FLOWER BUDS OF APPLES 285 



It will lie noted from Tables VIII and IX, tliat in most cases 

 the trees forming flower buds earliest and most abundantly were 

 those whieli g-rew slowly and bore a compai-atively small fruit 

 crop during the year 1916. One of the trees vrhieh was in part 

 an exception was the Jonathan on plot 5. It formed flower buds 

 late but abundantly, made considerable growtli but bore a com- 

 paratively small crop of fruit. On the other hand the Jonathan 

 oin clean tillage produced a small percentage of flower buds 

 although neitlier growlli nor crop was large. But it will be 

 noted that during 1915 the growth and production of this tree 

 were remarkably high and the tree was probably in a state of 

 exkaustion in 1916. 



DISCUSSION. 



The data given in the preceding pages show that the for. nation 

 and development of flower buds in the two varieties of apples 

 subject to four types of soil management were associated with 

 a number of factors. Early formation, and high percentage of 

 flower buds were associated with a low percentage of soil mois- 

 ture, small growth and the production of a small crop. Also 

 the fact that buds formed earlier on clover where the soil mois- 

 ture was gTeater than in blue grass suggests that the amount of 

 nitrates may be a factor of considerable importance. It is 

 likely, however, that the most important factor wa ^ the amount 

 of soil moisture, which also atfects the growth of the tree and 

 probably the size of the crop at the same time it affects the for- 

 mation and development of flower buds. 



BIBLIOGRAPHY. 



1. Beach, S, A., Grimes Golden and Jonathan Description: Apples 

 of New York, 1, pp. 153, 172, 1903. 



2. B©s.sey, O. £., The Botany of the Apple Tree: Ann. Rep. 

 Nebr. State Hort. Soc, 1894 



3. Black, Caroline A., The Nature of the Inflorescence and Fruit 

 of the Pyrus Malus: New Ham. Technical Bull. 10, pp. 519-546, 

 1916. 



4. Bradford, F. C, Fruit Bud Development of the Apple: Bull. 

 Ore. Agr. Sta. 129, pp. 1-16, 1915. 



5. Btitler, O., On the Cause of Ultimate Bearing in the Apple: 

 Bull. Torrey Bot. Club, 44, pp. 85-9 6, Feb.. 1917. 



6. Cliamberlaiii, C J., Staining Methods, in Methods in Plant 

 Histology, 3d Revised Edition, 1915. 



7. Oranefield, F., Duration of Growth Period in Fruit Trees: 

 Rep. Wis. Exp. Sta., 17, pp. 300-308, 1900. 



