234 



JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



THE FLOWEES OF APPLES AS AN AID IN IDENTIFYING 



VARIETIES. 



By Edwaed a. Bunyard, F.E.H.S. 



[Read June 16, 1912; Mr. J. Hudson, V.M.H., in the Chair.] 



A CASUAL inspection of a number of different varieties of apples in 

 flower reveals many differences even to the unpractised eye, and a 

 closer inspection shows that the flower presents many characters which 

 may be of great aid in determining, in difficult cases, the correct 

 nomenclature of the variety. 



It may be asked Why is this minute detail required; cannot we 

 rely upon the fruit alone for purposes of identification? " There are 

 cases, however, where it is extremely difficult to separate two similar 

 varieties, and others occur in which, though fruits are practically 

 identical, twO' varieties may present certain well-marked differences 

 which are valuable from the cultural point of view. As an example of 

 this we may cite the case of the existence of two forms of the apple 

 * Borovitsky ' (' Duchess of Oldenburgh ') which are practically alike 

 in fruit and leaf characters, but whilst one form thrives only in the 

 southern parts of Eussia, the other will grow in much more northern 

 latitudes. Any small detail therefore of the flower in which they 

 differ would enable the distinction to be made without an actual experi- 

 ment. Furthermore, the importance of full and accurate descriptions 

 cannot be overrated. Quite apart from the interest of deciding cases 

 of doubtful nomenclature, a very considerable practical issue is often 

 involved. Pomology is largely a matter of tradition, knowledge being 

 handed on from one generation to the next, and whilst this actual 

 practical knowledge is of the first importance, and without it the merely 

 book-learned would fail dismally, the converse also holds some truth. 

 The traditional pomologist cannot afford to dispense with records. As 

 an instance of this danger we may mention the curious error in regard 

 to the apple 'Mere de Menage.' This apple was introduced into 

 England in the early part of last century and bears no resemblance 

 whatever to the true ' Mere de Manage ' of the Continent, from whence 

 it was imported. An error in orthography probably started the 

 mistake, which has persisted in this country for nearly a hundred 

 years. The apple is probably a sort much grown in Flanders formerly 

 as * Mere des Pommes,' and the similarity of names doubtless caused 

 the confusion. Unfortunately, though a coloured plate of the * Mere 

 des Pommes ' exists as well as a description, the latter is not detailed 

 enough to decide the point with absolute certainty. 



This case establishes the point which we are trying to make — 

 namely, that a reliance on tradition without records is a dangerous 

 practice, and, further, that records should be ample and systematic. 



