486 THE CHERRY. 



outlines against the sky, which may be semi-circular, ovoid, pyra- 

 midal, and so forth. 



But almost all full-grown trees have this feature in common ; 

 their outlines may be contained in a boundary built up of straight 

 lines, for the denseness of twigs and foliage preserves them unbroken. 

 The Beech-tree, which has its branches arranged as if in a succession 

 of spires, is an exception to this rule, and the Cherry-tree is also 

 conspicuous for the gaps or hiatuses, like jagged incisions between 

 the boughs, which break into its outline. This appearance is due 

 to its long straggling and sparse branches being ill-supplied with 

 side-twigs to fill up the intervening spaces, while the twigs that 

 do exist are short in proportion to the length of the branch which 

 supports them. 



The main boughs usually spring from the stem at half a right 

 angle, but in the process of growth this is often modified into a 

 gradual curve : some of the boughs form from the first no more than 

 a right angle. These slight variations lead to a lack of graceful 

 proportion in the ramification of the tree. 



The branches are usually pendent, with the ends curved upwards, 

 but here again vertical shoots, which spring from the upper side, 

 often break the continuity of the curve. The newly-formed branches 

 are a dull pale brown in colour, those of older growth are darker 

 and glossy, smooth and round, with gray and purple tints mingling 

 in the brown. The yellow perforations which mark the young wood 

 become at a later stage grooves encircling stem and branches. The 

 colour of the buds is a rich brown. A mature Cherry-tree reaches 

 a height of from twenty to thirty feet. 



