FOUR BURBANK PRUNES 61 



less than half the cost of producing the French 

 prune. 



The Sugar prune has a great advantage over 

 the other varieties in ripening early in August, 

 two weeks before the French prune, and about 

 a month earlier than the Imperial. It ripens at 

 a time when the weather is hot and dry, so that 

 it can be cured bright and glossy in a short 

 time and before there is any danger from 

 fall rains. 



A month or so later, when the last of the older 

 varieties are maturing, the weather is often 

 cloudy and foggy, or sometimes even rainy and 

 in any case the days are much shorter, so that 

 curing is carried on under difficulties, often (as 

 in the cases just cited) with serious loss. 



In 1912, prune shippers estimated that rain 

 damaged the crop of French prunes in this 

 county 25 per cent. The Sugar prunes were all 

 cured and packed before the rains, so there was 

 no loss of this variety. 



PROGRESS OF THE SUGAR PRUNE 



The fruit of the Sugar prune is usually even 

 in size and very large, averaging thirteen to fif- 

 teen to the pound fresh, which is at least two to 

 three times as large as the French prune grown 

 here under the same conditions. 



