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3
horticulturists have depended largely upon imported stock. Little
material was available locally, and there was a lack of confidence
on the part of buyers. This situation is changing, and one of the
major purposes of this book is to assist nurserymen regarding best
methods of propagation, the choice of varieties of each fruit and the
exercise of great care in labelling. As regards commercial
fruits, it must be remembered that new varieties come onto the market
from time to time. This is especially true of fruits which
are relatively new, so far as commercial cultivation is concerned. The
planter should pay utmost attention to this subject before he lays
out his orchard.

The selection of land for orchard planting is another matter of great importance. Many tropical horticulturists do not
realise the importance of soil texture, and depth of soil; good drainage; and irrigation; and the need of fertilizers. These
subjects are treated in the Introduction to this book; the tropical
horticulturist is urged to give them the study they merit.

Pruning is often neglected, especially in the first few years
of the life of the tree. In other instances it is overdone, largely
because insufficient experience has not been accumulated in connection
with the culture of numerous fruits.

This book is based largely upon work done during the past
25 years at Lancetilla Experiment Station and the Escuela Agricola
Panamericana in Honduras; and upon work at the Subtropical Experiment
Station of the University of Florida at Homestead, and the several
plants' Introduction Gardens of the U.S. Department of Agriculture in southern Florida. Lancetilla,
which was founded in 1925 by the United Fruit Company, has the
largest collection of tropical fruits in America, so far as
species are concerned; the Subtropical Experiment Station at Home-