DWARF-SHOOTS 121 



that of the whole bud; consequently the entire length of a 

 dwarf-shoot may be closely ringed by alternating series of 

 crowded scale-scars and equally crowded leaf-scars, and the 

 leaves on such shoots appear to be tufted. 



Considering how different these dwarf-shoots, or short 

 twigs, are from the ordinary long twigs, it will be under- 

 stood how profoundly they may affect the branching, and 

 this the more in that they frequently bear, or terminate in 

 flowers. They can, however, suddenly change their usual 

 habit ; and after growing slowly for many years, a dwarf- 

 shoot, which has only attained a length of an inch to a few 

 inches, may suddenly develop into a long shoot two or 

 three feet long, and then go on growing as a long shoot, or 

 return to its former habit. All these events can be read 

 by the signs afforded by the leaf-scars and scars of the 

 bud-scales. 



Dwarf-shoots, or spurs, are prominent on and charac- 

 teristic of the following trees in winter : 



Apple Pear Plum 



Cherry Bird Cherry Almond 



Blackthorn Larch Beech 



Hornbeam Barberry Pines 



Cedars Laburnum Oaks 



Sea Buckthorn Beam Rowan 



Maples Buckthorn Hawthorn. 



They are probably never entirely absent from any tree, 

 but in the following their characteristics are less strongly 

 in contrast with those of the long shoots, and have less 

 influence on the appearance of the branching : 



Birch Lime Elms 



Willows Plane Alder 



Ash Walnut Tamarisk 



Vine Ampelopsis Poplars 



