Photo 51. 



wherever he chooses. It is self-evident that the nurseries never have purposely made 

 this blunder. It is an oversight, and it has taken time to develop the error. 



The way to get small trees is, let the people demand them. Of course, there will be 

 small, lateral branches; these you can remove after planting. If you desire to use your 

 trees for wind-breaks, or to hide some unsightly objects, or for shade in the chicken yard, 

 etc., etc., all there is of it is one slash with the pruning knife and nature will obey your 

 mandates. In discussing this question, there is one thing above all others that I desire 

 to impress upon you, viz. : When you plant a shade tree form the top the desired height 

 and then keep hands off! Leave nature alone, with the exception of cutting out interfer- 

 ing branches, or clipping the ends of drooping ones; or, possibly, when the tree is young, 

 shortening the leader to make the head more bushy. By interfering branches \ve 



mean those that cross each other. An example is given in 

 photo 64. By the constant friction with the wind they cut 

 through the bark and grind one into the other. Decay is the 

 result, and it runs up into the smaller branches as shown in 

 the photo. Remove all such. There is also a constant ten- 

 dency for the lower limbs to droop by the weight of the foli- 

 age, rain, snow, etc. With some kinds of oaks, elms and 

 maples, if you were to form the top 15 feet high, in time the 

 tips of the lower branches would touch the ground. 



In planting shade trees, unless you desire to shut off the 

 view of some undesirable objects, form the top from 12 to 15 

 feet high. This is very easily done if you plant a small tree. 

 Photo 65 shows you that the lady can take charge of such 

 fascinating work. That tree was set two years ago, and the 

 top clipped off. Now the lady bends it down and clips the 

 tops of the half do/en vigorous young shoots that have started. 

 This makes the head more bushy. The tree is no larger th.m 

 a common broom handle, and the stem is about 14 feet long. 

 Photo 66 presents to you an early Richmond cherry tree. 

 It is very healthy and has a nicely-formed top. The head k 

 strong and formed about 7 feet from the ground. Photo 67 is 

 Photo 52. a maple with the lower branches about 8 feet from the ground. 



29 



