2814 



PRUNE 



PRUNE 



into the different grades, varying from thirty to forty 

 prunes to the pound, up to prunes running smaller than 

 120 to the pound. The grades as to weight and size are 

 obtained by passing the fruit over a large grader which 

 consists of a series of screens of different sizes, com- 

 mencing with the smaller size and increasing to just a 

 trifle larger size every 3 or 4 feet. There are from eight 

 to nine different screens, the largest fruit passing over 

 the end. As the fruit comes from the grader, it is care- 

 fully tested by weighing and counting, and taken to 

 the proper bin. From there it is taken as required for 

 packing to the processor or cleanser. The fruit in the 

 field has been subjected to considerable dust and dirt 

 as well as insect life. The processor or cleanser con- 

 veys the fruit through a long vat of boiling-hot water, 

 thoroughly washing and cleansing it. From the proces- 

 sor the fruit is dumped on a long shaker which further 

 assists in the cleansing process, so that by the time the 

 fruit is put into the boxes it is in a most sanitary con- 

 dition. Prunes are packed in packages varying from 

 one pound to fifty-five pounds according to the require- 

 ments of the trade for which they are intended." 



The third distinctive feature of California prune- 

 growing is the predominance of the Prune d'Agen 

 the variety which has been chiefly used in the com- 

 mercial prune industry of France from early times. 

 This variety (which is discussed in the article on Plum) 

 has the "prune character" developed to a degree which 

 no other plum variety has thus far attained. It has a 

 sweetness often reaching above 50 per cent of fruit- 

 sugars in the cured fruit, but this is not its distinctive 

 character. The really distinctive characters are: (1) 

 the high aromatic flavor in the cured fruit; (2) the 

 dense fine texture of the flesh, which gives this variety 

 unequaled tenderness and mouthing quality, both as a 

 confection and as a slightly cooked fruit; and (3) the 

 smallness, thinness and smoothness of the pit, which 

 the tongue gratefully accepts. The chief objection to 

 the variety is that, when grown without thinning and 

 the tree is allowed to carry too much bearing wood, 

 the fruit will be small. For this reason there has been a 

 demand for the last fifty years for a prune retaining all 

 the characters of the Prune d'Agen and adding greater 

 size. Although continued effort has been made to find 

 such a prune elsewhere in the world and to originate 

 such a one in this state, this end has not yet been 

 reached. . All rivals of the predominant variety are. 

 when dried, either flat or acid in flavor, coarse and 

 stringy in flesh and large and rough in pit. It is quite 

 probable that California growers are repeating the 

 experience of the early French growers who have given 

 us the Prune d'Agen as the result of their prolonged 

 selection. Leonard Coates, of Morgan Hill, has 

 emphasized the fact that there are variations toward 

 better size among established trees of the true charac- 

 ters of the Prune d'Agen and propagation from such 

 variations is being pursued. In view of long experience 

 of disappointment in importation and origination, this 

 seems at present the most promising avenue toward 

 gaining size without losing other characters. The 

 varieties which have been brought to notice as sub- 

 stitutes for the French prune have been planted only on 

 a small acreage, have sold well for size and style and 

 may continue to be profitable, although they can never 

 satisfy habitual prune-eaters, for the reasons stated. 



The culture of the prune tree as pursued in Cali- 

 fornia has already been outlined in the article on the 

 P lum - E. J. WICKSON. 



Prunes in the Pacific Northwest. 



Prune-culture in the Pacific Northwest has had a 

 very checkered career. The early pomologist took 

 much interest in plums and prunes, because of the 

 magnificence of the products secured, and the ease 

 with which they were grown. This interest increased 



up to the early nineties, when the prune reached a 

 boom period. Thousands of acres were planted in a 

 few years. They were planted on all soils and exposures 

 and a great many varieties were tried. Toward the 

 latter part of the nineties, there was a tremendous 

 production of the fruit, mostly of a questionable value. 

 Few men knew how to evaporate prunes properly. 

 Much of the product decayed in transit, while other 

 portions were evaporated so hard as to be practically 

 inedible. There was little or no market for the dried 

 tart prune; consequently, there was but one inevitable 

 result: namely, a collapse, and in a few years thou- 

 sands of acres of trees were taken out. The United States 

 Census shows that there were nearly a million less prune 

 trees in the state of Oregon in 1910 than were growing 

 in 1900. About 1905 the industry began to pick up. 

 Those growers who had good locations and proper 

 varieties, and who had mastered the process of evapora- 

 tion, began to find a market. This market has steadily 

 improved, until in the last seven or eight years the 

 prune has proved to be a very profitable crop, either 

 shipped green, or evaporated. The increase in acreage 

 in the past four years has been very large, and the 

 industry now seems to be thoroughly established. The 

 United States Census for 1910, giving the number of 

 plum and prune trees, shows the following figures: 



Oregon 1,764,896 



Washington 823,082 



Idaho 302,855 



The number of bushels produced is as follows: 



Oregon 1,747,587 



Washington 1,032,077 



Idaho 179,027 



There are two distinct areas in which the prunes of 

 the Northwest are produced. In western Oregon and 

 Washington, prunes are grown entirely for evaporation, 

 the conditions there being strong loamy soils and 

 abundant rainfall. East of the mountains the prunes are 

 grown very largely in the irrigated valleys, although 

 some of the dry-farming areas are producing a splendid 

 fruit. The product at present, however, is largely 

 centralized in such valleys as the Boise and Payette 

 valleys of Idaho, the Grande Ronde and Freewater 

 districts of Oregon, and the Walla Walla and Yakima 

 valleys of Washington. In these districts the prunes 

 are rarely evaporated, but are shipped out in the fresh 

 condition to eastern markets, where they are generally 

 known as plums. 



There is considerable controversy, especially in the 

 western section, as to the better locations for prunes. 

 Some growers prefer the bottom lands either the 

 sandy loams along the rivers, or the stronger clay soils. 

 The contention is that these lower elevations produce 

 larger prunes and a greater yield. Another set of 

 growers, however, stoutly maintain that the rolling 

 hills are the only places for prunes, and while their 

 plums are smaller, nevertheless they are heavier and 

 sweeter, and their orchards are more reliable. East of 

 the mountains, the prunes are generally planted in 

 the silt loams. 



Since all plum trees blossom in early spring, they 

 are very subject to loss from frosts and cold rains. To 

 offset the loss from frosts, the southern and eastern 

 exposures should be avoided, as these are undesirable 

 since the thawing out on such exposures is very rapid, 

 supposed to lead to a breakdown of the tissues. 



When planted on the lighter loams, the peach root is 

 preferred, but when on the stronger loams, plum roots 

 are better. As yet, not enough investigation has been 

 conducted to determine what species of plum roots are 

 the most desirable for the various locations. 



On the lighter soils, or higher elevations, the trees 

 are planted from 18 to 20 feet apart, but when grown on 

 the stronger loams, from 20 to 22 feet should be allowed. 



