THE PLUM. 



225 



trees will frequently break them, especially in a young plantation. 

 The fruit, when required for market, should be gathered before 

 it is fully ripe ; great loss is frequently entailed by neglect of this 

 precaution, not only to the grower himself but also to other con- 

 signers, as fruit placed upon the market in bad condition has 

 always a tendency to lower the general prices. Where fruit can 

 be carefully gathered and conveyed by one's own vehicle to 

 market, so as to preserve the bloom, it will always command an 

 extra price, and it is surprising that more pains are not taken by 

 the average grower upon these little points. It is scarcely 

 necessary to add that these remarks apply with still stronger 

 force to fruit grown for private use. If the trees are looked over 

 several times instead of gathering all the fruit at once, the season 

 of each variety is considerably prolonged. In gathering plums 

 for dessert, they should be pulled in the early morning whilst 

 cool and handled with the utmost care ; when placed upon the 

 table they should be in dishes with only one layer of fruit resting 

 upon a few leaves. Presented in this way, with all their bloom 

 upon them, they are tempting to the most epicurean ; but when 

 one sees them rubbed, shiny, and piled up into a pyramid, one 

 is apt to be reminded of the polished fruit one sees in the 

 markets, and to pass them by untasted. 



I fear this paper has been somewhat lengthy, and also dis- 

 cursive, but it may be asked why, having touched upon so many 

 things, I have not said anything about new plums. With regard 

 to the newer varieties distributed in this country, we have a fair 

 number on trial, but I take it the consideration of their merits 

 or shortcomings falls rather within the scope of a paper upon 

 " New Fruits " than in the present article. With regard to the 

 Japanese plums, I cannot say much from personal observation. 

 I purchased several varieties, but they succumbed to the severity 

 of our winters in less than two years ; the majority died the first 

 season, and the remainder dragged on an enfeebled existence, 

 until the next winter promptly ended their sufferings. Our 

 American friends speak very highly of " Burbank " (a Japanese 

 variety imported by Mr. Luther Burbank), which they describe 

 as " entirely hardy." The fruit, as coloured in " U.S.A. Depart- 

 ment of Agriculture's Report upon Pomology," much resembles 

 "Orleans," but is redder in colour. It remains to be seen 

 whether it is hardy in this country. Mr. Burbank, whose 



