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on. The demand continued through each year of my stay in 

 that State, invariably exceeding the supply. 



The rush into planting this variety is easily accounted for by 

 anyone who has been closely connected with prune growing and 

 handling. It is a healthy and strong grower, adapts itself on 

 the several roots it favours to practically all characters of soil ; 

 with proper attention will flourish without irrigation even on 

 dry soils ; we having ourselves seen fine prune orchards in 

 districts where there was only 22 inches of annual rainfall, and 

 wells had to be sunk 150 ft. to strike water. 



Again, the trees naturally take a good shape, the " low head 

 system," explained page 17, being the system generally favoured 

 After the trees have come into bearing at 6 years of age, little 

 annual pruning is required. Previously to that our system 

 explained under the heading of " The Plum " is an excellent 

 one. The harvesting is a simpler operation than with any other 

 fruit we know, the plums not being picked by hand, but simply 

 shaken off, all those fruits not falling to the ground after a 

 fairly vigorous shaking are left for the next going over, as they 

 are not sufficiently ripe. 



After being placed in boxes the plums are taken to the drying 

 ground, where they are immersed in a solution of lye, afterward 

 rinsed off in fresh water, then emptied into the drying trays : 

 then in California they are placed in the sun, and usually take 

 5 or days to be thoroughly dried, when they are removed to 

 the sweating house, preparatory to being handed over to the 

 packers to be processed in the several ways they favour, prior 

 to being placed on the market. 



During our itinery in California we have seen prune orchards 

 growing, and bearing well in every possible variety of soil and 

 under very many different climatic conditions, and we have 

 never known a single entire failure of crop. In the Delta lands 

 of Tulare County, we have seen nine-year-old trees carrying 

 over 1,000 Ibs. weight of fresh prunes, and whole orchards of 

 several thousand trees averaging 500 to the tree. 



This, however, is quite exceptional. One may put down 100 Ibs. 

 to 200 Ibs. of fresh fruit per tree as an average crop in California. 



One of the most valuable characteristics of this variety is its 

 exceptional exemption from being blown off by winds. We 

 have in Africa made several most thorough tests, and it holds its 

 fruits against the strongest Cape South-easter in a way which 

 has surprised all observers : the fruit is carried close along the 

 main limbs and laterals, thus rendering it almost wind proof. 



Single orchards containing several thousands of prune trees 



are now standing in different parts of South Africa, and their 



behaviour up to date, in some instances covering 4 and even 5 

 years, is satisfactory. 



