58 ENCYCLOPEDIA OF PRACTICAL HORTICULTURE 
quality and appearance like some of our 
seedlings as to show a very close con- 
nection between the crab and the seedling. 
In fact, there are varieties of crabs so 
nearly like certain varieties of seedlings 
as to make it next to impossible to deter- 
mine which is the crab and which is the 
seedling. 
Again it sometimes occurs that seed- 
lings produce the very finest varieties of 
apples, and by this means domestic vari- 
eties have been greatly improved, which 
tends to establish the fact that apples have 
followed the law of plant variation in 
general. This law if wisely used will 
lead us along a line of indefinite improve- 
ment of even the best varieties now 
grown. 
GRANVILLE LOWTHER 
BOTANY 
The apple tree is a near relative of the 
roses, raspberries, blackberries, strawber- 
ries, and is somewhat further removed 
from the plums, peaches, cherries, etc. 
It is therefore a member of the rose fam- 
ily (Rosaceae), and has many character- 
istics common to the one thousand related 
species. 
The place of this family among the 
flowering plants of the vegetable king- 
dom has been a matter of some conitro- 
versy, but the more rational view is the 
one which regards its species as standing 
not far from the lower or primitive dicot- 
yledons (i. e., plants with two seed 
leaves), and hence not distantly related 
to the buttercups, anemones, ete. Indeed 
it is not difficult to see in the strawberry, 
raspberry, and blackberry, and even in 
the apple itself, a good many resemblances 
to buttercups and anemones. If the re- 
ceptacle of a buttercup should become 
fleshy we would have a pretty close imi- 
tation of a strawberry. If we compare 
the species of Spirza with some of the 
members of the buttercup family, the re- 
semblance is still more striking. It is 
safe for us to assume, therefore, that the 
family of plants to which the apple be- 
longs is not one of high botanical rank, 
however high we may rank it from an 
economic standpoint. 
In the rose family there are several 
marked types of flowers, of which the 
most important are the following: (1.) 
With several, separate, free pistils, as in 
the strawberry, blackberry, raspberry, 
Spirea, etc. (2.) With several pistils 
which are covered with the adherent ca- 
lyx-tube, aS in the apples, pears, quinces, 
etc. (3.) With but one free pistil, as in 
cherries, peaches, plums, etc. 
The plants of the second type are some- 
times set off in a sub-family called the 
apple sub-family (Pomaceae), and occa- 
sionally this has been regarded as a dis- 
tinct family under the same name. In the 
apple sub-family botanists have been able 
to distinguish 14 different genera, of 
which the most important from the hor- 
ticulturist’s standpoint are the following: 
Cotoneaster, of which one or more species 
are in common cultivation as pretty, 
thorn-like trees; Cydonia, the quinces; 
Pirus, the apples; Hriobotrya, the Japan- 
ese medlars; Amelanchier, the service ber- 
ries; Mespilus, the common medlars; and 
Crataegus, the hawthorns. In this ar- 
ticle we are particularly concerned with 
the genus which includes the apples, and, 
as will be seen below, even here we need 
notice but a few of the many species. 
Pirus L 
Flowers containing both stamens and 
pistils; calyx a five-lobed cup adhering to 
and enclosing the two to five ovaries; 
petals five, inserted on the top of the ca- 
lyx cup; stamens many (about 20) in- 
serted on the top of the calyx cup; ovaries 
usually with two ovules, producing as 
many seeds; fruit, a pome, consisting of 
the enlarged and fleshy calyx cup, enclos- 
ing the papery carpels (core) and brown, 
tough-coated seed; leaves alternate, de- 
ciduous, simple or compound. 
About 50 species of this genus are now 
known, mostly natives of the north tem- 
perate zone, a few extending into the 
tropics upon high mountains. Seven or 
eight species occur in North America. 
The genus is divided 
genera, namely: 
1. The Apples (Malus), with globose 
fruit, containing soft flesh; leaves simple. 
into six sub- 
