FRUITS 393 



As may be inferred from the regions of most successful 

 peach-cultivation, a light and sandy soil is the best, being 

 quite in contrast with the best soil for pome fruits. Peaches 

 are propagated by seeds, and then on the seedlings of the 

 first year the desired varieties are budded. The tilling and 

 other care of a peach orchard can never be neglected. 



98. Plum. There are native plums in all countries, and 

 numerous species are in cultivation. Since they are so 

 variable in origin, they are not equally adapted to all regions. 

 The European type is the plum of history and is cultivated 

 in the northeastern states and on the Pacific slope. It has 

 produced the more familiar old races, such as the Green 

 Gage, Damson, etc., and is the chief source of prunes. In 

 the same regions, and also in parts of the interior and in the 

 south, the Japanese plums are gaining recognition. In the 

 colder northern regions and over the larger part of the in- 

 terior basin our own native plums are cultivated. There are 

 hundreds of varieties, no less than 300 varieties having been 

 derived from six native American species. 



In propagation, grafting and budding are practised as 

 usual ; but to secure desirable varieties not adapted to the 

 soil conditions of a region, it is customary to grow stock 

 plants for soil conditions and graft scions upon them for the 

 fruit. 



Prunes are plums that dry sweet without removing the 

 pits. In other plums there is a fermentation or " souring " 

 about the pit as the plum dries. In California, prunes form 

 the most important plum product, 6,000,000 trees (55,000 

 acres) being reported in 1900, seven-eighths of which were 

 used for prune-production. 



99. Apricot. This fruit, intermediate between peach 

 and plum, is a native of the China-Japan region, and is 

 grown commercially in New York and other eastern states, 

 and also in California. Its importance in California may be 

 indicated by the fact that in 1900 there were 3,000,000 



