CARING FOR SHADE TREES 



135 



and all because one horse was hitched to the unprotected 

 stem. A tree guard would have made the damage 

 impossible. 



Guards are of various styles. Each type has its 

 advocates, but any guard which prevents injury from 

 outside sources serves its purpose. One of the most 

 familiar varieties is a four cornered box made of upright 



Types of tree guards 



strips of board, anchored to four stakes driven firmly into 

 the earth. This is a combined guard and support. For 

 the purpose of keeping the young tree in an upright posi- 

 tion, the stem is fastened to the top of the guard at each 

 corner. Galvanized wire netting is much used for guards, 

 and in some cities this is reinforced with sheet iron for 

 a couple of feet at the base, to provide protection from 

 dogs. Guards of iron or other metal are made in many 

 styles and designs. The type is relatively unimportant, 

 as long as it furnishes complete protection and is not 

 distinctly unsightly. 



Contradictory though it may sound, the tree must also 

 be protected against the guard itself. If the flexible 

 young stem is permitted to sway in the wind and rub 

 against the edges of the guard, abrasions of the bark will 



