20 POMOLOGY 



14. Buds defined. — Buds are undeveloped shoots or 

 branches, whether their content be of a leafy or floral nature 

 or both. The closed, scaly, resting buds of fruit-trees 

 represent a provision of the plant to protect the tender 

 growing points or partially developed flowers and carry 

 them over a relatively inactive period. This provision is in 

 contrast to the "naked" buds of many tropical trees and 

 shrubs, where climatic conditions do not require a winter 

 resting period, and yet even in the tropical plants a period of 

 rest of greater or less duration does exist. It might be 

 added here also that sometimes there are several such periods 

 of rest, followed by activity, known often as "flushes" 

 of growth. Some northern plants also produce naked buds 

 (as niost herbs, Kalmia, etc.). Buds have also been de- 

 scribed as the free extremities of branches or incipient 

 branches.^ 



15. Gross structure. — The buds of all the common fruits 

 are covered with overlapping scales which are, morphologi- 

 cally, specialized leaves. The bud-scales are accompanied in 

 some cases with a mat of soft hairs (pubescence) and some- 

 times with more or less resinous material of a water-proof 

 nature. Within these scales are the partially developed 

 leaves, flowers or both, depending on the bud in question, 

 and the axis on which they are borne. From the time the 

 buds are initiated in the summer (or autumn) previous, until 

 they open, there is a progressive development, some activity 

 going on even during the milder weather of midwinter. 

 Frequently the exact number of leaves which a shoot will 

 bear are present in the bud, but this is not always the case, 

 for vigorous shoots may develop additional ones during the 

 season. Particularly is this true with the peach, plum, and 

 apricot, and probably to some extent with most fruit-trees. 

 Likewise the size which the leaves will attain is determined 



1 Halsted, B. D. Memoirs: Torrey Bot. Club, 2: Sept. 1890. 



