10 



GENERAL PRINCIPLES. 



Morceau^ grey or drab^ and the Bartlett and Biiffam 

 quite reddish. The shoots of certain varieties of apples 

 and pears, and especially plums, are distinguished by 

 being downy ^ fm-nished to a greater or less extent with a 

 soft and hairy covering — in some cases barely observ- 

 able. 



4th. Wood Branches (fig. 6) are those bearing only 

 wood buds. 



5th. Fruit Branches are those bearing fruit buds ex- 

 clusively. They are presented to us under different forms 

 and circumstances, all of which it is of the highest im- 

 portance to understand. 



In kernel fruits, such as the apple and pear, the most 

 ordinary form of the fruit branch is that generally called 

 \\vd fruit spur {A, B, C, figs. 7, 8, 9). It appears first as 



a prominent bud, as in fig. 7 



old 



on wood at least two years 

 ; and for two or three seasons it produces but a rosette 



of leaves, and con- 

 tinues to increase 

 in length, as in fig. 

 9. After it has 

 produced fruit, it 

 generally branches, 

 and, if properly managed, will 

 bear fruit for many years. Ap- 

 ple and pear trees of bearing 

 age, and in a fruitful condition, 

 will be found covered with 

 these spurs on all parts of the 

 head except the young shoots. 

 In addition to the frxdt spur, 

 there are on the kernel fruits 

 slender yrM^^ 'branches, about as 

 large as a goose quill, and from 

 six to eight inches in length (fig. 10) ; the buds are long, 



Fig. 9, fruit branch of the pear. 

 il, B, and C, older spurs. 



