456 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



The weakness of this system is the choice of the stamens for the 

 first divisions. This character is one difficult to see with the naked 

 eye, and one very likely to vary with any slight malformation of the 

 fruit. It is quite evident from a study of the " Fruit Manual " that Hogg 

 did not sufficiently realize the need of examining a large number of 

 fruits in forming his descriptions, and one must suspect that in many 

 cases his fruits were referred to their classes from the examination 

 of a single specimen. 



The same remarks apply to the choice of his second division, that 

 of the Tube, as the difference between a conical and a funnel shape is 

 often a very fine point, and also likely to be very materially altered 

 in an extra-sized specimen. These two characters, taking so important 

 a position, render the likelihood of going astray very probable. As an 

 example of an artificial system no better could be found, and such 

 an attempt can only be justified by its success. 



The Sexual system of Linnaeus is the classic example of a workable 

 artificial arrangement, which, although it gives no guide as to relation- 

 ship, forms a handy means of running down an unrecognized plant. 

 Hogg doubtless sought to do the same for Apples, but it must be con- 

 fessed that in this he failed, as since his day no pomologist has adopted 

 or amplified his suggestion. For full details the reader is referred 

 to the fifth edition of the "Fruit Manual " as quoted above. 



Having thus briefly recorded the various attempts which have 

 been made to classify Apples, it remains to sum up their general 

 tendency. 



A steady progress towards a natural system, beginning in the 

 work of Christ and developing through Diel, Dochnahl, and Lucas, 

 is the main feature brought out by this survey. In the writer's opinion 

 further progress can only be made in this direction. Several main 

 classes or general divisions can be at once distinguished ; the Reinettes, 

 the Codlins, and the Russets are obvious examples. The task of 

 subdividing these and other classes does not seem impossible, and 

 in so dding a great aid in the identification of varieties would be 

 afforded. 



While the authoritative naming of Apples will doubtless always 

 remain in the hands of experts, as in other natural sciences, such 

 grouping is extremely desirable and would be instructive to students, 

 who would be able to take certain type fruits and from them form 

 some conception of varieties which they may not have the opportunity 

 of seeing. For these reasons the writer thinks such a system worth 

 making, and hopes that some leisured enthusiast may be found to 

 attempt it. 



