CHAPTER XVn. 



FRUIT LISTS. 



■TEBT PLANTER UUST JUDGE FOK HIMSELF AND OBSERTE THE SORTS 

 THAT SUCCEED IN HIS OWN NEIQHBORHOOD — ATTEMPTS TO MAKE 

 LISTS FOB GENERAL CULTIVATION ABOBTIVE — STATE AND REGIONAL 

 LISTS MAT AFPBOXIMATE USEFULNESS — SO MANY ELEMENTS IN MAE- 

 INQ A DECISION — OUR TASTES DIFFER — REFERENCE TO THE LISTS 

 OP THE AMERICAN POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY AND TO THOSE OF LOCAL 

 SOCIETIES — PRESENT A FEW SELECTED LISTS — THE QUESTION OP 

 HARDINESS IS OP GREAT INTEREST — LISTS OP HARDY AND TENDER 

 VARIETIES — LISTS FOB CIDER. 



Every orchard planter who examines the extended va- 

 riety of fruits presented to him in the books, and by the 

 nurserymen, must feel greatly embarrassed when he comes 

 to select the varieties for his own orchards. Almost 

 every one of the long lists is recommended for some good 

 quality, and the number of best, which he is apt to con- 

 clude means indispensable for him, is wonderfully large. 

 Some persons are bewildered by the array presented in 

 the catalogue, and fall back upon their own slender stock 

 of information, selecting only one well known variety; 

 but most persons commit a far greater fault by attempt- 

 ing to grasp all the varieties that are oflEiered and com- 

 mended, which is very well for some one person in every 

 region to do. It is a labor of love for the benefit of his 

 fellow townsmen ; but it is far better for him who is about 

 698 



