4o6 The Ohio Naturalist [Vol. XII, No. 1, 



FLUCTUATING CHARACTERISTICS OF APPLES. 



C. H. GOETZ. 



In taking up the study of fluctuating characteristics in apples, 

 the intention was to show in how far there was a fluctuation of 

 characteristics in apjiles. The work was carried on at Pullman, 

 Washington, dtiring the years 1909 and 1910. 



In the fall of the year as the apples ripened in the orchard of 

 the Washington State College, there was gathered from the trees 

 of fifty different varieties of apples, enough fruit to make one 

 hundred apples of each variety, for use in the investigation. 

 These apples were taken promiscuously from the trees. They 

 were stored in boxes in the cold storage, each box being marked 

 with name and number. 



During the winter the apples were cut up for investigation and 

 study. One-half of them were cut lengthwise for a study of the 

 longitudinal outline fonn; for size; shape, form and size of tube, 

 for shape of core line; depth, size and fonii of cavity and basin: 

 for position of stamens, and length of stem. 



The other half of the apples were cut into cross sections for the 

 study of the core line or fibro vascular bundles; for size, shape and 

 nature of cavities; for cross-section outline; for position form and 

 nature of core. 



These halves of the apples were as near as possible true halves. 

 They were inked with indelible pencil on the face in such a way as 

 to have them make clear cut and true impressions of the form and 

 various characteristics of the apples as they were pressed upon 

 paper. 



Two impressions were made. The first impression was made 

 on an absorbing paper, making a very strong impression. This 

 was used for making a tracing of the apples. The second 

 impression was made on a fine grained paper, to be used for 

 further study. 



The investigation of the fluctuating characteristics of the 

 apples brings out the following: 



1. That there is a more or less fluctuation in certain char- 

 acteristics and that this is true more of certain varieties of apples 

 than of others. 



2. That certain varieties of apples show a tendency toward a 

 constancy of characteristics, while others have a great tendency 

 toward fluctuation. 



Perhaps the most fluctuating characteristic in all apples is 

 found in size, shape and appearance of the seed cavities. 



Second to this comes the fluctuation in the length of the 

 peduncle in any variety. 



