The Richmond climax. (Richmond, Ky.) 1897-1914, 1911-01-04
Plum Culture in Kentucky

The plum is one of our richest fruits
in variety and quality but very little has
been done with it in Kentucky. OF our
native varieties we have over 200. many
OF which have been crossed and improv-
ed OF the European varieties there is
large number.
Japan has furnished a number of
plums from which by crossing and Sc
lecting we have secured over so fine va
rites. These Japanese varities are per-
haps the most promising because they
are such prolific bearers. From these
varities and others such men as Burbanl,
have produced large number of hybrids
that are of the highest quality.
Plum culture is just in its infancy
and promises to be one of our greatest
and most profitable crops in the future
Within the last thirty and in fact, with
In the last 10 years nearly all of our
most delicious varieties have been pro-
duced. California has long since seen
the value of plum culture and has real
lied the profits derived from it. New
York has been waking up in this line
and now raises large number of plums.
In Kentucky where the possibilities are
as great as in any other state in the
union except California, | have never,
but once in three years seen any home
grown plums in our markets. This is
not right. We are not living up to our
possibilities. We talk of the high cost
of living, but when it comes down to
the real foundation of it, we may find it
in our neglecting to do several little
things that might help us to get living
without SO much cost If we take into
consideration the quality of many of the
late varities of plumS which are so de-
licious they will simply melt in our
mouths, we can truly say there is no
fruit that is more palatable or better for
children and general family use.
There is great range of flavors from
very tort to very sweet and the time of
ripening from June to October. This
will give US five months out of the year
when we can have nice fresh plums of
our own raising on our tables.
Besides there is no fruit better adopt
ed to canning than the plums, so we can
eat plums all the year round We can
also make plum butter for our spreads
and nothing is better for school children
than nice spread of plum butter for
dinner. We can not only furnish plums
of the most delicious sorts for the fami-
ly but there is growing demand in the
markets for good plums at reasonable
prices and we need not be afraid of over
stocking the market
1t is always the fellow who gets his
trees started first who receives the bene-
fit of the fancy prices. There would be
right here in Richmond an annual mar
ket for $4,000 worth of good plums at
reasonable price. We handle nothing
here but what is shipped over the
Rockies and this makes them very ex-
pensive. We must produce our own
plums. Can we do it! We certainly |
can. This plum is one of the earliest |
trees raised perhaps of all the fruit trees. !
Besides several of our native varieties |
are so hardy that the spring frosts do
not hurt them.
Every farmer in the state should have |
from 100 to 500 trees growing around his
fences. Every citizen in this town and |
every other town should have half |
dozen good trees or more ripening from
June to October, growing in his back |
yard or around the house somewhere. |
The tree is very easy TO produce and |
may be made by budding seedlings |
grown from plum seeds, peach seeds or
even almond seeds planted in the fall. !
When these seedlings come up in the
spring they should be cultivated careful |
ly and by the last of June they will be
ready to bud. The Seeding must be
the size of an ordinary lead pencil be-
fore The buddinp ran he dona SuccaSSfuI