Sa 
BUDS AND BRANCHES 137 
154. Differences in the branching of trees.— We are now 
prepared to understand something about the causes of that 
endless variety in the 
spread of bough and 
sweep of woody spray 
that makes the winter 
woods so beautiful. 
Where the terminal bud 
is undisputed monarch 
of the bough, as in the 
pine and fir, or where it 
is so strong and vigor- 
ous as to overpower its 
Fic. 156. — A mixed wood in winter, showing . 
weaker brethren and the trend of the branches. 
keep the lead, as in the 
magnolia, tulip tree, and holly, we have excurrent growth. 
In plants like the oak and apple, where all the buds have 
a more nearly equal chance, the lateral 
branches show more vigor, and the result 
is either deliquescent growth, or a mixture 
of the two kinds. In the elm and beech,’ 
where the usurping pseudo-terminal bud 
keeps the mastery, but does not completely 
overpower its fellows, we find the long, 
sweeping, delicate spray characteristic of 
those species. Examine a sprig of elm, 
and notice further that the flower buds are 
all down near the base of the stem, while 
the leaf buds are near the tip. The chief 
development of the season’s growth is thus 
thrown toward the end of the branch, giv- 
ing rise to that fine, feathery spray which 
Fic. 157. — Winter : : 
spray of ash, an op- makes the elm an even more beautiful 
pene crer object in winter than in summer (Fig. 158). 
An examination of the twigs of other trees will bring out the 
various peculiarities that affect their mode of branching. The 
