John Aston Warder - American Pomology. Apples

All patriots may realize a sense of pride, when they consider the capabilities of the glorious country in which we are favored to live; and while fostering no sectional feelings, nor pleading any local interests, yet, as Americans and as men, we may be allowed to love our own homes, our own neighborhoods, our States and regions; and we may be permitted to think them the brightest and best portions of the great Republic to which we all belong. Therefore the writer asks to be excused for expressing a preference for his own favored Northwest , and while claiming all praise for this noble expanse, he wishes still to be acknowledged as most devotedly an American Citizen, who feels the deepest interest in the prosperity of the whole country.

His fellow-laborers in the extensive field of Horticulture, who are scattered over the great Northwest, having called upon him for a work on fruits which should be adapted to their wants, the author has for several years devoted himself to the task of collecting materials from which he is preparing a work upon American Pomology, of which this is to be the first volume.

The title has been adopted as the most appropriate, because the book is intended to be truly American in its character, and, though it may be especially adapted to the wants of the Western States, great pains have been taken to make it a useful companion to the orchardists of all portions of our country.

When examining this volume, his friends are asked to look gently upon the many faults they may find, and they are requested also to observe the peculiarities by which this fruit book is characterized. Much to his regret, the author found that it was considered necessary to the completeness of the volume, that the general subject of fruit-growing should be treated in detail, and, therefore, introductory chapters were prepared; whereas, he had set out simply to describe the fruits of our country. To this necessity, as it was considered by his friends, the author yielded reluctantly, because he felt that this labor had already been thoroughly done by his predecessors, whose volumes were to be seen in the houses of all intelligent fruit-growers. From them he did not wish to borrow other men's ideas and language, and therefore undertook to write the whole anew, without any reference to printed books. But, of course, it is impossible to be original in treating such familiar and hackneyed topics as those which are discussed at every meeting of horticulturists all over the country, and which form the subject of the familiar discourse of the green-house and nursery, the potting-shed and the grafting-room, the garden and the orchard.

After the introductory chapters upon the general or leading topics connected with fruit-culture and orcharding, the reader will find that especial attention has been paid to the classification of the fruits under consideration in this volume. Classification is the great need of our pomology, and, indeed, it is almost a new idea to many American readers. The author has fully realized the difficulties attendant upon the undertaking, but its importance, and its growing necessity, were considered sufficient to warrant the attempted innovation. It is hoped that American students of pomology will appreciate the efforts which have been made in their behalf. The formulæ which have been adopted may not prove to be the best, but it is believed that they will render great assistance to those who desire to identify fruits; and that, at least, they may lead to a more perfect classification in the future.

On the contrary, with these simple formulæ, under which the fruits are arranged, the student has only to decide as to which of the sub-divisions his specimen must be referred, and then seek among a limited number for the description that shall correspond to his fruit, and the identification is made out.

In the systematic descriptions of fruits, the alphabetical succession of the names is used in each sub-division. An earnest endeavor has been made to be minute in the details without becoming prolix. A regular order is adopted for considering the several parts, and some new or unusual characters are brought into requisition to aid in the identification. Some of these characters appear to have been strangely overlooked by previous pomologists, though they are believed to be permanent and of considerable value in the diagnosis.

In deciding upon the selection of the names of fruits, the generally received rules of our Pomological Societies have been departed from in a few instances, where good reasons were thought to justify differing from the authorities. Thus, when a given name has been generally adopted over a large extent of country, though different from that used by a previous writer, it has been selected as the title of the fruit in this work.

To avoid incumbering the pages, authorities for the nomenclature have not been cited, except in a few instances, nor have numerous synonyms been introduced. Such only as are in common use have been given, and those of foreign origin have been dropped.

The attention of the reader is particularly directed to the catalogue of fruits near the close of the volume, which also answers as the index to those which are described in detail. This portion of the work has cost an immense amount of labor and time, and, though making little display, will, it is hoped, prove very useful to the orchardist. In it the names of fruits are presented in their alphabetical order, followed by information as to the average size, the origin of the variety, its classification, from which are deduced its shape, flavor and modes of coloring; next is noted its season, and then its quality. This last character is, of course, but the result of private judgment, and the estimate may differ widely from that of others; the quality, too, it should be remembered, is here intended to be the result of a consideration of many properties besides that of mere flavor.

This catalogue will furnish a great deal of information respecting the fruits it embraces. Unfortunately, it is not so full nor so complete as it should be, but it is offered as the result of many years' observations, and is submitted for what it is worth.

Acknowledgments.—It is but an act of common justice for an author to acknowledge his indebtedness to those who have aided him in his labors, especially where, from the nature of the investigations, so much material has to be drawn from extrinsic sources. Upon the present occasion, instead of an extended parade of references to the productions of other writers, which might be looked upon as rather pedantic, it is preferred to make a general acknowledgment of the important assistance derived from many pomological authors of our own country and of Europe. Quotations are credited on the pages where they occur.

But the writer is also under great obligations to a host of co-laborers for the assistance they have kindly rendered him in the collecting, and in the examination and identification of fruits. Such friends he has happily found wherever he has turned in the pursuit of these investigations, and there are others whom it has never been his good fortune to meet face to face. To name them all would be impossible. The contemplation of their favors sadly recalls memories of the departed, but it also revives pleasant associations of the bright spirits that are still usefully engaged in the numerous pomological and horticultural associations of our country, which have become important agencies in the diffusion of valuable information in this branch of study.

To all of his kind friends the author returns his sincere thanks.

With a feeling of hesitation in coming before the public, but satisfied that he has made a contribution to the fund of human knowledge, this volume is presented to the Horticulturists of our country, for whom it was prepared by their friend and fellow-laborer,