The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-04-28
THE BEST PRuNEs.
vAsHoN, April q, 1891.

VASHoN, April "a, 1891.
To THE EDrroR: You published In your weekly
OF April %, and in your daily OF April II, an in
terview with the Hon. J. T. Blackburn, OF
vashon, Wash., In regard to the merits of the
Italian and the little French prunes, In which
he said: II have tried the three varieties,
French, German and Italian. The French prune
Is small and sweet, but It would hardly pay me
to raise more Of them than need for my own
family. The German prune il large, but too
coarse. OF the three think the Italian prune
10 much the best, and It grows perfectly in this
climate 1t Is strange fruit, In that II 10 not
successfully raised in California, and there are
but two belts In Oregon where 1t grows, outside
OF the Puget sound region; 90 we have some
thing of . monopoly Of It. The tree seems to
know how much fruit it can bear, for enough Of
the green fruit drops Oh to allow the remainder
to develop we'll"
You quote Mr.. Blackburn In your article. a
good authority In such matters, yet he gives no
reasons for his preference except that the Ger
man Il too coarse, and that the Italian seems to
know how much 1t can bear. Now, fnasmuch
as the late tariff schedule has given the prune
culture stimulus OF cents per pound protec-
ton, and many farmers Of Western Washington
contemplate planting largely OF that fruit, 1t be-
hooves US all to ascertain to certainty, II pos
sibie, which 10 the most profitable prune to raise
tor the Eastern market for cured fruits. The
time ID now at hand when planting should be
done to suit that market, rather than to pander
to individual pr eferences, or to any local popu-
larity. This feature IL especially applicable to
the cultivation Of the pruns.
Mr.. Blackburn 10 not alone in his views, for 70
where You win in Western Washington, you
will 6nd the Italian prune IL planted almost ex.
clusively, and all parties seem to be in the same
uniformed condition as Mr.. Blackburn: urging
no special reason for their preference Il seems
that Californians also are quick to respond to
ttn . - tS<<vn ~ksrn g.
hausting all the French prune stock In the Cali
fornia nurseries this last winter. they then made
q clean sweep of all that the Oregon, Washing
ton and Idaho nurseries had on hand, and it il
doubtful II all had enough then.
Now, Mr.. Editor, there are two questions that
men who contemplate planting prunes want
answered. and IL IL badly wanted, too. First
but French prunes? Second-what IL the
reason that Washington Is as equally persistent
in planting Italian? We would like to have
these questions truthfully and reasonably
answered by anyone, but the duty devoltes
especially on the nursery men Of the North, as
sponsible for the popularity OF the Italian prune
We well know that California fruit growers
have had large experience; that they are well
organised in districts for the purpose OF ship
ping green fruit; that they therefore have un-
limited opportunities to become acquainted
with the wants ana demands OF the Eastern
market for cured fruits; and then, knowing AZ
we do, that they are A. . unit on the
French prune, we are led to INQUIRE
whether We can reasonably expect to even
compete, let alone excel, with them in the
Eastern market, with the Italian 1t seems that
these questions can be easily answered think
no one with close observation will doubt that
nearly all the Cir uplands of Western Washing.
ton are especially adapted to prune culture, and
with the push that usually characterizes the
citizens of this Sound country, we can reason
ably expect that the infant industry of today in
. few years win have assumed the proportions
of giant.
In conclusion ] will say from experience
that the theory that the italian prune cannot
be grown successfully in California, and there
fore we have the monopoly of q fine pruns
that, when placed In the Eastern market.
can successfully rival the French prune
grown in California, is untenable, and il
is unfair to urge Il when answering the
question OF "why does California not use the
Italian primer" No one can afford TO plant
wrong, and the mystery as to the discrepancy
between the two localities should be explained
now, as the accurate knowledge of the merits of
both prunes 10 of paramount Importance
l. B. ANYWAY.