THE DEVELOPMENT OF FRUITS FOR SPECIAL CON- 

 DITIONS. 



By W. T. Macoun, Ottawa, Canada. 



Delivered before the Society, February 12, 1916. 



It is only during comparatively recent years that much attention 

 has been given in America to the relative suitability of the many 

 kinds and varieties of fruits to different parts of the country. 

 This is largely due to the fact that it is not so many years ago since 

 there was comparatively little fruit grown, except that which was 

 produced in the Eastern States and Eastern Canada where the 

 differences in climate were not so striking as they are between 

 the Eastern and Western States, and between the middle West, 

 and the East and West. When, however, the middle West, and 

 the West, began to produce such enormous quantities of fruit, 

 large quantities of which reached the Eastern markets, attention 

 was called to the fact that some varieties of fruit looked and, some 

 will say, tasted quite differently from the same varieties grown in 

 the East. 



Certain sorts were found particularly suited to the climatic con- 

 ditions of the West, while others did not succeed so well. On 

 investigationp, or when we really came to think seriously about it, 

 marked differences were found in the relative success obtained with 

 varieties in different parts of the East, some sorts doing much better 

 than others in a certain section of the country, while in another 

 place they did not do so well. Now the adaptation of varieties to 

 soil and climate is receiving a great deal of attention. 



Perhaps another reason why more study had not been given to 

 the adaptability of varieties until recently is that there are such 

 great areas in North America where the growing and ripening sea- 

 son is very favorable to fruit culture and many sorts that will 

 withstand the winter climates succeed over a wide range, as they 

 get sufficient heat, sunlight, and moisture for the fruit to develop 

 well. How different this is to Great Britain and certain parts of 



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