﻿REPORT 
  OF 
  THE 
  STATE 
  BOTANIST 
  1903 
  39 
  

  

  cluster 
  is 
  generally 
  less 
  than 
  the 
  number 
  of 
  its 
  flowers 
  because 
  

   some 
  flowers 
  fail 
  to 
  produce 
  fruit. 
  The 
  fruit 
  may 
  be 
  globose, 
  oval, 
  

   oblong, 
  ovate 
  or 
  pyriform. 
  It 
  is 
  not 
  invariably 
  of 
  the 
  same 
  size 
  

   and 
  shape 
  on 
  the 
  same 
  tree 
  but 
  it 
  is 
  now 
  thought 
  to 
  furnish 
  char- 
  

   acters 
  of 
  specific 
  value. 
  When 
  the 
  flower 
  stem 
  is 
  short 
  and 
  stout 
  

   the 
  ripe 
  fruit 
  is 
  likely 
  to 
  be 
  erect. 
  If 
  the 
  flower 
  stem 
  is 
  long 
  and 
  

   slender 
  the 
  ripe 
  fruit 
  is 
  likely 
  to 
  droop 
  on 
  its 
  stem. 
  In 
  some 
  

   species 
  the 
  hairiness 
  of 
  the 
  calyx 
  tube 
  of 
  the 
  flower 
  persists 
  and 
  the 
  

   fruit 
  is 
  hairy, 
  in 
  others 
  it 
  disappears 
  and 
  the 
  fruit 
  is 
  smooth. 
  In 
  

   some 
  the 
  fruit 
  falls 
  when 
  it 
  is 
  ripe 
  or 
  soon 
  after, 
  in 
  others 
  it 
  hangs 
  

   on 
  the 
  branches 
  after 
  the 
  leaves 
  have 
  fallen, 
  persisting 
  sometimes 
  

   till 
  winter 
  or 
  in 
  rare 
  cases 
  and 
  partially 
  till 
  the 
  following 
  spring. 
  

   In 
  most 
  species 
  the 
  color 
  of 
  the 
  ripe 
  fruit 
  is 
  some 
  shade 
  of 
  red, 
  

   either 
  orange 
  red, 
  scarlet, 
  vermilion 
  or 
  crimson. 
  In 
  some 
  it 
  is 
  

   yellow, 
  greenish 
  yellow, 
  or 
  these 
  colors 
  varied 
  with 
  a 
  red 
  cheek. 
  

   In 
  some 
  species 
  the 
  fruit 
  has 
  a 
  distinct 
  pruinosity 
  or 
  bloom, 
  in 
  

   others 
  an 
  indistinct 
  or 
  scarcely 
  noticeable 
  bloom 
  is 
  present. 
  Such 
  

   fruits 
  have 
  a 
  dull 
  or 
  opaque 
  color 
  but 
  a 
  little 
  rubbing 
  of 
  the 
  sur- 
  

   face 
  brings 
  out 
  a 
  shining 
  color. 
  The 
  cuticle 
  in 
  some 
  species 
  may 
  

   be 
  stripped 
  from 
  the 
  fully 
  ripe 
  fruit 
  as 
  from 
  a 
  very 
  ripe 
  peach 
  or 
  

   pear. 
  The 
  flesh 
  or 
  pulp 
  in 
  some 
  is 
  dry 
  and 
  mealy, 
  in 
  others 
  juicy 
  

   and 
  soft. 
  It 
  may 
  be 
  whitish, 
  greenish 
  yellow, 
  orange 
  or 
  red. 
  In 
  

   many 
  species 
  the 
  fruit 
  has 
  an 
  agreeable 
  flavor 
  and 
  is 
  sweet 
  or 
  

   slightly 
  acid 
  and 
  edible. 
  In 
  some 
  cases 
  it 
  has 
  been 
  utilized 
  in 
  

   making 
  jelly. 
  In 
  size 
  it 
  varies 
  much, 
  being 
  but 
  three 
  or 
  four 
  lines 
  

   in 
  diameter 
  in 
  some 
  and 
  nearly 
  an 
  inch 
  in 
  others. 
  In 
  most 
  of 
  our 
  

   species 
  it 
  is 
  from 
  five 
  to 
  seven 
  lines 
  in 
  diameter. 
  The 
  number 
  of 
  

   nutlets 
  of 
  the 
  fruit 
  generally 
  equals 
  the 
  number 
  of 
  styles 
  in 
  the 
  

   flower. 
  In 
  the 
  section 
  Tomentosae 
  the 
  nutlets 
  differ 
  from 
  those 
  

   of 
  the 
  other 
  sections 
  in 
  having 
  the 
  inner 
  faces 
  excavated. 
  Thorn 
  

   bushes 
  appear 
  to 
  have 
  in 
  some 
  cases 
  their 
  " 
  off 
  years 
  " 
  like 
  apple- 
  

   trees. 
  A 
  bush 
  may 
  be 
  loaded 
  with 
  fruit 
  one 
  year 
  and 
  the 
  next 
  

   have 
  none. 
  Sometimes 
  the 
  fruit 
  fails 
  because 
  of 
  late 
  frosts. 
  This 
  

   happened 
  about 
  Lake 
  Placid 
  the 
  past 
  season. 
  A 
  severe 
  frost 
  the 
  

   last 
  week 
  in 
  May 
  killed 
  the 
  stamens 
  and 
  pistils 
  even 
  in 
  the 
  

   unopened 
  flower 
  buds, 
  and 
  though 
  flip 
  petals 
  were 
  apparently 
  

  

  