NEW CREATIONS IN PLANT LIFE 



American prune has come more and more 

 into favor in Europe. In fact, so desirable a 

 prune is it that the French packers in 

 season of scarcity at home import the Cali- 

 fornia prunes, give them their own method 

 of treatment, re-pack them, pay the Ameri- 

 can duty, and send them back in large 

 quantities to the United States as prime 

 French prunes. California prunes are also in 

 marked demand for home consumption in Eu- 

 rope, largely supplanting the domestic product. 

 This is shown by the steadily increasing export 

 prune trade of the United States to Europe, 

 and along with this goes a steadily decreasing 

 import trade. In 1890-91 nearly thirty-five 

 millions of pounds of prunes were imported 

 into the United States, at a value of over two 

 million dollars. Year by year since that time, 

 with occasional fluctuations, the importation 

 has declined, until, in 1904, the thirty-five mil- 

 lions of pounds shrank to less than five hun- 

 dred thousand pounds, at a value of only 

 $47,000. And out of the total amount im- 

 ported a very large proportion was grown in 

 the United States as noted, exported and 

 re-imported. 



