THE LEAF -BUD AND THE FRUIT-BUD 5 



of the struggle for food and light, and its effects upon the 

 developing buds. 



II. THE LEAF-BUD AND THE FRUIT-BUD 



6. Another apple branch is shown in Fig. 3. 

 It seems to have no slender last year's growth, 

 as Figs. 1 and 2 have at / h. It therefore needs 

 special attention. It is first seen that the "ring" 

 marking the termination of a year's growth is at a. 

 There are dormant buds at b b. The twig above 

 a must be more than one year old, however, be- 

 cause it bears short lateral branches at e e. If 

 these branchlets are themselves a year old (as 

 they appear to be), then the portion fg must be a 

 similar branch, and the twig itself (af) must be 

 two years old. The ring marking the termination 

 of the growth of year before last is therefore at /. 

 In other words, a twig is generally a year older 

 than its oldest branches. 



7. The buds c c are larger than the dormant 

 buds (66). That is, they have grown; and if 

 they have grown, they are really branches, and 

 leaves were borne upon their little axes in the 

 season just past. The branchlets d d d are larger 

 (possibly because the accompanying leaves were 

 more exposed to light) and e e and g are still 

 larger. For some reason the growth of this 



