The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1880-04-08

Editor North Pdcifc Coast:

Dear Sir: I closed my last with
brief description of apples--I shall
commence this with plums. First,
though, let me say that nature seems
to have formed everything for use. 1t
is true we find here and there in
fruits, as elsewhere, individual things
of peculiar excellence, but all are good
and useful in their time and place.
How wisely and well the succession
of fruits is adapted to human wants
and comforts. We have apples in the
fresh state all, or nearly all, the year;
pears from July to March, and plums
and prunes from July to December.
Some are of much less value than
others; but an infexior fruit, compar-
atively, is rendered very grateful to
the taste, and perhaps valuable COM
mercially by coming in at a time
when most, or it may be, all others
are either gone or not yet ripe.
PLUMS.
am of opinion that plums do as
| well here as in any part of the world.
Our trees bear every year, and the
fruit attains to great size, beauty and
perfection, and though much sought
and cultivated, | think their value for
domestic uses is not generally well
understood. l have known persons
eagerly search for and buy ordinary
peaches at ten or twelve cents per
pound, and pass by, unnoticed, be-
cause they did not understand their
value,-Coe's Golden Drop, Refine
Claudes and Green Cages which they
could have bought for two or three
cents, and which were actually more
| Il <,c, In, "a
peaches for which they paid four or
five times as much.
| Early Golden Drop-an inferior plum
of but little value except for its earli-
ness, land not much on that account,
Plum. Indeed | am not sure it is any
earlier. The Peach Plum is one of the
most remarkable of all the fruits yet
produced. n is one of the wonders of
pOmology. 1t is indeed wonderful
that a plum of such size, beauty and
excellence, should ripen SO early in
the season. 1t begins to ripen in this
vicinity usually the last days of June,
and may he found in the Portland
markets throughout the month of July.
It does not cook us sweet as some
other varieties, and is not, in my judg-
ment, one of the best for canning or
driving. The Bradshaw begins to ripen
about the time the Peach is gone, and
ripens slowly and irregularly, thus af-
fording long time TO market it. 1t
is good-considered by some superior.
| 1t is our largest and most showy plum,
and usually commands the highest
price in the markets. The Washing
ton and jefferson ripen nearly at the
same time and soon after or about the
| time the Bradshaw is gone, and are
considerably alike in quality. Both
free stones, and good drying varieties.
The Columbia ripens near the same
| time the Washington and jefferson
are gone, and is II magnificent plum,
valuable both for table use and for
driving. The Green Gage is an old va
riety, and still stands, believe, as the
| standard of excellence; Is certainly eX-
| celleut for canning-so sweet that ii
| requires little or no sugar. 1t l. 4
moderate bearer in this locality. The
| Refine Claude de Bavay is not showy
plum, but rich and sweet. One of our
| best for canning, and makes an excel
| lent dried product. smiths Orleans
, fair plum, and the most productive
of all fruit trees that | know. Dries
and cooks sour. Goes Golden Drop.
| This plum is the same that has been
put before the public under the name
of "Silver Prune.' 1t is large, late
plum of superior quality. 1t ripens in
September, and will usually hang on
the trees till well in October 1t is
not eXcelled, if equaled, for drying or
canning. The Quackenbush is large
plum of excellent variety, and valu-
able for market purposes. Ripens in
October. The Ickworth lmperatrice
is plum of medium size, sweet and
rich, and of special value because 1t
can be kept into winter.
PRUNES.
| know of no reason why prunes
will not succeed where plums do. Af-
ter years of experience and observa-
ton have found the trees more hardy
and more reliable bearers than the av-
erage plum. That the production and
preparation of plums and prunes for
market is soon to become one of the
leading and most lucrative industries,
l have no doubt.
The Italian or Fellenbnrg is at this
time, and deservedly, our most popu-
lar prune-large and beautiful, very
free stone, superior for drying or can
ming, and very rich and excellent for
fresh use. The German prune is much
smaller than the Italian, but bears
enough more to make il its equal, or
more, in prodnctiveness. 1t Is much
like il when dricd-not quite so rich
or fine Think for freshuse. The Petit
y