138 IOWA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. 



ularly serrate and oval closely resembling those of P. malus. 

 The leaves are very much smoother than those of P. loivensis 

 with more prominent venations, the fruit spurs are exactly 

 intermediate in characteristics between lowensis and Malus. 

 The fruit resembles Malus in shape, character of core, length 

 of stem, absence of greasiness, and has lost, in some degree, 

 the astringent properties of lowensis. The tree is a vigorous 

 grower, and seed production is very greatly reduced. This 

 last must be accounted for in some other way than by increase 

 of size, for Pyrus loivensis, in its native state, though varying 

 greatly in size, does not vary greatly in the number of seeds. 

 The average number of seeds in the Howard crab is greatly 

 reduced, six apples giving in all twenty developed seeds. The 

 seeds are light brown, quite beaked and plump. 



The following letter from Mr. E. L. Hayden, of Oakville, 

 Iowa, explains the synonomy of the variety. " I send you by 

 mail, to-day, a box of wild crabapples. They originated ten 

 or twelve miles south of Oakville, and were first brought to 

 the nursery of the late Benj. Luckenbill by a Mr. Howard, and 

 called, after him, the ' Howard ' crab. Afterward they came to 

 the notice of the Iowa State Horticultural society as the ' Ham- 

 ilton ' crab, from the orchard of Jesse Hamilton, of Morning 

 Sun, Iowa. " 



MERCER COUNTY CRAB. 



Mercer county Grab. 



Fluke Crab. 



The bark of the large branches is smooth, Malus like, 

 brownish-gray in color. One-year-old twigs, smooth, shining 

 grayish, sparingly provided with small circular, slightly yel- 

 lowish lenticels, young twigs lighter in color, slightly tomen- 

 tose near the tips. Mature leaves, large ones oval, smaller 

 are almost orbicular, finely and sharply serrate, often 

 with large irregular serrations near the apex. Smaller leaves 

 bluntly serrate or almost crenate. Apex obtuse, usually tipped 

 with a single large serration, base acute or more usually strik- 

 ingly oblique. Upper surface smooth, dark green, slightly 

 rugosa, lower puberulent lighter in color, veins prominent, 

 reddish. When young the leaves are bronze in color and 

 densely tomentose on both surfaces. One-half inch to three 

 inches long, one inch to two inches wide, borne on rather stout 

 tomentose, grooved petioles, one-half inch to two inches long. 

 Flowers light pink, one inch to one and one-fourth inches in 

 diameter, petals obovate, remotely inserted, slightly crenulate, 

 calyx tomentose, pedicels stout, tomentose, one and one-half 



