FOR WAGGONER’S BIOLOGY 
23 
EXERCISE 25 
BUDS AND BRANCHES 
This work may be done either in the field or in the laboratory. 
I. Apple Branch. 
1. Examine the leafless branch of an apple tree. (A similar 
branch of a hickory or a tulip tree may be substituted if desired.) 
Locate the largest buds. Note the other buds. Locate the leaf 
scars. Note the size and shape of each. What is the general 
arrangement of the leaf scars on the branch? What is the position 
of the buds with reference to the leaf scars? Into what does a bud 
develop? A bud is formed in the axil of practically every leaf. 
Why do many of the twigs of a tree die? 
2. Terminal Bud. Remove from the terminal bud those scales 
which protect the undeveloped branch within. Note the scale 
scars which remain. Look along the branches for old scars of a 
similar nature. When were these scars formed? What do they 
indicate regarding the age of the specimen which you are studying? 
What is the effect upon the lateral buds if the terminal bud is 
removed? In the field, find branches upon which the terminal 
buds have been destroyed. What effect does topping usually have 
upon the shape of a tree? 
3. Structure of Stem. What is the nature of the surface, the 
color, and the texture of the bark? Separate the bark from the 
wood beneath. The layer which lies between the two is the growth 
layer or cambium. 
II. Lilac Twig. Note the character, the size, and the arrange¬ 
ment of the buds of the lilac. Examine a bud to determine the 
arrangement of the bud scales. Compare the bud with that of the 
apple. Cut lengthwise through the center of the lilac bud. De¬ 
termine what undeveloped parts of the next year’s stem are 
present. (See Waggoner, Page 121.) 
III. What is a bud? Where are buds formed? When are they 
formed? 
