PLUM VARIETIES 283 



purple-fleshed plum, a recent introduction, is 

 said to be of good quality where it originated. 

 In our orchards it is not worth the space it 

 occupies. On the other hand the America has 

 been a wonder with us, and may fail with some 

 grower whose soil or climate is not exactly 

 suited to its proper development. Altogether 

 the plums as a class are almost as capricious 

 in their soil and climatic preferences as are the 

 strawberries — and they are about the most 

 temperamental fruits that a man can grow. 



Abundance 

 One of the most talked of plums in the 

 country to-day is the Abundance, a "Japan- 

 ese" variety that was imported by Burbank 

 in 1884. Unfortunately, there has been much 

 confusion in regard to the variety owing to the 

 fact that the importers did not know the 

 Japanese language. It would seem that such 

 knowledge is essential if serious blunders are to 

 be avoided. The first trees of this sort came 

 over bearing the label "Botan." Thinking 

 this was the name of the plum, American 

 nurserymen sold it under that caption. Later, 

 more "Botan" trees were sent over and were 

 widely distributed. In the meantime some 

 one renamed the variety Abundance. Every 

 time a new shipment of "Botan" plums came 

 from Japan they were promptly tagged with 

 the American name and sent on their way 



