36 



POMOLOGY 



develop, the ovarian cavity is formed and upon the placentae 

 of the latter the ovules are borne. (Fig. 14.) 



As the tip of the axis enlarges, the protuberances which 

 arise spirally below it develop into individual flowers, al- 

 though one or two leaf-buds are also differentiated slightly 

 below the lowermost flower of the cluster. 



Fig. 14. — Early stages of fruit-bud differentiation in the apple, a, grow- 

 ing axis; b, incipient lateral flower-bud; c, beginning of a bract 

 in the axil of which a flower-bud may develop; d, a bract or leaf; 

 e, surrounding bracts and bud scales;/, vascular bundles; g, pith. 



The further development of an individual flower-bud of the 

 group may be considered as representative of the others in 

 the cluster. When the central flower-bud is readily recogni- 

 zable, it appears as a very short, stocky, conical mass, the 

 apex of which is flattened except at the center where there is 

 a small slightly convex elevation or knob, much as indicated 

 in Fig. 15. A section through the bud would reveal a region 

 of actively dividing cells near the upper surface, especially 



