20 







PROMISING NEW FRUITS. 



By WILLIAM A. TAYLOR, Pomologist and Chief, and H. P. GOULD, Pomologist in 

 Charge of Fruit District Investigations, Bureau of Plant Industry. 



INTRODUCTION. 



This paper is the twelfth in a series which was begun in the Year- 

 book for 1901. The primary object throughout the series has been to 

 discuss fruit varieties that are little known among fruit growers, 

 but which are believed to possess qualities that make them inherently 

 valuable in their places of origin and worthy of testing elsewhere. 



The " variety problem " is one that is ever before the grower who 

 views the fruit industry either from the standpoint of the student 

 or that of the businessman. In the last analysis commercial fruit 

 growing, to be permanently successful, must be considered from both 

 of these standpoints. In one form or another the variety question 

 has long been prominent in the minds of those interested in the 

 production of fruit in the United States and Canada. Reference to 

 the earlier proceedings of the American Pomological Society dis- 

 closes the fact that for many years its meetings were devoted largely 

 to discussion of the relative merit of different varieties for the 

 various sections of *the country. The " fruit lists " of varieties 

 recommended for planting which resulted from these discussions and 

 the work of committees appointed to give the matter more sys- 

 tematic consideration have been a potent influence for good in the 

 development of the fruit industry of the country. 



As the business aspects of fruit growing receive more definite 

 recognition varieties will be planted more and more to meet par- 

 ticular conditions and for special rather than for general purposes. 

 For instance, under present conditions one of the most important 

 requirements of a winter apple in many sections is that it have good 

 cold-storage qualities, and a variety may be selected for commercial 

 planting or discarded on account of its behavior in this one par- 

 ticular. Again, summer apples were, for a considerable period, a 

 very minor consideration commercially, but within the past 10 or 15 

 years there has developed an important demand in the eastern 

 markets for this class of fruit. This has greatly stimulated the 

 planting of early apple varieties in many sections where formerly 

 they were little valued. 



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