32 LSSSONS WITS PLANTS 



termining which are leaf-buds and which fruit- 

 buds is the direction of .growth of the entire 

 spur. The pear spur is crooked and forked be- 

 cause the fruit-buds are terminal; if, therefore, 

 the plum spur is straight or continuous in growth, 

 it is because the extreme buds are leaf -buds. 

 The side buds may therefore be inferred to be 

 fruit-buds. Let the pupil examine a plum tree in 

 either flower or fruit for further light upon this 

 point, and from all his observations he will prob- 

 ably be able to satisfy himself that there are at 

 least two distinct types of spurs upon fruit trees, — 

 those of indeterminate growth (or terminal fruit- 

 buds), and those of determinate growth (or termi- 

 nal leaf-buds) . 



Suggestions. — The pupils should spend at least one lesson upon 

 the fniit-spurs of the apple, and others upon those of the pear and 

 plum. Each pupil should be asked to bring in the oldest and 

 the youngest spurs which he can find. It may be well to suggest 

 that there may be characteristic differences in the spurs (and also 

 in the shapes and sizes of the fruit-buds) in different varieties of 

 the pear. Then examine the fruit-bearing of any wild tree. 



VII. FRUIT -BEARING, CONCLUDED 



30. We have now seen how completely the 

 records of the events in the life of a branch are 

 preserved in its buds, scars, and method of growth. 

 Fig. 28 is a twig cut from a peach tree in the 



