A CHAPTER ON PRUNES. 
THE DESSEKT PRUNE. 
It may be naeless on our part to point out the importance of the Prune interest in 
California and to demonstrate through figures, statistics and the like, of what vast im- 
port is to onr State this infant industry, to which development such a large area of our 
great State is so well adiipteil. ■ j , i * 
That California can raise most luscious stewing prunes is no more in doubt, tor tne 
prices paid iu the East for first-class California gr.>wn stewing prunes are more eloquent 
than words; and with cheaper rates of transportation, that would permit us to lay our 
stowing prunes within the reach of the poorer classes east of us, it would give a new im- 
petus to an industry foremost already among the industries of this State. 
A propos we would here call the attention of oui- benevolent institutions, asylums 
and hospitals' that iu France doctors regard stewing prunes as a moat healthy diet for the 
inmates in «eueval of such institutions; and it is to be hoped that after awhile stewing 
prunes willle raised here in quaniities large enough and their prices be low enough to 
induce those institutions in making of them a regular article of diet for the inmates of 
their respective establishments. , ^ , ,, , a ■ 
But there is a side of the Prune question that seems not to be well understood in 
California and which we desire to folly discuss in this Chapter on prunes; we have refer- 
ence to the Dessert Prune, or prune to be eaten out of hand, the very prune that has 
made prune raising in France an iudustiy of such large proportions, for there is no part 
of the world where the famous Dessert Prune of the Freneli is not exported to. 
For years we have claimed that California was able, if using the right method of cur- 
ins to produce as fine Dessert Prunes, as soft, sweet, well flavored and large, as the very 
best of the French; we have eveu made ourselves the champion of the Dessert Prune in 
California We h ive ex|)erimented on the best varieties of the D'Ente or French Prune, 
the vtrv species pi mted and grown in France for Dessert Prunes; tried several modes of 
curing, and finally succeeded in producing a Dessert Prune that has been admired by 
every one that had nn opportunity to sample it. .„ ^ j j , 
"Now we say that what we have done here in California others will do; and we do not 
see why we would let the French flood the Eastern States with "Dessert Prunes" seUing 
at a very high price, while we could supply our people with just as good prunes, if not 
better to be eaten out of hand, and even export them where there is a demand for that 
special cla,«s of Prunes. Bat our leading prune growers are so prejudiced in regard to that 
side of the prune busine.ss, and they entertain such queer and wrong notions about it, 
that for many of our people it is yet a question whether it is advisable for them to fry 
their hands in preparing Prunes to be eaten out of hand, as are the Dessert Prunes of 
the French. So it is what we will discuss right here in this Chapter on Prunes. 
The Fruit Growers' Convention that met iu Santa Cruz on Nov. 18th, 189t), had this 
verv question under discussion Well, how did they dispose of it? A few members justly 
claimed that there was an excellent but special market for the Dessert Prune in America; 
that we should go for it; and that it would be best to prepare such portions of the crop as 
is to compete with the French in the French method. But the majority of the Conven- 
tion didn't see it in that light and sided with the author of an essay on the Prune read in 
that Convention, iu which the writer expressed his opinion on that subject as follows: 
"The foreign seeret of preserving and packing Prunes is pra.'tically unknown to us, and 
thev may keep it if they wish, as we do not need or care to know what it is," and in way 
of bombast, the e.-sayist added: "One thing is certain, we have built up a trade and de- 
mand for the California Prune iu tliis country, and foreigners are actually trying to 
get our trade away from us by au imitation of our nimple methods of preparation and pack- 
ing for market." 1 » T7, 1. T> I 
We will say right here, that the "imperials" or hist grades of French Dessert 
Prunes raised and prepared in France, sell at wholesale in London for 3a cents a pound! 
Something for us to ponder upon when curing and "dipping in lye water our Petite 
Prune, the great "sass" Prune of California! 
Finally the Convention, influenced by leading Prune growers there present, passed 
the following curious resolution about the Prune: "That America wanted only the stewed 
Prune, and there was no use going into tlie subject of another." In other words, that 
"sass" was good enough for the American people; that thel'rench had a secret of their 
own of which we were ignorant, in preparing those splendid Dessert Prunes of theirs, 
but we didn't care for it; and that, therefore, it was of no use to bother about other 
Prunes than stewing Prunes. 
