THE FKTJIT. 



43 



FOEMS OF CHERRIES. 



Cherries are round or Tieart-sliajped / obtuse Jieart-sJiaj^d^ 

 when too round to be fully heart-shaped ; and pointed^ 

 when the point is more than ordinarily sharp or peaked. 

 The sutui^e is also taken note of as in plums and peaches. 



Gooseberries and Grwpes are always round or oval. Cur- 

 rants always round. Strawberries round, conical, or oval, 

 sometimes with a neck ; that is, the base is drawn out at 

 the stem in the form of a narrow neck. Rasjpberries are 

 conical, roimdish, or long. 



3d. Color. — The color of fruits depends much on their 

 exposure to the sun's rays. We find that in orchard trees, 

 where the heads are dense, and a large portion of the 

 fruit shaded and shut out from the sun, there is a great 

 difference in the color ; indeed, so great, frequently, as to 

 make their identity from appearance quite doubtful. 

 Varieties that are naturally — when properly exposed to 

 tlie sun — of a bright red or a glowing crimson, remain 

 green in the shade. The climate, too, seems to have con- 

 siderable effect on the color. As a general thing, we 

 observe that northern apples are clearer and brighter 

 colored than those of the south. 



Dry soils and elevated situations produce more highly- 

 colored fruit than damp and low valleys. The terms 

 used in describing colors, are all simple and well under- 

 stoSd. 



4:th. Flavor^ in table fruits, is one of the most impor- 

 tant of qualities ; for however large or fair a fruit may 

 be, if insipid or astringent to an unpleasant degree, or if 

 it possesses some other disagreeable quality, it is unfit for 

 the table. There are various kinds of flavor even among 

 varieties of the same species : in pears, particularly, it is 

 alpaost endless, the shades and degrees of sweet and aoid^ 



