Los Angeles daily herald., 1886-11-28
than the French. is preferred by som

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The Hungarian prune was brought 70
San Jose with the French prune, and
quite generally planted and known as
the Gros prune. The tree is strong
grower and prolific bearer, the fruit
growing large and fine if properly
thinned, and is sometimes double. 1t
has an acid faver, light red color, and is
in demand green for Eastern shipment
as handsome plum. Ponds Seeding
plum is supposed to be its true name...
The Bulgarian prune is not generally
grown, but it is well spoken of by few
at Haywards, Alameda county, as bear
ing as we'll as the French, resembling the
Italian, bat not quite as large.
The Silver prune was originated by q
MIR. Alderman, Of Dayton, Or, who be-
lieves it to be . Seeding from Goes
Golden Drop plums, but thriftier and
harder tree, and bearing larger fruit;
the tree bears more on the body and the
| fruit does not break the tree down, and
| it ripens a week or two earlier. Many
growers and nurserymen consider that it
cannot be clearly distinguished from
Goes Golden Drop plum, which is a
good plum for dryingwith the pit.
PRUNE CULTURE.
There seems to be no Established
rules governing the planting and cultl-
walton of the prune in California. 1t
might be well, however, to state briefly
what the experienced horticulturists
have been doing, and think essential to
be done.
Prepare the soil by deep plowing and
narrowing early in the winter, and set
out trees one year old, about an inch
deeper than in nursery, the scar OF old
stock to the north, and not less than
twenty feet apart; cut back the trees,
after planting, to eighteen inches from
the ground, and shade on south side by
some convenient shade. Three oi four
buds should be allowed to grow at the
top, and the terminal buds of those be-.
low pinched back, after they have grown
out a little, so that the buds will put out
leaves and shade the stalk the first year
The second year remove them and cut
back the limbs to q foot in length; the
third, two feet, etc.-the object in view
being to shape a handsome tree with
strength aud bearing space, which can
be attained only by low training and In
telligent pruning.
After about six years of age, when in
full bearing, the tree does not need cut
ting back as much as it does thinning out
cross limbs, if any, and pruning out un.
fruitful wood. The sprays or small
twigs in the body of the French prune
tree should be cut back to one or two
fruit buds, so that the fruit may be large;
some, however, advise the removal of
all such sprays, as the fruit on them is
small at best.
1t is important in pruning to select
buds on the upper side of limbs, as they
will have greater weight-bearing pow.
er than buds forming branches from the
lower sides of boughs. Summer pruning
is not advisable; full seasons growth
properly pruued back in the winter and
trained low so that the branches take a
natural upward and oblique direction,
will shape tree that will be strong and
bread enough to live long and be fruit.
| full.
There is a natural adaptation of tree
to root, and it is generally believed that
the apple should be budded upon the
apple, the peach upon the peach, the
pear upon the pear and the plum upon
the plum.
The plum root generally throws out
suckers from the root and ought not to
be used in budding plums or prnnes.
The Myrobolan plum, however, does not
sucker, and is much preferred as root
for the prune, especially in rich, damp
or heavy soils, while in dry, light or
sandy soil the peach root is found good
| for the prune, although some contend
that the sap starts ::earlier and stronger
in the peach root than the prune top is
ready to assimilate, and becomes flooded
and unhealthy,
In planting prune orchards, ascertain
from those in your vicinity upon what
root the prune does the best.
METHOD OF CURING PRUNEs.
The French prune should be ripe
enough to fall from the tree when
shaken.
Dip the fruit into boiling.hot mix.
ture of one pound of concentrated lye
| in ten gallons of water, and let it re.
main long enough to scald the skin; then
dip in pure cold water and put out on
frames or boards TO dry in the sun. AT.
ter the fruit has been out ten days or
two weeks it should be taken up and
put in bins to heat for few weeks,
then dipped in boiling hot water two
minutes, dried awhile, when it is ready
for packing for the market. Do not dry
prunes too much; they will keep with.
out being dried to death. A common
galvanized pail, made for the purpose,
with three.eighths inch holes on the
sides and bottom, makes the best dipper.
A canvas cloth may be spread under
the tree, SO that in shaking the fruit
may be gathered clean and unbruised.
Some, however, shake and picS from
the ground.
The French method of curing prunes
is substantially as follows:
The fruit grower dries his fruit in an
oven sufficiently to Keep about two
weeks without molding. The prunes
are then sold to factories, where they
are cured in this manner: After being
graded by the use of wire screens they
are packed in long, hollow metal tubes.
After being filed cap is screwed on
them to make them air-tight. These
tubes are put in steam drum, and live
steam is turned ON and they are cooked
for longer or shorter time, according
to the size of the fruit, at q temperature
OF 100 degrees. They are then ready
to pack for the market. The peasants
frequently cure or bake prunes in their
bread ovens sufficiently for sale to the
merchant, who grades and packs them.
1t is not certain thatUwe need initiate
the French method Of baking the prune.
We may produce even better results in
our own way.
| The California sun-dried prune is do
licious when stewed, while the French,
being already cooked in the process o.
curing, tastes well before stewing, bu,
becomes rather insipid afterward.
We can profitably initiate the French
method Of grading our prunes into a
least about three or four grades. Aftel
gathering the fruit pass it over wire
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