WEST MICHIGAN FRUIT GROWERS" ASSOCIATION 207 



to six years from the time of setting llie trees, look after the curcnlio; l<eep 

 off and destroy all rotten and decayed frnit as much as possible. And the 

 most important duty of all is to never let your trees overbear; thin the 

 fruit off, so that you will not have to prop the limbs uj» to prevent them 

 from breaking' down, as well as to save the life of your trees. Many trees 

 die annually from lack of vitality and over-bearing several years in suc- 

 cession. 



The plum is grown and succeeds over a wide territory, and the abundant 

 crops and low prices for its fruit all over the country during the past 

 several seasons, make it rather one of the unprofitable lines of fruitgrow- 

 ing of recent years. But there is yet a possibility of growing the plum 

 for general market at a good, fair profit if the right varieties are»selected 

 and proper care is given the business. 



But you will all enquire what to plant, and the majority of growers 

 would say, plant Lombard, Beine Claude, and Blue Damson, and why? 

 Because they are general-market and all-purpose plums. These varieties 

 will bear great crops of fruit and will succeed for nearly every one who 

 plants them, making lots of cheap plums on the market, of course, at a 

 certain time. 



But I would advise not to plant those common and all-purpose varieties 

 at the present day if the money or profit in the business is your object. 

 During the past season of 1896, with such low prices on nearly all choice 

 fruits, I had the pleasure and reward of selling all my large, fancy, blue 

 plums at a good, fair profit, at from |1.25 to |1.75 per bushel, net. I would 

 now select and plant only the large, dark, or blue varieties, with the ex- 

 ception of tw^o varieties, and those would be Burbank and Coe's Golden 

 Drop. I certainly would select and plant these two for their fine size and 

 color, as well as for great productiveness of the trees. Both these varieties 

 are of the most excellent quality and the finest canning plums. I sin- 

 cerely believe that the canners and consumers of our plums will soon look 

 after quality more than the fine appearance of the fruit. 



Next. I would select such as Field. Gueii, Hudson Egg. Fellemberg 

 Prune, Monarch, and Grand Duke. There are other choice and profitable 

 varieties, but the above are sufficient to cover the whole season of fruiting 

 time. 



And. again, in conclusion, allow me to say that if the preceding sug- 

 gestions are carried out to the letter and put in thorough practice, there is 

 yet a possibility of a good profit and rich reward in store for the practical 

 plum-grower in future years. 



