THE APPLE, PEAR, AND QUINCE. . 167 



one cosmopolitan winter variety grown more or less across 

 the continent. A close study of the American pomological 

 list will show that most varieties are relatively local in 

 exact adaptation to soil and climate. In many cases 

 varieties that fail to prove profitable in a given locality 

 are materially benefited by top-working (89) on stocks 

 adapted to the soil and climate. In Europe this plan is 

 understood and practised to an extent not yet reached 

 in this country. Different stocks are used often in one 

 vicinity, on account of the varied soils, exposures, and 

 elevations. Professor Bailey says : "It must follow that 

 the promiscuous and wholesale dissemination of a few 

 varieties over the country must eventually cease and that 

 local and special sorts must constantly tend to drive out 

 the cosmopolitan and general varieties. In this country 

 it is only in the strawberry that the peculiarities of 

 adaptation of varieties to soils have begun to be well 

 understood; and this is rather because the subject is forced 

 upon the attention by the short generations and constantly 

 shifting plantations of the plant than from any investiga- 

 tional motive." Section (139) discusses the desirability 

 of fruit-growing centres. In apple-growing for market, 

 there is special gain in extended plantings in sections 

 specially adapted to the development of some of the lead- 

 ing commercial varieties, as it leads to systematic orchard 

 management and the handling and sale of the crop to the 

 best advantage. It also gives an opportunity for saving 

 apples that would go to waste by drying, canning, and 

 cider- and vinegar-making. 



The Pear, 



172. History and Some of the Races. High-grade pears 

 for dessert use may be said to be a modern development 



