Hh; koai.M) <>k .\<ii,M( ii.'ni;i:. 



fill. Wlion I consider a tree I fool tlint it is oiu> of my fiMciids. Ilcro is 

 Olio tlint fiiniislii's me food to cat. Here is one that furulslics o.x.Vf^on 

 aiul piirilios tln> air that 1 Iii-catlic. 1 pass aloni:; our streets and see 

 tliese uuseillsb friends of luiiiian life in trouble and 1 want to lielp tiieni. 

 On every liaiid 1 see liieni iie.v;iected, abused, wronuied, and 1 can not 

 lielp beinir iiuli.miaiit at that whicli seems to mu almost criminal i.uiioiaiice. 

 A tree is fixed in position and can not move out of tlie way of danjier 

 like an animal. It can not run a\Aay from an iirnorant man with an ax and 

 a saw. Trees uiust be cared for ami pi-oteetcd from tliat whicli interferes 

 with tlieir fi'co life and yiowth. 'I'hey are sult.ject to injurit^s and diseases 

 .lust liivC animals, and need treaimenl and nursin:; like an animal. Tlie 

 fractured— liroken limb of a tree needs intclli.ueni atteiilion Just as much 

 as a broken bone in the limb of a man. If there is a decayed and dis- 

 eased itart it re(]uires the same inielli.n-ent methods of removal as diseased 

 bone or dead ttesh from an animal liody. it is not. therefore, farfetclied 

 or out of place to call this care an' intelligent manac:eiiient of injured or 

 diseased shade or fruit trees the sursicry of trees. 



It r(>qnires no less iutellisjent skill oi- learniucr for a liorticulturist 

 lo operate upon, nurse and care for an injured and diseased tree than it 

 does for a surgeon to operate upon and nurse an animal. 



Now I am not a horticulturist— 1 h.ive h.-ul vei-y little opportunity to 

 study the subject from that side. I was educated as a i)liysician and I 

 greatly admire a fruit tree or a nice shade tree. What 1 know about trees 

 has not been derived from a very wide experience witli them. 1 believe, 

 however, that it is possible for a man who cares for one tree with intelli- 

 gent and interested observation to know as much about trees at least as 

 the man who wanders about an orchard and sees nothing but the fruit on 

 tlio limbs, or the man who is interested in nothing about the trees in his 

 yard except the shade tliat falls on the ground. 



Very often it is wise— often necessary— to remove snperfiuous, ))roken 

 or diseased limbs or parts, and it is just as necessary that the removal 

 sliould be accomplished in a way liiat will do as little injury as possible 

 and insure as rapid healing as possible of tlie wound made l)y the opera- 

 tion as if it had been performed on the body of a man. It is dealing with 

 a living body in l)oth cases, and it seems to me that it must he true that 

 the same general principles are involved and very much the same methods 

 of procedure. 



There are three branches of the subject that I would like to consider 

 briefly. 



First. The removal of decayed parts and tlie treatment of the wounds. 



Second. Broken liinlis. The results and how to remove or preserve. 



Third. Tree trimming. 



But I will have to consider these altogether, or 1 would occupy more 

 of your time than would be proper. 



Of course every one knows that tlie growing part of a tree is the 



