STRUCTURE OF THE QUINCE TREE. 1? 
CHAPTER I. 
STRUCTURE OF THE QUINCE TREE. 
THE root and top are the two principal parts of all 
trees. When raised from seed, a plant or tree has first 
of all a main or tap-root, which goes down into the 
ground, where it ramifies,and gives support and nour- 
ishment to the top. The point where the root and top 
meet is the collar of the tree. Trees grown from cut- 
tings do not have a tap-root like seedlings, but make up 
for it by the large number of /aterals which they send out. 
The top, consisting of the trunk and branches, termi- 
nating in twigs with their leaves, is the counterpart to 
the root system. ‘The quince, in these respects, differs 
in no way from other trees. The bark of one year old 
twigs and shoots is beautifully flecked with a thick dot- 
ting of light-colored spots, caiied lenticelles. They are 
corky formations, having just projection enough to give 
a slight roughness to the surface. 
The duds are of two sorts, leaf and fruit. The buds 
of the quince that produce fruit push out short growths 
from one to three inches long, on the ends of which are 
the dlossoms and fruit. The leaf buds resemble them 
at first, but when expanded are destitute of the organs 
of the flowers and fruit. The quince makes its most 
vigorous buds on the sides of its shoots instead of the 
ends, and, when well cultivated, growth continues until 
the autumn frosts nip the terminal buds. A large num- 
ber of the buds are Jatent, and may remain dormant for 
years. ‘I'hey are Nature’s reserve to grow when others 
are destroyed. When a vigorous shoot has been well cut 
back, buds often push on each side of the visible buds, 
giving three and sometimes more growths at one place. 
The latent buds are developed when large branches are 
