THE PRACTICE OF FRUIT GROWING 235 



Now we are just beginning to realize how 

 we have suffered from this neglect of the old 

 study. We are beginning to see that we must 

 have a more intimate knowledge of varieties. 

 If it was important for men of Prince's, Cole's, 

 and Kenrick's times to know varieties it is 

 ten times more necessary for men of to-day. 



It is more necessary, because we have more 

 varieties. Fruits have multiplied, and replen- 

 ished the catalogs over and over again since 

 that day. 



It is more necessary because we have a 

 larger country. There are hundreds on hun- 

 dreds of new localities opened up to fruit 

 growing, in each of which the varieties best 

 adapted to soil and climate have to be deter- 

 mined. 



It is more important because competition 

 is sharper. In Kenrick's time Early Straw- 

 berry, Red Astrachan, and Belle de Boskoop 

 would sell almost as well as anything else; 

 but now only the very best varieties will 

 answer, and they must be selected so as to 

 suit exactly the particular customers to whom 

 they go. 



In fact, the two lines of development which 

 our pomology has followed, almost to the ex- 



