CHAPTER XVI. 



THE POME FRUITS. 



The apple, pear and quince are classed as pome or poma- 

 ceous fruits. The flesh in the pome fruits consists of the 

 thickened calyx tube, which becomes consolidated with the 

 ovary or core and the edible part of the pome is the developed 

 calyx. 



APPLE. 



The apple is divided into several groups according to the 

 several well-defined characters of the different varieties. 

 Each group is usually named after the most important apple 

 in that group, as, for example, the Ben Davis group includes 

 the Ben Davis, the Gano and the Black Ben Davis as well 

 as several more varieties of that type. Other groups are 

 the Fameuse group, the Duchess of Oldenburg group, etc., 

 and each includes a number of varieties which are similar 

 to each other. 



Propagation. — The apple is commonly propagated by 

 budding, by root grafting and by crown grafting. The root 

 grafting and the budding are the most common methods of 

 propagation. The root grafting is performed upon seed- 

 ling roots during the winter. The grafted roots are then 

 tied in bundles of convenient size and are stored in sand and 

 placed in a cool cellar. When spring arrives and the soil can 

 be plowed the grafts are placed in the nursery row about 1 

 foot apart in the rows and the rows about 3 feet apart. The 

 tongue and whip graft is the method commonly employed 

 in doing the root grafting. 



The budding of the apple is becoming the most popular 

 form of propagation during recent years. This form of 

 propagation is employed upon the one-year-old seedling 

 plants in the nursery row. The budding is performed during 

 the late summer, usually in July, August and September. 



