56 LUTHER BURBANK 



usually well adapted to shipping, on account oi; 

 its large content of sugar, making a fruit which 



carries well. 



THE SUGAR PRUNE 



The Splendor was the best prune I had hereto- 

 fore produced, but it clearly left much to be 

 desired. 



It was with intense satisfaction that I was able 

 to offer in "New Creations" of 1899 a prune that 

 at least approached the realization of my ideal. 

 This was another seedling of Petite d'Agen. 



It was christened the Sugar prune, as it con- 

 tained when cured 23.93 per cent of sugar more 

 than any prune or plum ever before known. 



For fourteen years I had labored to produce a 

 large, early, productive, handsome, easily cured, 

 richly flavored prune with a high percentage of 

 sugar. The prize appeared in 1893, and by 1899 

 I had tested it sufficiently to warrant its intro- 

 duction. Numerous growers had ordered $50 to 

 $500 worth of wood for grafting regardless of 

 the quantity even before grafting wood was 

 offered. 



I had worked diligently and unceasingly, 

 watching for the slightest indication of variation 

 in the direction desired. Finally through 

 systematic crossing and careful selection, my 

 cherished desires were realized after years of 



