376 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
York, by far the greater part being shipped to Chicago. Some smaller 
shipments are sent to Philadelphia and Pittsburg. From these central 
points they find their way to the retailers all over the country. Although 
but a comparatively new competitor for public favour, the Calif ornian 
Prunes have forced their way in advance of imported ones, and bring 
Id. to Ijd. per lb. more than the French Prunes sold in competition. 
The proportion of stone and skin to flesh is much less than that found 
in the French fruit, while the proportion of saccharine matter is much 
greater also. These features give it the superiority over the imported 
fruit, and its popularity is no surprise, for the Californian Prune is quite 
a different thing from the French. It is more like a Date, and when 
cooked has a most delicious flavour. Besides this, dealers have found 
that it keeps better and longer without sugaring than the French. In 
quite recent years small consignments of Californian Prunes have been 
sent to England, and it is said that no one who has tried them is ever 
content with the French Prunes again. 
The amount of Californian Prunes now consumed in the United 
States is enormous, but the consumption is capable of still further exten- 
sion by making known their superior quality, and when the demand in 
America has been supplied, there will be that of Europe and the rest of 
the world to satisfy. 
Professor Allen, of San Jose, speaking of the rapid growth of the 
Prune industry, says : — " The first shipment of Prunes was made in 1867 
by J. Q. A. Ballou, one of the oldest orchardists in the valley, and was 
consigned to A. Lusk & Co., of San Francisco ; there were about 500 lb. of 
dried Prunes in the consignment. This was the first shipment of Prunes 
from the valley, and comprised the entire crop. During the autumn of 
1891 there have been shipped from San Jose alone 19,207,165 lb., and 
there are at least 2,000,000 lb. more awaiting shipment." 
It would appear that while the United States imports from three to 
four times the quantity of Prunes produced by California, there is still a 
large field for our domestic fruit. With the continually increasing popu- 
lation, the danger of over-supply is still very remote, and Prune-growing 
in California may be relied upon as a profitable industry for years, if not 
for generations, to come. 
