26 THE APPLE-TREE 



and try to harmonize them with the core-outline as seen 

 in the lengthwise section; probably you will discover 

 why you may not see the core-outline in all the length- 

 wise sections you make. Before you leave the fruit, note 

 whether single seeds in a cell are the same shape as the 

 two seeds in a cell. 



The flesh outside the core-outline is interpreted to be 

 stem structure rather than pistil structure. Sometimes 

 an apple bears a scale-like leaf on its exterior, suggesting 

 that the outer part of the fruit is stem. The older morphol- 

 ogists interpreted the apple flower to comprise a hol- 

 lowed calyx (calyx-tube) inside which is the pistil and 

 on the rim of which are the petals and stamens. The 

 structure now is regarded as a hollowed receptacle or 

 stem (hypanthium), with the pistil inside, the petals and 

 stamens on its rim. We noted in the flower that the 

 ovary part of the pistil is solidly imbedded in this re- 

 ceptacle, but that the five styles are free. The pear and 

 quince are of similar structure, but the peach, plum and 

 cherry are simple ripened pistils. 



Here, in this chapter, we have discovered some of the 

 epochs in the life of the apple. Usually we let the imagi- 

 nation run only to the mature fruit, thinking of the har- 

 vest, but in all the weeks before the harvest the apple 

 has been growing and taking form. As these weeks 

 have not been blank to the apple-tree, so shall they not 

 be blank to me. 



