62 IAJTHER BURBANK 



It has excellent curing qualities, standing the 

 lye bath better than most other prunes. 



The tree is very far superior to the French 

 prune tree in every respect; better growing, 

 better bearing, better foliage, better form. It re- 

 quires less careful but abundant pruning; and it 

 will carry and mature more than double the 

 quantity of fruit. 



The wood is somewhat brittle, but the chief 

 cause of the breaking of the limbs, which some- 

 times occurs, is prolific bearing. It must be 

 thinned when the fruit is about half grown, to 

 prevent damage to the tree. 



I have found that a very satisfactory and 

 simple device for doing this is to tap the limbs 

 gently with a piece of ordinary three-quarters 

 inch rubber hose five to six inches long, fastened 

 on the end of a bamboo pole. The hose causes 

 no injury to the branches, and, by striking just 

 hard enough, the fruit can be made to fall evenly 

 and leave the amount desired. 



The need of thinning, however, may be largely 

 obviated by proper winter pruning. 



When this variety was first offered, grafting 

 wood was sold at $10 per foot. That the invest- 

 ment was a profitable one even at that price is 

 shown by the following quotation from a letter 

 written by one of the first purchasers: 



