48 LUSSONS WITB PLANTS 



not only a cluster of leaves but a cluster of un- 

 opened flowers. We know that when an apple is 

 borne upon a spur, the spur ceases to grow in 

 that direction (10) ; that is, the apple fruit is ter- 

 minal. Then we know that the shoot from this 

 bud is destined to remain short all summer, and 

 we infer that the leaves upon this short spur will 

 exercise an important office in nourishing the fruit. 



Suggestions. — The pupil should prove the conclusion in 46 ex- 

 perimentally. Let him lay off spaces at equal distances (say one- 

 quarter inch) on a young growing twig, and mark them with indelible 

 ink. If he visits the twig from day to day, and takes exact 

 measurements, he will make an interesting discovery. 



X. THE OPENING OF THE BUDS, CONTINUED 



48. We know that apples are usually borne 

 singly, and yet the flowers (as seen in Fig. 45) 

 are in clusters. Two or three weeks after the flow- 

 ers have gone, we examine the young apples, and ^ 

 we see something like Fig. 46. One apple has 

 persisted and all the others have perished. There 

 is, then, struggle for existence even among flow- 

 ers; and in apples, at least, we are to expect many 

 more flowers than fruits. 



49. A bit of apricot branch is shown in 

 Fig. 47. It has four fruit-buds. The scales of the 

 buds are seen at the base of each flower, — pushed 



