0462 



NOMENCLATURE. German, pflaumen. Dutch, pruim boom. English, plum-tree. 

 Italian, prugno. Spanish, ciruelo. Russian, sliwnik. Polish, sliwina. Hungarian, szilva. 



USES. The blackthorn's bark is astringent and antipyretic. Decocted in lye, it 

 yields a red dye. It also can be useful for tanning leather. The wood is used as fuel for 

 ovens. 



The garden plum tree has hard, veined wood with a reddish color. It's used by 

 cabinet-makers and lathe workers. Plums are eaten fresh or in preserves, pastes, and 

 marmalades. They're laxatives and they're refreshing. They're included in several 

 pharmaceutical preparations. There are about fifty cultivated varieties. 



CULTIVATION. Plum trees are propagated by grafting. But the pits must be 

 planted to obtain suitable stocks. However, some varieties such as the perdrigon and 

 damson plums are propagated by seed planting. The plum tree thrives quite well in all 

 kinds of soil, but it prefers loose soil that isn't sandy. 



KEY TO PLATES. 



Blackthorn. 1. Intact flower. 2. Open calyx, stamens, and pistil. 3. Transverse 

 section of fruit. 



Garden plum tree. 1. Flowering branch. 2. Same, with leaves and fruit. 3. Open 

 calyx, stamens, and pistil. 



