90 Oa the Primus americana of Marshall. 



very obtuse, or rounded, and frequently with small crenatures 

 at the end. The young branches are slender and virgate ; 

 the older ones rugged, with short spine-like processes, or spurs, 

 which bear leaves and flowers, and afford a good illustra- 

 tion of the fact, that spines are merely abortive branches. — 

 The fruit, when mature, is of a reddish yellow, or a blend- 

 ing of both colors, the red sometimes predominating, and 

 it varies, also, considerably in size. When it has been long 

 and carefully cultivated, I have seen the fruit as large as a 

 common apricot ; but in its wild state it is generally not more 

 than half, and sometimes scarcely one third that size. The 

 quality is equally affected by culture. When fully ripe, the 

 pulp is sweet and luscious ; but the skin is thick, coriaceous, 

 and acerb, and always rejected in eating the fruit. 



The plate which accompanies these remarks, was engraved 

 from a drawing made by an ingenious and accomplished 

 young lady of this borough. It is an accurate representation 

 of the specimen from which the drawing was taken, though I 

 think the fruit, in this instance, was rather more globose than 

 it usually is : when of a larger growth, especially, it inclines 

 more to an oval form. W. D. 



West-Chester, Pennsylvania, Mav9, 1829. 



