FRUIT -SPURS OP PEAR 



41 



hh 



series of rings (c c). A weaker bud also de- 

 veloped, which m 1884 pushed toward c. The 

 six years' growths can be traced on this side 

 shoot, and it once made a 

 flower -bud, and a fruit set 

 at c; but the small size of 

 the scar shows that the fruit- 

 never attained maturity. It 

 probably fell in very early 

 summer. It is apparent that 

 there is an alternation in the 

 fruit -bearing of the pear, as 

 in that of the apple; from 

 this we may infer that there 

 is something like an alter- 

 nation of effort, or division 

 of labor, in the successive 

 growths of many plants. 



The further history of this 

 interesting pear spur (Fig. 

 19 ) may be summarized as f ol- 

 lo\vs: 1884, the barren shoot 

 grew to e e, and made a fruit- 

 bud; 1885, pear borne and 

 carried to maturity at e, two 

 side buds developing, and also 



two weaker spurs at d and d d, giving four 

 chances of continuing the growth of the main 

 spur; 1886, the spurs d and d d remained small 

 and slender, but one of the upper branches grew 



19. Old spur of 

 pear. 



