We wish again to call attention to the great value of definite knowledge regarding the soils, climates and other environmental conditions under which species and varieties of fruits thrive. It is obvious to all thinking pomologists and biologists that, when the ecological conditions under which the several fruits and their many varieties are grown can be accurately specified, valuable generalizations can be made regarding life-zones and plant-distribution. In _The Peaches of New York_, as in the preceding books, we state as accurately as possible the regions in which and the conditions under which, species and varieties of the peach are successfully grown. So few species have been considered in _The Peaches of New York_ that we have had no need to refer to codes of botanical nomenclature. In the use of horticultural names, lacking a better code, we have kept before us the revised rules of the American Pomological Society though in many cases we have not seen fit to follow these rules as the changes required by their strict observance would augment rather than diminish confusion. The references given are those that have been used in ascertaining the history and the economic status or in verifying the description of the variety that follows. All of the synonyms created by pomologists to whose works we have had access have been noted but in no case have we published synonyms quoted by other writers. The work of reading references and seeking out synonyms is a tremendous one, involving nearly three years' work for several persons. We hope that this work sets straight in high degree the great confusion in the names of peaches, but that we, no matter how painstaking, could bring perfection out of chaos, no one could expect. Again we call attention to the biographical sketches found in the foot-notes. Some men in every profession surpass their fellows in true greatness. Such men there are in pomology, and a knowledge of their career is indispensable to a full comprehension of the industry of growing fruit. In the conquest of America we have honored, so far, only the men who have expressed their energy in conquering the mines, the forests, the fisheries and to a small degree those who have developed the soils; we have shamefully neglected the great men who have developed our native fruits and vegetables and adapted to the conditions of the New World the agricultural products of the Old World. The brief biographical sketches in these fruit-books are written in an effort to give in some measure the credit and honor due to those who have improved fruits. In the preparation of _The Peaches of New York_, besides those whose names appear on the title page, I am indebted to R. D. Anthony, for reading proof; to the Station editor, F. H. Hall, for his assistance; to the Zeese-Wilkinson Company, New York City, for the beautiful color-plates of peaches; and to the J. B. Lyon Company, Albany, New York, for good workmanship in printing the book.