170 



THE GARDENER'S ASSISTANT. 



leaves are produced at every node or joint, 

 singly, in twos, or in threes; and in the axils 

 of each leaf either flower-buds or leaf-buds are 



Fig. 968.— Nectarine. Pine Apple. (|.) 



formed. In the following spring the blossoms 

 open before the leaf-buds expand, and in the 

 course of the season the fruit is brought to 

 maturity. The fruit is also occasionally borne 

 on short shoots somewhat resembling spurs, 

 which are terminated by a cluster of blossom- 

 buds, with a leaf-bud or growing point in the 

 middle, and which, instead of growing, remains 

 almost stationary. Spurs of this sort are, 

 however, of rare occurrence in trees that are 

 managed so as to be properly furnished with 

 successional bearing shoots. Such spurs should 

 not be encouraged on trees trained to walls or 

 trellises, as they are apt to snap off when the 

 heavy. For bearing the crop, we 



fruit gets 



Fig. 969.— Peach. 

 Double Eyes. 



Fig. 970.— Peach. 

 Triple Eyes. 



ought to depend on 

 shoots and not on 

 spurs, therefore the 

 latter need not be 

 further noticed here. 



Fig. 969 represents 

 part of a branch with 

 double eyes, that is, 

 a leaf-bud (/, and a 

 flower-bud b. Triple 

 eyes are represented 

 in fig. 970, and con- 

 between two flower-buds 



sist of a leaf-bud 

 lb. 



It is necessary to be able readily to distin- 

 guish leaf -buds from flower-buds; for if, in 

 pruning, a shoot is cut back to a flower-bud, no 



young shoot can proceed from it, and it will 

 ultimately die back to the nearest leaf-bud 

 below the section. 



Leaf -buds a, figs. 971 and 972, are of 

 a conical, pointed form, and consist of 

 scales surrounding a growing point, 

 which, under favourable circumstances, 

 pushes and becomes a shoot; but many 

 of them remain dormant, especially if 

 the shoot is weak and left at full length. 

 When, however, the shoot is shortened 

 to a leaf-bud, that bud, stimulated by 

 the sap that would otherwise flow to- 

 wards the extremity, is almost sure to 

 push. 



Flower-buds b, figs. 971 and 972, con- 

 sist of scales, which enclose, not a grow- 

 ing point, but the rudimentary flowers. 

 They are ovate, and gradually become 

 globose, assuming then a hoary appear- 

 ance, from the scales opening and expos- 

 ing their downy integuments. They 

 are likewise much plumper than the leaf- 

 buds. 

 It will be observed, on referring to the accom- 

 panying figures, that some buds are single leaf- 

 buds, others are single flower-buds. Frequently 

 the buds are double — one being a flower-bud, 

 the other a leaf-bud, or 

 both may be flower-buds; 

 and lastly, some are triple 

 buds. These generally 

 consist of two flower-buds 

 with a leaf-bud between 



Fig. 971. -Peach. 

 a, Wood; fc, flower- 

 buds. 



Fig. 972.— Peach, 

 a, Leaf, and b, flower-buds. 



them. As there must be wood before there 

 can be fruit, it is natural for a young tree to 

 produce chiefly barren or leaf buds; but when 

 the tree has attained a considerable size, it is 

 more disposed to produce flower -buds, and 



