182 REPORT OP STATE BOARD OF HORTICULTURE. 



one thousand trees, until forty-four hundred phun trees were all worked over 

 into Italian prunes, with like su'cceef^ and with a loss not exceeding fifty 

 trees. It was said and believed bjj'i^^&y that the union would not be g-ood 

 at the graft, and trees thus treated would break down under a heavy load of 

 fruit or from our occasional heavy sleets. This has not proven true — only a 

 suspicious foreboding. Under a heavy weight of fruit and in two heavy 

 sleets the union of the graft, to the contrary, has proven to be as strong as 

 any part of the tree, and it has transpired that this top-grafting is not so 

 difficult and mysterious a handicraft as is generally supposed. Any careful, 

 painstaking man can, in a few hours, learn to set a graft; and so with the 

 waxing, etc. A sharp grafting knife, a trimming saw, a package of cotton 

 Ijatting, a waxing brush, and a heating appliance with kettle of grafting- 

 wax, is all the equipment required. For wax, linseed oil and resin, heated 

 and mixed to a right consistence ( which is a matter of a little common- 

 sense experience). A man who could not learn to top-graft in a day or two 

 of experience I should not consider an orchardist or fit to work in an 

 orchard. 



My grafting has been done in March, April and May, sometimes even 

 after trees were in bloom and leaf. Scions cut in January, or Pebruai'y, tied 

 in bunches and set (cut ends down) in loose earth on the north side of a 

 building, under shed, have always kept well. 



Now it transpires that Eastern Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana, 

 British Columbia, and other localities, grow successfully the Italian prune, 

 and could probably supply the market of the United States. California set 

 great areas of French prunes, and overdid the business, as Californians are 

 apt to do. Probably California, in the near future, will produce more prunes 

 than the world now consumes, for these and other reasons prunes annually 

 dropped in prices from twelve and one-half to four cents, and five and one- 

 half cents, the present oft'ering. This year the four sizes of French prunes 



are held at two and one-half cents, and no jnovement. California is in the 

 hands of a combine, even at these prices, and the eastern market proposes 

 to hold off and break the combine and get prunes yet lower. The few 

 prunes that are sold now are sold outside the combine at lower figures. 

 Canned goods and green fruits are taking the place of the prune. It remains 

 to be seen whether the combine will hold or break. To hold, possibly means 

 that the opportunity to sell will be lost, and stock held over. To say the 

 least the condition is not encouraging. The trade calls for a large black 

 prune. The French prune grown in Oregon is small and light colored and 

 cannot compete with the larger dark French prune grown in the Santa Clara 

 Valley, not to speak of their advantage in sun-drying. I have one thousand 

 five hundred twelve-year-old French prune trees yet to work over; am 

 growing wood of the Burbank sugar prune for scions. California is setting 

 and top-grafting into this prune extensively. Everything is claimed for it. 

 It is three weeks earlier than the French, much larger, sweeter, drying- 

 forty-five pounds to the hundred ; evei^-bearing enormously ; tree vigorous, 

 free from blight, or disease of any kind, etc. In 1872 set three hundred 

 Koyal Ann cherries, three hundred Black Republican, and later, four hiui- 



