342 



The Journal of Heredity 



comparative trees. Furthermore, the 

 fruits are more uniform in size, shape 

 and other characteristics than are the 

 fruits of the ordinary variety. So uni- 

 form are the No. 1418 fruits that they 

 appear to have been graded mechani- 

 cally as to size as they lie on the ground 

 after falling. 



The No. 1418 trees appear to be more 

 vigorous growing and develop larger 

 leaves than do the comparative trees. 

 The leaves of the trees of this strain 

 appear to be thicker and have a tougher 

 feel than do the leaves of the trees of 

 the parent variety. In looking down 

 the rows one notices that the larger 

 trees of the No. 1418 strain, with their 

 more luxurious and abundant foliage, 

 stand out markedly as compared with 

 the trees and leaves of the parent vari- 

 ety. 



The fruits of the No. 1418 strain 

 average about 25-30 to the pound as 

 compared with an average of from 

 about 50-60 to the pound as is the case 

 of the fruits of the parent variety. The 

 fruits of the No. 1418 strain drop 

 clearly from the trees and are so firm 

 that in a recent field examination no 

 damage could be observed as a result 

 of their fall. There was little or no 

 bruising or other injuries observed in 

 the fruits on the ground. 



The fruits of the No. 1418 strain ripen 

 at the same time as the frtiits of the 

 parent variety. They have the desired 

 rich purple color, and on the drying 

 trays this color shows as a very deep 

 or dark purple. The flavor and other 

 qualities of the No. 1418 fruits are said 

 to be better than those of the parent 

 variety by the manager of the principal 

 drying organization in the district where 

 the experimental orchard is located. 



After the prunes are picked up from 

 the ground thev are dipped in a boiling 

 lye solution with the aid of a large wire 

 basket. After dipping in the lye solu- 

 tion the fruits are run over a sizing 

 machine which assorts them into three 

 grades according to size. Then the 

 fruits are spread evenly in large 

 shallow wooden trays and allowed 

 to dry in the sun for from eight 

 to ten days. Later, the trays are 



piled in stacks, where the drying and 

 curing processes continue until finished. 

 The handling of the prunes during the 

 drying period requires care and experi- 

 ence. While kiln-drying is said to be 

 successfully used in some districts, the 

 manager of the plant where the prunes 

 of the No. 1418 strain are dried 

 does not believe it to be a commercial 

 succes.s under his conditions. The cur- 

 ing processes must be so managed as to 

 preserve the rich, glossy color, meaty 

 condition and high flavor essential to 

 good prunes. 



As a result of the favorable opinions 

 expressed by propagators, growers, and 

 driers as to the commercial value of the 

 No. 1418 strain, Mr. Coates has decided 

 to introduce it into as many prune- 

 growing districts as possible in order 

 to secure final information as to the 

 range of its adaptability and value 

 for commercial prune production. In 

 this decision he is certainly justified by 

 the experimental evidence in his test 

 orchard thus far. If the improved var- 

 iety proves to be equally valuable in 

 other districts, it will undoubtedly be 

 the most valuable addition to the com- 

 mercial prune varieties ever introduced 

 in America. 



In carefully studying the individual 

 trees of the new variety Mr. Coates has 

 occasionally observed small branches, 

 and in some cases individual fruit spurs, 

 bearing the ordinary French prunes. 

 The pyriform shape and other char- 

 acteristics of the French prune, as con- 

 trasted with the more round or oval 

 shape of the Coates variety serve to 

 clearly distinguish the two types. While 

 going over some of these trees recently 

 with Mr. Coates, the writer found sev- 

 eral similar branches, usually small ones, 

 bearing several fruits which were un- 

 mistakably of the parent variety or 

 ordinary French type, while the re- 

 mainder on the trees were of the large 

 Coates variety. This condition is ad- 

 ditional evidence as to the origin of the 

 variety as a bud variation from the 

 ordinary French prune. 



It should be noted in this connection 

 that the experimental orchard has not 

 been irrigated thus far. The conditions 



