10 Oct., 1917.] Apjile Culture in Victoria. 579 



may develop satisfactorily for a -n-liile, many of them, later, frequently 

 show signs of aborting, and wither up. This seems to upset the equili- 

 brium of the fruit's development, and small indentations, interspersed 

 with minor protuberances, destroy the desirable sectoral equality of the 

 rind. 



Plate 130, Fig. 1, is a photograph of six varieties, Statesman, Pomnie 

 de Weige, Rome Beauty, Duchess of Oldenburg, Reinette de Canada, and 

 Yates, lettered a. h, c, d, e, f respectively. Fig. 2 depicts cross-sections 

 of the same si.K apples, and the lettering in their case indicates tbc s.anie 

 varieties as those named in Fig. 1. To show the surface inequalities in 

 the transverse sections, however, these should have been made nearer to 

 the eyes, as the irregularities are invariably more pronounced in the 

 calyx ends of the fruit, but had this ibeen done, the condition of the 

 ovaries and the positions of the ovules would not have been illustrated. 

 These sections are natural size, and the fruit has arrived at the stage 

 when the ovules commence to wither. The specimens from which these 

 .photographs were taken wore forwarded to the writer by Mr. L. Pilloud, 

 orchard supervisor in charge of the Gippsland district, in which im- 

 usually wet conditions, especially during the commencement of the 

 1916-17 fruit season, prevailed. 



Unusual Vaeiett Irkequlakities. 



Strange though it may seem, most varieties of apple trees produce a 

 preponderating nimiber of irregularly shaped fruit, even in seasons favor- 

 able to normal development, typical specimens nmnbering but a small 

 percentage. The diversity in this aspect of the fruit's features has 

 practically no limit. To the casual observer the ripe fniit on a heavily- 

 laden tree may be remarkable for its apparent uniformity of shape, 

 nevertheless, a person accustomed to selecting show specimens may ex- 

 perience difficulty in finding on such a tree even a single fruit worthy of 

 a place on the show bench to compete in its variety class. 



Although these irregularities are of such conunon occurrence, yet 

 varieties with their own fixed characteristics producing specimens shaped 

 (like other kinds of fruits are rare. Plate 131, which gives two specimens 

 of the Shoreland Queen apple, will serve to illustrate the last statement. 

 Fig. 1 is typical of the variety, while Fig. 2 is pear-shaped. The 

 specimens from which this photograph was taken were grown by Mr. F. 

 Finger, of "Wantirna, who submitted them to the writer for investigation. 



The specimen from which Fig. 2 illustration has been taken was so 

 perfectly pear-shaped, and because of the delicate golden hue that ap- 

 pears in the rind of this variety when ripe, fruit experts, until they 

 submitted it to close examination, mistook it for a pear. 



Other Remarkable Phenomena. 



While this series of specific investigation relating to the metamor- 

 phosis of the apple were being conducted, many phenomena besides the 

 pear-shaped fruit were observed, the more remarkable of which are 

 depicted in the following illustrations. These freaks are more common 

 in the Jonathan than in any other variety, and they most frequently 

 appear in the form of double fruits, with partly perfected, conjoined, 

 detached, or semi-detached ovaries. 



Iz 



