The fundamentals of fruit production

Abstract

Research on fruit production has made great progress since the 2nd edition of this book appeared in 1939 [ H.A., 9: 1510] and it is fair to expect a considerable degree of re-writing in the new 3rd edition. Two new sections, on light relations and on growth regulators, form valuable additions, but the sections on propagation and geographical influences that were in the 2nd edition have been omitted to keep the book within the prescribed limits. It is particularly unfortunate that propagation is no longer included, as it is the beginning of all fruitgrowing and the section covered a field of great value to the student. Recent work on vegetative propagation, selection of seed parents, apomictic species as rootstocks, rootstock-scion effects and incompatibility are all worthy of inclusion. The majority of the other revisions consist of additional sentences here and there with occasional new paragraphs, being especially noticeable with the trace element deficiencies. The term "recent" is applied without change to work done from 1920 onwards- doubtless the results were recent when first mentioned in the book but surely the term might now be removed with advantage from all references prior to, say, 1945? The bulk of the tables date from the turn of the century, but one would imagine that in many cases more reliable figures have been obtained by modern research. The whole question of virus disease is too modern to appear and lithiasis of pears is attributed to drought or insects without mention that it is sometimes of virus origin. Black-end of pear in Oregon is ascribed to drought (1921 reference), and not brought up to date by later work, which has shown the trouble to be an effect of oriental pear rootstock. In the bibliographies at the end of each section the small number of post-war references is striking. The task of revising a work of this magnitude and of bringing it into line with the rapid advance of knowledge in the subject is formidable and probably beyond the power of any one man alone, but has not the time come when Professor Gardner might tackle a substantial re-writing of the book with the aid of a few of the many competent young American workers in Pomology? Until then and despite all shortcomings the present work must still be considered the most complete textbook available on Pomology and a valuable aid, not only to the students for whom it is written, but also for the research worker and the practical horticulturist.