58 



ENCYCLOPEDIA OF PRACTICAL HORTICULTURE 



quality and appearance like some of our 

 seedlings as to show a very close con- 

 nection between the crab and the seedling. 

 In fact, there are varieties of crabs so 

 nearly like certain varieties of seedlings 

 as to make it next to impossible to deter- 

 mine which is the crab and which is the 

 seedling. 



Again it sometimes occurs that seed- 

 lings produce the very finest varieties of 

 apples, and by this means domestic vari- 

 eties have been greatly improved, which 

 tends to establish the fact that apples have 

 followed the law of plant variation in 

 general. This law if wisely used will 

 lead us along a line of indefinite improve- 

 ment of even the best varieties now 

 grown. 



Granville Lowther 



BOTANY 



The apple tree is a near relative of the 

 roses, raspberries, blackberries, strawber- 

 ries, and is somewhat further removed 

 from the plums, peaches, cherries, etc. 

 It is therefore a member of the rose fam- 

 ily (Rosaceae), and has many character- 

 istics common to the one thousand related 

 species. 



The place of this family among the 

 flowering plants of the vegetable king- 

 dom has been a matter of some contro- 

 versy, but the more rational view is the 

 one which regards its species as standing 

 not far from the lower or primitive dicot- 

 yledons (i. e.. plants with two seed 

 leaves), and hence not distantly related 

 to the buttercups, anemones, etc. Indeed 

 it is not difficult to see in the strawberi'y, 

 • raspberry, and blackberry, and even in 

 the apple itself, a good many resemblances 

 to buttercups and anemones. If the re- 

 ceptacle of a buttercup should become 

 fleshy we would have a pretty close imi- 

 tation of a strawberry. If we compare 

 the species of SpiriPa with some of the 

 members of the buttercup family, the re- 

 semblance is still more striking. It is 

 safe for us to assume, therefore, that the 

 family of plants to which the apple be- 

 longs Is not one of high botanical rank, 

 however high we may rank it from an 

 economic standpoint. 



In the rose family there are several 

 marked types of flowers, of which the 

 most important are the following: (1.) 

 With several, separate, free pistils, as in 

 the strawberry, blackberry, raspberry. 

 Spiraea, etc. (2.) With several pistils 

 which are covered with the adherent ca- 

 lyx-tube, as in the apples, pears, quinces, 

 etc. (3.) With but one free pistil, as in 

 cherries, peaches, plums, etc. 



The plants of the second type are some- 

 times set off in a sub-family called the 

 apple sub-family (Pomaceae), and occa- 

 sionally this has been regarded as a dis- 

 tinct family under the same name. In the 

 apple sub-family botanists have been able 

 to distinguish 14 different genera, of 

 which the most important from the hor- 

 ticulturist's standpoint are the following: 

 Cotoneaster. of which one or more species 

 are in common cultivation as pretty, 

 thorn-like trees; Cydonia, the quinces; 

 Pirus. the apples; Eriohotrya. the Japan- 

 ese medlars; Amelanchier. the service ber- 

 ries; Mespiliis, the common medlars; and 

 Crataefiiis. the hawthorns. In this ar- 

 ticle we are particularly concerned with 

 the genus which includes the apples, and, 

 as will be seen below, even here we need 

 notice but a few of the many species. 



Pirns L 



Flowers containing both stamens and 

 pistils; calyx a five-lobed cup adhering to 

 and enclosing the two to five ovaries; 

 petals five, inserted on the top of the ca- 

 lyx cup; stamens many (about 20) in- 

 serted on the top of the calyx cup; ovaries 

 usually with two ovules, producing as 

 many seeds; fruit, a pome, consisting of 

 the enlarged and fleshy calyx cup, enclos- 

 ing the papery carpels (core) and brown, 

 tough-coated seed; leaves alternate, de- 

 ciduous, simple or compound. 



About 50 species of this genus are now 

 known, mostly natives of the north tem- 

 perate zone, a few extending into the 

 tropics upon high mountains. Seven or 

 eight species occur in North America. 



The genus is divided into six sub- 

 genera, namely: 



1. The Apples (Mahis). with globose 

 fruit, containing soft flesh: leaves simple. 



