290 A TEXT-BOOK OF BOTANY 
to the crab-apples. This is the most important fruit of 
the temperate regions, and North America is the greatest 
apple-growing region of the world. For commercial pur- 
poses there must be a combination of such features as pro- 
Fig, 282.—The common pear: .{, flower cluster; B, section of a single flower; 
C, section of a fruit (core indicated by dotted outline).—.After Wossipo. 
ductiveness, quality, and long-keeping; and the best region 
of the country to produce ull these extends from Nova Scotia 
to Lake Michigan. Other important commercial regions are 
Virginia, the Plains, Arkansas and the Ozarks, and the foot- 
hills of the Pacific Coast. Hach vear these regions produce 
about one hundred million barrels of apples. When first 
introduced into this country, the apple was prized chiefly 
for the manufacture of cider and vinegar; but it is used now 
more extensively than any other fruit as a fresh and evapo- 
