PREFACE TO THIRD EDITION 



It is now nine years since the first edition of Productive 

 Orcliarding was pnblislied, and the changes which have developed 

 in the methods and ideals of fruit growers during that time, and 

 which are embodied in the revisions of this present and the 

 former editions, have certainly been both interesting and striking. 

 Any live industry changes, and judged by this standard tlie fruit 

 growing industry must be very much alive. 



The most conspicuous changes are in connection with the three 

 operations of fertilizing, pruning and spraying. This is just 

 where one w^ould expect to find them, since these are three of the 

 most important of all operations connected with the growing 

 of fruit, and much time and thought and energy and experimenta- 

 tion are devoted to advancing our knowledge and perfecting our 

 methods in these three major lines of fruit work. 



Fred C. Sears. 

 Amherst, Massachusetts, 

 April 25, 1923. 



