64 



PRINCIPLES AND PRACTICE OF PRUNING 



to be clusters of buds on the branch. A close examination 

 ■will show that each of these groups of buds is borne in 

 the axil of one leaf. This method of flower bud bearing 

 is less general than the production of buds singly in the 

 leaf axils. 



64. Cherries bear their fruit buds mainly on short spurs 

 (Figs. 44, 43), much less laterally on the vigorous young 

 shoots, except as noted below. In all 

 cases, however, the buds are axillary, 

 the termiial being a branch bud, 

 hence the usually straight fruit spurs. 

 jVs in th« peach the twigs produced 

 "last year" often bear blossom buds 

 mostly near their bases. The 

 Ijranch buds farther up these twigs 

 will manv of them develop "this 

 3^ear" into spurs for "next year's" 

 fruiting (Fig. 45). Among the sour 

 cherries certain varieties produce 

 consi(leral)le numbers of bloom 

 buds on the new growths. After 

 these have fruited they drop off and 

 thus leaA'e the long naked branches 

 so commonly seen among the sour 

 cherry varieties. The only areas 

 that bear fruit in such varieties are 

 near the ends of these slender 

 branches. 



65. Recognition of fruit buds. — 

 The cluster buds of apples and 

 pears are readily distinguished by 

 their plum])ness and their well- 

 rounded shape. Those of apricut and peach, though 

 smaller, are aliout as ci mspicm ms as apple and jiear 

 buds because of their positinns as well as their 

 forms. Cherry Ijuds, es])ccially on "last season's" wood, 

 are harder 1(.) recognize because (bey are not \'ery much 



FIG. 43— SWEET CHERRY 

 Twig shows numerous 

 spurs on two and three-year 

 wood. (Cluster buds (not 

 seen) form near the base of 

 one-year wood. Note that 

 the tips of ail spurs produce 

 branches as indicated by the 

 lea\es. The same is true of 

 terminal and axial buds. 



