324 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
think we are too much given to unduly enlarging our list of 
varieties, only to find that we should have been considerable 
gainers if we had been more chastened in our selection. 
Manuring Plums. 
Another matter that should claim earnest attention in the 
future is the question of manures. In districts some distance 
from towns natural or farmyard manures cannot be obtained in 
sufficient quantities to properly dress a fairly large fruit planta- 
tion, consequently the grower must fall back upon chemical 
fertilisers to maintain the available plant-food in the soil. Many 
people have a great prejudice against the continual application of 
what they term artificial " manures, but it may be of interest 
to state that for the past ten years a large proportion of our fruit 
plantations have had no other manure, with the result that heavy 
crops of fruit have been produced, which have not only sold at 
the highest prices in the market, but have also taken many pre- 
mier honours at some of the chief fruit exhibitions in the 
kingdom. Our Plum trees have had absolutely no other manure, 
and they now appear in better condition to mature heavy crops 
than ever they did since they were planted, thus proving conclu- 
sively that by a proper application of chemical manures adapted 
to the soil and the trees, excellent crops of fruit can be secured 
for a long succession of years, other matters, of course, being 
equal. 
Marketing Plums. 
But supposing wo have grown the Plums as well as it is 
possible to grow them with the means at our command, there 
comes the question of how and where to market them. In 
dealing with this question the grower must be ruled to some 
extent on the distance the fruit will have to travel before being 
sold. If the market is comparatively close, the fruit may bo 
allowed to become fairly ripe before it is picked, as it will be a 
little heavier and better coloured, the risk of injury being less 
in proportion to the less distant carriage. On the other hand, 
when the fruit has to be sent 100 miles or more, it must not bo 
permitted to get fully ripe, as, unless tlic packages are very small, 
some of the fruit, if ripe, is certain to bo smashed or damaged 
by its own inherent weiglit, and will then present anything 
but an attractive appearance when put upon the market, 
