NATIVE AMERICAN SPECIES OF PEUNUS. 9 



There are besides the cultivated varieties, known botanically as Pi-unus domestica, 

 many others, native of our own country. They are known under various botanical 

 teraas, Prumis Ckicasa. Prunus Americana, Prunus Maratima [maritima], and in 

 general terms called Chicasaiv, to the latter of which belong the varieties called Wild 

 Goose, Neicman, Mountain Plum, Indian Chief, one of the CMcasa family. The 

 North and the South can depend for hardiaess only upon what we call native varieties. 

 Vermont can do little with oui- cultivated varieties, except in certain localities, and 

 80 with all the extreme North; while the records fi'om South Caroliaa, Georgia, Ten- 

 nessee, etc.; give place only to our native wild varieties. Ohio and westward had 

 originally many varieties of wild Plums, from roimd to oval, color fi'om dark purple 

 to red and yellow, time of maturity from September to midwinter, if the latter were 

 not gathered. The trade in these native wild plums was at one time a large source 

 of profit, but the clearing up of the country has destroyed them as it has blackberries. 



Writing a little eariier than the publication of this later work of 

 Elhott, D. W. Beadle (10, p. 118) evidently considers that there are 

 possibilities m the species native to Canada, for he says: 



Wild Plums are found growing in all parts of the Dominion, and may by judicious 

 cross-fertilization become the foundation of a very hardy and valuable race of Plums. 



Returning to an earlier work, one might expect in so compre- 

 hensive a publication as "Tlie Fruits and Fruit Trees of America," by 

 A. J. DowTiiug (18, p. 263), to find the native species treated more 

 fully than by most other authors. The whole discussion, however, 

 is given in a footnote, in which the author says: 



There are three species of wild plum indigenous to this country of tolerable flavor, 

 but seldom cultivated in our gardens. 



This is followed by descriptions of the three species Prunus chicasa 

 [angustifolia], P. americana, and P. maritima. Downing refers the 

 "Dwarf Texas Plum" of Kenrick to P. angustifolia. The edition of 

 this work issued in 1890 still contains the statement originally made 

 concerning the native species. 



Barry (6, p. 120-121), in 1852, treats of the American species in 

 the following brief manner: 



The Canada or Wild Plum, which abounds in Ohio, Michigan, and other Western 

 States, are distinct species, and roi)roduce themselves from seed. The seedlings of 

 some grow extremely rapid, making fine stocks in one year on any good soil, * * * 

 and we have no doubt sfjme native species, as for instance the Beach and Chicasaw 

 plums, Hmall trees, will make good dwarf stocks. I am inclined to think, however, 

 that very nice garden trees may be raised on the smaller species of the Canada plum. 

 The first year's growth and even the second are quite vigorous on them, but after that 

 the vigor diminishes, and the trees become quite prolific. This and the cherry ])liim 

 will probably become our principal st^jcks for dwarfing. 



Perhaps the earliest pomological work in which varieties originating 

 from njitivo species are described is that of S. W. Peek (60, p. 180), 

 publisliod in 1885. The author of this work was the jH-oprietor of 

 the llurtwell Nurseries, at Hartwell, Ga., and doubtless his southern 

 IfK'jition accounts for his interest in these varieties, which nro, with 

 tw<j exce])tionH, of southern origm. The varieties described arc the 



