666 
October 7 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
per was, and we received no information by mail. 
We wrote to the exoress agent who shipped it to find 
out the owner, but be knew no more about it than we 
did. He had found the tub on the platform marked 
for us, but no one was in sipht and no one had seen 
it left there. As it was marked all right, he sent it 
on. No one knows who the shipper is, but we shall 
probably learn some day when he makes a big 1 kick, 
and writes to the papers that we are frauds and hum¬ 
bugs, and don’t settle for the goods we sell. It hurts 
our business, as I said before, and is annoying all 
around, but so long as people are so careless I don’t 
see how we can help it.” 
It is The R. N.-Y.’s purpose always to give both 
sides and all sides a fair hearing. There are always two 
sides to a story, and the above instances serve to illus¬ 
trate one side. The commission-man's lot is not al¬ 
ways an enviable one. He is often blamed for thirgs 
utterly beyond his control. Is this fair? Is it just? 
Before condemning him as dishonest and a fraud, 
isn’t it simple justice to see whether the fault isn’t at 
our own doors ? Let’s be sure that we have done all 
that we should before we come to the conclusion that 
we have been defrauded. f h. y. 
WORLD’S FAIR FRUIT NOTES. 
[editorial correspoxdexce.] 
British Columbia shows the biggest apple in the 
exposition. It measures 15 14 inches it) circumference, 
and is fair and clean. It came labeled Twenty Ounce 
or Cabashea, but I doubt the accuracy of the name. 
One is never sure, however, in naming fruit that is 
fanned by breezes from the Pacific. Either the soil 
or the climate or the combination of both works mar¬ 
velous changes, and old friends come to us so meta¬ 
morphosed that we do not recognize them at all. This 
apple has the peculiar red color of the Beitigheimer— 
a color I have never observed in any other variety. It 
is not flattened enough to be of Beitigheimer shape, 
but it is a notable fact that all apples from the East, 
when grown on the Pacific coast, become elongated, 
and this in question is not more drawn out than I 
should expect. I place mj' judgment on record that it 
is the Red Beitigheimer. 
Speaking of big things, Canada has another in the 
shape of a squash, presumably the Mammoth Chili, 
which weighs 486 pounds. It is a handsome, symmetri¬ 
cal specimen, and is calculated to make the great 
American pie eater thrill with delight. 
New York has now cn exhibition about 150 varieties 
of grapes, with many more to follow. Among the new 
varieties I note one which comes from Fay & Kelly, of 
Brocton, N. Y., which they call Chautauqua. In bunch 
and berry it is almost an exact counterpart of the 
Eaton—large and handsome. In quality it is no better, 
if as good, though very much like it. 
Mr. E. D. Robinson sends us a seedling pear which 
he calls Robinson’s Seedling, a pear which he has 
grown for a number of years, but which, I believe, has 
not been disseminated. It is just now ripe (Septem¬ 
ber 23) and is of really fine quality. It is shaped much 
like the Sheldon, but is smaller, say one-half or two- 
thirds the size of that, and is almost as much russetted. 
A friend who has seen it growing says it is a vigorous 
and very productive variety, and I am able to ssy from 
a careful test that the quality is very good. It is well 
worth adding to an orchard that aims to have a goDd 
assortment of pears. Its weak point is a lack of spright¬ 
liness—it is inclined to be a trifle fiat. e. g. f. 
THE PLANT’S VACATION. 
From now until next spring the plants must take a 
vacation if they are to do anything next year. With 
humans a vacation is a season for rest and recupera¬ 
tion—for piling up energy for another job. So it is 
with plants. They must be cared for and made com¬ 
fortable overwinter. How? These extracts from a 
bulletin just issued by M. A. Thayer, of Wisconsin, 
tell how they do it in that cold country : 
“ The best winter protection for blackberries, rasp¬ 
berries and grapes, consists in laying them down and 
covering lightly with soil. All old canes and weak 
new growths should b<» cut out and burned soon after 
fruiting, leaving only strong, vigorous plants. If 
these have been well mulched in summer with green 
clover, clean straw or coarse manure, as they should 
be, less earth is required by using this mulching. In 
laying plants down (the rows running north and 
south), commence at the north end, remove the soil 
from the north side of the hill about four inches deep; 
gather the branches in close form with a wide fork, 
raising it to *ard the top of the bush and press gently 
to the north, at the same time placing the foot firmly 
on the base of the hill, and press hard toward the 
north. 
“ If the ground is hard, or the bushes old, a second 
man may use a potato fork instead of the foot, insert¬ 
ing it deeply, close to south side of hill, and pressing 
over slowly, bending the bush in the root until nearly 
flat on the ground. The bush is then held down with 
a wide fork until properly covered. The top of the 
succeeding hill should rest neari the base of the pre¬ 
ceding one, thus making a cont nuous covering. In 
the spring remove the earth carefully with a fork, and 
slowly raise the bush. With hardy varieties and in 
mild winters, sufficient protection may be had by lay¬ 
ing down and covering the tips only. Grapes being 
more flexible, are laid down without removal of earth 
near the vine.” 
NOTES FROM THE RURAL GROUNDS. 
The Sweet Botan (Abundance) Plum. 
Luther Burbank o‘ Santa Rosa, Cal., imported this 
plum from Japan and named it Sweet Botan. It was 
afterwards named Abundance by J. T. Lovett, of Little 
Silver, N. J., who may be considered its popularizer, 
if not its introducer. Abundance is a good name and 
an appropriate one, but Sweet Botan is the name it 
ought to carry by the rights of priority. 
We have but one tree which was planted in April 
of 1890. The main stem is now five inches in diameter, 
Abundance Plum Showing Suture. Fig. 218. 
the branches starting two feet above the soil. It is 15 
feet high, very broad at the top (12 feet in diameter) 
and narrowing to the main stem where the first 
branches start. This flaring habit gives it a top- 
heaviness which places it at the mercy of the gales 
and makes secure propping necessary. The branches 
are long and spreading and when weighted with 
plums are liable to split or break unless they are sup¬ 
ported. 
The tree is within two feet of the apex of a trian¬ 
gular plot, bounded on one side by a hard carriage 
road, on the other hy a hard path two feet in width. 
Near the base of this triangular plot and over 15 feet 
distant are a pear tree on the right and a Lincoln 
plum on the left, with intervening shrubs. The soil of 
the little plot is good enough, but one would suppose 
that it must be pretty well crowded with roots. 
Our notes say that July 17 the tree was loaded with 
fruit. There were marks of the curculio on every 
plum, though none had dropped or rotted. August 5 
they began to color. None had fallen or rotted, 
Abundance Plum, Side View. Fig. 219. 
though the weight of the fruit was so great that three 
props wpre used and the tree anchored so as to resist 
heavy winds. 
August 12 a bushel was picked for preserves. None 
were fully ripe, but nearly all were ripening. The 
color was then green and crimson. The plums easily 
averaged six inches in circumference. It would be 
fairly round but for the little conical nipple. The flesh 
was a dull yellow, juicy and tender enough, but not of 
high quality. The skin was firm, but not objection¬ 
ably so. Most of the bearing branches bore as many 
as 12 plums to the foot. 
On August 18 all were picked. They were not fully 
ripe, but the bees attacked them so voraciously and 
in such numbers that, had the plums been left on a 
few days longer, all would have been destroyed. 
It is estimated that nearly three bushels of plums 
were from first to last taken from this tree. No in¬ 
secticide was used; the tree was not jarred. During 
the past 20 years we have grown not less than 25 varie¬ 
ties of plums—many of them said to be “ curculio- 
proof;” but the Abundance is the only variety that 
could hold its fruit to maturity. Accurate drawings 
of the “ Abundance ” as it grew at the Rural Grounds, 
are shown at Figs. 218 and 219. 
An Abundance of Notes. 
Have you grown the Abundance pinm to fruiting? If so, will you 
kindly tell us what you think of it as regards size, flavor and market 
qualities? Do you commend it for home use? Is it pract'cally cur- 
cnlio-proof? How ooes it sell as compared with other plums ? Do 
you And it a heavy bearer? On the whole, is it a profltable and 
desirable variety ? 
My Abundance plum has not yet fruited. “ Botan ” 
(which is rather indefinite) has. and I think well of 
it, yet it has rotted the two past seasons, and it is not 
“practically curculio-proof.” Here, in Sangamon 
County, Ill., Weaver, Forest Rose and Golden Beauty, 
have been as exempt from damage by the curculio as 
any I have fruited. benj. buckman. 
The Abundance plum is being praised, and. no 
doubt, justly, but it is not an early bloomer. My own 
impression (from a limited experience here in Lucas 
County, O.) is that it blooms so early as to be in dinger 
of being caught by spring frosts. I hope I am mis¬ 
taken in this, as I would like to plant a few more if it 
were safe to do so. Who can tell ? w. w. Farnsworth. 
I have not grown the Abundance plum, and Ido 
not know of its having fruited here in Minnesota. 
From what I have seen of it, I do not think it is as 
good for family use as some of the better varieties of 
Prunus Americana, but it will hold up longer for mar¬ 
ket than most of them. j. p. Harris. 
In this part of Story County, Iowa, the Abundance 
tree is not hardy. We have had it for 10 years, and 
used its pollen for crossing purposes, but have not 
seen a plum that matured ; but top-worked on native 
plums, it has borne well, and so far appears to be 
hardy. It is not as much it jured by the curculio as 
most other foreign plums ; that is, the fruits are punc¬ 
tured, but the larv® do not so generally penetrate 
the flesh. It is not equal in size or quality to some of 
th« Russian plums, which are much hardier in the 
tree. (prof.) j. l. budd. 
I have the Abundance growing ; but it set fruit for 
the first time this year. In common with all other 
varieties here, in Washtenaw County, Mich., this year 
it dropped its fruit from some unknown cause. The 
tree seems remarkably healthy and hardy and a free 
grower. w. f. bird. 
I have fruited the Abundance plum for several years 
here, in Ontario County, N. Y. When it is fully ripe, 
I am greatly delighted with its flavor and size as well 
as its market qualities. I think that the masses of 
the people will be very much pleased with it for home 
use. I cannot say that it is curculio-proof ; nor do I 
think that any stone fruit is. It sells fully as well as 
other plums in the market, if not better. It is a very 
heavy bearer, and, on the whole, it is a profitable 
and desirable sort. s. D. willard. 
The Abundance is excellent in quality and a great 
bearer, though Burbank is of better flavor. My greatest 
bearer is the Richland. We have picked to-day two 
bushels from a tree, the third year in bearing. Plum 
trees planted in the chicken yard are the only ones 
that bear worthy of the name. I have grafted the 
Simon’s plum on the Botan and it bore a few plums 
the second year. Isaac hicks. 
I noticed in a recent issue of The Rural some 
eulogistic remarks on the Abundance plum. I have 
fruited it here, on ^ong Island, and for quality noth¬ 
ing better could in my estimation be desired. It is 
also a remarkably early and abundant bearer, but 
with me it is extremely susceptible to the attacks of Sep- 
toria cerasina, or “Shot-hole” fungus. To such an ex¬ 
tent have my trees been affected this season that they 
became completely defoliated by August 1, and as a 
consequence though much fruit had set none matured. 
I shall begin an early treatment next spring with the 
Bordeaux Mixture and ammoniacal solution of car¬ 
bonate of copper. t. h. t. 
This is the third season I have fruited the Abund¬ 
ance. The fruit is of good size—1 % to 1% inch in 
diameter on heavily loaded trees. I have given it to 
many persons and all say it is delicious, and it runs 
quite uniform in quality. It ripens here, in Fairfield 
County, Conn., when peaches are most abundant, 
which will probably hurt its market. Its quality and 
beautiful color make it very nearly the best for home 
use and market. It and all the other Japanese I have 
ever tried are practically curculio-proof. If the tree 
is well fed, the fruit will nearly always need thinning, 
which is also true of the Burbank and Satsuma and 
was this year true of Ogon. I think it will prove 
profitable if reasonably cared for. As a market va¬ 
riety Satsuma is preferable here, being equally vigor¬ 
ous, precocious and fruitful, and the fruit is larger 
and ripens in the latter part of September and the first 
half of October when the market is eager for it. It 
is better than Abundance for canning? For table use 
it is variable, some specimens being best. These are 
much higher flavored than the Abundance, but 
others are not so good. We have something to learn 
about ripening it to perfection. An inferior variety 
under this name appears to be in the hands of some 
nurserymen. H. l. faibohild. 
