50 SHADE TREES. 



In the meantime fix up the latter and help 

 better h*att them to keep alive: cut out all broken and 



dead branches, heal the wounds and open the 

 pavement so that the roots may have air. If necessary 

 curtail the crowns gradually so that new trees adjoining 

 shall not be hampered in their development. If a tree is 

 very bad don't waste time and effort but replace it at once. 



Fig. 23. Trees saved by mounding and raising curb when road was lowered. 

 Note step in curb at A. Base of tree B is 30 inches above the gutter. 



Where a change of grade has left a tree above the common 

 level don't leave it to be kicked and battered by every passer- 

 by, but cover the roots with a few inches of earth and provide 

 some means to keep it there. (Fig. 15.) A slight change 

 in a sidewalk may be fully justified by the necessity of 

 saving a valued old tree. If a new grade requires a fill 

 about a tree don't pile on two or three feet of earth at once, 

 but build a well of brick or stone at least 3 feet greater in 

 diameter than the tree stem. (Fig. 24.) Let that fill up 

 gradually and occasionally break the bark on the tree, just 

 below the soil level, to encourage the growth of new roots. 



