WINTER MEETING, 1877. 



for qualifyinr -'inurks, whicli arc frequently found to be of fjreat importance 

 to the accurani and reliable qualifying of varieties. In a ])lan for the purpose 

 proi)()sed, it also seems important to provide for a proper expression of the 

 special uses to Avhich varieties are best adapted; and to, in some concise and 

 simple manner, indicate the measure of their value for such uses, thus consti- 

 tuting the proposed catalogue a means, by the judicious use of which the 

 planter, in tlic lack of practical acquaintance with varieties, may with reasona- 

 ble certainty determine how far a given variety can be relied on to meet his 

 special requirements. 



The usual pomological terms, ''good," "very good" and "best," are em- 

 ployed as mere indications of the three grades of quality of fruit, and have no 

 reference to anything beyond ; so that even such a fruit as the old and now 

 little known Herefordshire Pearmain, which usually for nine years out of ten is 

 so scabby as to be utterly without value, must, so far as these terms are em- 

 ployed, be designated as "best." To avoid any misapprehension growing out 

 of the use of these terms in the usual manner, we propose to combine the ex- 

 pression of the uses and values in a series of three columns headed respectively 

 "dessert," "cooking" and " market," and to indicate the value of the variety 

 for each of these purposes in its proper column by numbers ranging from one 

 to ten, the latter expressing the highest measure of value for tiie purpose indi- 

 cated. 



With a catalogue of this character carefully and judiciously constructed it 

 will be readily seen that any planter can at a glance determine how far any one 

 of the varieties catalogued is adapted to his peculiar wants, purposes or fancies, 

 and- will be able to make up his own lists in accordance with such wants, and 

 with trustworthy means at hand to enable him to judge wisely as to what sorts 

 will prove best calculated to meet the peculiar purpose lie may have in y\ew. 



In order to put the ideas suggested into tangible form, and to enable the 

 reader to the more perfectly comprehend the arrangement as proposed, we have 

 catalogued the varieties included in the society's lists of apples recommended 

 for general cultivation, and adapted the same to the size of a page of the last 

 volume of its transactions, or to two pages if the second shall be employed for 

 qualifying remarks as heretofore suggested. (See pages 32-3.) 



A little consideration will doubtless bring us to the conclusion that a cata- 

 logue of the character proposed can never be assuiued to be complete, inasmuch 

 as the variations of climates and soils, as well as the variable wants and fancies 

 of planters, and even tlie fickleness of markets, to say nothing of the occa- 

 sional bringing out of new fruits, must, as we find to be the case with the 

 works of writers on fruits (and indeed to a greater or less extent in almost all 

 departments of literature) create a necessity for the constant revision of our 

 work in tliese respects. One of the circumstances, moreover, upon which the 

 value of such a work must greatly depend will be found to be the ability to se- 

 cure its just and assured expression of the capabilities of the State as a whole, 

 in other words to protect it against undue modification from merely local 

 influences — a tendency to be the more carefully guarded against for the reason 

 that the meetings of the society occur under such varying circumstances that 

 should the work of revision be retained in the hands of the membership at 

 large it would be quite liable to at least occasionally fall into the hands of those 

 Avliose knowledge of the subject might prove to be too local for the scope of 

 the work to be undertaken. 



