ON THE FOUR BEST PLUMS 



vastly modified and improved to the diverse re- 

 gions from which their ancestors came, and in 

 addition are making their way in some regions 

 where no plum could be grown on a commercial 

 scale before. 



MATERIAL FROM THE ORIENT 



Clearly to apprehend the conditions of the 

 problem that confronted me when I first under- 

 took on a comprehensive scale to put my ideas as 

 to plant development into execution, it is desir- 

 able to note very briefly the characteristics of the 

 different races of plums that were brought to the 

 Santa Rosa melting-pot. Let me outline them. 



Reference has already been made more than 

 once to the Japanese seedlings. The plums from 

 this source, like those from every other, typify in 

 many respects the people among whom they were 

 developed. Modified to meet the needs of an is- 

 land people occupying a relatively small territory 

 which nevertheless compasses many degrees of 

 latitude, the Japanese plums differ a good deal 

 among themselves as to their hardiness. But in 

 general they are rapid growers, with early and 

 abundant bearing qualities, and unusual adapta- 

 bility to wide ranges of climate. The fruit is 

 unique in form. It averages large in size, with 

 a high percentage of flesh to stone, and with both 

 skin and flesh of high color. 



[53] 



