THE FLOWER AND THE FRUIT 23 



itself and much more than one-half the bulk of the iruit. 

 Already my apple, now half grown, shows many of its 

 distinctive characteristics. 



Yet another fortnight has come and gone, and it is 

 June 28th. It has been good "growing weather." Sum- 

 mer is here, full-orbed, regal, bringing the abundance of 

 the earth. Here are two stout apples hanging on their 

 stems (Fig. 10), for they are now too heavy to be held 

 erect. The larger fruit is a trifle more than two 

 inches in diameter. The feature spots are now still more 

 prominent on these apples, the ribs more pronounced, 

 the blush against the sun more warm. Both these fruits, 

 from one spur, will mature ; but the smaller one will be 

 blemished, for the apple-scab fungus has established it- 

 self on the crown and about the calyx. Already the 

 growth is checked in that area, and the apple looks 

 flattened. There is no evidence in either apple of codlin- 

 moth invasion. The adjoining spur, not clearly shown in 

 the photograph, is barren; it gave no flowers this year, 

 and it shows no indication of a blossom-bud for next 

 year. The leaves are thick and vigorous, yet they bear 

 marks of insect injury and one of them has been ex- 

 tensively skeletonized. On the whole, however, the fruits 

 have the mastery, and they now make a brave show. 



July has passed this way. Tomorrow it will be 

 August. The odor of apples is now in my tree. There 

 are big striped apples on the ground, plucked by the 

 wind, the hold loosened by bugs for they too have felt 

 the fullness of July. Three apples, one of them three 

 inches through and two and one-half inches high, and 

 the others nearly as big, hang at the level of my eyes. 

 You may see them in Fig. 11. Here rises again my boy- 



