PR UN US, PLUM TREE. 115 



or in a location where one is concerned about the problem of roots of plum trees, not 

 grown from seeds, that produce an excess of suckers. 



2°. Plum trees are cleft grafted on large stocks in February, & as dormant bud 

 shield grafts on young stocks of plum & apricot trees from mid-July until mid- August & 

 a little later on peach trees. The bud shield graft succeeds better on a shoot of the current 

 year's wood rather than on old wood of a plum tree where it often dies of gummosis. 



3°. Of all the fruit trees, the plum tree is the most adaptable to its terrain. All kinds 

 of soil, whether cold, warm, dry, damp, heavy or loose, even those without much depth 

 are suitable for it. Nevertheless, it flourishes more & its fruit is better in soil that's loose 

 & a little sandy than it does in damp & compact soil. It prefers open spaces & dislikes 

 being shielded by tall trees or high buildings. 



Almost all plum trees are planted in open ground & as bush trees. The latter have 

 to be managed & pruned correctly. The others require only require that dead wood, false 

 wood branches, & certain prodigious formations of bushy branches called bouchons 

 [Translator's note: i.e. stoppers or corks] be removed. Those like the Perdrigons that in 

 our climate need espaliers & those kinds that warrant it because their fruit achieves better 

 quality that way, are best planted in an eastern or western rather than in a southern 

 exposure where the fruit sets with difficulty & will be a bit dry in warm years. 



4°. Plum trees are pruned following the general rules. But it must be kept in mind 

 that it's harder for them than it is for most other fruit trees to re-grow their branches. They 

 have to be managed in a way to avoid the trimming that must be done after pruning too 

 long & the gaps that are left after too much cutting back. 



