LUTHER BURBANK 



The one first offered to the public bore fruit 

 in 1886, the summer after its importation. In my 

 year book I described this fruit as "very large, 

 conical, heart-shaped, red with white bloom; very 

 good." 



In point of fact the appearance of the plum, 

 its size, and its delightful flavor and aroma at 

 once proclaimed it as an exceedingly valuable 

 acquisition. 



Naturally I was pleased with it, and showed 

 it to a number of prominent horticulturists who 

 visited my experiment orchard during the next 

 two or three years. Among these visitors was 

 Professor H. E. Van Deman, Pomologist, U. S. 

 Department of Agriculture. Professor Van 

 Deman was much interested in this new fruit and 

 suggested that it should be introduced immedi- 

 ately. 



After talking over its qualities thoroughly, he 

 requested that upon its introduction it be given 

 the name of "Burbank." 



Accordingly in 1889 this new fruit was offered 

 to the public as the Burbank Plum. 



THE CAREER OF AN IMMIGRANT 



The story of the ultimate success of this fruit 

 will be told statistically in another connection. 

 Suffice it here that the Burbank plum presently 

 outranked all others as a California shipping 



[26] 



