154 The Principles of Fruit-growing 



which asks for specific information; as, for example: What 

 is the best red fall apple for southern Ohio? What is the 

 earliest raspberry? What is the hardiest apricot? What 

 is the largest plum? What is the best strawberry for can- 

 ing? Such questions as these indicate that the questioner 

 has classified his own ideas, and that he is driving straight 

 to the point for information; and they are usually capable 

 of rather definite answer. 



A few general rules or precepts may be stated to aid 

 the intending fruit-planter in the choice of varieties : 



1. So far as possible, the planter should follow his 

 personal preferences, the type of fruit he likes best or 

 in which he takes most interest. These types or kinds are 

 the ones with which he will be most likely to succeed, 

 other things being equal. 



2. He should develop a clear and specific conception 

 of the purpose for which the fruit is to be grown, whether 

 for dessert, for canning, for a local market, for export, 

 for evaporating, and the like. Then the varieties best 

 suited to meet these desires may be looked up and 

 chosen. 



3. The planter should not covet a variety because it 

 is eminently successful in another region. Varieties have 

 distinct adaptations to geographical areas. If a given 

 variety is a universal success in the plains regions, the 

 probabilities are that it will not thrive equally well in New 

 England. The farmers of the East have learned that they 

 cannot compete with those of the West in the growing of 

 wheat, and they should know that one region may not be 

 able to compete with another in some particular variety 

 of fruit, even though the variety thrive well in both. It is 

 a question whether the northeastern states can compete 

 with the mid-western states in the growing of the Ben 



