54 STRUGGLE AMONGST BRANCHES 



will be 10 branches, each of which may have 10 buds. 

 At the end of the second year there will be 100 branches ; 

 at the end of the third, 1,000. Can 1,000 branches be 

 borne on a 4-year-old branch 12 inches long ? Or, count 

 the old bud -scars on the branches for the places of 

 the buds jwsist as wrinkles in the bark, often for many 

 years (Fig. 86). One can often locate these bud-scars 

 on old branches with his eyes closed by running his fingers 

 over the bark. 



122. Buds which fail to grow are called dormant 

 buds. They are usually the weakest ones, those which 

 grew in the most uncongenial conditions. They are to- 

 wards the base of the shoot. We have seen (117) that it 

 is the terminal or uppermost buds which are most likely 

 to grow. The dormant buds gradually die. They may 

 live four or five j r ears on some plants. If the other buds 

 or branches fail or are injured, they may grow, but usu- 

 ally they die. 



123. Dormant buds must not be confounded with ad- 

 ventitious buds. We have learned (54) that adventitious 

 buds are those which are formed at unusual times or places, 

 because of some disturbance of the part. If a large branch 

 is cut off, suckers or watersprouts are thrown ont near the 

 wound : these arise from buds which are made for the occa- 

 sion. These buds did not exist there. In many countries 

 it is a custom to "pollard" or cut off the tops of trees 

 every few years for the firewood ; and strong adven- 

 titious shoots arise along the trunk. Fig. 87. 



124. WHERE THE BRANCHES GROW. Because new shoots 

 tend to arise from the top of the twigs, the branches of 

 most trees are in tiers or layers. These tiers often can 

 be traced in trees 50 and 100 years old. Try it in any 

 oak, maple, ash, or other tree. For practice, begin with 

 young, vigorous trees (Figs. 88 and 89). 



125. When part of a top is removed, the remaining 



