A GUIDE TO THE LITERATURE OF POMOLOGY. 437 



From this date onwards many books were published, and some, 

 such as " The New American Orchardist " of William Kenrick, 

 and the " Pomological Manual " of William Prince, had much 

 success. 



In 1833 a reprint of Lindley's " Guide to the Orchard " was edited 

 by Michael Floy and adapted for American readers. In 1845 was 

 published the famous work of A. J. Downing, which has taken from that 

 time until the present day a most important position in America. The 

 title will indicate its scope : " The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America, 

 or the Culture, Propagation, and Management, in the Garden and 

 Orchard, of Fruit Trees generally, with Descriptions of all the finest 

 Varieties of Fruits, Native and Foreign, cultivated in this Country," 

 roy. 8vo., i vol., New York, 1845). Downing was a nurseryman and was 

 brought up among fruits, and while his book cannot compare with 

 the systematic works which were being published at this time in Europe, 

 he had an enormous influence in the encouragement of fruit-growing in 

 America. A second edition, pubHshed in 1847, has several coloured 

 plates, the first edition having only outline drawings. Space will not 

 permit an enumeration of the many editions which have been issued 

 of this work, the last being in 1886. 



Another work of very similar character was " The American Fruit 

 Culturalist " of J. J. Thomas, first published in 1846. This is cultural 

 and descriptive and of the popular handbook order, and had achieved 

 twenty-one editions by 1905. 



In 1852 the first American Pomology on an extensive scale, with 

 coloured plates, was pubhshed. This was " The Fruits of America," by 

 C. M. Hovey. Fairly good descriptions are given, and the plates, 

 lithographs of a rather crude order, show the young wood, spurs, and 

 leaves. It is a useful work, but not comparable with more recent works 

 published in the same country. 



Useful as were such works, there was no originality of treat- 

 ment nor any really scientific description of fruits in them. The first 

 author who can claim to have made a real contribution to pomology 

 is Dr. John A. Warder, who, in his " American Pomology," brought 

 forward an original system of classification of apples. This work 

 was published in 1867, and is occupied with the cultivation and de- 

 scription of apples only. This classification, like many others, was 

 based first of all upon shape, and then subdivided into sections as 

 to sweetness, colour, &c. He then proceeds to describe the fruits so 

 classified, and these descriptions (of the fruit only) are a great advance 

 on any previous work of the kind in his country. Very good outline 

 drawings are given of many varieties. 



The day of the nurseryman and amateur as pomological authors 

 is now fast disappearing in America, and their place is filled by a 

 benevolent Government which provides unlimited funds and expert 

 specialists to write the books. The result of this combination is a 

 happy one, and it is no exaggeration to say that never has pomology 

 been so well supported as it is to-day in America. In no country are 



