240 SYSTEMATIC POMOLOGY 



stood and classified first of all. Thus this 

 branch of every science is the first one to be 

 developed. In every one of our sciences 

 most conspicuously, perhaps, in the biologic 

 sciences we have some sort of a classification 

 of objects. In botany, plants are classified 

 into species, genera, and orders; in zoology, 

 animals are classified in a similar manner ; in 

 pomology we arrange fruits into varieties, 

 groups, and species. 



This particular kind of classification is called 

 taxonomy. Taxonomy is literally the arrange- 

 ment of names ; that is, we may describe 

 our objects first, then name them, and then 

 classify them by their names. It will be seen 

 by referring to Chapter I that these are pre- 

 cisely the steps followed in systematic po- 

 mology. In other words, systematic pomology 

 is taxonomy applied to one particular class of 

 objects. 



Taxonomy, as has already been pointed 

 out, is the very beginning of all the natural 

 sciences. Taxonomy is the science of classi- 

 fication the science of science. A college 

 or high-school curriculum devoted largely to 

 the sciences ought, therefore, to offer special 

 instruction in taxonomy. 



