FLOWERS. 53 



at an earlier period of the season than others ; the apricot 

 and the peach bloom very early, and this is the chief rea- 

 son why the crop is so often destroyed in localities subject 

 to late spring frosts. Among fruits even of the same spe- 

 cies there is much diiference in the period of blooming 

 one variety of apple being nearly two weeks later than 

 another. This, in some sections, is an important quality, 

 where every day that the blossom is retarded renders the 

 crop surer, from its being more likely to escape frost. 

 These differences are caused by various circumstances. 



1st. The Climate. The period of blossoming of the 

 same species varies much in different localities. Rochester 

 is at least a week earlier than Buffalo, although the dis- 

 tance is less that one hundred miles ; and it is nearly two 

 weeks earlier than Toronto, which is still nearer. The 

 large bodies of ice in the lakes, at both Buffalo and Toronto, 

 have, no doubt, a considerable effect in retarding the 

 blossoming period. 



2d. The Season and Position. In the same locality, one 

 season is frequently a week earlier than others, and trees 

 on the south side of a wall or building will expand their 

 blossoms several days before the same variety in the open 

 ground, only a few rods distant, and ten days to a fort- 

 night before those on a north wall. 



3d. The Soil. On warm, and light soils, the roots of 

 trees are excited into activity much sooner than in cold, 

 damp, and heavy soils, and the blossoming period is earlier 

 in consequence. 



The Different Characters of Flowers. Flowers vary 

 in size, form, color, and other qualities, even in the same 

 species. In the peach, these distinctions are so obvious, 

 that one of the principal classifications of pomologists is 

 founded on them. Thus there are varieties with large 

 showy flowers (fig. 40), as the Serrate Early York, and 

 small (fig 41), as Large Early York, Crawford^ Early, 

 etc. The color also presents variations, some being 



