THE PLUM 



157 



pruning for some six years until the fruit-bearing shoots are strong enough 

 to resist the wind. On young trees the crop of fruit should always be liberally 

 thinned. The half-grown fruit can be used for tarts, and is sometimes worth 

 marketing. 



When planting for market, only a few varieties should be selected, the 

 following being the most useful : — 



Early (end of July and early August). — River^ Prolific, Rivers' Czar, Early Orleans, 

 Heron, Oullin's Golden Gage. 



Mid-Season. — Belle de Louvain, Jeffersori s Gage, Victoria, Kent Diamond, Smith's 

 Purple Prolific, Kent Busk Plum. 



Late. — Ponies Seedling, Monarch, President. 



Damsons. — Frogmore Prolific, Farleigh Prolific, King of Damsons, Shropshire 

 Damson. 



Result of Shortening a 

 Vigorous Side Shoot to 

 Two Buds at the Pre- 

 vious Year's Pruning 



(0) Point of pinching growths 

 in summer ; (/) point of 

 shortening at following 

 winter's pruning. 



Result of Shortening ai; 

 Elongated Spur 



Spurs formed ; shoot on left pinched 

 at third leaf in summer, not count- 

 ing basal leaves, and shortened in 

 winter to two buds. 



Plums are often grown as bushes and produce very fine fruit ; the trees can 

 be well pruned, thinned, and regulated without the use of a ladder. They 

 are planted in rows 12 feet apart and 18 feet between each row. For garden 

 use pyramids may be planted. These are very fertile when the roots are 

 pruned every two or three years. But plums resent hard top-pruning with- 

 out root attention, and then produce long whippy growths which cause the 

 trees to be unfruitful ; the more they are cut in the worse the trees become. 

 They are also useful as cordons trained upon walls, and in the north of 

 Britain are invaluable as pot trees for the orchard house. When trees are 

 grown in pots some of them can be placed out-of-doors, and thus extend the 

 season of ripe plums. There are many varieties, of which we give a selection 

 sufficient for all purposes. Damsons, BuUaces, and Myrobelles require the same 

 treatment. 



Plums vary much in size, but not so much in colour, as do apples and pears. 

 As to their size, much depends on the number of fruits allowed to ripen. The 

 smaller fruits are best for jam, and the larger for tarts and bottling. 



