100 



PEACTICAL BOTANY 



gives any other external sign of getting ready to open. This 

 swelling is caused by the growth and development of the leaves 



or other contents of the bud. When the 

 begins to open, the scales spread apart 

 contents to emerge; sometimes they 

 off. It is this time when the flowers 

 to open that is a particularly 

 the fruit grower. Peaches, for 

 to blossom before the last 

 season are over, and the 



bud actually 

 and allow the 

 promptly fall 

 are beginning 

 anxious one for 

 example, often begin 

 freezing nights of the 

 entire crop may often be 

 cut off by a single very cold 

 night. For this reason peach- 

 growing in the North is safest 

 in regions, like the east shore 

 of Lake Michigan, where the 

 spring is usually rather late in 

 coming. A curious instance 

 of the importance of the sea- 

 son at which frosts occur 

 is found in European olive 

 culture. In the Crimea, on 

 the north shore of the Black 

 Sea, the temperature during 

 most years sinks a good deal 

 lower than it does in southern 

 France. Yet in Languedoc 

 the olive culture fails, while 

 in the southern Crimea it 

 succeeds, because in the 

 former region severe frosts 

 occur in January, just when 

 the olive buds are opening, 

 while in the latter region 

 the coldest month is often 

 March or April, after the young olive leaves are fairly well 

 grown and are not easily injured by cold. 



FIG. 85. Rapidly grown twigs of horse- 

 chestnut in winter condition 



b.sc, bud-scale scars ; ii, i 2 , is, internodes ; 

 I, lateral buds ; t, terminal buds ; sc, leaf 

 scars. The portion i\-i^ and the large 

 terminal bud grew during the preceding 

 spring and summer. The opposite lateral 

 twigs are of the same age as the portion 

 i\-iz- One third natural size 



