i 



The Planting of the Fruit- Farm 89 



chardist plants he will sooner or later doubtless 

 wish that he had planted some other variety. 

 Plums seem to be the favorite fruit for experimenta- 

 tion by the nurserymen. New varieties crowd 

 upon us each year. The orchardist who raises 

 plums for profit desires size, color, flavor, prolific- 

 ness, and good shipping qualities. This may be 

 truly said of the desirable in any kind of fruit. 

 But a plum tree must always grow very near the 

 market house; the fruit will not bear handling. 

 By the time it is fit to eat it is too ripe to stand 

 transportation. If shipped green, it suggests per- 

 simmons in July. Yet, conditions being favorable, 

 plums are worth raising. If kept trimmed low — 

 and the plum tree is a very vigorous grower — an 

 acre of pltims, say one hundred and fifty trees, of 

 standard variety, but not a mixture of many 

 varieties, will, when in full bearing — that is, when 

 the orchard is fifteen years old — yield from fifty to 

 seventy-five nine-pound baskets to the tree and 

 give a gross return of from three hundred and fifty 

 to five hundred dollars. The essentials for profit 

 are large, well-colored, firm fruit of fine flavor, and 

 a good market which may be reached, say within 

 twelve hours.' 



Of higher value than the plum is the prune, 

 which seems to be only a hardy, late plum. One 



'The varieties are legion, but by general consent, based on experience, 

 the best domestic plums are Bradshaw, Lombard, Imperial Gage, 

 Jefferson, Fellenberg, Shropshire, Monarch, Coe Golden Drop, Green 

 Gage, and Grand Duke. Of Japanese varieties, — Burbank, Abundance, 

 Red June, Satsuma. 



