GROWING AND FRUITING HABITS 397 



infrequently the crop borne from flowers appearing in such an unusual 

 place exceeds that produced by those considered characteristic. For 

 instance, the nectarine would be classed generally as a tree bearing its 

 fruit buds laterally on shoots, but the Stanwick variety is as typical a 

 spur bearer as the Montmorency cherry. 



Since all buds are to be regarded as potential flower buds, flowers or 

 inflorescences and hence fruits, may be borne wherever buds are borne — 

 usually (1) terminally on long or short growths, or (2) laterally in the 

 axils of the current or past season's leaves and now and then (3) adven- 

 titiously from any point on the exposed bark of limbs, trunks or roots. 

 As a rule the position of the flower or inflorescence on the shoot relative 

 to the growth of the current season is characteristic of the species or 

 variety and is subject to but little change. The inflorescences of the 

 raspberry and blackberry are always terminal to the growth of the current 

 season and the flowers or inflorescences of the persimmon are always 

 lateral. Flower-bearing shoots may arise from either terminal or lateral 

 buds on either long or short growths (spurs), or they may arise from 

 adventitious buds. There is often considerable variation within the 

 species, variety, or even individual plant in this respect. 



Relation of Growth Habits to Position of Fruit Buds. — Within limits 

 certain habits of growth are necessitated by or at least are associated with, 

 particular fruiting habits. In general, plants with terminal fruit buds 

 have a somewhat restricted habit of growth. Terminal bearing tends to 

 promote greater compactness of tree or plant than bearing from lateral 

 fruit buds, because it forces the development of laterals from below, 

 rather than beyond, the flowers or flower clusters. Plants whose fruit 

 buds are borne either terminally (apple) or laterally (sweet cherry) on 

 short growths or spurs are generally more compact than those like the 

 peach or grape whose fruit buds are borne on long shoots and the problem 

 of preventing their bearing areas from getting too far away from the 

 trunk or head of the plant is less serious. If fruit buds are borne later- 

 ally on long shoots there may be a distinct difference in the general man- 

 ner of growth, depending on whether they are found principally on the 

 basal, median or distal portion and the grower will employ a "short," 

 "medium" or "long" pruning system, as the case may be. 



Different Kinds of Flower-bearing Shoots. — Regardless of the location 

 of the fruit bud — that is, whether terminal or lateral — when it unfolds it 

 may give rise to any one of three distinct types of flower-bearing struc- 

 tures: (1) it may contain flower parts only and develop a single flower 

 (as in the peach) or a flower cluster (as in the cherry) without leaves, (2) 

 it may be a mixed bud and develop a short or long leafy shoot terminating 

 in an inflorescence (as in the apple), (3) it may be mixed and develop a 

 short or long leafy shoot bearing flowers or flower clusters in some of its 

 leaf axils (as in the persimmon). 



