vi PREFACE 



be useful in identifying]: varieties in nortlieastern United States 

 and the neigliborin^ l)arts of Canada. I doubt whether tliey 

 will be of mucli use for this purpose in the otiier fruit regions 

 of the eontinent. Tliey have <j:reater value, liowever, as sug- 

 gestive work for students tlian for use in identification, I can- 

 not tliink of laboratory ])ractice more instructive than to set 

 students at the task of making keys for tlie varieties of any fruit 

 in a locality or region. The keys, then, are published chiefly to 

 serve as models for student work. Such keys may be endlessly 

 varied, and no doubt mine may be greatly improved by one 

 who can give key-making more time and study than I have been 

 able to do. 



Only the commonest fruits are described in this brief text. 

 The best commercial and home varieties and those most widely 

 grown have been chosen to represent the several fruits. But few 

 synonyms are given and there are no references to other descrip- 

 tions of fruits. Fuller descriptions, all synonyms, and citations 

 to literature may be found in the fruit books published by the 

 New York Agricultural Experiment Station or in my Cyclopedia 

 of Hardy Fruits, reference books which should be at hand in 

 every institution w^iere this volume may be adopted as a student 

 text. Only a few suggestions for laboratory work are offered ; 

 the amount of time for teaching systematic pomology varies 

 greatly in schools and colleges, as do the seasons, materials, and 

 methods, so that suggestions can hardly be made that w^ould be 

 suitable for many classrooms. 



The book, it is hoped, will be useful for many besides students 

 in schools and colleges. Fruit-growers, nurserymen, and farm- 

 bureau agents may find it of value in studying and identifying 

 varieties. All of these have been in mind in the preparation of 

 the book. Classification, and therefore systematic pomology, is 

 the foundation of pomological study and not much of a struc- 

 ture in knowledge of the subject can be built without a good 

 foundation. All who are interested in pomology may well take 

 a substantial course in systematic pomology. 



In response to letters written to most of the teachers of 

 pomology in American agricultural colleges as to matter and 

 method of presenting systematic pomology to students, many 

 valuable suggestions were received. For these, I now make 



