I have five acres of Silver prunes which produce very little fruit. The
trees are strong and healthy. French prune trees adjoining bear
regularly and heavily. Can I graft French prunes on the Silver trees?
Will Silver prune trees take other grafts, such as apricots or apples?

The Silver prune is often unsatisfactory for reason of shy bearing. It
is perfectly feasible to graft over the tree to the French prune and
this has been done for years by different growers. Apricots will usually
take on the plum stock, but are apt to over-grow it or else be dwarfed
themselves, but the apricot is often worked upon a plum stock. Apples
have no grafting affinity whatever for the plum.



French or Italian.



In the prune-growing district around Salem, Oregon, Italian prunes are
grown exclusively for drying purposes. French prunes were considered
worthless. Here in Sutter county, California, a great many French prunes
are grown and we are advised to plant them, but would rather plant the
Italian prune. Which would you advise us to set out in this part of the
State?

The Italian or Fellenberg prune was grown to some extent in California
40 years and abandoned; it was not so sure in bearing as the French, and
it was not the type of prune which we had ambition to excel with. The
prune which we grow as the French is the true prune or plum of Agen. We
should plant it and let the Oregon people have the Italian.