136 TREES AS GOOD CITIZENS 



occur, which may prove as serious as the injury which 

 might have been suffered if the tree had been left unpro 

 tected. This swaying must be prevented by fastening 

 the stem to the guard itself, or to an upright stake firmly 

 implanted in the ground alongside the tree. If the guard 

 is sufficiently strong and is well anchored in the soil, 

 attachment to the guard is best. If not, then attachment 

 to a strong stake is the best anchor. This stake should be 

 about nine feet in length and sunk into the ground to a 

 depth of at least three feet, to give it the solid footing 

 necessary for stout support. For fastening the tree to this 

 stake or to the guard, nothing better can be found than 

 loops of old rubber hose, which are excellently suited for 

 the purpose by reason of softness and flexibility. Soft 

 leather or rope may be used but care must be taken to 

 keep from binding the tree too tightly. A length of rope 

 or wire slipped through a rubber hose also serves the pur 

 pose well, but wire should not be used unless so protected. 

 The stake may be either inside or outside the tree guard. 

 This will depend on the size of the guard, as the stake is 

 to be placed about ten inches from the tree. To prevent 

 decay the stake should be tarred or creosoted at the lower 

 end, with the coating covering the part which is to be 

 underground and extending for a few inches above the sur 

 face as well. Creosote is probably better than tar because 

 it penetrates the wood while tar merely covers the surface. 

 The stems of young saplings make the best stakes as they 

 are likely to be stronger than sawed lumber but they are 

 difficult to obtain. In attaching a tree to a single stake, 

 the hose or other attachment should be put on in the form 

 of a figure 8, so that two bands of the tying material 

 intervene between the stake and tree and thus help to 

 prevent chafing. When a guard is used permitting two 

 attachments, each one should be put on in the form of a 



