Abstract

Plant introduction and acclimatisation are two of the recognised methods of fostering plant industries and they have played a very important role in many lands with perennial crop culture, especially fruit growing. The diversity of fruit growing conditions as well as the vast range of varietal peculiarities in fruits necessitate a careful conduct of varietal tests in the main regions of every country. Where such variety testing grounds cannot be established in sufficient numbers, an investigation in the form of a survey to determine the varietal performance seems essential. In a State like that of Madras where the varieties and kinds of fruits are numerous, the variety testing grounds as well as the surveys have considerable value in delineating the optimum zone for each fruit. The survey can be relied upon to yield results of some value only when the varieties are true to name and the plant material is raised under known conditions and from trees of known paren- tage and performance. Such orchards which in the past were rare to find are now available for study after the advent of the nurseries managed by the Government. These nurseries have distributed in the past decade, known plant material of numerous kinds and varieties of fruits throughout the State, the orchards from which now yield reliable information on zonal preferences.

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