CLASS XII. ORDER II.J PYRUS. 693 



greater or less proportion of malic acid, in combination with sugar, 

 gum, essential oil, and pulply vegetable matter. The expressed juice, 

 after it has undergone the process of fermentation, is known by the 

 name of cider. The kind of Apples most esteemed for the purpose of 

 making cider are grown in the greatest abundance in the counties of 

 Devon, Somerset, Worcester, and Hereford. It is calculated that the 

 average quantity of cider and perry which is made in England is 

 10O,0(.O barrels, and that about three-fourths of this is cider, the 

 greater part of which is exported to the East and West Indies and 

 America, where it is much more esteemed than at home. 



The Romans do not appear to have had more than about twenty-two 

 sorts of Apples, but at the present time we have, by the means of 

 cultivation, a catalogue of varieties araounling to between one and two 

 thousand, which are divided into dessert, baking, and cider fruits, of 

 which there are great numbers of different kinds which have received 

 names, as pippins, russets, codlings, &c. 



The Apple is by no means a handsome tree, but the delicate pink of 

 its blossom is very beautiful. The R. spectabalis, or the Chinese crab, 

 and the P. prunifolia and P. baccata, or Siberian crabs, are pretty 

 ornamental trees, both in blossom and fruit ; the latter forming, when 

 boiled and candied with sugar, an excellent preserve. 



The various kinds of Apple are propagated either by layers or cuttings, 

 but most frequently by grafting on crab-stocks, and varieties are obtained 

 by sowing the seeds. 



The tree lives to a great age, and, if favourably situated, is generally 

 very prolific. The wood is close grained and soft, and is valuable to 

 turners and cabinet-makers. It will flourish in almost all climates in 

 the temperate zone, and in almost every kind of soil or situation. 



3. P. tormina'lis, Sm. (Fig. 789.) Wild Service-tree. Leaves 

 simple, ovate, heart-shaped, lobed, and serrated, the lower lobes spread- 

 ing ; flowers with corymbose peduncles. 



Cratcegus torminalis, £m?i.— EnglishBotany, t. 298.— English Flora, 

 vol. ii. p. 363.— Hooker, British Flora, ed. 4. vol. i. p. 196.--Lindley, 

 Synopsis, p. 105, 



A rather large tree, with spreading branches, the bark grey, smooth. 

 Leaves numerous, alternate, large, ovate, heart-shaped at the base, 

 broad, with from five to seven pointed serrated lobes, the lower ones 

 spreading much more than the others, mostly broader and distant, 

 paler on the under side, with a stout mid-rib and branched lateral 

 veins, downy when young, especially on the under side. Peiiloe long, 

 slender, swollen and jointed at the base. Inflorescence corymbose, with 

 branched peduncles, downy, as well as the cabjx, whose limb of linear 

 lanceolate segments is fringed with glandular serratures. Petals 

 roundish, ovate, with a short claw, while and spreading. Stamens with 

 long slender filaments, and roundish two celled anthers^ of a pinkish 



4 X 



