10 



GENERAL PEINCIPLES. 



Morceau^ grey or drdb^ and the BartleU and Buffam 

 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 fridts^ such as the apple and pear, the most 

 ordinary form of the fruit branch is that generally called 

 ihQfndt sjpur {A^ B^ (7, figs. Y, 8, 9). It appears first as 

 a prominent bud, as in fig. T, on wood at least two years 

 old ; 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 

 ]3roduced 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 j)arts of the 

 head except the young shoots. 

 In addition to the fimit spur^ 

 there are on the kernel fruits 

 slender y^w^Y Ijranclies^ about as 

 large as a goose quill, and from 

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



Fig. 9. 



Fig. 9, fruit branch of the pear. 

 A, B, and C. older spurs. 



