promise of becoming a profitable export crop in the districts mentioned. Just now the knowledge of both these species is too meager ever to have received systematic study. The fig has long been the delight of the amateur fruit grower, and has been brought to fruiting size in the open ground, by means of much winter protection, as far north as New York and Connecticut. In the northern states, however, it seems to be less prized as a curiosity than formerly, and one seldom hears of its being tried north of Georgia. In the Gulf states fig culture on a commercial scale has been somewhat frequently tried, but never with marked success. The fig is a commercial fruit only in California, and even there it is of quite minor importance compared with such fruits as apricots, plums (called prunes in that country), and peaches. There are a large number of varieties known and propagated, and one may find descriptions in all the more complete works on pomology. These descriptions, for the greater part, however, are not models for the diligent pomologist. Indeed, the writer has been unable to find a single work in which the varieties of figs are described with the same care and completeness which we ordinarily bestow on apples or peaches. Along with this defective description goes an almost entire lack of classification. The banana can be grown in Southern Florida, or even in the warmest parishes of Louisiana, but it is of no general importance. There are several varities, but beyond the botanical classification of the species they have received no systematic study. The avocado, or alligator pear, is grown in Southern Florida and California, and is occasionally seen in our fruit markets. There seems to be only one variety in cultivation, and this has received no attention from our pomologists. The pineapple is quite largely grown for market in some of the southern states, especially in Florida. The varieties are numerous and quite diverse. Recently they have received considerable attention, but there are few good examples of variety description in print. No system of classification can be cited. Various briers, brambles, or closely related species of the genus Rubus, furnish edible fruits, and are cultivated in this country. The loganberry, wineberry, and raspberry-straw berry are the commonest examples of these. These different names nearly always stand for separate botanical species, and there are no horticultural varieties of consequence in any of these groups. The fruits may be described according to pomological formulas whenever desired. In doing this one might choose the form used for blackberries or the one for raspberries, usually the latter. The botanical classification of the species covers the ground for the present, no further classification of the groups being necessary. The June-berry (Amalanchier) is sometimes cultivated in the United States, and probably deserves to be more frequently planted in gardens. There are only a few recognized varieties, though the plants vary greatly in the wild state. If many varieties were to be described some new form of description would have to be devised considerably different from any of those illustrated in this book. Naturally there has been no attempt at systematic pomological classification of the June-berries. The cranberry forms a distinctively American fruit crop, and is one of our most important subsidary fruits. There are several distinct varieties which deserve much more careful systematic study than they have yet received. These would require a special form of description, suited to their peculiar characters. It is possible that some form of classification for the varieties would prove useful, but up to the present time none has been given. XXI WARDER'S CLASSIFICATION OF APPLES REFERENCE has already been made to the apple classification prepared by the late Dr. John A. Warder, as published by him in 1867 in his "American Pomology." This piece of work exemplifies better than anything else which has ever been done in this country the artificial or arbitrary method of classification. This is not stating the case very strongly, to be sure, since no other general classification of consequence has been prepared; but, aside from the comparison, the Warder classification is a valuable one in itself. It is, indeed, not possible to discover with certainty the name of every unknown apple by the use Dr. Warder's key, but with standard varieties there is usually no great difficulty. There is, of course, a considerable objection to the use of the Warder key at the present time, because since its publication over thirtyfive years ago, a good many varieties have been added to the list. The classification, however, is of so much practical utility, the |