The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1884-03-23

uOoAfy On tnS SYVo0tx2A s0voL - 10 49, kSN-
teas Of some risA parvsau family transplaatsd
loAg ego into urban luxury may stih live In
honnsiy fashion % the old fArm. The straw
berry. indeed represents no astonishing
amount Of prugrcss from the modest
starting point II has. no doubt. risen one de-
gree In tho chromatic ecnie by Transforming
the color Of fts pctais from FOLLOW TO white. ana
Il he's acquired tho habit OF producing .
sweet and bright colorcd fruit instead OF a few
small Seeds" To bring about the latter char
acterlstic result. however II mersiy had TO push
up and swell out It's seed receptacle into
sweet. PUPPY mass, IN sxpodient adopted for
the sake Of attracting birds. In the rospberry
and blackberry. the process Of specialization
intended to WOO the the birds assistance in tho
work OF propagation was altogether different.
e. Here. instead Of tho seed bed or receptacle
swelling out aud growing rod and juicy.
Il 10 the outer coat Of tho separate
little seeds themselves that forms tho
oatable mart Each tiny nut
which In tho strawberry was quite hard and
brown IL here covered with juicy black or rod
pulp. inside which lies the stony real seed; 80
that blackberry looks like . whole colleotion
Of minute separate fruits. run together into
single thimble- shaped head" In the rose. on
tho other hand. neither the seed receptacle nor
tho husk OF the scsd itself Is converted into
pulp. but the outer green cup which covers the
blossom In the bud grows up around tho little
seeds or fruit pieces and as tho fruit ripenB
turns red and forms n ssod-case or dry berry.
which birds cat. though We do not 1t is for
other modes Of specialization that the roso Is
priced by man. for oven In such primitive OK
amples rs the sweethrier va IND the petals
larger and tinted pink thus reaching the third
graduation in the ohroMntio scale and. more
over. In tho cfrort to allure fertllizing insects
81 anti n-,tta ant
Of sweet scent
In the course Of this cha pter OF plant history
Mr.. Allen shows how from the great central
division OF tho rose family represented by the
goose weed, the strawberry. the blackberry.
and the true rose, two main younger branches
have diverged much more widely In different
directions. AS often happens. these junior
offshoots have outstrippcd aud surpassed the
elder stock in many points OF struc-
ture and function. The first Of the two
branches In question IL that Of the plum
tribe" embracing. besides Its eronym.
the cherry. the apricot the peach. the neota-
rtne. and tho almond. Tho second is that OF
the pears and apples. with which should be
classed not only tho Grab apple. the ounce.
and tho medlar. but tho hawthorn and
the mountain ash. We shall not follow Mr.. Al
lens analysis further In detail. but merely note
that the reader will discern ut glance the d.
reetion. extent, and usefulness ofthe specialize
ing efforts by which each OF those strange on
shoots OF tho rose family hns striycn to improve
its means OF propagation and survival. We
cannot refrain. however. from including In our
quotations sonlo remarks on tho odd change by
which tho nectarlne has been metamorphosod
into tho almond. Different rs they appear at
first sight. tho almond must really be regarded
ms Il very slightly altered variety OF nectarine.
Its outer shell. or husE. represents tho
pupy part Of the nec'arino fruit; anu.
indeed. IL you cut In two a young
unriPe almond and young unripo necta-
rinc. you Will lind that they resemble
ono another very closely. But as they ripen
tho outer coat OF the noctarine grows juicier.
while that OF the almond grows stronger and
coarspr till at Inst the one becomes what we
commonly call fruit. while the other becomes
what We commonly call nut. Here. again the
reason for the change is not difficult to divine.
Some seeds succeed best by making thom-
solves attractive and trusting to birds for their
tbe to.tics n, concaalmeo, Inv drassino IN. m
| selves in green when on the tree and in brown
vhsn on the ground md nv ssekinv rather "a