galvanized iron were put between the limbs and chain. The tree is practically ruined, 

 though it may last thirty or forty years, if the guards are changed and new chains supplied. 



Thus far I have been showing you how to prevent the crotch from splitting. The 

 better way, however, is to prevent the formation of the fork. This you can do in young 

 trees. In photo 50 you have a case which was one of the worst kind. There was a very 

 bad fork at the upper cross line and another at the lower one. The remedy was to cut 

 everything clean off, making a bean-pole of the stem. It shocked the owner, but he has 

 long since recovered and is delighted with the strong lateral branches which the wind 

 might possibly break off, but it cannot split them off. Photo 49 is the same tree 

 in foliage. It would be an improvement if all branches were cut off below the bottom line. 

 ONE GREAT EVIL. 



Now, put away everything else out of your thoughts and consider this one fact alone 

 till it be indelibly fixed in your mind, namely: The roots of every tree are proportional 

 in extent to the branches. We commence this series of lessons with photo 52. This is a 

 21 



