Ap^le Blossoms. 285 



APPLE BLOSSOMS. 



If any of our town readers — we do not think it possible that our 

 country readers can — have ever failed to notice the beauty of that com- 

 mon and popular thing, an apple blossom, we commend to them what 

 the late A. J. Downing said of it. " The apple tree has a flower that 

 challenges the world to surpass it, whether for the delicacy with which 

 the white and red are blended, — as upon the cheek of the fairest 

 maiden of sixteen, — or the wild grace and symmetry of its cinquefoil 

 petals, or the harmony of its coloring, heightened by the tender verdure 

 of the bursting leaves that surround it." 



Although all apple blossoms are beautiful, some are, both in size and 

 color, much more beautiful than others. The Bellflower takes its 

 name from the beauty of its blossoms. The flower of the Dutch 

 Codlin excels any other we have ever seen in depth and brilliancy of 

 color, so much so, that we have grafted it on dwarf stocks for the sake 

 of the flowers alone. And the Chinese Double Flowering apple, in 

 our estimation, is more beautiful than any other of our " double flow- 

 ering " fruit trees. 



But some of our utilitarian friends may be disposed to inquire. What 

 is the good of all these beautiful flowers.'' It would be a sufficient 

 answer, that beauty is itself a good. But as this would probably not 

 satisfy them, we will add that careful observation of the characters 

 of the flowers of our apples will aid in identifying varieties, and also 

 in tracing their origin. The Ben apple, for instance, has its flowers 

 of a dull red, with a brownish tinge, entirely unlike that of any other 

 we know of, so that the presence or absence of this color would at once 

 mark the tree as genuine or spurious. Another advantage to be gained 

 by observing the time of flowering would be, to note such as by bloom- 

 ing late are more likely to escape spring frosts, and are, therefore, 

 eligible for planting where late frosts prevail. Such are the Hubbards- 

 ton Nonsuch, Northern Sj^y, Rome Beauty, and Rawle's Janet. 



A very interesting paper on this subject was contributed to the Pro- 



