484 NEW ENGLAND TEEES IN WINTER. 



PEAR 



Pyrus communis L. 



HABIT — A tree sometimes 75 ft. in height with a trunk diameter of 

 2 ft. or more; trunk erect, more or less continuous into the head, with 

 ascending- branches and numerous stubby branchlets forming an upright 

 pyramidal head. 



IIARK — Grayish-brown, on young trunks and branches smooth becom- 

 ing with age longitudinally fissured into fiat-topped ridges which are 

 further broken by transverse fissures into oblong scales. 



TWIGS — Stout, smooth or but slightly downy, yellowish-green or 

 sometimes with tinge of brow^n. without characteristic taste; short 

 sharp-pointed branches not infrequently present; stubby, branched 

 slow-growing fruit spurs abundant, with prominent fruit scars. LEN- 

 TICli^LS — scaLtered. pale, more or less conspicuous. 



liDAF-SCARS — Alternate, more than 2-ranked. narrow, crescent- 

 shaped, raised. STIPUL.E-SCARS — absent. BUNDLE-SCARS — 3, often 

 indistinct. 



Iliiis — Conical, sharp-pointed, smooth or but slightly hairy; terminal 



bud abruit S mm. or less in length, lateral buds smaller, generally 

 divergent and not flattened or at times on vigorous slioots both flattened 

 and oppressed. BUD-SCAL,ES — ovate, generally with conspicuous grayish 

 skin •<]] surface, generally 4 or more visible scales to lateral buds, more 

 to terminal bud. 



FRVrr — A large fleshy pome. 



C(Orr\Rlso\s — The Pear Tree may be distinguished' from the Apple 

 by its erect habit of growth. The twig characters vary somewhat 

 among tlie different varieties but in general the twigs of the Pear 

 differ from tliose of the Apple in being smooth, generally of a yellow- 

 ish-green color, devoid of a licorice-like taste and in having pointed, 

 mristly di\-ergent buds the scales of which are more or less covered 

 Willi a gra>-isli skin. 



I)ISTKini"TIO\ — A native of the Old World cultivated in this country 



for its fruit and escaped fron^ cultivation in waste places. 



M"0<>!) — Hard, close-grained, reddish-brown; used for drawing instru- 

 ments, for tools, in imitation of ebony and by the wood engraver. 



