IOO 



The rush into planting this variety is easily accounted for by 

 anyone who has been closely connected with prune growing and 

 handling. It is a healthy and strong grower, adapts itself on the 

 several roots it favours to practically all characters of soil ; and 

 with proper attention will flourish without irrigation even on dry 

 soils. We have ourselves seen fine prune orchards in districts 

 where there was only 22 inches of annual rainfall, and wells had 

 to be sunk 150 ft. to strike water. 



Again, the trees naturally take a good shape, the " low head 

 system " (explained page 52) being the system generally favoured. 

 After the trees have come into bearing at six years of age, little 

 annual pruning is required. Previously to that our system ex- 

 plained under the heading of " The Plum " is an excellent one. 

 The harvesting is a simpler operation than with any other fruit 

 we know, the plums not being picked by hand, but simply shaken 

 off, all those fruits not falling to the ground after a fairly vigorous 

 shaking are left for the next going over, as they are not sufficiently 

 ripe. 



After being placed in boxes the plums are taken to the drying 

 ground, where they are immersed in a solution of lye, afterwards 

 rinsed off in fresh water, then emptied into the drying trays ; then 

 in California they are placed in the sun, and usually take five or 

 six days to be thoroughly dried, when they are removed to the 

 sweating house, preparatory to being handed over to the packers 

 to be processed in the several ways they favour, prior to being 

 packed for the market. 



During our itinerary in California we have 'seen prune 

 orchards growing, and bearing well in every possible variety of 

 soil and under very many different climatic conditions, and we 

 have never known a single entire failure of crop. In the Delta 

 lands of Tulare County, we have seen nine-year-old trees carry- 

 ing over 1,000 Ibs. weight of fresh prunes, and whole orchards of 

 several thousand trees averaging 500 to the tree. 



This, however, is quite exceptional. One may put down 100 

 Ibs. to 200 Ibs. of fresh fruit per tree as an average crop in 



f~-: i r or 



L ah forma. 



One of the most valuable characteristics of this variety is 



ceptional exemption from being blown off by winds. We 



have in Africa made several most thorough tests, and it holds its 



fruits against the strongest Cape South-easter in a way which 



all observers; the fruit is carried close along the 



main limbs and laterals, thus rendering it almost wind-proof. 



Single orchards containing several thousands of prune trees 

 are now standing in different parts of South Africa, and their 

 behaviour, in some instances covering 18 years, is satisfactory. 



