THE PLUM 317 



Perhaps foremost in the host of immigrant 

 plants that have had a large share in my life 

 work must be named a little company of plum 

 seedlings that came to me at the very beginning 

 of the period when I was renouncing the calling 

 of the regular nurseryman and determining to 

 devote my entire attention to the development 

 of new races of plants. 



The capacity for development shown by this 

 little company of seedlings was nothing less than 

 phenomenal. 



The change of climate from Japan to Cali- 

 fornia was, apparently, of all things precisely 

 what they needed if they were to put forth their 

 best endeavors to better themselves, and in 

 bettering themselves to confer benefits upon 

 humanity. 



Perhaps foremost in the host of immigrant 

 little company of twelve plum seedlings that 

 came to me with my first successful shipment 

 in 1885 constituted, from an economic stand- 

 point, the most important importation of fruit 

 bearers ever made at a single time into America. 

 For the immediate bud sisters of two of these 

 seedlings constitute to-day varieties of plum that 

 are recognized as standards throughout the 

 whole world; and from the progeny of these 

 and others were developed plums of such size 



