604 Report of the Department of Horticulture of the 



particular value or is unique enough to be given a name, just as the 

 many seedlings of the Mcintosh, Ben Davis, Winesap and other 

 apples are separately denominated. 



A variety is not sufficiently well described to make it worth 

 buying unless the merits and faults of the plant as well as of the 

 product are depicted. In particular, the adaptabilities of a variety 

 to soils and climates and its immunities to insects and fungi should 

 be known before it is largely planted. 



One should look with suspicion on varieties which are advertised 

 as surpassing their kind in all respects. Most novelties, even the 

 most worthy, are superior in but one or a few respects; as, in pro- 

 longing the season, in improvement of quality, in meeting some new 

 climatic condition, in adaptability for some particular use, or, and 

 most frequently, because of greater productiveness. 



Varieties of worth may be more commonly expected in fruits 

 domesticated but a short time, and therefore little improved, than 

 in species long under cultivation and much improved; thus, American 

 species of grapes give more new varieties than the Old World species, 

 American plums are more variable than those of Europe, American 

 raspberries, blackberries and strawberries are prolific of new sorts; the 

 apple, quince, pear, cherry and peach, all old types, are relatively stable. 



Old varieties are often reintroduced as novelties because of a 

 variation of the type brought about by local influences; thus, the 

 Green Newtown of the Hudson, the Yellow Newtown of Hood 

 River, the Albemarle Pippin of Virginia, and the Five-Crowned 

 Pippin of Australia, differ in all these regions; but brought together 

 in any one place, all are the same. 



It is best, if possible, to buy new fruits from the originator or 

 introducer as these men are most likely to have the variety true 

 to name, and, moreover, most deserve to reap the reward for bringing 

 forth the novelty. 



FRUITS TESTED BY THE NEW YORK AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT 



STATION. 



This Station makes an effort to test every new fruit offered by 

 American nurserymen which seems at all suited to the soil and 

 climate of New York. Beginning in 1913, with Bulletin No. 364, 

 we are undertaking to describe annually the best recent fruit intro- 

 ductions as they grow at Geneva. We are also undertaking to call 



