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A TEXT-BOOK OF BOTANY 



to the crab-apples. This is the most important fruit ui 

 the temperate regions, and North America is the greatest 

 apple-growing region of the world. For commercial pur- 

 poses there must be a combination of such features as pro- 



FIG. 282. The common pear: A, flower cluster; B, section of a single flower; 

 C, section of a fruit (core indicated by dotted outline). After WOSSIDLO. 



ductiveness, quality, and long-keeping; and the best region 

 of the country to produce all these extends from Nova Scotia 

 to Lake Michigan. Other important commercial regions are 

 Virginia, the Plains, Arkansas and the Ozarks, and the foot- 

 hills of the Pacific Coast. Each year these regions produce 

 about one hundred million barrels of apples. When first 

 introduced into this country, the apple was prized chiefly 

 for the manufacture of cider and vinegar; but it is used now 

 more extensively than any other fruit as a fresh and evapo- 



