30 LUSSOJYS WITH PLANTS 



two side buds developing, and also two weaker 

 spurs at d and d d,— giving four chances of con- 

 tinuing the growth of the main spur; 1886, the 

 spurs d and d d remained small and slender, but. 

 one of the upper branches grew on to g and 

 there made a fruit-bud, while its twin bud (upon 

 the left) did not elongate; 1887, fruit borne at g, 

 but it did not mature (as shown by the small 

 size of the scar), and the spur continued to /;, 

 and there made another fruit-bud ; the twin bud 

 now pushed on to / and made a fruit-bud, and 

 the spurs d and d d are alive but evidently 

 doomed soon to perish; 1888, fruits were borne 

 at / and h (the bearing year having been 

 changed), but neither of them matured, the side 

 spurs pushed on to // and h h, and an attempt 

 was made at fruit-bearing at d; 1889, all shoots 

 elongated and all end in leaf -buds, showing that 

 the change in the bearing year had interfered 

 with the normal development, for this should have 

 been the year of fruit. Our spur, therefore, is ten 

 years old; it has borne good fruits three times, and 

 has made five unsuccessful attempts at fruit-bear- 

 ing; some of the branches are too weak for 

 further usefulness; and dormant buds still remain 

 on the old wood near its base. From all of 

 these observations, we are warranted in concluding 

 that every crooked and knotty branch has a his- 



