INTRODUCTION xi 



As for the second source of iiiforiniition, every fruit district in the 

 Northwest has been visited and the co-operation of leading horticulturists 

 secured. Thousands of letters have been written to all parts of the counti-y 

 to secure first hand knowledge from those known to possess valued ex- 

 perience. The principal fruit districts of the United States have been 

 revisited by the Editor in Chief. 



THE PLAN 



The plan is to set forth in their natural order all the steps and processes 

 necessary for the propagation, maturing in their highest perfection, har- 

 vesting and marketing of all the commercial fruits and vegetables, with 

 all the information necessary for the selection of proper seeds or stocks, 

 site, soil and climate, the kind of preparation to make and care to give, 

 the sort of cultivation, fertilization and pest prevention to provide for 

 and costs of production. All processes are fully illustrated with seven 

 hundred and fifty drawings and photos. 



In addition there is provided such information on the history and the 

 oi'igin of the various fruits and plants, their i)hysiology and hereditary 

 tendencies and environmental requirements, as shall enable the reader to 

 understand any special problems which may arise. 



Descriptions of the various fruit districts of the United States and 

 their peenliar adaptations are given, together with the latest statistics of 

 the industry for each district and for the whole country. Soil and climatic 

 conditions are amply treated as well as frost data, with approximate 

 dates to provide for and means and cost of prevention. 



aiETHOD OF TREAT3IE>T 



All fruits and vegetables, as well as other main subjects, have been 

 treated in regular alphabetical order. Main articles are headed in large 

 black face type; subheads under main subject in capitals; paragraph head- 

 ings in small black face type: cross references are in small capitals; 

 further subdivisions and scientific names are in italics. 



Main subjects are treated in their logical order and any one wishing to 

 find a topic which, for example, would naturally fall under apple, need 

 only follow the natural order of the development of the fruit from seed to 

 market, in order to find what he wishes to know. 



INDEX AND CROSS REFERENCE 



For the further guidance of the reader, an index has been prepared 

 covering over 4,500 subjects. These will be found in their regular ali)ha 

 betical order in the index at the end of the third volume, and in a great 

 many cases also under the particular main or subhead which includes it. 

 For example, alfalfa is found in the index under Al and also under Ap])le 

 Orchard as a part of the subtopic Intercropping. 



Cross references in regular alphabetical order in the main body of the 

 work are also used in cases of this kind. 



