cise is more practicable and more instructive than appears from the description of it. 16. If the student is doing specially thorough work in systematic pomology, he should be required to make a complete set of descriptions of all varieties available, at least in one or two classes of fruits. The aim in this case is to make the set of descriptions complete as well as accurate. Special effort should be given to the extension of this collection. After all available material is exhausted, vacancies should be filled in by securing descriptions of important but still missing varieties at second hand. These may be copied to standard blank forms, edited and rearranged where necessary, and put into the general list. They should be arranged alphabetically, card catalog fashion, as explained in Chapter II. 17. Finally all students of systematic pomology should make frequent visits to the orchards and gardens where the fruits are ripening. Here they should be tested as to their knowledge of varieties, of names, and of matters of relationship brought out in classification. Constant contact with fruit and fruit trees in all situations and under all circumstances is the key-note to success in the study of systematic pomology. (See also remarks under paragraph 3, page 251.) Exercises in Judging 18. Frequent exercises in judging fruits, after the manner described in Chapter XXV, should be provided. There will be no difficulty in doing this in a small way anywhere. When the suggested visits are made to the fruit shows or the county fairs, there will be special opportunities for judging. At ordinary fairs the managers will be glad to make the pomology class the official judges, and the responsibility which comes with this position makes the work more interesting to the students, and tends to make them do it better. The teacher must not be too modest to recommend his class for such work. 19. Students should be required to design score-cards for different fruits and for various purposes. If the various systems of points were quite generally established-if they had received the sanction of some special authority-this might not be justifiable. But as long as there are no authorities and no accepted standards, the subject is open to everybody's investigation. XXV JUDGING FRUITS THE student of systematic pomology must always be interested in fruit exhibits wherever held and for whatever purpose planned. Such fruit shows give opportunity always for the study of specimens, sometimes for the examination of new varieties, and usually for the comparison of many good samples of old standard sorts. The man who is interested in fruits in a practical way cares only indirectly who gets the blue ribbon and who gets the red; but he is pretty sure, nevertheless, to be on hand when the judges make their awards. In fact, the man who knows varieties is commonly chosen on the committee of judges. Thus, though the subject of systematic pomology does not naturally include the judging of fruits, it seems very proper to say something here about how it may best be done. In judging fine stock, poultry, butter, or seed corn a scale of points is commonly used. Each character or quality is given its due weight, and the merit of any particular hog or sample of butter is estimated point by point. It has often been proposed that this system be adopted in judging fruits, especially at exhibitions where competition is apt to be keen. Thus far no great progress has been made, however, toward bringing the scorecard method into vogue in this country. The most effective attempts appear to have been made in Canada, especially in Ontario, where fruit exhibitions are more popular and generally better conducted than in the United States. For the most part, though, experienced fruit judges, like those of the American Institute, the Massachusetts Horticultural Society, the Worcester Horticultural Society, etc., depend upon their extended knowledge of the fruits in exhibit, and make up their judgments offhand after an examination of the various samples. This is not usually very difficult, especially when only a single variety is being passed upon and when that variety is one well known to the judge. It is almost always easy to eliminate the large majority of samples as being manifestly inferior, thus reducing the compe tition to two or three. Then by more careful examination and by repeated eliminations the various samples are thrown out up to the one best sample. In judging large collections this offhand method is more unsatisfactory. Unless the judges are thoroughly experienced and known to be quite unbiassed, the results are sure to be disappointing. Under the best of circumstances it is difficult to convince every man who failed of the capital prize that his collection is really inferior to the one marked by the judges. It is certainly better for men whose knowledge of fruits is limited to avail themselves of the help of a good scale of points, and it is probably better for any judge or committee of judges to use a score-card whenever their decision is of considerable consequence or likely to be called into ques tion. The real difficulty arises in choosing a suitable score-card; for our lack of experimentation along this line has left us in this country without much knowledge of what is really required. Mr. R. W. Starr, of Nova Scotia, who has probably had as much experience as any man |