24 THE PLUM IN KANSAS. 



Another point which, if it has been noted, has escaped my attention is, that 

 in order to secure the best flavor and the highest coloring in the Abundance 

 plum it must be picked early and ripened in the house, like a Bartlett pear. If 

 allowed to become soft and fully colored on the tree half the flavor is gone, and 

 the bees and wasps will often be found garnering the little which remains. It 

 may be gathered while yet green, and, if placed in a dark drawer, it will color up 

 beautifully, with a delicate bloom, and reward you with a flavor of surprising ex- 

 cellence. It is very juicy, sweet, and rich, and can be compared with nothing 

 so well as the old genuine Green Gage, which I have always regarded as the 

 standard in flavor and quality. While the flesh does not part so readily from 

 the stone, which is very small, it does not cling to it as tenaciously as others of 

 this species. Like the Green Gage, it is breaking and buttery in the mouth. 

 And I have often seen specimens of that grand old variety, ripened in the full 

 sun, that were colored much like the Abundance. In the Abundance, I think, 

 we have its full cousin, at least as to flavor, while the brilliant coloring is more 

 attractive, and its general vigor and productiveness make it more desirable. The 

 little knight of the crescent calls around on time, of course, and leaves his well- 

 known autograph. But that is the last of it for this thick-skinned Japanese 

 member of the Primus family. The plums grow right along and ripen up sound 

 and perfect, without either eggs or larvae of any foe. Why not plant the Abun- 

 dance plum ? 



Replying to some questions of a correspondent, the Rural New Yorker says: 

 "The Abundance trees are those that have an upright habit, andBurbank those 

 that grow straggling and spreading in habit. The idea in pruning the Abun- 

 dance trees should be to head them back from making tall, slim trees, and yet not 

 have them too compact. To prevent the latter, some of the interior branches 

 will probably need to be cut away. The heading in at the top should be done every 

 year or two. The Burbank trees should be pruned so as to induce an upright 

 growth, which may be done by cutting back the straggling and drooping 

 branches." 



The Countrij Gentleman has this to say: "One of our correspondents who 

 is so greatly in love with the Abundance plum says some true, as well as good 

 things, about it. It is well to remember, however, that there are many other 

 favorites in the list of plums. Burbank succeeds beyond measure with some 

 growers. A few think there 's nothing like Satsuma. Still others say the old 

 Lombard is most profitable of all. Some have made most money out of Wild 

 Goose. And so it goes. The fact is there exists an endless diversity in the 

 adaptation of special plums to particular localities; and these adaptations must 

 be studied by the plum grower. No general recommendation of any one variety 

 for all soils and all climates is safe. There are lots of good varieties, but the 

 best of them fail in some localities. There is no variety which seems to succeed 

 over a wide range of territory, like the Ben Davis apple or the Concord grape." 



A Windham county, Vermont, fruit-grower relates his experience with the 

 Japan varieties: "A Burbank plum tree was set out three years ago last spring. 

 When planted it was what is known in the nursery as a small tree, one year old. 

 I prefer these small trees to the larger ones, for I get better roots thereon; 

 and while the tree is only a straight stalk I can, by cutting it back, get the low head 

 which I so much desire. This particular tree measures eight and one-half feet 

 in height, and the branches spread sixteen feet, while the trunk is only one foot 

 from the ground to the first limbs. The past season in thinning the fruit I cut 

 off seven-eighths of all the plums on the tree, and then picked about two and 

 one-half bushels of the choicest fruit, that averaged six inches in circumference. 



