io6 General Care of Trees 



leader, should afford sufficient leaf surface to elaborate the 

 sap necessary to insure rapid growth. 



2. Middle- Aged Tree. The trunk should equal about 

 two-fifths of the entire height of the tree. The head should 

 be a shorter ovoid than that recommended for trees of the 

 first class. A vertical branch upright on the trunk, or any 

 part of the trunk, should if necessary be made to replace 

 the original leader; all other vertical branches should be 

 shortened to encourage the growth of the leader. If a 

 single branch cannot be converted into a leader, a regular 

 well-balanced head may be made with several branches. 

 As the tree grows some of the lower branches should be 

 removed to increase the length of the trunk. Not more 

 than three or four branches should be removed in any one 

 year. The amputation of a branch should be carefully 

 performed; the cut should be made perfectly smooth and 

 rounded, to coincide with the form of the trunk, thus bring- 

 ing its whole circumference into direct communication with 

 the leaves by means of the layer of hving cells. These 

 distribute the descending sap, which alone forms the new 

 wood destined in time to cover over the wound. Wounds 

 made in this manner heal in a short time; but, to preserve 

 them from external influences which induce decay, they 

 should be covered as soon as made with a coat of coal-tar. 

 All dead or dying branches, and all stumps of branches, 

 should be cut oft", and the wounds treated in the same manner. 



3. Old Tree. The length of the trunk should nearly 

 equal one-half the entire height of the tree. All decayed 

 portions of the tree should be carefully removed. A few of 

 the lower branches may be removed or shortened. 



4. Veteran. The tree having ceased to grow the head 

 gradually becomes flat-topped. Such lower branches as 

 might, by their too great size, injure younger trees growing 



