230 State Horticultural Society. 



are the trees sacrificed where they might be saved. Very large speci- 

 mens, especially the elms, are often successfully moved long distances, 

 but of course at great expense. They might be lowered, however, with 

 very little expense while the grade was being cut away, and even moved 

 a short distance either one way or the other. Late summer or winter 

 is perhaps the best season. The tree should be firmly braced by run- 

 ning ropes from the top out in three directions. The grade beyond the 

 roots should be cut to the required level, after which the tree can be 

 undermined and lowered without disturbing or exposing any more 

 roots than necessary and will be surrounded with surface soil in which 

 growth will continue without having received much of a check. Wlien 

 the grade is to be raised about a tree the soil is often banked close up 

 about the trunk. This practice is dangerous to the tree where the grade 

 is raised a foot or more. The trees may live a few years but those 

 roots which should be near the surface are too deeply covered to do their 

 work long. A better plan is to curb or place a box around the base with 

 the bottom spreading many feet and the top narrowing close around 

 the trunk even with the surface of proposed grade. This seems to be 

 as safely practiced as attempting to raise an old, well established 

 tree and is very much less expensive. 



One of the supposed enemies to the growth of street trees is the 

 laying of granitoid sidewalks and macadam or asphalt pavements so 

 close around the trunk. There are many trees, however, in such places 

 that have made a healthy growth for years and still show no signs of 

 injury by such treatment. It is claimed by some that pavements may be 

 a blessing in that they prevent the escape of moisture which rises from 

 lower strata of soil and thus keep the roots constantly moist. How- 

 ever in many kinds of soil the moisture and nourishment may soon be- 

 come exhausted making it necessary to adopt some means of irrigating. 

 It is also important that the ground be well drained, but as roadbeds 

 must likewise be thoroughly drained there is comparatively little danger 

 from this source. With a few feet of exposed soil about the base of 

 the tree sufficient water can be applied to penetrate to the most distant 

 roots and the system of drains will be sufficient to carry away any sur- 

 plus, thus avoiding stagnant soil in which most plants will not long 

 survive. Another method of supplying moisture which has been prac- 



