Vol. LXI No. 2711. 
NEW YORK, JANUARY 11, 1902. 
$1 PER YEAR 
> FROM TREE THAT PRODUCED BUT FtlW PLUMS 
TH I ,M ATED TO TWO INCHES APART 
7*HI WNTD TO Ofijfc. INC H&APA 
GREAT VALUE OF THE NATIVE PLUMS. 
THRY MAY BK FASHIONABLE YET. 
Some of the Best Varieties. 
Each succeeding year adds to the popularity of t'he 
native plums. While but a few years ago 
the “plum cranks” could be readily counted, 
their number now is legion. Nearly all are 
native plum cranks, too. The old and tried 
Domestica group of plums still has many 
faithful friends. The fruit stands of the 
larger cities and the canneries demand great 
quantities of this fruit, and in certain sec¬ 
tions it will probably be grown largely to 
the exclusion of the natives. The Japan 
plums, owing to the efforts of Burbank in 
disseminating varieties, and of Bailey in 
disseminating information regarding them, 
as well as the untiring efforts of numerous 
nurserymen, have occupied the attention of 
fruit men in general to a very considerable 
extent for several years. The popularity of 
this group certainly is not increasing, and 
is probably somewhat on the decline. The 
range of their adaptability is admitted to 
be more limited than that of the Domestica 
group, while the quality of the fruit will 
scarcely average higher. While the Japan 
plums are scarcely holding their own in re¬ 
gions adapted to their culture, unscrupulous 
agents are still pushing their sale where 
there is no possible chance of success in their 
culture, and where the natives would give 
the very highest degree of satisfaction. 
•Of the various species of the native plum, 
the Americana group is best adapted to the 
Northwestern States. The extreme hardiness 
of this group especially commends it to the 
fruit growers of this region. The Chicasa 
group, with possibly one or two exceptions, 
is of but little value in this region, in the 
extreme Southern States and in Maryland 
the adaptability of these species appears to 
be exactly reversed. Mr. Kerr, in his recent 
catalogue, announces that he has dropped 
over 100 varieties of the Americana group 
from his list, and recommends more highly 
varieties of the Chicasa, Way land and Hor- 
tulana groups, and calls <special attention 
to numerous hybrids. Leaving <*side hardi¬ 
ness and considering quality, the Americana 
group has decidedly the advantage. 1 or tex¬ 
ture of flesh, richness and flavor, the best of 
the Americanas excel all other varieties of 
the native plum. No Chicasa can compare 
in quality with Quaker or Brittlewood. Next 
in importance to the Americana is that great 
mongrel group, the Hortulana, created by 
Prof. Bailey to include a class bearing the 
Characteristics of both Americana and Chi¬ 
casa. The Wildgoose is a familiar type of 
this class. Many of these appear to be hardy 
in the Northwest and include some highly 
desirable varieties. While the Wildgoose is 
unreliable in Wisconsin, owing to its early 
blossoming season, in the central and lower 
Mississippi Valley it appears to be quite gen¬ 
erally grown, judging from the quantity of 
“Goose” plums shipped to northern mar¬ 
kets from this section. Many are sent to 
New York and other eastern cities. 
The Wisconsin Experiment Station plum 
orchards contain over 300 named varieties, 
mainly natives. Most of these have fruited 
for several years and the process of “weed- 
ity and unreliable bearers. The Japan varieties are 
not reliably hardy in bud or tree, and all but a few 
are dead or dying; of the different species of the na¬ 
tive plum, the Americana is most desirable. Many 
varieties of the Hortulana class rank next in desir¬ 
ability, while but few if any of the varieties 
of the Chicasa group are worthy of culture. 
From this mixed orchard thousands of pits 
have been planted, no hand pollinations 
have been attempted, the now well-known 
fact that the native plums are not self-fer¬ 
tile, affording abundant opportunity for 
crossing by natural means. The seedling or¬ 
chards have proved immensely interesting 
as well as profitable. The high average qual¬ 
ity of the seedlings has been a source of sur¬ 
prise from the beginning. 
The seedlings of the highest quality have 
been obtained from pits of the best named 
varieties. The poorer named varieties have, 
with rare exceptions, produced seedlings 
uniformly poor in quality. While this might 
be considered a natural sequence, the fact 
that all of these seedlings are undoubted 
crosses, and from parents growing in close 
proximity, raises an interesting point in 
plant breeding. A very large percentage of 
the seedlings ripen their fruit earlier than 
the parent tree. One hundred and seventy- 
nine Quaker seedlings have fruited, and of 
these only 12 ripened later ,jan the parent, 
about as many were cf the same season and 
the remainder were earlier. The same is 
true of other varieties. Many of the seed¬ 
lings are decidedly high m quality, and af¬ 
ford encouragement to continue the work. 
A. H. Terry, of Iowa, is a veteran in this 
line of work, and has produced many of the 
best varieties of native plums now on the 
market. As the seedling plum trees are 
planted six feet apart each way, for economy 
of space, and after the second year cultiva¬ 
tion is impracticable, the orchards have been 
heavily mulched. So far this nas proved 
highly satisfactory in all respects. Marsh 
hay has been largely used for mulching, as 
well as other coarse material, free from weed 
seeds. This method has also been employed 
in the older orchards. It is necessary to re¬ 
new the mulch once a year in order to keep 
down weeds and grass. A space of about 
20x100 feet was heavily mulched (about four 
inches) last Spring with cinders. This seems 
to serve the purpose as well as hay in con¬ 
serving moisture and preventing the growth 
of weeds and grass. It is probable that a 
muldh of some sort will prove the best plan 
for the home plum orchard. The native 
plum seems to thrive better under this 
method of culture than other orchard fruits. 
Severe thinning is practiced, beginning 
when danger from the curculio is past. The 
plums at this stage are usually one-fourth 
to one-third grown and are thinned so that 
the remaining fruits are about one inch 
apart. This is somewhat expensive, espe¬ 
cially with large trees, but will always prove 
profitable. Large plums are wanted, and 
only large plums will sell ior a good price. 
Fig. 9 illustrates the benefits derived from 
thinning. The increasing demand for native 
plums in our local market is gratifying. The 
fruit was marketed in one-fifth bushel bas¬ 
kets, and sold readily for $1.75 per bushel 
wholesale, and it is quite certain that the 
EFFECTS OF THINNING NATIVE PLUMS. Fig. 9.- 
ing” is now in progress. Without going into detail 
affecting the varieties, it may be said that, of the 
Domestica or European varieties tested, the Lombard 
appears to be the most hardy. The Russian varieties 
have but little merit, being as a rule, inferior in qual- 
A LOAD OF NATIVE PLUMS. Fig. 8. 
