PLUMS AND PRUNES 
soil, frequently in places rejected by all other 
vegetation. It would grow on sandy soil or 
heavy clay soil, on desert-like places, and on 
soil which now and then is submerged by the 
sea. It would grow in the drought as well as 
in seasons of rain. In fruit it was remarkably 
prolific, though the fruit was worthless. The 
plums were not much larger than small 
cherries, usually less than half an inch in diam- 
eter, the pit being relatively large and sur- 
rounded by a thin layer of bitter meat. There 
were quite a good many varieties, some 
ripening early, some late, and all of them 
very hardy as regards frost. 
It was. this insignificant fruit that Mr. 
Burbank took under his care one day, seeing 
its possibilities and eager to ennoble it. 
By the utmost care in selecting and breed- 
ing through a series of years, the homely little 
outcast has been made into a beautiful deep- 
purple plum, dotted with white, averaging at 
least three inches in circumference, without a 
trace of the old bitter taste in all its rich 
yellow meat. The new plum has all the 
staying qualities of the hardy little ancestor 
and will thrive in warm regions or frost belts, 
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