CHAPTER IX 



STRUGGLE FOR EXISTENCE AMONGST 

 THE BRANCHES 



119. No Two Branches are Alike. Every twig has 

 history. It has to contend for sunlight and a place in whic 

 to grow. Its size and shape, therefore, depend on the cor 

 ditions under which it lives. Observe the long, straighl 

 big-leaved shoots on the top of the plant, and the shorl 

 weak, crooked ones on the inside or under side. 



120. There is struggle for existence for every twig an 

 every leaf. Those finding the best conditions live and thrive 



88. The struggle for life. Mulberry shoot. 



those finding the poorest die. The weak are overpowere 

 and finally perish: this prunes the tree, and tends to mak 

 the strong the stronger. Observe the competition in th 

 branch photographed in Fig. 88. Pick out the dead twig 

 the weak ones, the strong ones. See also Fig. 7. 



121. The Buds May Not Grow. There is not room in 

 tree-top for all the buds to grow into branches. Some buc 



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