74 MASS. EXPERIMENT STATION BULLETIN 159 



reduce each to a single unit. Under each heading a single character is to 

 be considered and described, usually with one appropriate word. Rarely 

 will several words be required. In the text and in Fig. 1 descriptive words 

 are suggested. While these are not all that may be required, we believe 

 that additional ones will not often be needed, with the exception of quali- 

 fying adverbs. Words such as very, slightly, much, rarely and many others 

 will be called into use freely, but it is felt that it is unnecessary to suggest 

 them all through the discussion of the description blank. Where addi- 

 tional terms are used one should be careful that he understands the rela- 

 tion of the new term to those given, and if necessary he should somewhere 

 explain its meaning and relationship. One of the confusing things in fruit 

 descriptions is the use in individual descriptions of different terms with 

 nearly or ciuite the same meaning, or of a single term with slightly different 

 meanings. Of course, it is impossible to altogether avoid such confusion 

 because apples vary so greatly, but everj^ effort should be made to make 

 things as definite and exact as possible. 



In making a systematic descriptibn one should state, either directly or 

 by implication, the scope of his description, — whether it is of a single apple, 

 a plate of five specimens, or the variety as it grows over a certain section 

 of the country, as Massachusetts, New England, the Central Mississippi 

 valley or North America. The description of a few specimens is a com- 

 parativel}^ simple matter, and may be made in a few minutes by the 

 trained pomologist with the specimens before him. The description of a 

 variety as it grows over a considerable area is more complicated, and can 

 be made only after a thorough study of the behavior all over the district 

 comprehended in the description. lii such descriptions we should strive to 

 describe the type of the variety, but as a variety may vary greatly if a 

 district of any size is considered, it becomes very desirable to delimit as 

 well as we can the range of variation. Perhaps the best method to pursue 

 is to give the type and follow it immediately by a statement of the vari- 

 ation. Thus we may describe the form of the Ben Davis for North America 

 as "roundish-conic, varying from ohlaie-conic to oblo7ig-conic,'' and other 

 characters in a similar fashion. 



Of course such a description will be cumbersome, and for many pur- 

 poses an abridged form may be found sufficiently complete and more 

 acceptable. Nevertheless, for a thorough college course in systematic 

 pomology, or for exact descriptive work in experimentation, this type of 

 description ought to have a place. 



In the description of the individual tree or fruit the location or source 

 should alwaj^s be given, and if possible the soil and cultural conditions 

 under which it was grown. It is well to give the date on which the descrip- 

 tion was made, and of course the name of the person responsible for the 

 work. 



Tree Description. 



Tree. — In the systematic description of the tree the first thing stated is 

 its age. If not definitely known it should be estimated. The next point is 

 the size which may be small, medium or large. This should of course be 



