320 Stale Ilurlicultural Society. 



quality, good shippers and good sellers. I like the Forest Rose the 

 best. There is one fault with the Minor Plum stock as it sprouts ex- 

 ceedingly bad. About every other year you have got to go through 

 the orchard with an ax or grubbing hoe and do some grubbing on ac- 

 count of its sprouting. 



Another one that I will mention, that is a great favorite with us, 

 is the Hawkeye. It is good in quality, but I don't believe it will ever 

 be profitable as a market plum. It is one of the slowest growers of 

 anything I have ever tried. 



One of the most profitable plums I plant, one of the easiest handled 

 and most in demand of the late plums, is the Blue Damson. I would 

 say plant Blue Damson plums for profit. Sometimes the winter will 

 kill them, but as a rule, they are the most profitable that we can grow. 

 Ic is good for several reasons. First : You don't have to pick it the 

 day it ripens. It will stay on the tree for a month and keep after 

 picked almost as long. It is in demand and always brings a good price 

 and one of the best for preserving in the catalogue of plums. 



A Question : How much do you sell off of the trees' 



I will answer that question by saying I sold last year off of three 

 trees, I turned over $8.60 worth ofif of three trees. This year I turned 

 over to the same party between seven and eight dollars worth. I 

 don't know the exact amount this year. I could bring a number of 

 witnesses to testify as to the profitableness of the Blue Damson plum. 

 They are not present, but live in the vicinity of St. Joseph. I sold them 

 last year at the rate of sixty cents for one of these eight-pound grade 

 baskets. They average about one-sixth of a bushel. That is about 

 $4.80 a bushel. I sold Wild Goose plums this year for two dollars and 

 a half a bushel, which is a pretty good price. 



A Question : I desire to ask Mr. Karnes what variety of Damsons 

 he raises ? 



There are two kinds of these trees. One is more thorny than the 

 other. The thorny tree always does the best for me. One is a smooth 

 tree and a rather upright grower, and the other is a thorny tree, and 

 runs up as hoot, but not straight like the smooth bark variety, and the 

 thorniest tree produces the best fruit. I would say plant the Shrop- 

 shire Damson. I think it is equally as good as the Blue Damson. 



A Question: Where is your market for Damson? 



We ship to Nebraska and Kansas. 



Mr. Hopkins: For $4.80 a bushel? 



Mr. Karnes : Yes, sir. 



Mr. Hopkins: I just asked it because they have been quoted in 

 the St. Louis market as low as a dojjar a bushel. 



