LUTHER BURBANK 



or less extent with each of the 20 Burbank varie- 

 ties that are prominent as shipping plums. 



Therefore the figures based on the records of 

 distribution, growth, and sale of a variety are 

 sure to be far below the correct figure. 



But most important of all is the fact that a 

 very large part of the entire plum crop is grown 

 for home consumption or for distribution in local 

 markets, of which no record is available. With 

 the wide distribution of Burbank products over 

 the entire world, in many cases in countries where 

 no systematic public records are kept, there are 

 unrecorded benefits, profits, and earnings to the 

 extent of millions of dollars annually, of which 

 no accurate estimate can be made. 



And, finally, even if complete up-to-date rec- 

 ords of the earnings of the Burbank plums could 

 be collated, the figures would give but a vague 

 idea of the real importance, from a purely eco- 

 nomic standpoint, of the work that has been ac- 

 complished, for the reason that it takes a long 

 time to introduce a new fruit, whatever its im- 

 portance, and the best Burbank plums and prunes 

 have been developed within very recent years. 

 Of my quartette of "best" plums, only the Wick- 

 son has been on the market long enough to ac- 

 quire anything like the reputation and the vogue 

 that its merits justify. As to the others, Formosa 



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