Hutchinson gazette., 1900-03-22
Plum Growing in Wisconsin.

Wisconsin Experiment Station, said
Can the growing OF plums for market
be made profitable In Wisconsin? This
ls a practical question that should in
terest all our fruit growers, If II can
be, many OF w would doubtless take
advantage of the fact, for reliable and |
profitable fruit crops are not 30 nu-
merous In our state that we would not
gladly welcome q new one, II we at
tempt to analyze this question, 1t sep
arates naturally into two other ques-
tions, viz. LIST, Can we grow the frultY
and I'd, can we sell II after we have
grown II, at profitable prices? Our ex-
perence at the experiment station en-
ables me to answer these questions In
q measure, while the experience OF
others furnishes additional evidence.
First-Can we grow the fruit? The
cultivated plums include number OF
botanical species, which differ mate
rally In hardness and other qualities.
The large blue or yellow plums that
have been common in city fruit stands
for half century or more, belong to
a species that was early imported
from Europe and that Is grown with
more or less Of success throughout tho
eastern, southern and Pacific states
The aower-buds of this species are
tender In Wisconsin, and while they
often escape destruction In the south
ern and eastern portions of our state,
they are not to be depended upon In
any but the most favored locations.
This European species, botanically
known as "Prunus domestica" cannot
therefore be commercially grown to
any large extent In our state.
The more recently introduced Japan
csc plums, "Prunus triflora," that are
DO rapidly flooding our markets with
their snowy but generally inferior
fruit, are little II any more reliable
In Wisconsin than the European
species, and at present at least, should
not be planted commercially. The
Wild Goose plum, that Is grown 80
successfully in southern Illinois and
Missouri, and is so extensively shipped
to the Chicago market in July, repre-
sents a third species known botanic
ally as "Prunus hortulana" This does
not fruit we'll at Madison more than
about one year in three owing to the
tenderness OF Its nower-buds. The
Chicasa plums, "Prunus angustifolia,"
Judging from the varieties we have
grown at the station, are more rel!-
able than any l have yet mentioned,
but these, and also the Mariana plum,
which represents still another species,
were badly damaged the past winter
SO far, then all seems to be negative,
And yet the largest crop OF plums we
have ever grown at Madison we har'
vested the past summer, after the most
disastrous winter we have ever known
This crop Of plums all came from va
rictIes OF the northern native plum
"Prunus Americana" We have here
a plum that Is practically "iron-clad,
that has not failed TO give us croI
OF fruit since 1894, and OF which the
better varieties sell readily in our mar
kets at paying prices. Here is Il plum
that can be grown, in It's different va
rieties on every farm In Wisconsin
and that with proper culture may be
depended upon to produce crop al
most every year. This brings us to the
second question: Can we sell the
fruit? answer, yes. We have sold
the fruit readily, and in considerable
quantities at prices varying at from
! 81 to $1,5O per bushe, and occasional'
ly at higher prices.
The market for this class OF plumS
will undoubtedly improve, as the best
kinds like the Surprise, Nyant ant
Ocheeda are more extensively grown
as the fruit is marketed In better
snaps and as the people learn to dis
tlnguish be&Fsh II and the stigma.
tized wild p,ums." lIut We should re-
member that 1t Is not the fruits that
sell to the wealthy few, at fancy
prices, that will ever yield us very
large returns; 1t is rather those that
we can sell at small profit to the
millions at prices that they can af-
ford to pay, that must yield us our for.
tune IL we ever get 1t from fruit grow
ing. The Americana plum Is exa. .tly
this fruit. We can depend upon 1t, for
1t Is hardy and productive; we can
grow 1t cheap, because we get a crop
every year; we can sell almost unlim-
tied quantities Of II because we can
afford to sell 1t at prices that the peo-
pie can afford to pay. do not wish
to be called an enthusiast, and GER
tainly would not be held responsible
for losses incurred through following
my advice, and yet 1t Is my convic-
tIon that the judlcious planting and
cultivation Of the choicest Americana
plums may be made profitable In Wis.
consln, both as home market fruit
and for shipping. Please to note, how
ever, that | use the word "judicious,
which means according to sound
judgment"
would not advise any one to un-
dartakn Mum craving uhn 10 NIT mill