THE PLUM. 



849 



Alth:-ugli the quantity of silica is large, the plum is de- 

 cidedly better on a clayey soil. Any soil has sufficient 

 silex to supply the wants of the plant, so far as its 

 elements are concerned ; but silex is probably not available, 

 unless ammonia is also present. Burnt clay, swamp muck, 

 common salt, and Avood-ashes are among the best fer- 

 tilizers. 



Propagation and Culture. — The plum is generally bud- 

 ded or grafted upon stocks raised from the seed of some 

 free-growing variety. The Chickasaw plum, however, 

 makes a very good stock. It should be grafted at the 

 collar, and planted so deeply that the scions can also 

 throw out roots. This stock makes very pretty dwarf 

 trees for the garden. By this mode the tree can be propa- 

 gated at any time during the winter months. Stone fruit«? 

 require to be grafted before or during the first flow of sap, 

 In transplanting to remain, plum trees should be twelve 

 feet apart. The best soil for the plum is a heavy loam, 

 moderately rich. In sandy soils the curculio is more prev- 

 alent. The fruit, too, is of better quality in a heavy soil. 

 In sandy soil clay should be applied to the surface. 



There are three obstacles that have to be overcome to 

 raise the plum successfully. The first is the curculio, 

 which infests all smooth-skinned stone-fruit. The only 

 really satisfactory mode of dealing with this insect, is ad- 

 mitting pigs and poultry into the fruit garden. It is better 

 not to raise plums at all, unless measures are taken to 

 destroy this insect; for, if allowed to increase, it will be- 

 come so abundant that the peaches and apples will also be 

 attacked. Another, and quite as serious a difficulty, is the 

 rot. To prevent this, the varieties least subject to decay 

 must be selected and planted with the roots not too deep, 

 and the fruit should be so thinned upon the tree that no 

 two touch each other. The third obstacle to plum culture 



