described "Red Chicasaw Pr. Cat. 

 Prunus cMcasaw IVIich." as foUows: . 



This fruit is nearly round and of good size ; the skin is of a fine cherry colour ; the 

 flesh yellowish, soft and melting when at full maturity, with a pleasant and peculiar 

 flavor. This plum ripens from the 20th to the end of July. The tree is naturally low 

 set and bushy, being inclined to spread its branches but a short distance from the 

 ground. It also throws out short spurs, with leaves on them, each of wliich is termi- 

 nated by a sharp-pointed thorn. Numerous suckers spring up from the root and serve 

 as a- means of propagation; but the trees which are inoculated on other stocks attain 

 the handsomest form and make far the best appearance, and they have also the advan- 

 tage of not generating suckers to the same extent. There is another variety which 

 produces yellow fruit, but it differs only in respect to colour. 



Prince also describes the Beach plum, and says: 



The fruit is globular, often an inch in diameter, of a purple colour, with a glaucous 

 bloom; it is pleasant for eating, and in flavour similar to the common plum. 



This may seem rather extravagant praise of the Beach plum, yet 

 there can be no doubt of the species, for he says: 



Its natural location is near the salt water, along the coast and on islands. The fruit 

 ripens in August and September. Gen. Dearborn, the enlightened and distingiushed 

 president of the Massachusetts Horticultural Society, has himself discovered several 

 varieties of it gi-fjwing in a uild state, two of wluch are purple, but vary in respect to 

 size, and a third of a shining crimson colour; and it is to his liberality that I am in- 

 debted for the trees in my collection. 



Prince does not describe Prunus americana in his Pomological 

 Manual. 



A native species is mentioned again in 1833 by WiUiam Kenrick 

 (37, p. 256), a nurseryman at Newton, Mass., who includes presuma- 

 bly Prunus nigra under the name "Canada Plum." Kenrick says: 



The tree is of medium vigor, diffuse in its growth; fruit small, oval, fiery red; flesh 

 coarse grained and sour; juice abundant and aromatic. It is supposed to possess me- 

 dicinal qualities. 



This species is omitted by Kenrick in the edition of his work pub- 

 lished in 1835, but it is referred to briefly by Fessenden (24, p. 246), 

 who says: 



A v.'ild kifid, found in tlio woods of \'ennont, grown large; and fair, but its fruit con- 

 tains little Hucclmrinc matter. No doubt it might bo improved by culture, and may 

 furnish Ht/jckn for grafting. 



