280 Plums and Plum Culture 



a fair standard for most varieties and situations, but 

 this will fluctuate considerably. 



Picking and Marketing. — It goes without saying 

 that plums must be hand-picked. At least it ought to. 

 Still, I have seen plums shaken off the trees and sold. 

 That sort of business, though, can hardly be called 

 legitimate. Some of the politicians, even, have found 

 that it does not always pay to "shake the plum tree." 

 In general, it is best to have small market baskets to 

 pick in; and these may be furnished with wire hooks 

 to the handles so as to be hung in the branches of the 

 trees, though a picker will seldom climb into a plum 

 tree. A tall stepladder is best for reaching plum 

 trees, and the basket can be set on top of this. It 

 should be light and yet stable. 



Most plums ought to be picked a few days before 

 they are thoroughly ripe, unless they are to be used 

 at home and at once. Even then, care should be taken 

 that they do not become overripe. A plum is 

 better just before it is perfectly ripe than afterward. 

 The Japanese people always eat their plums green, and 

 I know some Americans who have a taste for green 

 plums. Some varieties, especially the Japanese sorts, 

 may be picked a week to two weeks before they are 

 ripe, and stored or shipped to market, and ripen per- 

 fectly, with good color and perfect flavor, meanwhile. 

 Some of Mr. Burbank's new hybrids, particularly the 

 varieties Apple and Occident, will keep for several 

 weeks after picking. I have kept specimens of them 

 in good condition in a common living room for three 

 weeks. Plums for jelly should be picked almost as 

 soon as they are full grown and long before they 

 are soft-ripe. 



In general, the best package for shipping plums to 

 market is the ten-pound grape basket. Certain special 

 peck baskets and half-bushel baskets are sometimes 



