The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1885-10-28
Plnnis.

L Wflte Tor the Denent OF people living
in localities where the plum-tree is not
quite hardy enough to thrive without
some special care in the way of situa-
ton and training; and as have never
had experience in such places, it will
be difficult for me to give directions by
which this luscious fruit may be grown
with success where it has hitherto been
considered almost, if not quite, impos-
sible. But as l have had some expert
ence in fruit-growing and an oppor-
tunity to observe and study the habits
and requirements of various sorts of
fruit-trees that are not strictly iron-clad,
1 may be able to give some suggestions
which, if followed and improved upon,
may lead to partial, if not complete, sue
cess in raising plums in trying localities.
The first thing to consider is the
choice of varieties, and, in doing this,
one must be careful to choose those that
are considered by good authorities to
be the hardest, and do not consider a
tree-peddler to be good authority. And
let me say right here that any tree
peddler who will recommend the plant
ing of the Kieffer pear anywhere in
Vermont either does not know his bus
mess as he ought or else he has no re-
gard for the good of his customers.
Without claiming to be authority on
this subject, l would suggest that the
following-named sorts be given trial:
Minnesota, Wolfe, DeSoto, Miner and
RollingstOne. These are native Amer
lean sorts and will doubtless prove
hardy anywhere in Vermont. The va
rieties that have been imported from
Russia should not be overlooked. They
are said to be good to very good in
quality and very hardy. The European
sorts are the most delicious of all plums,
but the trees are less hardy than those
mentioned above, but many of them
are raised in some places in Vermont,
and they might be successful in many
other places. / would recommend the
trial of Mooer's Arctic, Columbia,
Duane's Purple, Green Gage, Jefferson,
Lawrence's Favorite, Princes Yellow
Gage, Yellow Egg and Lombard. This
last is enormously called Peach by some.
The best soil for the plum is a
heavy loan. 1t does not bear well on
sandy soils, unless it be plentifully sup
piled with stiff clay well worked in.
The best way to do this would be to
spread on thick coat of clay in the
fall and the frost will pulverize it,
when it should be plowed under in the
spring and the trees planted, and a
good quantity of salt spread on the sur
face. Very little other manure is
needed, for if the trees grow very lux
uriantly they will not be so well able TO
endure the winter; neither will they bear
so soon. l knew of number of plum
trees of various sorts that were planted
in an old hog pasture, where the soil
was very rich. They grew very fast
for two or three years. Then came a
test winter, when nearly every one was
killed, root and branch.
The choice of situation is important.
Hollows and river intervals should be
avoided, for in them on still nights the
cold settles, forming little lakes of frosty
air which is fatal in the spring to the bios
SONS of these trees, which are put forth
earlier than those of most fruit-trees.
The best situation is on the north slope
of hill, or the north side of building
or of belt of woods. They should be
planted so near that the low winter sun
will not reach their tops until some
hours after sunrise, and yet so far away
that the high summer sun will shine
upon the roots of the tree. l have an
apricot tree standing north of board
fence along which some plum trees are
growing Two or three years ago this
apricot tree was left without any pro-
lection, and yet it bore some fruit the
following season, while another of the
same sort, standing but a little way off
without any winter shading, had all OF
its fruit-buds killed. Plum-trees in Sc.
we're localities should be allowed to
branch low, and, if planted in such stu.
ations as named, see no reason why
the harder sorts of plums may not
grow and give good crops of fruit, and
when you have got fruit, plant some OF
the seeds of the best kinds.
Ibelieve that by successive seeding we
can bring most, if not all, of our fruits
up to an iron-cad standard of hardness
at least in the locality where the seeding
was done. The hardness of the Russian
fruit-trees is, believe, owing to theil
practice, to great extent, of planting
the seeds to get a new supply of trees
Grating is not so much practiced with
them as with us. The influence of the
climate upon the seed is mysterious and
wonderful. Beets, turnips, onions, cab
bages and other similar vegetables are
worthless when grown from seed tha
was raised at the South. The roots will
, not bottom and the cabbages will no