Winter Meeting. 249 



thirty years old. Trunk six feet around, fifty feet hV^h, liranches and 

 si)read seventy feet, and has never been injured by snow or storm. 

 And sugar maples that at one-third of a century are perfect marvels 

 of beauty. 



Seventh. Plant thickly so as to get immediate efifect and then 

 chop out when they are too thick, and do not be afraid to do it in time. 

 I fear to recommend this rule because so many will fail to do the 

 cutting out in time. 



8th. In street trees plant them so that they will occupy the middle 

 of the grass plot between the sidewalk and the curb. These granatoid 

 men will come and cut down the roots from a lot of trees that have 

 been planted twenty years, to within one foot -of the tree, taking ofif- all 

 the roots for a depth of twelve to fifteen inches. A perfect outrage and 

 a barbarous practice sanctioned by our city fathers, it should be prohibited 

 by every person with the least bit of sense. 



Ninth. Planting should be made in holes large enough and deep 

 enough to hold the roots in a natural position. Do not plant any 

 deeper than the tree stood in the nursery. Put well pulverized soil 

 around the roots so that every root will be in contact with the soil and 

 then tramp the soil down well. ' 



When shall we plant? Whenever we can find the ground in good 

 condition, spring or fall. 



Some say to plant trees in the spring, 



And some say in the fall, 

 But the worst are those who compromise, 



And plant on trees at all. 



Eleventh. The care during the first and second years is to hoe the 

 trees well and often or mulch them well with rotten straw or old 

 manure. Pruning with the ideal tree in mind, taking off only such 

 twigs or branches as are getting out of the way and destroying the 

 symmetry on tree. 



Twelfth. Protect the bodies of the trees, especially of large trees, 

 by wrapping them with old gunny sacking or hay rope. This will 

 prevent sunscald and keep out the flat-headed borer, and insure a good 

 growth the first year. 



Thirteenth. Pruning in after years needs be only such as will pre- 

 serve the beauty and the symmetry of the tree, keeping the same ideal 

 in mind and cutting back about one-half of the year's growth in 

 the case of soft maple and elm and that class of tree. For a lawn tree 

 of peculiar beauty it is often desirable to have the tree branch at 

 the ground like the spruces. This is true of some birches and beeches 

 and it makes a very striking feature in the landscape. 



Fourteenth. It is always desirable to preserve the individuality 



