THE MONTHLY BULLETIN. 363 



exhibits both at their meetings and at the fairs. In these exhibits 

 much more attention ought to be paid to fancy fruit — high quality- 

 fruit. Indeed, it seems certain that higher premiums ought always 

 to be offered for choicely good fruits than for the varieties of poorer 

 quality. 



In conclusion, why discuss this matter? Is it to encourage growing 

 fruit only for a select few who have the cultivated taste? Not by 

 any means. The common taste whieli falls to with a vigorous appetite 

 apon any fruit presented is now. and must ever be, the chief customer 

 of the fruit grower. But the taste of the multitude should be educated 

 by all possible means for better and better fruits. Why? Because in 

 the long run it means the consumption of a great deal more fruit the 

 country over. Is it reprehensible to grow fruits of poor <iuality? 

 Possibly not, but it would mean in the course of time the wiping out, 

 root and branch, of the fruit industry if all fruit growers grew poor 

 varieties; besides it would present tlie vile and" sordid spectacle of 

 people deliberately devoting themselves to gi-owing poor fruit when 

 they might as well grow good fruit. Is high (luality the only requisite 

 of a good variety? No, indeed. There are a score of re(iuisites of 

 fruit and tree that go to make a good variety, but among these <|uality 

 is not now receiving appropriate recognition, and it is for such recog- 

 nition that I am pleading. Is this a matter of sentiment or of business? 

 Both. I am not averse to putting some sentiment in fruit growing, 

 but I hope I have not been arguing ])efore a i)acked jury in trying to 

 convince this society that it is good business as well as a fine sentiment 

 to grow good fruit. 



CULTURE AND HANDLING OF SHIPPING PLUMS. 



By II. C. Blake, Vacaville, Cal. 

 Address before the State Fruit Growers' Convention, Davis, Cal., June 1-6, 1914. 



This paper covers conditions obtaining on\y in California. I will 

 not discuss the origin of tiie plum, as it makes but little difference to 

 the practical commercial grower whether it was introduced here from 

 Asia or Europe or some other place; suffice it to say that nearly all 

 edible plums are found in the north temperate zone. Species of wild 

 plums are to be found in most of the countries of the north and the 

 south temperate zones. 



In this paper I will not consider the prune, or especially the com- 

 monly called French prune, as it was very ably treated by Mr. Rich- 

 mond at the Fresno convention in December, 1913, and his paper has 

 been very generally copied and reprinted all over the coast. 



Plums furnish us more different varieties than any other cultivated 

 fruit, and also a greater range of flavor, texture, color, size and form. 

 Because of the plum's great variability and the adaptation of the 

 different varieties to different climatic and soil conditions, it is the 

 favorite fruit for amateur propagators in developing new varieties, and 

 the varieties are now almost without number. 



For one contemplating going into the shipping plum busineses geo- 

 graphic location would probably be the first important consideration; 



