STRUCTURE OF THE QUINCE TREE. \J K ] ', 17 



CHAPTER II. 

 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 laterals 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, called lenticelles. They are 

 corky formations, having just projection enough to give 

 a slight roughness to the surface. 



The buds 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 blossoms 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 latent, and may remain dormant for 

 years. They 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 



