§ 8. Let us see how this must be. We return to our poor little threefold type, Fig. 46, above. Next year he will become as in Fig. 47. The two lateral buds keeping as much as may be out of their brother's way, and yet growing upwards with a will, strike diagonal lines, and in moderate comfort accomplish their year's life and terminal buds. But what is to be done next? Forming the triple terminal head on this diagonal line, we find that one of our next year's buds, _c_, will have to grow down again, which is very hard; and another, _b_, will run right against the lateral branch of the upper bud, A, which must not be allowed under any circumstances. What are we to do? [Illustration: FIG. 48.] § 9. The best we can. Give up our straightness, and some of our length, and consent to grow short, and crooked. But _b_ shall be ordered to stoop forward and keep his head out of the great bough's way, as in Fig. 48, and grow as he best may, with the consumptive pain in his chest. To give him a little more room, the elder brother, _a_, shall stoop a little forward also, recovering himself when he has got out of _b_'s way; and bud _c_ shall be encouraged to bend himself bravely round and up, after his first start in that disagreeable downward direction. Poor _b_, withdrawn from air and light between _a_ and A, and having to live stooping besides, cannot make much of himself, and is stunted and feeble. _c_, having free play for his energies, bends up with a will, and becomes handsomer, to our minds, than if he had been straight; and _a_ is none the worse for his concession to unhappy _b_ in early life. [Illustration: FIG. 49.] So far well for this year. But how for next? _b_ is already too near the spray above him, even for his own strength and comfort; much less, with his weak constitution, will he be able to throw up any strong new shoots. And if he did, they would only run into those of the bough above. (If the reader will proceed in the construction of the whole figure he will see that this is so.) Under these discouragements and deficiencies, _b_ is probably frostbitten, and drops off. The bough proceeds, mutilated, and itself somewhat discouraged. But it repeats its sincere and good-natured compliances, and at the close of the year, new wood from all the leaves having concealed the stump, and effaced the memory of poor lost _b_, and perhaps a consolatory bud lower down having thrown out a tiny spray to make the most of the vacant space near the main stem, we shall find the bough in some such shape as Fig. 49.