LUTHER BURBANK 



Finally, there is the matter of the stone. In the 

 case of the very soft plum, the stone may serve a 

 useful function in giving support to the fruit. But 

 the stone may he somewhat smaller than it com- 

 monly is and still give adequate support. In the 

 development of stoneless plums it will be neces- 

 sary to hear in mind that the removal of the stone 

 to some extent takes from the fruit its natural 

 support, and the plant developer will select with 

 intent to increase the firmness of the pulp of the 

 fruit. 



Where the stone is retained it should be free, 

 particularly in the case of the plum. The advant- 

 ages of a free-stone fruit are obvious to every 

 fruit eater. Varieties of plums have been devel- 

 oped in which the stone becomes practically 

 detached from the fruit on ripening. 



There is now no reason why the orchardist 

 should not include free-stone among the qualities 

 that he demands of his ideal plum. 



If to these qualities of root and branch and leaf 

 and flower and fruit we add the one comprehensive 

 requisition that the texture of tree and fruit alike 

 should have the undefinable quality that makes it 

 resistant to disease, we have perhaps summarized 

 in broad and general outlines the most essential 

 qualities of the ideal plum. 



It may properly enough be said that no plum 



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