142 MANUAL OF GARDENING 
may be on distinct ‘‘spurs”’ or short branches, in all the above 
fruits; or, as in the peach, they may be chiefly lateral on the 
new shoots (in the peach, the fruit-buds are usually two at a node 
and with a leaf-bud between them), or, as sometimes in apples 
and pears, they may be at the ends of last year’s growths. 
Fruit-buds are usually thicker, or ‘“‘fatter,’’ than leaf-buds, and 
often fuzzy. Heading-back the tree of course tends to concen- 
trate the fruit-buds and to keep them nearer the center of 
the tree-top; but heading-back must be combined with in- 
telligent saving and thinning of the interior shoots. Heading- 
back of pears and peaches and plums is usually a very de- 
sirable practice. 
Tree surgery and protection. 
Aside from the regular pruning to develop the tree into its 
best form to enable it to do its best work, there are wounds and 
malformations to be treated. Recently, the treating of injured 
and decayed trees has received much attention, and “tree doc- 
tors” and ‘‘tree surgeons” have engaged in the business. 
If there are quacks among these people, there are also compe- 
tent and reliable men who are doing useful service in saving and 
prolonging the life of trees; one should choose a tree doctor 
with the same care that he would choose any other doctor. The 
liability of injury to street trees in the modern city and the 
increasing regard for trees, render the services of good experts 
increasingly necessary. 
Street trees are injured by many causes: as, starving because 
of poor soil and lack of water under pavements; smoke and dust; 
leakage from gas mains and from electric installation; gnawing 
by horses; butchering by persons stringing wires; carelessness 
of contractors and builders; wind and ice storms; overcrowd- 
ing; and the blundering work of persons who think that they 
-know how to prune. Well-enforced municipal regulations 
should be able to control most of these troubles. 
