DESCRIPTION. 25 



worth, nothing though not of very great importance. With the 

 grape, bloom is often of considerable importance. 



The delicacy of the bloom is .worth noting. In securing speci- 

 mens for descriptions care must be taken to preserve it. The 

 delicacy of bloom is well indicated by Thoreau's oft quoted ex- 

 pression : "The finest qualities of our nature, like the bloom of 

 fruits, can be preserved only by the most delicate handling." 



The Fuzz. — On peaches and some apricots and nectarines, 

 the fuzz is often highly characteristic. About all that can be 

 said in regard to it is to mention the amount using the terms 

 very fuzzy, medium, fuzzy, slightly fuzzy, or such comparative 

 terms as long, short, coarse, heavy, scant, thin, etc., etc. 



The Skin. — The last part of the exterior of fruits to be con- 

 sidered is the skin which has several characters of first impor- 

 tance. The skin may be thick or thin, tough or tender, rough 

 or smooth, polished, waxy, or greased; it may be wholly or 

 partly russeted; or it may be covered with a light or heavy 

 bloom. In fruits of a uniform color the skin is sometimes 

 marked with a line which runs from eye to stem ; in the drupes 

 lliis is most often a nearly obsolete suture ; in the pomes, as in 

 Talman Sweet apple, it is a character quite distinct from' any 

 other. Gooseberries are frequently marked on their surface 

 with lines, the characters of which should be noted. 



The Stamens. — In classifying the apple some writers have 

 thought the persistent stamens to be reliable characters. These 

 are seldom taken into account by American pomologists but 

 nevertheless are of interest and should receive the attention of 

 students-. The stamens are said to be marginal when they are 



