FRUIT. 77 



plates expand into leaves and the flower stalk in spring. Small bulbs 

 are formed into bulbous plants on the crown of the root, which en- 

 larging and becoming detached, form perfect bulbs that shoot up leaves 

 and flowers. 



Fruit. 



Fruit is the immediate product of flowers. The fertilization of the 

 seed having taken place, the pistil, or the pistil and enveloping parts, 

 grow, change their form and appearance, obtain new color, texture, 

 flavor, etc., and ultimately become fruit. Two essentially different 

 kinds of fruit are formed by different processes in flowers. The 

 pistil in one instance grows separately from the envelopes, which fall 

 off, and the fruit is formed by a change and enlargement of parts of 

 the pistil ; this is called superior fruit. In the other case the pistil 

 and envelopes grow together and the fruit consists of a change and 

 enlargement of the whole flower ; this is called inferior fruit. The 

 essential difference between the two is that the superior fruit is at- 

 tached to the branch alone by the pistil, while the inferior adheres by 

 the base, both of the pistil and all the envelopes. The qualities of 

 fruit, however, are not significant of these terms ; they are not indeed 

 used by many botanists, those of calyx-adherent and calyx-free, being 

 substituted. Among the superior are the strawberry, raspberry, peach, 

 plum, apricot, cherry, grape, and fig ; and among the inferior are the 

 apple, pear, quince, medlar, currant, gooseberry, melon and cucumber. 



Fruit is a kind of branch, it being an advanced state of a flower, 

 which is a kind of branch ; and it has the same kind of organic con- 

 nection with the plant as other branches, requiring, like them, to 

 be supplied by it with food. Its interior, however, not being woody, 

 but pulpy, it more readily leaves its parent stem. The inferior fruit 

 consists of a less number of leaves than the superior ; and, as the sup- 

 ply of food to the plant and its attractive force is in proportion to the 

 number of leaves, the inferior is more attractive than the superior, and 

 consequently it is less liable to fall off. The pistil of the superior 

 fruit being unprotected, it is more exposed to frosts and other changes of 

 the atmosphere, and is more liable to suffer therefrom than the inferior. 

 There are, however, some variations from this rule. 



Fruit, like leaves, has power to form and elaborate secretions, but 

 it contributes little to the plant, as its powers are exerted in perfect- 

 ing itself; still, some kinds do form wood. The object of fruit is 

 evidently the protection and nourishment of the seed for the perpetua- 

 tion of its kind ; and, for this purpose, its fluids are mostly consumed. 

 This it attracts from neighboring parts and, in doing so, often destroys 

 fruit in its vicinitj r , if it be more healthy and vigorous ; and the weaker 

 fruits, as we often see, shrink and fall off. 



