ON THE FOUR BEST PLUMS 



but it was afterward renamed the Wickson, in 

 honor of Professor Edward J. Wickson of the 

 University of California. 



All these are exceptional plums, but the Wick- 

 son is pre-eminent in virtue of its combination of 

 good qualities. The tree grows upright, largely 

 in vase form. It branches gracefully, and it is 

 productive almost to a fault. The fruit is large 

 and handsome. From the time when it is half 

 grown to a few days before ripening it is pearly 

 white in color, but all at once numerous pink dots 

 appear, and in a few days it has turned to green 

 flushed with crimson with a heavy white bloom. 

 The stone is small and the flesh of fine texture, 

 firm and sugary and delicious. It will keep two 

 weeks or more after ripening; or it can be picked 

 when hard and white, and will color and ripen 

 almost as well as if left on the tree. 



The general excellence of this fruit may per- 

 haps best be gauged by the statement that last 

 year more than one hundred carloads of this va- 

 riety alone were shipped from California to the 

 eastern markets. 



DIFFICULTIES OVERCOME 



But while these notable successes attended the 

 earliest hybridizing efforts, it must not be sup- 

 posed that the experiment was carried out with- 

 out difficulty. 



[71] 



