Tree Shidy 



783 



pistils becomes one of the five cells in the apple core. If one of the stigmas 

 does not receive pollen, its ovary will develop no seed; this often makes the 

 apple lop-sided. When the petals first fall, the calyx-lobes are spread wide 

 apart ; later they close in toward the center, making a tube. To note exactly 

 the time of this change is important; since the time of spraying for the 

 codling moth is before the calyx-lobes close. These lobes may be seen in 

 any ripe apple as five little, wrinkled scales at the blossom end; within them 

 may be seen the dried and wrinkled stamens, and within the circle of 

 stamens, the sere and blackened styles. 



Just ready to spray. A pear and two apples from which the petals 

 have recently fallen and with calyx lobes widely spread. 



Photo by M. v. Slingerland. 



There may be five or six, or even more blossoms developed from one 

 winter bud, and there may be as many leaves encircling them, forming a 

 bouquet at the tip of the twig. However, rarely more than two of these 

 blossoms develop into fruit, and the fruit is much better when only one 

 blossom of the bouquet produces an apple ; if a tree bears too many apples 

 it cannot perfect them. 



The blossoms and fruit are always at the end of the twigs and spurs of 

 the apple tree, and do not grow along the sides of the branches as do the 

 cherry and the peach. However, there are many buds which produce only 

 leaves ; and just at the side and below the spur, where the apple is borne, a 

 bud is developed, which pushes on and continues the growth of the twig, 

 and will in turn be a spur and bear blossoms the following year. 



