72 PRINCIPLES AND PRACTICE OF PRUNING 



week in Septemljcr. In this last case (tlie variety most 

 studied) the buds differentiated into flower parts during 

 C)ctol)cr and continued development until late December. 

 During January development was only cytological. In 

 early February this variety resumed active growth and 

 by the end of the month had developed important changes 

 in the essential organs. The flowers were then ready to 

 unfold. 



5. Louis Phillippe cherry fruit buds began to form the 

 first week in July, and by the close of the month the 

 flower parts had begun to differentiate, but development 

 proceeded slowly through summer and fall until late 

 November. From then until February changes were 

 cytological. In late February the essential changes had 

 taken place. The buds began to swell rapidly and were 

 ready to unfold in early March. 



6. The following general conclusions are deduced from 

 the foregoing data : 



(a) Buds which produce the crop of bloom for the 

 current year are formed the preceding summer; initial 

 fruit bud formation has its beginning in June or July, de- 

 pending on seasonal conditions and the kind of fruit. 



(b) The proper development of the fruit bud would, 

 therefore, be influenced by factors brought to bear upon 

 the tree prior to and during the period at which fruit 

 bud formation takes place. In the practice of such or- 

 chard operations as are designed to influence or control 

 fruit bud formation it appears that such operations should 

 be more effective in spring and early summer than at 

 other stages of development. 



Among his conclusions J. H. Gourley reports the fol- 

 lowing (somewhat condensed) :'■' 



70. Bud studies of Baldwin apple. — The formation 

 of axillary buds on current season's growth is not 

 uncommon with the Baldwin and many other varieties 

 of apples. In alternate l)earing trees we find a 



•New Hampshire Technical Bulletin No. 9. 



