PRUNING 



On either side of this main stem at regular intervals, 

 lateral buds are formed, from which, in due season, 

 branches develop. As these commonly rise between 

 the leaf stalks and the main stems — that is, in the axils 

 fo the leaves — they are called axillary buds. They 

 are, however, the terminal buds of those branches which 

 ultimately spring from them; so growth is actually 

 always carried on by a terminal bud. 



This leaves a lot of apparently useless buds along 

 every stem under each leaf stalk, for a very small per- 

 centage of these develop and grow into shoots; and of 

 those that do, many die quickly, choked out in one way 

 or another — else there would be as many branches in 

 any given season as there were leaves the season before. 

 But these seemingly useless buds are Nature's wonder- 

 ful reserve, held back for weeks or months or perhaps 

 years, as the case may be, yet always in readiness to 

 spring to the rescue when the plant's normal leaf 

 surface is taken away, either by accident or design. 



For this leaf surface cannot be reduced; the leaves, 

 which spread to the light and air certain substances 

 which the roots have taken from the ground, are as 

 necessary to the plant's life as its roots, and the propor- 

 tion of leaf surface to root surface must be maintained. 

 With wonderful intelligence and patience therefore they 

 wait, these reserve buds, until injury comes to the ter- 

 minal bud; then they fairly leap into activity in their 

 haste to supply the loss. The strongest gain the lead 

 and keep it usually, and thus, the original stem having 

 ceased its growth, those branches which spring from the 



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