PREFACE TO TWENTIETH EDITION. VH 



P. J. Berckmans, of Augusta, Ga., the veteran and learned ex- 

 president of the American Pomological Society. It covers all 

 the sub-tropical fruits which can be successfully cultivated, 

 save, perhaps, in the limited extreme southern part of Florida. 



One of the most unsatisfactory points in connection with 

 illustrations of fruits, wherever found, is the uncertainty as 

 to the actual size of the variety represented, while it is pretty 

 generally understood that the engravings in nurserymen's 

 catalogues are usually of abnormally large specimens, and too 

 often, especially with the smaller fruits, the same cut is made 

 to do duty in different lists for several sorts. 



In this work all illustrations of fruit are from average-sized 

 specimens, and are life-size, unless otherwise definitely stated. 



The' importance of this feature in identifying varieties has 

 been considered so great that, in certain chapters, as, for in- 

 stance, that upon " Grapes" and that on " Strawberries," illus- 

 tratidns have been wholly omitted, from the impossibility of 

 obtaining photographs in the time allowed me by the publish- 

 ers. In future editions, it is hoped these and other omissions 

 in the same line may be supplied. 



I am indebted to Prof. L. H. Bailey, of the Cornell State 

 Experiment Station, Ithaca, N. Y., for the chapter on " Spray- 

 ing;" to Prof. J. L. Budd, of the State Experiment Station at 

 Ames, Iowa, for descriptions of Russian apples, incorporated 

 in the chapter on that fruit; to Mr. E. H. Hart, of Federal 

 Point, Fla., for the entire section on " Sub-Tropical Fruits;" 

 to the Directors of all the experiment stations of the country 

 for their courtesy in sending me, as far as possible, complete 

 files of their publications, of which I have made copious use, 

 especially in the way of illustrations. 



For kind permission to copy wood-cuts, I have also to thank 

 Prof. C. C. Georgeson, of Manhattan, Kan. ; and William 

 Parry, of Parry, N. J. 



I must also acknowledge my indebtedness to Mr. S. B. 

 Heiges, pomologist of the Department of Agriculture, Wash- 

 ington, D. C, for courtesies received. 



William H. S. Wood. 



New York, January 2d, 1S97. 



