43 8 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY, 



SO many really fine systematic books now being produced, and recent 

 publications have set a standard of exactness which cannot but benefit 

 the study of fruits all over the world. 



The first of these works is " The Apples of New York," by S. A. 

 Beach (2 vols. 8vo., Albany, 1905). This is a purely descriptive 

 work, with coloured plates or photographs of most of the varieties 

 described. The descriptions are remarkably detailed, and deal with 

 the tree as well as the fruit. References to literature are given very 

 fully, and the commercial value and climatic preferences of the fruits 

 are fully described. Of particular value is an introductory chapter deal- 

 ing with characters which are of value in describing apples. This work 

 is the best book on American apples, and is quite indispensable. 



The next work of the same series is " The Grapes of New York," 

 by U. P. Hedrick (Albany, 1908). This is a large quarto volume 

 with full-sized coloured plates. An extremely interesting chapter 

 prefaces the descriptions deaHng with the various attempts to 

 acclimatize the European vine in America. The descriptions them- 

 selves are a model of what such things should be, and no feature is 

 overlooked. A very valuable point in all these works is that the 

 fruits are described on a regular and definite system. 



The next volume of this series is " The Plums of New York," also 

 by Professor Hedrick, uniform with the last named and published in 

 Albany in 191 1. This is exactly on the same lines as that on the 

 grapes, and the introductory chapters, one historical, and another 

 discussing the species from which have been developed the plums of 

 the present day, are most valuable. Though deaHng primarily with 

 American varieties, European sorts which do well in the State of 

 New York are included. There is no finer work on plums at the 

 present time, and it is good to hear that further volumes on peaches 

 and cherries are in course of preparation. 



Two works of reference which are quite indispensable are those 

 compiled by W. H. Ragan. The first is entitled " Nomenclature of 

 the Apple, a Catalogue of the known Varieties referred to in American 

 Publications from 1804 to 1904 " (Washington, 1905). This is a useful 

 work for estabhshing the priority of any name, and a short description 

 of the fruit is given by a system of abbreviations which generally 

 suffice to separate one fruit from another bearing the same name. 



A similar work, entitled " Nomenclature of the Pear," was pub- 

 lished by the same author in 1908, and is on the same lines as the 

 above, with the addition of a reference to literature in many cases. 



Several excellent monographs have been published under State 

 auspices in recent years, such as that on " The Fig," by Gustav 

 EiSEN (Washington, 1901), and other works which are referred to 

 under their separate headings in the Appendix. 



Of the many excellent cultural works there is not space to treat 

 here. A special feature of recent years is the large number of very 

 practical works on commercial fruit-growing, some of which will be 

 found under the heading " Fruit Farming " in the Appendix. . 



