JJWARF Apples. 395 



120 fruit been borne the following season may be discovered by 

 examining b. The two spurs upon the twig are each two years 

 of age, the twig being three years, for it made one year's growth 

 before the spurs broke from the buds. These spurs average 

 scarcely over half an inch in length, and their diameters are 

 probably but little larger than they w^ere the year before, fn 

 d, in the center of the plate, we also find two-year-old spurs, but 

 one became ambitious during the second year of its existence, 

 and grew outw^ard, probably in search of more light. The por- 

 tion c represents a spur which has seen four summers. The 

 small irregular line at its base show^s w^here the first vear'a 

 growth stopped; those an inch higher mark the increase of the 

 second year; the third year added about an eighth of an incli 

 and the fourth applied the top story to the structure. The spurs 

 of € on the lower side of the plate, have the same age, but the 

 annual growths are of more uniform lengths. 



By examining the buds upon these spurs, it will be found that 

 some are smaller than others and that they vary also in form. 

 Such buds as are borne at the ends of the long spur upon d, c and 

 the two upon h are pointed and they have a diameter which is 

 less than that of the twig upon w^hich they are borne. Larger 

 and more spherical buds may be found upon a, c, and d. These 

 are w^hat are generally termed fruit-buds, as they contain minute 

 blossom buds w^iich, with the coming of spring, will develop 

 flowers as well as leaves. No blossom buds will be found in the 

 smaller buds, but only leaves, and during the coming season a 

 leafy shoot will be produced, and the terminal bud may prepare 

 for flow^ering the next year. 



Young fruit-bearing w^ood, therefore, appears as shown in the 

 illustration, and such wood should be w^ell distributed through- 

 out the entire tree. Its removal means the removal of fruit, 

 ;although the fruit may not appear for a year or two or three; 

 still it will appear sometime upon spurs, and such small branches 

 should always be removed cautiously. The same remarks apply 

 also to standard trees, and these should never have their 

 branches pruned so that they resemble long-handled brooms, the 



