22 



the broken ends shown where the apples were borne in 1896. 

 The branchlets that bore them, therefore, must have grown in 

 i8g5, and the main branch, from i to 7, grew in 1894. It is 

 phiin, ivom the looks of the buds, that the shoot from 7 to 8, 

 grew last year, 1896. 



Starting from the base, then, we have the main twig growing 

 in 1894 ; the small side branches growing in 1895 ! these little 

 branches bearing apples in 1896, and the terminal shoot also 

 growing in 1896. Why was there no terminal shoot growing 

 in 1895 ? Simply because its tip developed a fruit-bud (at 7) 

 and therefore could not send out a branch ; for there are two 

 kinds of buds, — the small pointed leaf-bud and the thick blunt 

 fruit-bud. If the branchlets 3, 4, 5, 7, are two years old, the 

 dormant buds- — -i, 2— must be the same age. That is, for two 

 long years these little buds have been waiting for some bug to 

 eat ofT the buds and leaves above, or some accident to break 

 the shoot beyond them, so that they might have a chance to 

 grow ; but they have waited in vain. 



We have now found, therefore, that the little side shoots 

 upon apple twigs become fruit-branches or fruit-spurs, whilst 

 the more ambitious branches above them are making a great 

 display of stem and leaves. 



But will these fruit-spurs bear fruit again in 1897 ? No. The 

 bearing of an apple is hard work, and these spurs did not have 

 enough vitality left to make fruit-buds for the next year ; but 

 they must perpetuate themselves, so they have sent out 

 small side buds which will bear a cluster of leaves and grow into 

 another little spur in 1897, and in that year these new spurs 

 will make fruit-buds for bearing in 1898. The side bud is 

 plainly seen on spur 5, also on spur 4, whilst spur 7 has sown 

 a seed, so to speak, in the bud at 6. It is therefore plain why 

 the tree bears every other year. 



III. 



There was one tree in the orchard from which the farmer had 

 not picked his apples. Perhaps the apples were not worth pick- 

 ing. At any rate, the dried apples, shriveled and brown, are 



