THE PLUM 



155 



flowers are tender, more so perhaps than those of any other hardy fruit tree, 

 they are liable to damage. For this reason there is an old saying that when a 

 heavy crop of plums is secured, it generally follows that good crops of other 

 hardy fruits are general the same year. The walls and their copings give some 

 protection from frost, so much, that six or seven degrees will not hurt the 

 blossom, but if a harder frost than this is anticipated protection should be given 

 if possible ; a herring net laid double thickness over the trees is best for the 

 purpose. 



Thinning the Fruits. — This is a practice not often resorted to in the 

 case of the plum, but when there happens to be a heavy set of fruits judicious 

 thinning is necessary, especially if fruits of the highest quality and size are 

 desired. 



The Ripe Fruit. — Do not be in a hurry to gather the fruit before it has 

 had time to ripen. The gage plums, Coe's Golden Drop, and some other 

 sorts, should not be gathered until they are quite ripe ; they will then be found 

 to be perfect sweetmeats, and equal in richness of flavour to any fruit grown. 

 They should be handled with the greatest care. It will often be found that 

 the stalks of the fruit adhere tenaciously to the tree. No attempt should be 

 made to pull them off, but every fruit must be severed by a pair of scissors, 

 retaining the stalk full length. It goes without saying that the trees must be 

 carefully netted until the fruit is gathered as a protection from birds, and also 

 from wasps, which are the worst enemies of the plum. The safest and best 

 remedy is in spring to destroy the queen wasps, and later to destroy the nests. 

 Also take the precaution of fixing some wide-necked bottles, containing beer 

 and sugar, to the branches of the trees. 



Mulching. — I must again emphasise the importance of applying a mulch 

 to plum trees, as recommended for other wall fruit trees, especially those 

 planted in warm positions. Not only does the mulch prevent too rapid an 

 evaporation of moisture from the soil, but it also affords rooting material for the 

 multitude of those tiny thread-like roots that form during the summer, and 

 which, after performing their functions in helping the trees to bear and mature 

 heavy crops of fruit, may be cleared away with the mulch in the autumn. To 

 some it may appear unusual and unwarrantable to recommend the destruction 

 of these small annual roots, but the practice is a sound one, and the end justifies 

 the means, for as good or better crops of these summer roots will result every 

 succeeding year if the conditions are made favourable by applying rich surface 

 dressings. 



Watering. — In considering the question of watering as regards wall trees 

 generally, the fact must not be lost sight of that wall trees do not benefit by 

 rain to the same extent as trees in the open quarter. The fact also must not 

 be overlooked that the foundation of the wall itself is a means of facilitating 

 the rapid passage of moisture to the subsoil or drains, therefore, if the best 

 results are to be obtained, copious waterings must be given during the summer. 



Best Plums for Wall Culture. — The following are especially recom- 

 mended for culture on walls, and most of them are distinct and first quality 

 dessert plums. I have included a few distinguished by their large and noble 



