TWENTY-FOURTH ANNUAL FRUIT-GROWERS' CONVENTION. 



103 



imported. The former was found more generally adaptive: it did not 

 sucker, and it was cheaper; it also could be grown from cuttings. Thus 

 the Myrobolan became the one plum stock for California, and it has 

 been used almost exclusively. Many varieties of plum outgrow it, 

 which is an objection, and it dwarfs a tree to some degree. This fault 

 is largely overcome, owing to the favorable conditions before alluded 

 to. Trees on Myrobolan are more liable to become bark-bound and, 

 possibly by reason of the sap starting early, trees in a wet spring are, 

 on Myrobolan, more liable to die because of "sour sap." Further, 

 Myrobolan seedlings as they come to us from France vary more than 

 any other. In growth, in color, in form they differ widely. The wood 

 of some is pale yellow, and from that, in every shade, to deep purple. 

 Some grow upright, some spreading, and some actually of weeping 

 habit. To use such stock one cannot have a continuously uniform 

 orchard. Those only should be used which are of vigorous, upright 

 growth, but the public demand is for cheap trees, and the demand 

 must be supplied. Professor Bailey, of Cornell, has traced the history 

 of the Myrobolan. It is very interesting and goes back as far as 1601. 

 Time will not permit of more than reference to it. Those who wish 

 can read it in Bulletin 3j3 of the Cornell University Experiment 

 Station. 



Of late years, owing to a growing disfavor in behalf of the Myrobolan, 

 cuttings of Marianna have been largely used as stocks for plums. This 

 is believed to belong to the same species as the Myrobolan, but possibly 

 a hybrid between it and Wild Goose. After experimenting with it, 

 however, I find no advantage over Myrobolan, and a serious drawback 

 as with all cuttings — an imperfect root system. It is not grown exten- 

 sively enough to get seed, and such would be much the same as Myro- 

 bolan. 



Cuttings from Prunus triflora, the species which is generally known 

 as Japanese plums, but which originally came from China, root with 

 ease, and some variety may be found which will make a good stock. 



Luther Burbank believes "that a hybrid plum with Japan blood 

 will be the universal stock for stone fruit, such as peaches, almonds, 

 plums, etc." He is making some tests in this line. 



Mr. J. W. Kerr, of Maryland, who catalogues nearly four hundred 

 varieties of American plums, and who is recognized as an authority by 

 such men as Professor Bailey, Professor Waugh, and others, writes me 

 that he much prefers good seedlings of Myrobolan to cuttings of 

 Marianna. He says that seedlings of the Wayland group of plums 

 make good stocks, and do not sucker, -but after all his experience he 

 comes to the conclusion that "for good, sound orchard trees, my experi- 

 ence begets a decided preference for trees root-grafted on peach." 

 ■ Of course there are some varieties of plum that do not make a good 



