COMMON APPLE-TREE. 
297 
and pear is not less different than the leaves and flowers. The apple is gener- 
ally concave at the insertion of the peduncle, depressed at the top, of a softer 
texture, less astringent, but more acid than the pear ; whereas, the latter, which 
may vary in shape, size, colour, taste, &c, by cultivation, is generally convex, 
and lengthened out at the base. The apple has woody threads passing through 
it to the peduncle, ten of which are regularly disposed round the capsules, tend- 
ing towards the calyx ; and it is said that the fruit decays when these are broken. 
The pear also has these threads, but less distinct, on account of the gritty matter 
which prevails in many of the varieties, and especially in wild pears. The cells 
of the two fruits are likewise differently shaped. Those of the apple are narrow, 
and pointed at both ends ; while in the pear, they are obovate, broad exteriorly, 
and drawing to a point at the centre of the fruit. 
Varieties. The common apple-tree, by itself, or conjointly with other species 
or races, is the parent of innumerable varieties or sub-varieties, generally termed 
by the British and Anglo-Americans, " cultivated apple-trees," and by the 
French, "pommiers doux," or "pommiers a couteau." Many of them are not 
only derived from the wild apple or crab, of Europe, but from the crabs of Sibe- 
ria and Astrachan. As it is utterly impossible to trace the multitude of cultivated 
sorts to the wild forms from which they have been obtained ; and as it appears 
very doubtful to us whether the wild crabs of Europe, northern and western 
Asia, and of North America, are specifically distinct, we have considered them 
only as varieties of the Pyrus malus. We are aware that objections will be made 
to this mode of classification, as it deviates from what is considered as established 
authority. Those, however, who differ from us in opinion, will find no difficulty 
in recognizing the names, as given by De Candolle, Loudon, and others, and will 
be enabled to know under what head they are described. 
1. P. m. acerba, Loudon. Sour-fruited Apple or Common European Crab- 
tree ; Pyrus acerba. of De Candolle ; Pommier sauvageon, of the French ; Holz- 
apfelbaum, of the Germans ; and Melo sylvatico, of the Italians. This form is 
a native of woods and way-sides, in Europe, and may be known by its ovate, 
acute, crenated leaves, glabrous even when young, as is the tube of the calyx. 
The flowers occur in corymbs ; and, according to De Candolle, there are many 
sub-varieties, with sour fruit, commonly called cider apples in Britain, and pom- 
mes a cidre in France. 
2. P. m. coronaria. The Garland-flowering Apple-tree 
scented. Crab; Pyrus coronaria, of De Can- 
dolle, Torrey and Gray, and Loudon; Mains 
coronaria, of Michaux ; Pommier sauvage, of 
the French ; and Amerikanischer Holzapfel- 
baum, of the Germans. This variety is a na- 
tive of North America, from Canada to Louis- 
iana, and was introduced into Britain in 1724, 
where it is common in collections, and has also 
been naturalized. It is found in fertile soils, 
in cool, moist places, near the borders of woods, 
where it usually grows to a height of fifteen to 
eighteen feet, with a trunk six or seven inches 
in diameter, and under very favourable cir- 
cumstances, it sometimes attains nearly double 
these dimensions. In some parts of Britain, 
as at White Knights, and at Pepper Harrow, 
near Godalming, it has become naturalized in 
the woods; and plants of various ages are 
found wild, which have sprung up from seeds 
38 
American Siveet- 
