Terms iised in Describing Fruits. 169 



ing large showy flowers ; and another class, comprising the Early 

 Crawford, George IV., and many more, having flowers with small 

 narrow petals. 



II. FORM OF THE FRUIT. 



In the following pages, the base of a fruit or any other part or 

 production of a tree, is the portion towards the branch or root. 

 This is in accordance with the language universally adopted in 

 describing plants. It has, however, been more or less departed from 

 in the common language used to describe fruits, and especially so, 

 a<; applicable to the pear. This deviation from 

 scientific accuracy tends to confusion, and if 

 simplicity of expression is sought, ambiguity 

 must be avoided. The apex of the stalk of a 

 fruit, however, to avoid the chance for a mistake, 

 may, in all cases, be termed the insertion. 



The term apex should be understood as apply- 

 ing to the part most remote from the branch or 

 root. In fruits, it is the part opposite to the in- 

 sertion of the stalk. In pears, this part is usually denominated the 

 crown. 



The axis is a line connecting the base and apex. 



A longitudinal ' seftion is made by cutting an apple from base to apex. 



A transverse seflion, by cutting it at right angles to the axis. 



The length is the longitudinal diameter ; the breadth the trans- 

 verse diameter. 



A fruit is round when nearly spherical, as the Fameuse and Green 

 Sweet. 



Roundish, when varying slightly from round, or when the length 

 and breadth are nearly equal, as the Dyer and Gravenstein. 



Fig. 209. Oblate. Fig. 210. Conical. Fig. 211. Ovate. Fig. 212. Conic. 



Oblate, flat, or flattened, when the height is much less than the 

 breadth, as the Rambo and Maiden's Blush, Fig. 209. 



8 



