62 THE PEARS OF NEW YORK 
are life events that distinguish some varieties. Leaves are many in some 
sorts; fewin others. The length, thickness, color of the petiole and whether 
it is smooth, pubescent or channeled are usually worth noting. The 
presence and the size and color of stipules are often important enough to 
record. The petioles of pear leaves are larger and slenderer than those 
of the apple, and the foliage of a pear-tree has something of the tremulous 
habit of the aspen and other poplars. The leaves have a gloss that 
distinguishes them at once from those of the apple-tree. As a rule, the 
foliage of the pear drops earlier in the autumn than that of the apple. 
When the leaves of pears open in the spring they are folded along the 
midrib, and are covered with snow-white wool, but at full maturity no 
trace of this woolly covering remains. The amount and texture of this 
covering on the leaves of different varieties vary greatly, although it is 
doubtful if this character is of much use for taxonomic purposes. 
Flower-buds and flowers.— It is not possible to distinguish flower-buds 
from leaf-buds by their external appearance as certainly as might be wished 
for the purposes of ascertaining what the crop will be and that pruning 
and budding may be done more intelligently. As a rule, however, the 
flower-buds are larger, plumper, and have a blunter point. The flower-buds 
are much like leaf-buds in color — usually a dark brown. They may be 
readily told by their contents when examined under a microscope. Time 
of opening is a mark of distinction with varieties that bloom very early 
or very late, but the flowers of most varieties of pears open at approxi- 
mately the same time. 
The flowers of pears give small opportunity to identify varieties but 
are useful. The petals in most of the flowers of varieties of P. communis 
meet or lap at the widest point, which is a short distance from the point 
of attachment. Occasionally a variety has the petals widely separated. 
Easter Beurré, Vermont Beauty, and Dana Hovey are examples of varieties 
with widely-separated petals. Round and broadly-oval petals meet or 
lap, long narrow petals are usually separated. The size, shape, and color 
of the petals offer the best means of identification from flowers. The 
length, thickness, and amount and kind of pubescence on the styles may 
distinguish varieties. The styles of the Howell pear are abnormally short. 
The number of flowers in a cluster, and whether the cluster is dense or 
loose are important. The character of the fruit-spurs is nearly always 
noteworthy. The calyx-tubes, calyx-lobes, and pedicels differ materially. 
These structures in the flower, while offering decisive evidence in identifica- 
