18 STATE POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



"1. They are covered with blue bloom when on the tree. 



•••J. They have unproportionately Large, but often only regular cells. 



"3. They emit a pleasant odor when briskly rubbed. 



"4. The skin does not feel unctuous. 



"5. They are handsomely and regularly ribbed round the eye, and also over the 

 fruit. 



" G. They have tender, loose, spongy, and mostly line-grained flesh. 



" 7. They have a line rose, fennel, or anise flavor. 



' ; S. They are mostly of short duration, and are often only summer or autumn 

 apples. 



"9. They are mostly striped like a turnip." 



In the above illustration, the searcher for knowledge must have in mind all 

 these nine points at one time. This may do for the studious Germans, who 

 have lots of patience and time enough, but for more impatient, hurrying Yan- 

 kees the system is of no value. 



We want a work describing fruit, to use in finding out the name of some- 

 thing new or unknown to us. A book which is convenient for this purpose will 

 be of much greater value than one in which the names and descriptions come in 

 alphabetical order with no attempt at classification. If you know the name of 

 an apple you can find its description in such a work as that of Downing or 

 manual of Robert Hogg. If you do not know a fruit and have skill and patience 

 you may find the name of an apple unknown to you by the use of Warder's 

 American Pomology, or Thomas' American Fruit (Jnlturist, if the fruit is in- 

 cluded in these works. Downing's last edition describes over 1850 varieties of 

 apples. No one would ever think of trying to hunt up an unknown apple in 

 such a long list without some classification. 



A. J. Downing believed the classification of apples to be impracticable. On 

 this subject he writes : '"The distinctive characters of fruit have, for the past 

 quarter of a century, become so much intermingled and hybridized that, after 

 studying them and comparing them with the orders of classification adopted by 

 authors we have come to the conclusion that no definite order can safely be 

 made to embrace them. Forms, colors, growths, and periods of ripening are so 

 much interwoven and distributed as to defy all arbitrary rules of classification, 

 and hence we have without hesitation abandoned it entirely, substituting in our 

 work the simple order of the alphabet as confined to names, believing that such 

 course will prove the most available and useful.' 1 



We are not satisfied with this. Because the botanist is puzzled to mark out the 

 boundary lines and define asters, and sedges, and mosses, and many fungi, he 

 does not think of giving up all attempts at classification. The same is true of 

 the zoologist, whether he is studying mammals, birds, fishes, insects, worms, or 

 corals, or any other class or order of animals. 



No one who has ever attempted to describe fruits has failed to notice the 

 great variation in color, size, flavor, and sometimes even when grown on the 

 same tree, yet no author has given up entirely the possibility of describing 

 every fruit. I believe that whatever may be described may be classified. In 

 our descriptions we must make allowance for a doubtful form to appear in two 

 different places in our list or artificial key. For instance, if some apple is not 

 decidedly sweet or sour, but has a flavor which may be mistaken, construct the 

 list so as to include the apple in both lists as to flavor, and rely upon other 

 points to determine its true place in the list. So with other points which arc 

 likely to be misunderstood as to size, shape, time of maturing, etc. Botanists 

 arrange their keys in this way and no inexperienced person may pass over a 

 plant or get into the wrong order in looking for it. 



