76 DEVELOPMENT OF PINE-TREE [CH. 



spring (1904), the lateral in question was a bud in the 

 year 1900. In 1908 it had developed into a shoot similar 

 to one of the uppermost laterals in the diagram : in 1902 

 it was in the condition of one of the second latei'als down 

 the principal axis, and itself bore two subsidiary laterals : 

 in 1901 it was in the stage now represented by the third 

 laterals of to-day, and had grown longer and put out its 

 own second pair of laterals, while its previous subsidiary 

 laterals, also grown longer, bore in their turn each a pair 

 of laterals of the second order. In 1904 it attained its 

 present condition, and shows its four annual growths from 

 the time (1900) when it was itself a bud. 



And similarly with the principal branches lower down : 

 the one was a bud in 1899, and shows five annual elonga- 

 tions, the lowermost was a bud in 1898 and shows six 

 years' growth. The plant was a seedling in 1897 [assuming 

 that the first pseudo-whorl arose from buds laid down the 

 second year], and is therefore eight years old at present. 



In Fig. 24 I have represented, in a similarly sim- 

 plified and diagrammatic fashion, a later condition of 

 affairs, which does not usually occur, however, until the 

 Pine-tree is considerably older and has many more whorls 

 than are here, for the sake of simplicity, depicted. 



In the first place we note that the cleaning of the 

 stem and older branches of the tufts of needles — each of 

 which is a dwarf-shoot consisting of two to five green 

 needles with a few scales (see Vol. I) and is cut off by an 

 absciss-layer and cast normally — a process already begun 

 in the older regions of Fig, 23, has proceeded further. 

 Secondly we note that the stem has begun to clear 

 itself of the older principal branches as well, the two 

 lower whorls having already gone in the diagram, where 

 stumps are left to mark their places. Thirdly we see 

 that the terminal bud of the leader has stopped growing, 



