An Abingdon, Va., correspondent writes, under date of November 25th, 1882 : " I send you by mail a small box containing one-half dozen plums. They have been gathered more than a month - picked up on the ground under the tree the 20th of October, and laid away in a paper box. One or two of them had rotted, but I think those I send you are sound. They grew on a tree I grafted two years ago on a stock of a wild plum growing in a clump. I don't think they are fair specimens; have seen the fruit one-third larger. The tree from which I obtained the grafts grows in this country, and as far as I can find is undoubtedly a seedling - an old tree growing on a clump of rocks. They are used by the parties in the neighborhood for preserving and jelly making, and said to be fine for the purpose; good to eat, too, when ripe. I saw the tree once only in fruit, about the middle of October, and there were ripe plums on the ground, and on the tree both ripe and green. The family where they grow say they have picked them up off the ground, under the leaves, at Christmas. I send you some of the leaves also. I call it the Campbell, after the family where it grows.

What do you think of it? Is it worthy of propagation? I had intended to send them when first ripe, so as to show you the true flavor, etc, but neglected until now." [We find it difficult to decide what to say about these plums. It is certainly very late to have plums. The leaves and wood indicated that the plant belonged to the common American red plum, but the fruit was rather like improved European "sloes." - Ed. G. M.]