PLUMS AND PRUNES 



take, went to Vermont and, there being no 

 delivery, they were returned. After having 

 made the trans-continental journey twice by 

 mail, they were as fresh and fine of appearance 

 and as luscious to the taste as the ones picked 

 from the trees upon the day of their arrival in 

 Santa Rosa, after their long journey. 



As rapidly as he has perfected a plum or a 

 prune, it passes from his hands and others reap 

 the profits, — but he has accomplished his 

 object, he has given something new and help- 

 ful to the world. While he has the fine true 

 imagination of the poet and a nature in closest 

 harmony with all that is beautiful, at the same 

 time he sees things from an intensely practical 

 point of view. Upon this practical side of his 

 work he has some decided views. He says: 



"With the world as a market, competi- 

 tion is keen, and only the best fruits in the 

 best condition will pay ; fortunately, it gene- 

 rally costs much less per ton to produce large, 

 first-class fruit than to produce the poorest 

 and meanest specimens that are ever offered. 

 Small fruit exhausts the tree much more 

 rapidly than large fruit, as one pound of skin, 

 stones and seeds represents at least ten or 



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