CHAPTER XXX 

 SHADE TREES AND FORESTS 



1. What care should be given the shade trees 

 of your town ? 



2. Why should our forests be conserved ? 



3. What is the government doing to conserve 

 our forests ? 



Kinds of shade trees. Shade trees are essential to make 

 the streets of a town attractive. A town without trees is a 

 barren-looking place. In the selection of trees for street 

 planting those species should be selected which are long- 

 lived. Among the best trees for this purpose are the Ameri- 

 can elm, sugar maple, linden, red oak, sycamore, hackberry, 

 Norway maple, and red maple. These should be planted 

 at such distances that they will not be crowded when mature. 

 This distance varies from thirty feet for trees like the catalpa 

 to fifty feet for the white elm. The mistake is often made of 

 planting the trees too close together. In order to get quicker 

 results, temporary plantings of rapid-growing trees, such 

 as box elder and white maple, may be made between the 

 long-lived trees. When these rapid-growing trees have 

 reached such a height as to interfere with the other trees, 

 they should be cut down. 



Trees are attractive in the winter as well as in the sum- 

 mer. At this time the framework is more easily seen than 

 when the foliage is on the tree. Many trees are ornamental 

 on account of the beauty of their branches. A close study 

 of the twigs shows conspicuous markings by means of which 



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