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Fig. 40. Plums bear their blossoms partly on spurs 



cause maturing a fruit is an exhaustive 

 process the direction of growth changes 

 each year and fruit is borne on each 

 spur usually only each alternate year. 

 With age the spurs (Fig. 37) often 

 become very gnarled and crooked. If 

 healthy and sturdy, however, they may 

 be as productive as young spurs. 



Cherries bear much of their fruit 

 on spurs (Figs. 38, 41), but because the 

 terminal bud generally extends the twig 

 the spurs are more or less straight. 

 Most of the other buds on the spurs 

 produce blossoms, though one now and 

 then may develop a branch spur. 

 Blossom buds are also borne near the 

 base of the annual growths of the pre j< 

 vious year. 



Intelligent pruning of 

 trees in bearing depends 

 on the method of bud- 

 bearing peculiar to each 

 species. Blossom buds are 

 rounder and plumper than 

 branch or wood buds. 

 Apples and Pears bear 

 most of their blossoms at 

 the tips of "spurs," in 

 clusters surrounded by 

 leaves (Fig. 39). Some 

 may come on the sides of 

 twigs produced the year 

 before. Because of this 

 terminal feature and be- 



Fie. 41. Sour Cherry bloom 



