THE PRUNE. 139 



form they are rich in nutriment and strength-giving properties, sales 

 and prices in the future will be forced up to a phenomenal degree." 



THEY TIRE OF TART PRUNES. 



We have often explained that, while people who have only been 

 used to dried plums, very sour, at first prefer the tart i^runes of the 

 Pacific coast, of which the California Fellenberg and the Italian from 

 Oregon and Washington are types, to the sweet California prunes, 

 this taste soon changes with use, and very soon the sweet prunes are 

 much preferred for steady use. They make a richer and better food. 

 The following from a St. Louis pajjer shows how the taste inclines in 

 that section : 



Italian prunes are not so popular in this market as in some other sections of 

 the country, their tart flavor not being appreciated as much as the sweeter taste 

 of the Petite or French prune. The market on Oregon and Washington ItaUan 

 prunes is about the same as on California French'prunes, except the Italians are 

 weak and lower all along the line, large sizes included. 



A NEW PRUNE. 



Even in Europe California French prunes are acknowledged to be 

 the best produced, and are winning their way everywhere on their su- 

 perior merits ; but California fruit-growers have made one serious mis- 

 take in being the very last to acknowledge and take advantage of the 

 new fruits originated in their very midst, and have learned to their sor- 

 row, too late, that more enterprising Eastern growers had the market 

 before them. The Sugar jjrune, of which a very small quantity of 

 grafting wood will be offered to California growers this winter, ripens 

 nearly a month before the common French prune, averages four times 

 as large, shrinks less in drying, and contains more sugar than any 

 other prune. In beauty of form, color, and excellence of flavor, it 

 stands alone. The tree is a strong, shapely grower, and even more 

 productive than the little French prune. Prominent fruit-growers 

 who have seen the Sugar prune acknowledge that the French prune 

 is a back number, and that the old and young prune, almond and the 

 many unprofitable j)each orchards must be grafted to the Sugar, the 

 coming prune. 



PITTED PRUNES. 



A correspondent of the California Fritif Grower says: "Is there 

 a growing demand for pitted prunes of a strictly first-class quality ? 

 I know the Klondike trade consumed some, and wanted more, but the 

 quality was probably very doubtful, if indeed they were "prunes" at 

 all. Speaking fi'om personal experience, it occurs to me very forcibly 

 that the better class of trade in the United States would certainly 

 strongly favor such an article, and in this connection — but please re- 

 member I have no interest whatever in the trees — I would suggest 



