190 



STEMS 



of the root system to supply water. Whatever the re- 

 straining cause, certainly many buds remain undeveloped. 



This overproduc- 

 tion of buds reminds 

 us of the overpro- 

 duction of seeds. 

 Both kinds of over- 

 production are of ad- 

 vantage to the plant ; 

 there are always other 

 seeds and other buds 

 to take the places of 

 those which fail. On 

 the ground there is 

 always a sort of 

 struggle for existence 

 among the great host 

 of young seedlings. 

 Similarly, in the tree 

 tops, there is a sort 

 of struggle for exist- 



Fig. 66. — Twigs of maple. The upper twig is 



taken from the top of the tree; the lower one ence among the yOUng 



from the side of the tree. Note the differences branches. (See Fis- 



in the direction of growth. Note that the termi- ,, * 



nal buds are larger than the lateral buds. Only UreOO.) 



a small proportion of such buds can develop into 



branches. « . .. 



53. Accumulation 

 in Stems. — This topic well illustrates a very common and 

 very important misunderstanding of plants; namely, the 

 misunderstanding that plants do things which involve fore- 

 thought. 



This misunderstanding is important because it causes 

 an entirely wrong conception of plant life; it is the sort 



