NATIVE AMERICAN SPECIES OF PRUNUS., 7 
following: Chicasaw, Early Coral, Golden Drop, The Cherry plum, Flushing Gage, 
Yellow Egg plum, Balmer’s Washington * * *, 
The “‘Chicasaw” is the only one of these varieties that can be rec- 
ognized as a native, and Thacher is perhaps the second author to 
refer in an American horticultural work specifically to a native, 
although the name ‘“‘Chicasaw” may have appeared before in one of 
William Frince’s catalogues, as well as in M’Mahon’s work. Prince 
(63, p. 22), in 1828, mentions but does not describe the “ Yellow and 
Red Chicasaw,”’ and ‘‘ American Red and Yellow,” these being pre- 
sumably Prunus angustifolia and P. americana. Three years later 
the same author (64, p. 104, 108) described ‘‘ Red Chicasaw Pr. Cat. 
Prunus chicasaw Mich.” as follows: 
This fruit is nearly round and of good size; the skin is of a fine cherry colour; the 
flesh yellowish, soft and melting when at full maturity, with a pleasant and peculiar 
flavor. This plum ripens from the 20th to the end of July. The tree is naturally low 
set and bushy, being inclined to spread its branches but a short distance from the 
ground. It also throws out short spurs, with leaves on them, each of which is termi- 
nated by a sharp-pointed thorn. Numerous suckers spring up from the root and serve 
as a Means of propagation; but the trees which are inoculated on other stocks attain 
the handsomest form and make far the best appearance, and they have also the advan- 
tage of not generating suckers to the same extent. There is another variety which 
produces yellow fruit, but it differs only in respect to colour. 
Prince also describes the Beach plum, and says: 
The fruit is globular, often an inch in diameter, of a purple colour, with a glaucous 
bloom; it is pleasant for eating, and in flavour similar to the common plum. 
This may seem rather extravagant praise of the Beach plum, yet 
there can be no doubt of the species, for he says: 
Its natural location is near the salt water, along the coast and on islands. The fruit 
ripens in August and September. Gen. Dearborn, the enlightened and distinguished 
president of the Massachusetts Horticultural Society, has himself discovered several 
varieties of it growing in a wild state, two of which are purple, but vary in respect to 
size, and a third of a shining crimson colour; and it is to his liberality that I am in- 
debted for the trees in my collection. 
Prince does not describe Prunus americana in his Pomological 
Manual. 
A native species is mentioned again in 1833 by William Kenrick 
(37, p. 256), a nurseryman at Newton, Mass., who includes presuma- 
bly Prunus nyra under the name ‘‘Canada Plum.”’ Kenrick says: 
The tree is of medium vigor, diffuse in its growth; fruit small, oval, fiery red; flesh 
coarse grained and sour; juice abundant and aromatic. It is supposed to possess me- 
dicinal qualities. 
This species is omitted by Kenrick in the edition of his work pub- 
lished in 1835, but it is referred to briefly by Fessenden (24, p. 246), 
who says: 
A wild kind, found in the woods of Vermont, grows large and fair, but its fruit con- 
tains little saccharine matter. No doubt it might be improved by culture, and may 
furnish stocks for grafting. 
