34 The Farm Woodlot 



ent. Its purpose is to protect the growing tissue. There 

 is always a soft, pulpy inner bark and a woody or corky 

 outer bark. The various forms that it may take are as 

 numerous as the species of trees, and in many cases as 

 distinctive. A close examination shows that the bark 

 is divided into annual rings, and were it not for the fact 

 that the hard outer bark cracks and scales off from time to 

 time, the age could be told from the bark as well as from 

 the wood. This bark covers the entire tree, stem, roots 

 and branches. 



As yet we have not discovered the source of growth, and 

 unless we know what to look for, may not find it at all. It 

 is most easily seen in the spring. Between the bark and 

 the wood is a very thin layer of mucilaginous living tissue. 

 During the growing season this tissue grows in two direc- 

 tions, outward to form the bark and inward to form wood. 

 It is by means of this tissue that all diameter growth 

 takes place. This is called the cambium and like the bark 

 envelops the whole tree. Where this layer is taken off, 

 diameter growth ceases. 



The buds are arranged on the branches in regular order 

 at the base of the leaf stems. They are formed in the 

 autumn, when the tree is maturing its season's growth, for 

 the winter protection of the tender growing points. The 

 buds at the ends of the branches are called "ter- 

 minal" buds, those along the branches, "lateral" buds. 

 These buds are of two kinds : flower buds, which will 

 produce the flowers in the spring; and leaf buds. The 

 flower buds are often to be distinguished by their larger 

 size. They are more easily damaged by frost than the 

 leaf buds. 



