UBMMY 



N. C. State College 



PREFACE 



Fruit growing in the United States is so widespread and so diversified 

 that no work of ordinary dimensions can codify it on the basis of empirical 

 practices, which differ from place to place. The fundamental factors, 

 however, are always the same and once they are understood, the adapta- 

 tion of practices to local conditions presents Httle difficulty. 



The present work attempts to focus attention on the conditions 

 which make the fruit plant profitable; practices are considered only as 

 they affect these conditions, not as ends in themselves. Maintenance 

 of this point of view has necessitated a rather wide departure from con- 

 ventional arrangement of subject matter. The common orchard prac- 

 tices are not sacred in themselves; indeed, they are important only in so 

 far as they help vegetative growth and especially fruit production. 

 Fundamentally the plant's growth and functioning depend on the nature 

 of the environment and the adjustment thereto and not directly on cul- 

 tural practices, which only modify the relation of the plant to the environ- 

 mental complex. Consequently these practices appear inconspicuous in 

 the Chapter and Section headings. 



Acquaintance with principles without the facts on which they rest 

 is itself empirical. Particular attention, therefore, is given to the 

 inclusion of sufficient illustrative matter to permit quantitative estimate 

 of the validity and applicability of the principles enunciated. Com- 

 paratively little that is original is presented; much of the material that is 

 novel to pomological texts is included because of its inaccessibility to the 

 average student. Many significant observations which have been neg- 

 lected because their ultimate bearing was not appreciated at the time 

 they were recorded, have been reviewed in the light of modern knowledge. 

 Plant physiology, plant chemistry, soil science and physics have been 

 requisitioned freely and advisedly; in no case, however, without an indi- 

 cation of applicability to pomology. Careful consideration has approved 

 this course because special applications to fruit growing are rare in the 

 general University courses in these subjects and because in the arrange- 

 ment of many curricula, pomology precedes some of the science courses 

 which are needed as preparatory training. Though every effort is made 

 to insure thoroughness, exhaustive treatment is not attempted, since it 

 would be useful to few readers. 



The solution of a problem arising outside of the classroom depends on 

 obtaining all the pertinent data, systematizing them to ascertain the 

 factors involved and ^.pplying to the problem th,e knowledge so gained. 



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