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EDITOR'S PREFACE TO THE TWENTY-FIRST 

 EDITION. 



Probably no other work of its character has enjoyed the 

 popularity of Thomas' " American Fruit Culturist "; first pub- 

 lished many years ago. It has, unlike most books by other 

 authors, been revised and kept up to date, both with respect 

 to the newer varieties of fruits and also the improvements in 

 cultivation — in all the details, in fact, pertaining to the science 

 and art of fruit growing. In the preparation of the present 

 edition the editor has had the valued assistance of Prof. M. V. 

 Slingerland of Cornell University, who wrote the chapter on 

 Destructive Insects; of Prof. Byron S. Halsted of Rutgers 

 College, who wrote that on Diseases of Fruits ; and especially 

 of Prof. L. H. Bailey, who supervised almost the entire book. 



The editor still feels that the time has not yet come to adopt 

 absolutely the rule of the American Pomological Society with 

 respect to the names of fruits. To do so before the nursery- 

 men, the dealers, much more generally conform to it could 

 only lead, as before stated, to uncertainty and confusion. 

 Thomas' " Fruit Culturist ' has again been materially en- 

 larged both in text and illustrations. 



While it is believed that this book will be found scientifi- 

 cally accurate, it must be remembered that it is prepared 

 especially as a practical working manual for the amateur and 

 farmer. William H. S. Wood. 



New York, February, igoj. 



