486 KEW ENGLAKD TEEES IK WINTER. 



APPLE 



Pyrus JIalus L. 



Slalus Mains ( L. ) Britton. 



HABIT A tree reaching 30-50 ft. In height and a trunk diameter o( 



2-3 ft.; trunk short with wide spreading- limbs forming a broad round- 

 topped head of familiar and very characteristic habit. 



BARK Grayish-brown, scaling off in thin, brittle, flaky plates. 



TAVIGS Stout, pale-woolly, at least toward the apex, mostly reddish- 

 brown, rarely yellowish, shining where free from wlioI, \vith cliaracter- 

 istically slightly bitter and li<_urice-like taste when chewed: sliort, 

 stubby, contorted fruit-spurs abundantly present. LEXTICELS — scat- 

 tered, pale, more or less conspicuous. PITH — white, 



LE.-VF-SC.'VRS — Alternate, more than 2-ranked, narrow, crescent- 

 shaped, raised. STIPULE-SCARS — absent, BUNDLE-SCARS — 3, often 

 indistinct, 



BVDS — Ovate, blunt, bright reddish-brown, more or less densely 

 covered with pale \\'ijf_'l; terminal bud S mm. or less' long, lateral buds 

 smaller, often triangular, flattened and appressed against twig, BUD- 

 SC.VLES — o\"ate, about 3 scales visible to lateral bud, more to terminal 

 bud. 



FRIIT — A large fleshy pome, 



CO-MPARISOXS — The Apple Tree resembles the Pear but is readily 

 distinguished from this species by its low spreading habit of growth. 

 The numerous varieties differ somewhat in the twig characters, some 

 \vith twigs and buds nearly smooth, others ■u'ith j'ellO'^'ish rather than 

 reddish-brown twigs. The ii'-orice-like taste of the twigs seems to be 

 a constant character for the Apple, Among its distinguishing characters 

 whiili in the main liijld good, may be mentioned the pale word on the 

 twigs and buds, the flat appressed lateral buds and the reddish-brown 

 color of tlie twigs. 



DISTRIBX-TIOiV — .A native of the Old World, cultivated in this 

 countr>' for its fruit and frequently escaped from cultivation in waste 

 places when it assumes a bushier habit of growth with smaller twigs 

 frequently beset with short sharp-pointed thorn-like branches, 



M OOD — Hard, tough, close-grained, reddish-brown, used for tool 

 handles, shoe makers' lasts, by the cabinet maker and esteemed as 

 a fuel in open grate dres. 



