CLASSIFICATION OF APPLES. 



MANY attempts have been made to devise a classification for the Apple. 

 Diel, Sickler, Dochnahl, Lucas, and others have each produced one, 

 but they are all modifications or altered forms the one of the other, 

 and the characters upon which they are constructed are too inconstant 

 and indefinite to render their work of much practical utility. As the 

 ultimate design of classification is mainly to facilitate the identification 

 of the numerous objects that are the subject of inquiry, if it fails in 

 this, much of its usefulness is impaired. The systems to which I 

 have alluded have all proved failures, and, with the exception of 

 Diel's and Dochnahl's, I am not aware that under either of them the 

 numerous varieties of Apples have ever been classified. 



In Britisli I'umoloyy, which was published many years ago, I 

 suggested a classification for the Apple that was intended to lead to 

 the discovery of the names of the different varieties described in that 

 work, but its scope was too limited, and it consequently failed in its 

 purpose. Previous to this I had attempted to make use of Diel's 

 arrangement, but without success, and then I resolved to search out for 

 myself characters upon which to base a system that would accomplish 

 what I had in view. 



In 187G my earliest views of a new system were published in The 

 Journal of Horticulture. It appeared while I was absent from home, 

 and was set up in so confused a manner that it called forth some well- 

 merited criticism. I reconstructed it in what I conceived to be a better 

 shape, and it was printed in a distinct form as A New Classification of 

 Apples. This is the basis upon which my new and amended system is 

 founded. I find, however, that in this as in every other classification 

 of natural objects there are the usual difficulties to contend with. 

 Nature refuses to be bound, and will not submit to be confined, within 

 the narrow limits that man would assign to her. There is still the 

 debatable ground to deal with, where there are no definite boundaries 



