144 THE PRUNE. 



surprised at the beautiful large, dark purple prunes it yielded." Tree 

 a vigorous, healthy grower ; leaves extra dark. Dark-purple fruit, cov- 

 ered with a fine light blue blush, and hanging on the tree with great 

 tenacity, shriveling before it will fall off. The prune keeps in good 

 condition three weeks after being picked. When ripe, the flesh is a 

 golden green and is very aromatic ; semi-freestone. It evaporates 45 

 pounds of cured product to 100 pounds fresh fruit. In flavor it is 

 sweeter than the Italian, but not so sweet as the French. It bears 

 every year, and is about ten days earlier than the Italian. 



Hungarian ( Pond's Seedling, Grosse Prune d'Agen). — Fruit large, 

 oval or ovate, tapering at the stem end, and oftentimes having a di- 

 vided, elevated neck ; skin thick and rich in color, sprinkled with 

 brown dots and covered with a thin white bloom ; stalk stout and of 

 medium length, set in a raamelon neck; flesh yellow, coarse, juicy, 

 quality rather poor, sweet, but not rich. Tree a strong grower and 

 prolific bearer. Season two weeks earlier than Italian, or about the 

 middle of September. 



Champion. — Large size, roundish, tapering somewhat at both ends ; 

 suture well marked ; color dark purple, with reddish bloom ; stalk of 

 medium length, rather stout, and placed in cavity of medium depth ; 

 flesh firm, very juicy, parting from the stone easily ; flavor much like 

 the Italian. Tree very vigorous, healthy, and strong grower. Fruit 

 a month earlier than the Italian. Very productive. The Champion 

 is one of the most promising of our new prunes for shipping in the 

 fresh state. The vigor of the trees, their productiveness, the size, 

 beauty, quality and earliness of the fruit all recommend it. 



TECHNICAL TERMS AND PHRASES. 



It takes an intelligent person some time to learn the meaning of 

 the somewhat technical phrases commonly used in the prune indus- 

 try. We therefore give the definition of those most current. Some 

 of the words defined are colloquialisms, but most of them are common 

 to the trade. 



Blcufhiiui. — The process of changing the dark color of prunes to a lighter 

 hue; generally accomplished by sulphuring. 



Bloafr vs.. — Prunes which, in drying, swell up to an abnormal size. The swell- 

 ing is supposed to be caused by fermentation, which produces a gas. Bloaters 

 are generally produced from large, soft, overripe prunes. 



Dipping. — A process of cleansing and cutting the skin of fresh prunes pre- 

 paratory to putting in the evaporator, in which the fruit is submerged in boil- 

 ing lye made by using one can of concentrated lye to fifteen gallons of water. 

 Cured prunes are also sometimes dipped in glycerine and water — one pound of 

 glycerine to twenty gallons of water — which improves their appearance and adds 

 to their weight and keejjing qualities. 



Drip. — The syrup liquid which oozes from prunes in the process of curing; 



