406 
The Ohio Naturalist. 
[Vol. XII, No. 1 
FLUCTUATING CHARACTERISTICS OF APPLES. 
C. H. Goetz. 
In taking up the study of fluctuating characteristics in apples,, 
the intention was to show in how far there was a fluctuation of 
characteristics in apples. The work was carried on at Pullman, 
Washington, during the years 1909 and 1910. 
In the fall of the year as the apples ripened in the orchard of 
the Washington State College, there was gathered from the trees 
of fifty different varieties of apples, enough fruit to make one 
hundred apples of each variety, for use in the investigation. 
These apples were taken promiscuously from the trees. They 
were stored in boxes in the cold storage, each box being marked 
with name and number. 
During the winter the apples were cut up for investigation and 
study. One-half of them were cut lengthwise for a study of the 
longitudinal outline form; for size; shape, form and size of tube, 
for shape of core line; depth, size and form of cavity and basin: 
for position of stamens, and length of stem. 
The other half of the apples were cut into cross sections for the 
study of the core line or fibro vascular bundles; for size, shape and 
nature of cavities; for cross-section outline; for position form and 
nature of core. 
These halves of the apples were as near as possible true halves. 
They were inked with indelible pencil on the face in such a way as 
to have them make clear cut and true impressions of the form and 
various characteristics of the apples as they were pressed upon 
paper. 
Two impressions were made. The first impression was made 
on an absorbing paper, making a very strong impression. This 
was used for making a tracing of the apples. The second 
impression was made on a fine grained paper, to be used for 
further study. 
The investigation of the fluctuating characteristics of the 
apples brings out the following: 
1. That there is a more or less fluctuation in certain char- 
acteristics and that this is true more of certain varieties of apples 
than of others. 
2. That certain varieties of apples show a tendency toward a 
constancy of characteristics, while others have a great tendency 
toward fluctuation. 
Perhaps the most fluctuating characteristic in all apples is 
found in size, shape and appearance of the seed cavities. 
Second to this comes the fluctuation in the length of the 
peduncle in any variety. 
