WINTER CONDITION OF SHOOTS AND BUDS 



Shoots of the horse chestnut. Terminal buds. The 

 terminal bud where well formed is larger than the lateral buds. 

 This, as in other similar cases, is evidence that this bud will con- 

 tinue the growth, the coming year, of the main shoot, 

 and that the lateral shoots will be subordinate in 

 size. The buds are well protected by brown, over- 

 lapping, external scales and a sticky, varnish-like 

 substance, which covers them. If the scales are 

 removed one by one their position and relation can be 

 seen. They occur in pairs, the two of a pair being 

 opposite, and each pair alternates with the pair 

 above and below. Some of the buds are leaf buds 

 while others are flower buds. As the buds open in 

 the spring it can be seen that the leaves have a 

 similar relation to each other, and to the scales, ex- 

 cept that they are farther apart. As the scales fall 

 away they leave transverse lines on the shoot, which 

 are crowded and in the form of ringmarks. These 

 are the scale scars. They mark the end of one year's 

 growth of the shoot and the beginning of the next. 

 By observing these ring scars on the shoot the age of 

 the shoot can be determined for several years back. 

 If the shoot is cut obliquely at different ages, it will 

 be seen that the annual rings indicate the same age 

 of the shoot as the scale scars do. Lateral buds. 

 The lateral buds are opposite and rise above the leaf 

 scars. The larger buds are on the last year's growth, 

 and those nearer the terminal bud are the larger and 

 will develop into lateral branches. Those buds 

 which do not ordinarily develop into shoots are latent 

 buds. If the terminal and larger lateral buds are 

 removed by cutting off the part of the shoot which 

 bears them, the latent buds can develop into shoots. The leaf 

 scars. The leaf scars are large and shaped something like the 

 bottom of a horse's foot with a horsehoe and nails. The series 

 of pits (bundle scars) mark the position of the vascular bundles 



