NATIVE AMEEICAN" SPECIES OF PEUNUS. 11 



the native plums and contributed in a marked degree to their intro- 

 duction and development. At this time, however, the native species 

 were poorly understood, some of them were undesciibed, and informa- 

 tion concerning their hardiness and adaptability to certain regions 

 coidd be had only by gTowmg them. Although the need of some 

 scientific basis for the classification of varieties was recogTiized, it 

 was not until 1892 that anything of the kind was seriously attempted, 

 and perhaps no other single event so stimulated and influenced the 

 cultm'e of the varieties of the native species as the pubHcation by 

 L. H. Bailey (2) of "The Cultivated Native Plums and Cherries," which 

 was the fii'st real scientific work on these fruits to appear in many 

 years. Horticulturists in other agricultural experiment stations, 

 following the passage of the Hatch Act, also became active in testing 

 and to some extent m breeding varieties, so that in the years from 

 1888 to 1900 there appeared more than 70 bulletins devoted wholly 

 or in part to this subject. 



Having followed the development and utilization of the native 

 species throughout the greater part of the last century, as shown 

 in the general works on the culture of fruit in America, it is of interest 

 to tm-n to the development of horticultural varieties from these 

 species. The history of this development is to be found mainly in 

 the proceedings of horticultural societies, in horticultural and agri- 

 cultm-al journals and papers, and sometimes even in nursery cata- 

 logues. Many able and enthusiastic horticulturists have been con- 

 cerned in this development, and among those who took a prominent 

 part in this miportant work in Minnesota were O. M. Lord, J. S. Harris, 

 H. Kjiudson, Peter Gideon, Martin Penning, Charles Luedloff, and 

 C. W, H. Heideman. In Iowa, H. A. Terry began to grow the native 

 plums more than 40 years ago, and he has originated more varieties 

 than any other individual, Edson Gaylord and, more recently, 

 N. K. Fluke have been prominent in the introduction of varieties, 

 while C. G. Patten has originated a few and tested many more. 

 Theodore Wilhams was for many years active in Nebraska, and N. E. 

 Hansen is at the present time doing an important work in South 

 Dakota. 



While this work in amelioration was going on in the West, J. W. 

 Kerr, on the Eastern Shore of Maryland, had been making a specialty 

 of native plums since 1872, and had found among them the most 

 profitable varieties he could grow. Farther south, J. S. Breece, of 

 North Carolina, within the last few years has introduced a number 

 of varieties, those being mainly hybrids with tlie Japanese plums. 

 Horticulturists in Texas also early l^egau to turn their attention to 

 the native species, and Gilbert Onderdonk, T. V. Munson, and 

 A. M. ilamsey have each introduced a number of varieties, while 



