24 
NOTES ON PLUM CULTURE 
The two striking differences between the Maryland and 
Colorado tables are in the commencement of blooming, and 
in the length of the periods. Variations in climate would 
lead us to expect differences in the commencement of 
blooming. This difference here appears as 17 days, and it 
is probable that variations in seasons might either increase 
or diminish this. 1 he variation in length of period is ex- 
treme. The shortest period recorded in the Maryland table 
is two days. Our shortest is 12 days. While the longest 
periods are 7 days in Maryland, and 31 days in Colorado. 
The great length of the periods observed here may in part 
be accounted for by the weather conditions prevailing at the 
time. It will be observed that ii varieties began blooming 
on April 30, and that g varieties began on May 7, none open- 
ing in the interval. This is directly attributable to a storm 
which prevailed between these dates. 
Rain began falling on i\pril 30. On the night of May 2 
wet snow accumulated to the depth of 3 inches. This 
covered the trees and clung to the branches for several days. 
It was continuously cloudy to the evening of May 5, and 
while it did not freeze during this period the temperature 
was sufficiently low to effectually check all vegetation. On 
examination after the storm it was found that considerable 
injury had been done. The Americana varieties that began 
opening the flowers before the storm, had most of the pistils 
in the open, and nearl}' open flowers killed. Kampeska 
showed less injury than any other variety of the class. On 
Minnetonka, Speer, Ocheeda and some others, it was diffi- 
cult to find an uninjured pistil in open flowers or much 
advanced buds; most of them were black and shriveled. 
Coe’s Golden Drop among domestica varieties had the pistils 
killed in all open flowers, and also in all advanced buds. 
Russian No. 2, although having no open flowers, had started 
the buds to some extent and nearly all were killed. 
Varieties that were at the time quite dormant suffered no 
apparent injury. 
The storm had the direct effect of delaying the appear- 
ance of bloom on most varieties for at least seven days. 
Whether it effected the blooming period or not is matter of 
conjecture, but it seems probable that the long period of low 
temperature ma}^ have influenced the vitality of the buds in 
such way as to prolong the blooming season. The tables are 
suggestive, and the questions which arise from studying 
them can only be answered from the data of a number of 
seasons. Similar tables representing the different districts 
of the state, and covering other orchard fruits would be 
