314 THE FRUIT GARDEN 



the injury. In some favoured sections this insect did not exist, and such is the 

 case now, and there the choicest varieties are grov/n in abundance. The most 

 favoured of these regions is the Pacific Slope, for the plum curculio has never 

 been seen west of the continental divide, which is the Rocky Mountain chain. 



Prune Orchards. — In California, Oregon, Washington, and Idaho prune 

 culture is a leading industry. There are vast areas there devoted very largely to 

 prune orchards, and the size and quality of the fruit, as well as the immense crops 

 grown, are a wonder to all who see them. Last year I had three prunes grown 

 in Oregon that together weighed a pound. One trouble is that the trees break 

 down under the heavy loads of fruit. Hogs are sometimes fattened on them, 

 but they are principally used for curing and selling in a dry state. California 

 alone has produced in one year over 100,000,000 lbs. of dried prunes. In 

 that State the summer and autumn seasons are practically rainless, and drying is 

 done on trays in the open air. In Oregon, Washington, and Idaho it is done in 

 evaporating-houses built for the purpose. By the excellence and great quantity 

 of our home product we have almost shut out foreign prunes, which once were 

 all that we had. Instead, we are now exporting prunes to the English and 

 French markets. Tragedy, Golden, Fellenberg, Sergent, Sugar, and Agen are 

 the leading varieties used for drying. 



In the Central and Eastern States these prunes succeed fairly well, but the 

 ravages of the curculio must be overcome. This is done by shaking the trees 

 and catching the beetles in a sort of inverted umbrella trap. It is, however, very 

 tedious and rather costly. No prunes are dried east of the Rocky Mountains. 

 Among the best sorts, unsuited to drying, are Green Gage, Yellow Egg, Grand 

 Duke, Bradshaw, and Lombard. 



Japanese Plums. — Within the last twenty years many varieties of the 

 Asiatic species, Prunm triflora, have been imported from Japan, and many more 

 have originated by planting their seeds. There have been numerous hybrids 

 produced by crossing their flowers with those of the European and American 

 ones. Luther Burbank, of Santa Rosa, California, has been most active in this 

 work, for he has produced thousands of crosses in this way, some of which are 

 already named and well received by practical fruit-growers. The Japanese 

 plums are quite hardy and most abundant bearers. Their fruit is variable in 

 size, but most varieties are large. They are purple, red, yellow, and almost 

 white, but none are blue. The flavour of most of the varieties is sweet and very 

 agreeable. Burbank, Abundance, Ogon, Wickson, Kerr, and Satsuma are some 

 of the best. Strange as it may seem, they are almost proof against the curculio, 

 which makes them very desirable. 



American Plums. — It is only within about the last twenty-five years that 

 our fruit growers gave any attention to the cultivation and improvement of 

 native plums. This was brought about by the need of such sorts as would be 

 proof against the curculio, and at the same time hardy on the prairies of the 

 Upper Mississippi Valley, where the climatic changes are very violent and the 

 temperature is very low in winter. At first the best of the varieties growing 

 wild were brought under cultivation. Some of them proved so good that they 

 are now numbered among the standard plums of orchards and nurseries. The 



