288 STONE FRUITS 



these old accounts, it would seem that the native plum has 

 been known for many years, and some of our best varieties 

 of today are improvements of some of the wild sorts. 



Most of our cultivated plums are derived from several 

 species of wild plums. The European plums were developed 

 from Prunus domestica, Prunus insititia and Prunus cera- 

 sifera, the Japanese plums from Prunus triflora and the 

 American plums from Prunus americana, Prunus nigra and 

 Prunus hortulana, while the Chinese species, Prunus simonii, 

 has given us at least one variety. 



The European plums have reached a higher state of 

 development than either the American or the Japanese 

 sorts. This is probably due to the fact that the European 

 varieties have been under cultivation longer and have been 

 more systematically improved. 



The plums are divided into several groups. The groups are 

 distinct in characteristics while the varieties in each group 

 are similar to each other. The most common varieties are 

 the Damson, the Yellow Egg, the Diamond, the Bradshaw 

 and the Lombard. 



Propagation. — The plum is either propagated by budding 

 or by root grafting. Budding is more generally practised and 

 . is more successful. The work is done at the close of the 

 active growing season, which is either in August or early in 

 September. The stocks for the propagation of the plum 

 differ in various sections. In the east and the south the 

 Myrobalan and the Marianna plums are usually employed 

 as stocks. The peach is sometimes used also. In other 

 regions the native seedlings are the best stocks because of 

 their hardiness and their adaptability to the locality. 



The seed should be sown in the spring, and if they are given 

 good care and attention the seedlings will usually be large 

 enough for budding by the following August. 



There is some discussion as to whether budding or grafting 

 is preferable, although in practice the greatest success has 

 been obtained by budding. The shield bud is the form always 

 employed. Some propagators use the whip graft, and while 

 the plum can be increased by this method there are many 

 failures, and it is thought that budding is far superior to that 

 of root grafting. 



