PROPAGATION OF FRUITS— PRUNE 



1739 



Mulberry — Seedlings of white and Rus- 

 sian mulberry; cuttings of Downing, 



Orange — Seedlings; Otaheite orange; 

 shaddock; Citrus trifoUata, particularly 

 for dwarfs. 



Peach and nectarine — ^Peach. Plum is 

 often used when dwarfs are wanted, or 

 when the peach must be grown in a too 

 severe climate or upon heavy soil. 



Pear — Pear (seedlings of common pear 

 and the Chinese type). Quince (rarely 

 mountain ash, or thorn) for dwarfs. Ap- 

 ple temporarily. 



Persimmon, Japanese — ^Native persim- 

 mon. 



Plum — Plum, myrobalan plum; peach; 

 marianna. 



Quince — The finer varieties are some- 

 times grafted upon strong-growing kinds 

 like the Angers. "When cuttings are diffi- 

 cult to root, they are sometimes grafted 

 upon apple roots, the foster root being 

 removed upon transplanting if it does 

 not fall away of itself. 



Bailey's Eule Book, pp. 127, 128. 



Prune 



H. C. Atwell 

 The prune is supposed to have been 

 introduced into France from Turkey or 

 Persia near the close of the Crusades. 

 The bulk of the European product is 

 grown in Prance and Bosnia. The prune 

 industry of the United States is mostly 

 confined to the Pacific coast. In Califor- 

 nia the variety of commercial impor- 

 tance is also that most extensively grown 

 In Prance. It is known on this coast as 

 the French or Petite prune, although in 

 the American market it is termed the 

 California prune. This variety flourishes 

 especially in the Umpqua valley of Ore- 

 gon. In other portions of the Pacific 

 Northwest the larger, darker-colored and 

 more acid Italian prune, known in the 

 East as the Pellenberg plum, -is more gen- 

 erally grown, and finds a very congenial 

 environment. Its culture here has be- 

 come an important industry, second only 

 to the apple among fruits. In the arid 

 districts of the Pacific Northwest the bulk 

 of Italians are shipped fresh, and are 

 known to the trade as plums. 



In the Willamette valley and portions 

 of Western Washington, notably Clarke 

 county, this fruit is almost exclusively 

 dried in evaporators and has become the 

 leading pomological product. It is known 

 commercially as the Oregon prune, and 

 is driving the smaller and sweeter Petite 

 from many markets. In the Pacific 

 Northwest the prune is almost univer- 

 sally worked on peach roots. This prac- 

 tice is approved by most growers, al- 

 though it limits successful prune culture 

 to well-drained soils. Only yearling trees 

 are planted. Experience has demon- 

 strated that trees should not be planted 

 closer than 20 feet. Clean cultivation, 

 with an occasional turning under of a 

 leguminous crop, after bearing age is 

 reached, is general practice. The Italian 

 prune thins itself. The prune makes the 

 best evaporated article if left on the tree 

 until fully ripe. They are not gathered 

 until a considerable quantity have fallen. 

 Pour or five gatherings are made always 

 from the ground, the trees being lightly 

 shaken during the latter part of the 

 season. At the evaporator the fruit is 

 rinsed, dipping for a few seconds in boil- 

 ing lye, spread upon wire-bottom trays 

 and placed in the kilns. The dipping 

 facilitates drying, by checking the outer 

 skin, thus allowing more rapid evapora- 

 tion of moisture. Italians are evaporated 

 in from 30 to 36 hours and Petites in 

 18 to 24. The shrinkage of Italians in 

 drying is about two-thirds, of Petites 

 somewhat less. After being dried the 

 fruit is allowed to sweat in bins for a 

 few weeks, being graded according to 

 size into 30-35, 35-40, etc., according to 

 the number required to make a pound. 



Most of the crop is handled by Pacific 

 Northwest distributors, who regrade, 

 steam and pack in boxes while hot. The 

 evaporated prune is pronounced by ex- 

 perts to be one of the most nutritious 

 and healthful food products. 



Evaporating Prunes 



Evaporators used in the Northwest are 

 of two general types, the tunnel and the 

 stack, both having warm advocates. In 

 the hands of a competent operator both 



