VI PREFACE. 



That I have trodden upon the favorites, and therefore the views 

 of some of my friends, I shall not pretend to deny ; but that I have 

 so done in aught but a true feeling of interest to the cause, I beg 

 they will not for the moment believe. 



Such is the vast variety of garden and orchard fruit such the 

 diversity of circumstances which affect the growth of trees, the size 

 and qualities of the fruit such the great number of new sorts, and 

 new modes of treatment discovered, that one book, however care- 

 fully prepared, cannot embrace all the knowledge of the subject ; 

 but each lover of Pomona and her gifts must cherish and examine, 

 each for himself, relying only on the book as a guide comparative ; 

 and looking on the pages of this present, as the result of an inten- 

 tion to create a plain, practical work, to classify and describe fruits 

 in such order, to embody their history, and the best modes of cul- 

 ture, in such manner, that the amateur or extensive orchardist may 

 gather at a glance most of the requisite information to success. 



' The mere test of quality, it is well known, does not render a fruit 

 worthy or unworthy of general cultivation ; therefore, the classifica- 

 tion of the National Pomological Society was imperfect as a guide 

 to fruit-growers ; but by changing or modifying this to first, second, 

 and third class, and explaining in many of the texts descriptive of 

 varieties, the reasons for position given, I trust to have somewhat 

 improved the matter. 



New fruits are daily being brought to light ; the soils of the West 

 producing them almost spontaneously ; the science of the East creat- 

 ing them with rapidity and certainty ; pomological meetings and 

 Horticultural Societies are monthly recording and describing them ; 

 it is, therefore, generally conceded requisite that some order of classi- 

 fication be carried out, if we expect any limit or bounds to our 

 cause. 



The classes adopted in the following pages, corresponding with 

 tho^e of the National Society, have therefore seemed to me well 

 adapted to the end in view. There are some varieties now placed 

 in the second class, that will undoubtedly, when more generally 

 known and distributed, become worthy a place in the first class ; 

 but those now placed in the third class, I feel confident will never 



