322 THE GARDENER. [July 



Almond, Peacli. (4) i?frr ?/—syncarpous, succulent, whose seeds lose 

 their adhesion when ripe, and lie loose in a pulp. Ejc. Gooseberry, 

 Currant, Grape. (5) (7rt;>y?</e— many-celled, dry, dehiscent, syncarp- 

 ous. Ex. Primrose, Tulip, Violet, Horse-chestnut. There are a great 

 quantity of minor forms that present familiar instances. The follow- 

 ing are some of the most familiar, viz. : — 



{\) Pome, Apple; (2) Etanio, Bramble; (3) Pi/xis, Anagallis ; 

 (4) Cremocarp, the Umbelliferous tribe ; (5) Fepo, Cucumber ; (6) 

 Bcdausta, Pomegranate ; (7) Cojie, Pinus ; (8) Galhulus, Juniperus, kz. 



The fruit of the Mulberry may be taken as excellent examples of 

 collective fruit. 



Of the many forms of fruit, one of the very curious is the edible 

 portion of the well-known Strawberry ; and if the reader will just 

 take one in his hand, he will at once detect little longish spots. These 

 are the true fruit, or, more technically speaking, achenes (aforemen- 

 tioned). The portion eaten is simply a common receptacle for the 

 true fruit. The chief difference between the Strawberry and Black- 

 berry is very apparent, as the carpels of the latter are succulent, and 

 not the receptacle as in the case of the former. The Raspberry is 

 almost identical with the Strawberry. 



Many readers of this magazine would no doubt like to see for 

 themselves ilowers gradually merging into fruit. If so, let them 

 take particular notice of a certain plant of the common Buttercup 

 (Ranunculus repens) when in full flower, and every day for some time, 

 and they will gradually perceive its slowly approaching fruit ; first 

 the petals and then the stamens will go, leaving nothing but the 

 carj^els (pistils), which are gradually going into fruit." Each fruit has 

 a peculiar elaboration of its own to perform ; for though the fluids 

 afforded by the branches and leaves be nearly similar, yet each fruit 

 differs from another in fragrance and flavour. Six different varieties 

 of the Peach and of the Apple, budded on the same branch, still retain 

 unaltered their times of ripening, and their distinctive colours and 

 flavours. The processes going on at different periods of a fruit's 

 growth are very opposite in their character. During their green and 

 growing state they are usually converting gummy matter into an acid, 

 but during ripening they as commonly are converting an acid into 

 sugar. To convert gum or mucilage into tartaric acid, as in the early 

 growth of the Grape, oxygen in excess should be absorbed, for their 

 relative components stand thus : — 



" Carbon, .... 

 Oxygen, .... 

 Hydrogen, .... 



" They might therefore be expected to absorb more oxygen than the 

 leaves, and this is actually the case; for though a Vine -branch will 

 continue to vegetate in a glass globe hermetically sealed, yet the 



