FRUIT-BUD FORMATION 59 



soil solutes which, according to the generalization above, 

 would depress flower formation. Or if the roots are pruned, 

 it would result in a preponderance of "reserves" over soil 

 solutes taken up by the roots, producing again a lack of 

 balance but in the ojiposite direction. 



53. Relation of leaf area to flowering. — The relation of 

 the amount of leaf surface and the size of the leaves to fruit- 

 bud formation is germane to this discussion, as it is connected 

 with the food supply which can be utilized by the plant. 

 It should not be inferred that large leaves are necessarily 

 associated with the formation of fruit-buds, for frequently 

 the largest leaves appear on the strongest vegetative shoots 

 which are usually barren (?. c, water-sprouts). However, 

 it has been observed that the year an apple tree is fruiting 

 heavily, the leaves are usually smaller than when little or 

 no fruit is bome. This refers particularly to the leaves on 

 the spurs. A report on two Yellow Transparent apple trees 

 which had manifested a noticeable difference in leaf size 

 between the bearing and non-bearing years may be cited as 

 illustrative of this point. It will be understood that the 

 bearing tree one year is non-bearing the next: 



Table VIII 



AVER.\r.E WEIGHT AND AREA A LEAF; BEARING AND NON-BEARING TREES 



It has also been observed that there are more as well as 

 larger leaves on the cluster base or on the spur the season 



