y place the damson in the same species, but the latter is round,
the former oval. The damson, a small plum, may be safely classed with
the _Prunus Communis_. It derives its name from the city of Damascus.
Damascena is the word used in Pliny for the district round Damascus, and
damson originally meant the Damascus plum. The Chinese have for
centuries cultivated plums, and in the United States plums from Japan
are coming rapidly into use, and appear to be more successful there than
in the British Isles. We find the word _prunum_, a plum, in Vergil,
Ovid, Martial, and other Roman writers. _Prunus_, a plum tree, is
derived directly from the Greek; _prunus silvestris_, in Columella and
Pliny, is supposed to mean the black thorn or sloe tree. These
illustrations prove that the plum has been known for ages, and that its
value is recognised in every part of the world. Our word plum is plainly
derived from the Latin (probably through the Anglo-Saxon), and the word
prune is almost identical with _prunum_.

SOIL AND SITUATION

The plum is not so particular as the pear about soil, yet it has its
preferences. It is not so deep-rooting as the apple and pear are; the
character therefore of the lower soil is not so important. But
stone-fruits require lime. In planting for profit, no site should be
selected for a large plantation if the soil is deficient in lime. It is
true that lime can be added, but this plan may suit a private garden,
not a large plantation for profit. The plum being hardier than the pear
will flourish in most soils, even in a heavy loam, but not in light
sandy or gravelly soil. In the latter case, something may be done by
heavy manuring and frequent removal. The trees in the R.H.S.'s garden
at Chiswick are a triumph of skilful culture, as good crops are raised
on many trees in a hot and gravelly soil. Some damsons, however, do not
thrive there. But such culture is costly. In soils of an intermediate
character, much may be done by adding other materials as suggested for
pears. If there is any doubt about the amount of lime in the soil, an
analysis should be obtained, and special notice taken of the trees in
the neighbourhood. The plum (like the pear) will not thrive in a low,
wet, undrained locality, nor in one that is very dry or exposed.
Drainage is essential to success. If, in a rainy season, water in a clay
soil is allowed to remain round the roots, canker or gumming is pretty
sure to follow. Excessive moistur