THE COUNTRY HOME [chapter 



only moderate. Bradshaw is very early, large, 

 prolific, and valuable for home purposes. Two 

 fine late sorts are Reine Claude, and Grand Duke, 

 the first much like a large Green Gage, and the lat- 

 ter a very large purple plum, of good quality. 

 Monarch is a noble plum every way — in quality, 

 size and cropping; I hardly think you should under- 

 take to get along without it. Of yellow plums, by 

 all odds the finest that I have seen is Peter's Yellow 

 Gage, while the common Yellow Gage is an infe- 

 rior variety — although large and productive. 



Of the newer productions from cross-breeding, 

 we have Burbank — a straggling grower, but load- 

 ed with beautiful golden plums touched with scar- 

 let. However full the limbs may be loaded, the 

 fruit never rots on the tree. Red June is a hand- 

 some, very early, purple plum, of excellent quality. 

 Wickson is a noble plum every way, except that the 

 tree grows very upright and compact, so as to seri- 

 ously interfere with the production of choice fruit 

 — unless the top is kept open by annual trimming. 

 But now I am entering that enchanted land where 

 Mr. Burbank, "The Wizard," is working; and 

 just to name his new varieties would fill a page. 

 Of the best are Gold, Gonzales, Chabot, Shiro, 



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