THE APPLE TREE. 507 



large or small ; they maybe pale, even yellow, or browu, dark, and nearly black ; 

 and these shades are distinctive, often enabling the pomologist to decide upon 

 the variety when other characters are less marked." In his book in describing 

 the varieties he does not speak very definitely of the shape of the seeds. If 

 there is anything to be made out of the variation of seeds, it will be of more 

 practical value than the characters of the flowers, because the seeds we have 

 with the ripe fruit and can examine them at the same time, while flowers must 

 be looked over and described by a previous examination. 



Downing, Thomas, and Barr}', in their excellent works make no mention, 

 that I am aware, of the shape, size, or color of the seeds, and no authors whose 

 works I have met with make any use of flowers in describing apples. (Prof. B. 

 exhibited seeds from apple pomace showing great difference in size and struc- 

 ture). My attention to the seeds was attracted some time ago in looking over 

 some bought for starting a nursery, and afterwards I noticed carefully the seeds 

 of apples which I ate. This I had done before I knew that any one had ever 

 thought of the matter before. But we often invent and discover things many 

 times over. So far as examined, I am convinced that the nature of the seeds 

 are of great value in defining varieties; not in every variety, but in many. 

 The seeds of many varieties are nearly alike, they have a common shape, but 

 that is no reason why those with uncommon characteristics should not be 

 noticed. 



This is the way we do in describing wild plants, we seize upon all points 

 Avhich are characteristic. In some we make the most of the stamens, in others 

 almost nothing of them ; in others it is some peculiarity of the pistil or seeds 

 which arrests our attention. 



Peaches are often partially classified by the size and color of the petals. 

 Barry says : " In all the other fruits, as in apples, pears, plums, cherries, etc., 

 the flowers vary but slightly in form and color." He makes one exception of 

 a pear, and says there are a few cases of variation in size. Thomas says " but 

 little difference exists in the flowers." W. C. Flagg, of Illinois, in Horticultural 

 Eeport of Illinois for 1869, and in Hearth and Home, 1871, records his observa- 

 tions on a large number of varieties of apple blossoms. He says : " White 

 blossoms are generally early ones, red blossoms are usually on late varieties." 

 He observes: "In a majority of cases color of blossom indicates the color of 

 the apple. From these we can judge which apples are safest for a frosty coun- 

 try." Of very late flowers he mentions Melon, Northern Spy, Rawle's Janet 

 and Rome Beauty. 



The term flower, or blossom as the botanist considers it, consists of more 

 than the showy petals. The petals are about one-fourth part of the flower. I 

 will briefly describe some parts of the flowers taken from several different trees 

 of each variety: The points of the calyx vary in breadth, size, and in other 

 particulars, as any one can see by examining an apple. The petals are the 

 largest and by far the most conspicuous part of the flower. That you may see, 

 as well as hear of their differences, I have made paper models of several varie- 

 ties as accurately as possible. 'No. 1 shows the proportions of a petal of the 

 Red Astrachan. It is one and a fourth inch long by three-fourths of an 

 inch broad in the widest place ; it is ovate. No. 2 shows the shape of a 

 petal of a Tallman Sweet, equally enlarged with the Red Astrachan. It is 

 twelve-sixteenths by seven-sixteenths of an inch, and is elliptical. Its length is 

 about the breadth of the Red Astrachan ; the shape is different. No. 3 shows, 

 on the same scale, a petal of the Porter. It is thirteen-sixteenths by twelve-six- 



