April 21, 1906 



HORTICULTURE 



.517 



Preservation of Ornamental Trees 



The beauty which fine lives lend to their environ- 

 ment, the healthful conditions brought aboul by the 

 assimilation of noxious gases by the leaf surfaces, the 

 moderation of the atmosphere, the welcome shade, let 

 alone the individual and collective attractions of our 

 trees should be a sufficient incentive for their careful 

 preservation by private owners and municipal guardi- 

 ans. All possible means should lie employed by which 



those attacks may be abated which weaken the vital 

 forces and thus hasten their decay and death. 



A tree subjected to modern city or suburban con- 

 ditions has mueh with which to contend. In a multi- 

 tude of instances defective and injurious pruning has 

 left the trunks of our trees covered with dangerous 

 wounds, stumps and protuberances. Electric lighl 

 wiies have been allowed to burn and mutilate the 

 branches, escaping sewer and illuminating gas has 

 poisoned their f I supply and these beautiful embel- 

 lishments of our streets have been suffered to be muti- 

 lated by horses and vandals. Lastly, deficient nourish- 

 ment caused by improper location relative to sidewalks 

 and pavements and the persistenl attacks of hundreds 

 of forms of insects and fungi have caused our trees to 

 demonstrate in their own way the law of the "Survival 

 of tin Fittest." 





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 the 



eakened and d 

 elms. Clean 

 tillih}; becomes 



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 hardened. 



ding \ anlt with 

 id holt securelj 



A large twin white oak lieM together by a linked bolt and 

 guyed to ;i sunken "dead man" of concrete by a steel cable. 

 Both stems contain large fillings of concrete, on which vines are 

 being trained. Fifteen and a half tens of filling material (con 

 ■ rete) were used in i he ' wo cavities. 



Iii the general care of ' ornamental trees pruning 



and the care of wounds is an important factor and 

 should be thoroughly understood by every one in charge 

 of tree.. Generally speaking, pruning should begin 

 when the tree is set out and should be continued at 

 intervals throughout its entire lifetime. This implies 

 a small amount of labor stretched out over a number n( 

 wars and is a practice which will insure a correct form, 

 a small number of wounds of such size as to warrant 

 their healing with rapidity, and is a practice which will 

 obviate to a large extent the necessity of the severe 

 methods of treatment to which mam old lives are sub- 

 jected, ll is unnecessary to stale that the variety and 

 uses and the many conditions which our frees have to 

 meet gives necessity for a varied form, which in every 

 case does imi develop or show off the tree to its best 

 advantage. In the case of street trees and of specimens 

 -ii situated as to make views beneath their branches de- 

 sirable, the crown- must be earned high and should be 

 so pruned thai a single leader is formed. In other 

 ease- where low crowns and thick foliage is desired the 

 practice of topping back at an early stage of the tree's 

 existence is necessary. \n either ease the natural 

 heautv of tin often lost. In the case of 



varieties planted a specimens or in groups the natural 

 tendencies and habits of growth should be encouraged, 



