The plum
Among drupe fruits the plum occupies the second as to importance place in Georgia. It is commercially cultivated in the region of Gagri, where the second zone is entirely reserved for its growing. Here we meet continuous plantations of one sort plum trees on the area of 1 500 hectars.
It is also rather frequent in the district of Sukhumi, while in others continuous plantations are met seldom.
In Western Georgia plums grow together with other fruit trees in home orchards, while in Eastern Georgia plum growing is not commonly practiced, regardless of favorable environmental conditions and good performance of existing specimens.
The fruit of the plum are used in different ways. In Abkhasia nearly all of them are dried. Plumes of the sort Italian Hungarian excel in quality, not remaining below Californian prunes. Canning factories produce compotes, jam and pastils, leaving only a part of the yields to be used fresh.
The majority of plum sorts cultivated in the districts of Georgia belong to the species Pr.. domestica. to environment, being planted in home orchards and propagated by grafting on wild forms of the some variety . Fruits are canned for compote (Kutaiss canning factory) and serve for kitchen purposes.
Tree of the Japanese plum (Pr. triflora Boxb.) are not often met in Georgia regardless of suitable conditions existing in the western part of this country.
