ON THE PEAR 



the apple. And, for that matter, -we shall see else- 

 where that there is another possible interpreta- 

 tion of the story of the prehistoric migrations of 

 the trees. 



Be all that as it may, the pear retains to this 

 day evidence of the inherent need, in the interest 

 of its race, that the seeds borne at the heart of its 

 fruit shall be preserved in a moist condition. 



The skin of the pear, except in the most re- 

 cently modified varieties, is firm -and thick. It is 

 of a green or mottled yellow color calculated to 

 protect it from the observant eyes of birds and 

 animals rather than to attract them. It has been 

 assumed that the eatable pulp that surrounds the 

 seed was designed by nature — that is to say, de- 

 veloped through natural selection — for the pxir- 

 pose of attracting animals and birds, that these 

 creatures may aid in disseminating the seed. 



But the case of the pear, in common with that 

 of the wild crab apple, suggests that the chief 

 purpose of the fruit-pulp is to keep the seeds moist 

 through the winter. As a further aid to this, and 

 in token of the moisture-loving quality of its seeds, 

 the skin of the pear is fortified by a deposit of 

 woody cells at its inner surface that give it a gran- 

 ular or even gritty texture. 



This unique quality of the fruit may even ex- 

 tend to the pulp itself, especially with the more 



[HI] ■ 



