26 AMERICAN HANDBOOK 



3. This is of more importance to the man 

 of small means, than to the man of fortune. 

 The latter can have any tree he chooses, be 

 cause he can make the soil to suit. The 

 other cannot afford the expense he must 

 select the tree that suits his soil. 



4. To illustrate the evil of inattention to 

 soil, take the silver maples employed as shade 

 trees in Philadelphia; where they are more 

 generally used than any other tree. You 

 may find it in every situation, till you be 

 lieve that shade tree and silver maple are 

 considered synonymous. For ground wet or 

 dry, for soils light or heavy, it is all the 

 same. Thus, it often finds itself in circum 

 stances every way unsuited to it. The 

 leaves become small; the growth short and 

 meagre; the trunk hide-bound, and the 

 branches covered with mosses and lichens. 

 They live and grow perhaps for years but 

 never to satisfaction. Scores of such speci 

 mens may be seen at any time in our 

 streets. The blame is too often thrown 

 on the wrong source. The nurseryman is 

 charged with selling bad trees, and the re 

 medy sought for in trees purchased from 



