46 OTJR COMMON FETJITS. 



oned by botanists to be of one species, to which also be- 

 longs a new seedling sort, both large and good, recently 

 raised at New York, and so highly appreciated there that 

 it has been sold at the rate of nine dollars for about a 

 bushel. 



The Chinese Quince, only introduced into Europe 

 during the present century, bears a highly perfumed, red, 

 barrel-shaped fruit, about 4 in. long, and which will keep 

 until the spring, whereas the other sorts usually perish 

 before the end of autumn ; but, unfortunately, whether 

 eaten raw or cooked, it is found tasteless and insipid, and 

 is therefore only grown for the sake of its red violet- 

 scented spring blossoms. The last on the list, the Japan 

 Quince, or Cydonia (popularly miscalled " Pyrus ") Ja- 

 ponica, is also only grown for ornament, its dark green 

 hard fruit being less eatable than even the preceding; 

 but its blossoms, white, pink tinged, or more usually bril- 

 liant flaming scarlet, are far more beautiful, and appear 

 earlier, forming one of the commonest but most favourite 

 spring adornments of English grounds and gardens. 



CHAPTEE IV. 

 THE MEDLAE. 



IN all pomes the calyx, which, immediately surmount- 

 ing the ovary, first enwraps the flower-bud and then 

 supports the open blossom, remains in a shrivelled posi- 

 tion after the petals have fallen and the stamens wi- 

 thered away, still holding its place, while the fleshy 

 expansion beneath it swells and ripens, forming to the 

 last an actual part of the fruit. While, however, in apples, 

 pears, and quinces this dried-up relic of the blossom dis- 

 plays itself but as a small spot upon the summit of per- 

 fected fruit, in the Medlar it spreads over a large part of 

 the surface, and strikes the eye at once as the most not- 

 able feature in the object. Resembling in its internal 



