TRANSFORMED PEARS, 



rarely, a flower lengthens, and produces, from the axils of its parts, other flowers, 

 arranged over its sides, as in the double pineapple. 



The following cuts, which we take from a foreign publication, represent three 

 pears, produced in different places and in different conditions. To use a gar- 

 dener's phrase, there was, at first, no difi'erence between the blossom-bud and the 

 fruit-bud, but, after a time, the parts which were identical, begin to be organized 

 differently ; in the blossom-bud, they gradually change into sepals, petals, stamens, 

 and carpels ; in the wood-bud, they become young leaves. But, if anything occurs 

 to disturb the development of the blossom-bud as a blossom, then it becomes 

 a wood-bud, or approaches that state more or less, according to the period at 

 which the disturbing force began to act. It thus appears, Dr. Lindley thinks, that 

 whether a bud becomes a flower or a branch, depends entirely upon some un- 

 known force, which acts at a particular moment upon parts originally of identical 

 nature and quality, and capable of becoming leaves ; if this action is complete, 

 a flower is the result ; if altogether withheld, then the rudimentary parts, not 

 having their nature changed, proceed to acquire the condition of leaves. Hence 

 it is, that when, from some accident, such as unusual heat and wet at a critical 

 moment, exuberance caused by the excessive application of rank (azotized) 

 manure, or any circumstances of a similar nature, the usual order of development 

 is disturbed, flowers are not formed, or we have them converted into tufts and 

 leaves, or even branches, perhaps into the pyriform nodule sent us. The following 

 examples are conclusive evidence as to the truth of this theory : — 



Fig. 1 represents a pear, in which the calyx and its fine sepals are not much 

 disturbed, but in which the petals and part of the stamens, developed in the form 



Fig. 1. Fig. 2. 



