CHAPTER VI. 



THE PLUM. 



Raising the Young Trees. The plum is propagated by 

 budding or grafting on seedling plums. For this purpose, 

 the stones of such varieties should be chosen, as are oflarge 

 and thrifty growth ; and they are to be treated in planting 

 precisely as directed for the peach, with additional care to 

 prevent the drying of the stones, which much sooner takes 

 place in consequence of their smaller size and thinner shell. 

 If not cracked, a part only will vegetate the first year, 

 although many may be made to open by the repeated action 

 of freezing and thawing. 



On light or unfavorable soils, most of the common varie- 

 ties produce feeble r.nd slowly growing seedlings ; an excel- 

 lent substitute will be found in the larger sorts of the wild 

 plum, sometimes known as the Canada plum, (Prunus 

 Americana.) Those varieties which are found to outgrow 

 this stock, should be worked at the surface of the ground, 

 and when transplanted the place of union should be set a 

 few inches lower. 



Grafting, to succeed best, should be done quite early in 

 spring, before the buds have commenced swelling ; and bud- 

 ding rnnst be performed while the stocks are at the period 

 of their most vigorous growth, provided sufficiently matured 

 buds can be procured, which is usually soon after mid-sum- 

 mer. If deferred, the bark will not peel freely, and the 

 buds will not adhere. 



For dwarfs, seedlings of the Mirabelle plum are chiefly 

 used for stocks. 



On light soils, the peach has been occasionally used as 

 stocks for plum trees. A very few varieties take readily and 

 grow freely, and large healthy trees have in some instances 

 been produced ; but the great uncertainty which attends its 



