NOTES ON THE PRUNE, 
353 
Habitat of the Prune. 
The Prune is a very hardy tree, and will thrive under a wide range of 
climate and soil and at various elevations. Wherever the Greengage 
Plum will grow the Prune can be grown. It will stand severe winter 
weather, growing indeed where the thermometer touches zero. Its 
favourate habitat, however, is a temperate climate, and a warm, generous 
soil. It can be grown in the Eastern States of America, but the short 
seasons there, the numerous insect and fungoid pests, and the unfavour- 
able conditions for drying prevent the Eastern States ever competing 
with California in this industry. Even in California, while the tree will 
grow in nearly all the counties, there are but few favoured localities in 
which it appears at its best. In some sections of the State where the 
Prune makes a thrifty growth and yields heavily, there is a lack of 
saccharine matter in the fruit that deprives it of its best qualities and 
when dried a very inferior article is the result. In other localities large 
juicy fruit will be grown, which shrinks greatly in drying. The prime 
requisites in a Prune are solid, firm flesh, that will not ferment at the pit 
in drying, a rich fruity flavour, and bouquet and keeping qualities that 
will stand the test of months or years without serious loss from shrink- 
age. Those districts which possess the peculiarities of soil and climate 
which produce these results in their greatest perfection are the true 
Prune districts. The drying quality of the Prune varies very greatly, 
owing to the varieties of soil in which it is grown. In some localities 
it will shrink in drying from 4 to 1, while in others 2^ lb. of fresh fruit 
will make 1 lb. of dried. The fruit from different places will also vary 
in thickness and toughness of skin. 
The Prune is a gross feeder, and wants for its finest development a 
rich heavy soil with considerable moisture. The foot-hills of Santa 
Clara County have long been regarded as the districts specially favourable 
to the Prune ; but as experiments have been made elsewhere, other locali- 
ties have been found that furnish all the requirements ; therefore, while 
Santa Clara is still, and probably always will be, the centre and most 
important district of the industry, it is not now the only Prune county 
of the State. 
The most extensive orchard of Prunes only in California is now in 
the Salinas Valley, in San Luis, Obispo County, on the eastern slope of 
the Coast Range, near the town of Templeton. In this orchard there are 
nearly 800 acres of Prunes in one holding containing 324,000 trees. 
Some very excellent Prunes are produced in Los Angelos, Orange, San 
Bernardino, San Diego, Ventura, Alameda, Monterey, Napa, Sonoma, 
and in the counties of San Joaquin and Sacramento Valleys, while 
specially good results have been reported from Tehama, Shasta, Hum- 
boldt, Sutter, and Yuba Counties. It is not improbable that in time the 
different districts of the State will discover certain lines in which each 
excels, and the production of specialities will result, the fruit from each 
being known for its own peculiar excellence. 
Soil and Stock. 
The soil required for Prunes depends largely upon the stock used, or 
rather, perhaps, the stock should be selected to suit the soil. 
