When the scholars understand that the
rings mark the year's growth, they can count them and ascertain the age
of each branch. The same should be done with each side-shoot. Usually the
numbers will be found to agree; that is, all the buds will have the
same number of rings between them and the cut end of the branch, but
occasionally a bud will remain latent for one or several seasons and then
begin its growth, in which case the numbers will not agree; the difference
will be the number of years it remained latent. There are always many buds
that are not developed. "The undeveloped buds do not necessarily perish,
but are ready to be called into action in case the others are checked.
When the stronger buds are destroyed, some that would else remain dormant
develop in their stead, incited by the abundance of nourishment which the
former would have monopolized. In this manner our trees are soon reclothed
with verdure, after their tender foliage and branches have been killed by
a late vernal frost, or consumed by insects. And buds which have remained
latent for several years occasionally shoot forth into branches from the
sides of old stems, especially in certain trees."[1]
[Footnote 1: Structural Botany, p. 48.]
The pupils can measure the distance between each set of rings on the main
stem, to see on what years it grew best.
_The Flower-Cluster Scars_. These are the round, somewhat concave, scars,
found terminating the stem where forking occurs, or seemingly in the
axils of branches, on account of one of the forking branches growing more
rapidly and stoutly than the other and thus taking the place of the main
stem, so that this is apparently continued without interruption.
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