Cherries, Peaches, Plums 305 
than this tree, with its soft purple leaves, which retain their color better 
than most purple trees, especially when properly pruned; a small tree 
cf rapid growth and good form. Not hardy in Ottawa. 
P, Amygdalus Stokes (274), Flowering Almond, is a tree twenty to 
thirty feet in height, with several improved varieties, which are most 
omamental, light rose-colored showy flowers appearing very early in 
March and April before the leaves arrive. There are also double and 
white flowering varieties. 
P. Perswa S$. & Z. (275), the Common Peach, also in various vari- 
eties, with double, rose-colored, crimson, red and white (versicolor) 
delicate flowers. It is rather short-lived, unless closely pruned and 
fertilized with wood ashes. 
P. Armentaca Linn. (276) and P. Mume S. &. Z. (277), the Chinese or 
Aymentan and Japanese Apricots, are well worthy of attention for 
ornamental purposes, not only because of their profusion of pinkish 
flowers but because of their bright foliage, which, especially in the 
young shoots, is tinged with red. They are very hardy and adaptive 
to most soils, but must be kept in good shape by systematic pruning. 
Of native plums or sloes, two are attractive by reason of the very 
early clusters of delicate white flowers and the black and yellow to 
reddish fruit: 
P. spinosa Linn. (278), Black Thorn, the more northern, hardy, and 
P. angustifolia March. (279) (Chicasa), Yellow or Chickasaw Plum, 
the more southern, appear in form as shrubs moie usually than trees, 
with rather straggling but erect habit and thorn-like branchlets. ‘They 
are not particular as regards soil, and shade-enduring, and hence useful 
for under-planting. 
P. marituma Wangh. (280), Beach Plum, is also a hardy shrub, 
valuable as a soil cover and for its usefulness in planting along sea- 
beaches and other inhospitable situations. 
The only laige tree of this group is our native widely distributed — 
P. serotina Ehrh. (281), Black Wud Cherry, native into Canada, 
a tall, not very spreading tree, with roundish, open crown and often 
drooping branchlets; is attractive in possessing beautiful white flowers 
in racemes; is rather thinly foliaged, with a shapely, somewhat leathery 
glossy leaf, turning deep crimson i autumn, and with a dark almost 
black fruit, which m it» fall renders the tree rather unclean and undesir- 
able. An interesting raggedly-plated, dark bark with slender purplish- 
red branchlets make a good winter effect. It 1s fit only for lawns of 
