THE TREE DOCTOR 35 



said he, "when the spring opens, our men feel that they ought 

 to be doing something ;" so, in order to get "something" for the 

 men to do he called on the good people and "contracted" for 

 what looks like a small sum to "treat the trees." In other words, 

 kill them ; and then collect a bill for the ignorant and wicked 

 work. 



It is easy to victimize the people because there are so many 

 other blunders that have preceded the "Tree man," or have been 

 committed by him. 



Photo 25 

 The Lower Branches are to Protect the Roots. 



Take, for example, the charming row of Hard Maples, seen in 

 Photo 25. Can you imagine anything more thrilling in tree life 

 either in winter or summer? They were set out some fifty years 

 ago. They may have been five years old at the time of planting, 

 so that they are really fifty-five years of age. Following what 

 may be called "the instinct of tree life," they have thrown out 

 their first or lower branches to shield and protect the roots. 

 This is what any single tree will do, when not crowded by other 

 trees. (See Photos 35, 66 and 85.) The spread of the roots is 

 equal to the spread of the top. In other words, the "feeder 



