68 THE LAWS OF SOCIAL INEQUALITY 



in the lower stages of its development ; we must go back 

 to the first year's growth. The unequal development of 

 the shoots from the sides and summits of the primary 

 vegetable cone, is the cause of a subsequent inequality, 

 which has gone on increasing with the growth and life of 

 the tree. The branches were, the first year, all equally 

 feeble and powerless ; sheltered beneath the covering 

 leaves, which kept watchful sentinel over the growing 

 points of the first year's shoot, through many a cold and 

 dreary winter's day and still more stormy night. Then 

 came spring, warm and welcome. The sentinel leaves 

 were removed from the post of duty, the new leaves and 

 shoots were unfolded from the buds. But from the very 

 first there is the same principle of suboi'dination as clearly 

 apparent among the shoots as amongst the leaves. Just 

 as the sap, elaborated in the lower leaves of the first shoot, 

 contributed to the formation of the upper leaves, so the 

 inferior buds either remain sterile or unfold simply as un- 

 branched shoots or leaf-clusters, because they are subordi- 

 nate to the development of the upper buds which attract 

 the sap away from them. The most considerable growths 

 or shoots are therefore made by the bud at the summit of 

 the first year's shoot and the side-buds situated in imme- 

 diate neighborhood. It is plain that all the buds of the 

 first year's shoot are equally exposed to the air and the« 

 sun's influence. The inequality in their development must 

 therefore originate m a principle of subordination and sub- 

 serviency in the lower leaf-buds to the upper ones. 



Now, these peculiarly abbreviated fornis of the shoot 

 play an important part in the building up of the tree-form. 

 All the little twigs which fill up the space between the 

 larger branches, and which are so plainly visible when they 

 are deprived of their leaf ornaments, have proceeded from 

 buds which take a minimum of development, and unfold 

 year after year simply as leaf-clusters. There is no side 

 production. On the contrary, the whole of the vital energy 

 of the leaves is expended in the formation of the enlarged 

 terminal bud, and in supplying the upper and more deve- 

 loped shoots and branches with sap. 



