ESSAY ON THE PLUM. 
483 
the northwest. Suppose a variety we have reared is not so 
desirable as could be wished, the tree need-not be lost, as it 
can be grafted with some other variety, either native or culti¬ 
vated, tliat is desired. These native stocks, especiallv the 
late and free-growing sorts, I have found to be the very best 
on which to work the best sorts. Some years ago, when I 
first owned a small spot of land and commenced to make it 
into a garden, I set it out with trees as far as my means would 
allow. But being unable to procure as many as I needed 
of the cultivated kinds, I filled my borders with the wild or 
native trees, designing to graft them, and prove their utility. 
I therefore took up wild plums, crabs and white thorns, set 
them out and grafted them with such varieties as I could then 
procure. Some were top-worked, some root-worked. Nearly 
all the plum scions grew. The top-grafted fruited the second 
year, while those under ground^ took three or four years to 
came into bearing. I had-occasion .to take up some of these, 
to set other trees, and found that in some instances the scions 
had taken root, and in some cases they had nearly died 
to the surface of the ground, by reason of the cold, yet the 
wild plum stocks were alive, and the trees grew again, though 
their own roots were dead. Such were finally killed by the 
rotting of those dead roots, with the wild roots still alive. 
This experience has proved to me that the better sort of tame 
plums, on their own roots will not stand our climate. 
I was further confirmed in the faith by purchasing, about 
the same time, plums worked on tame stocks, and on peach 
roots, which had been imported from the eastern nurseries. 
All those trees have died by root killing; and up to the 
present time, I have no plum tree good for anything that 
stands on its own roots. And I would use only wild stocks 
for plums. 
Most of the varieties of tame plum trees will prove hardy 
with us where they ripen their wood; but in some sorts the 
fruit buds are tender, some more,.-some less so, just as the 
climate may have varied where they originated. I will now 
name a few that will stand certain degrees of cold, and will, 
