THE COMMERCIAL ASPECT OF HARDY FRUIT GROWING. 323 
Frosts may occasionally cause the trees to be a complete failure 
for a season, but, take one year with another, Plums are well 
entitled to rank next to Apples for profit. 
Profitable Varieties of Plums. 
Victoria, up to the present time, has given the largest return 
as a rule ; but so many trees of that variety have been planted of 
late years, that it is doubtful if it will continue to be as profitable 
to plant in the future, and we would suggest that Bivers' Early 
Frolific and The Czar should be more extensively planted for 
early supplies, and Bivers' Monarch for a late crop. 
Bivers' Early Prolific is a well-known, regularly cropping, 
early sort, ready at the end of July, and sells at paying prices, 
sometimes fetching 25s. per cwt. 
Czar is valuable for marketing immediately Bivcrs' Early 
Frolific is over, and before the Victorias are ready. We have 
sold this variety at 27s. per cwt. as the highest, and 13s. (Sd. 
per cwt. as the lowest price. 
Extraordinary statements have been made in the past as to 
what can be realised by growing Coc's Golden Drop, but we have 
never found it profitable, although our soil is excellent for Plum 
growing. A variety that promises to be a decided acquisition for 
providing late supplies when most others are over is Bivers' 
Monarch, and is likely to pay more in one year than Coe's Golden 
Drop will in seven, as it possesses a vigorous and fruitful con- 
stitution, the fruit attains a large size, and is of a handsome 
purple colour, which causes it to sell well in the market at very 
profitable prices. Some growers find Pond's Seedling remunera- 
tive, and are also planting the very late Grand Puke. 
In consequence of the enormous quantity of mid-season 
varieties that are now grown in the country, there is every pro- 
spect of such an early sort as Bivers' Early Prolific, and a semi- 
early like The Czar, paying much better in the future than will 
the planting of more mid-season sorts ; and very late varieties 
that have proved of sterling merit for the market also deserve 
increased attention. But like all other kinds of fruit that are 
grown for sale, only a very limited number of varieties ought to 
be planted, and these should all be tried sorts, not only as to 
their cropping power, but also as to their value in the market 
over a series of three years at least. With every kind of fruit I 
