94 



AMERICAN FORESTRY 



in front of an old log 

 cabin. The father of the 

 old negro who lived in it 

 had been a slave on a large 

 plantation in the neighbor- 

 hood and after emancipa- 

 tion had bought a small 

 piece of land, built his 

 cabin and started life over 

 again. It was very primi- 

 tive but the one touch of 

 nature was the boxwood 

 which he had been accus- 

 tomed to see from a boy 

 and which the old man had 

 not forgotten to plant in 

 memory of that up at the 

 big house. 



"The plants were par- 

 ticularly fine specimens and 

 had evidently been un- 

 usually well cared for by 

 people in their circum- 

 stances so I questioned the 

 old man about it. He told 



THE FASCINATION OF OLD BOX IS A VERY TANGIBLE ONE. 

 LIKE THE LURE OF THE ANTIQUE TO THE COLLECTOR, AND 

 VAST SUMS ARE PAID FOR IT. THIS IS A FINE OLD BOX- 

 WOOD PLANT READY TO BE SHIPPED FROM THE LEWIS 

 AND VALENTINE NURSERIES AT ROSLYN, TO BE PLANTED 

 ON THE RUPPERT ESTATE AT GARRISON, NEW YORK 



me he valued that plant 

 more than anything else, 

 for old associations' sake 

 and he meant never to part 

 with it. When I suggested 

 buying it he was insulted. 

 but, after persuasion and 

 when I agreed to pay for it 

 more than the whole house 

 and grounds were worth, 

 he softened and finally 

 agreed. 



"But the day we hauled 

 it away the old man and his 

 wife and children, his 

 fourteen grandchildren and 

 the whole neighborhood 

 beside lined up along the 

 road watching us take their 

 old boxwood plant away. 

 It was more like a funeral 

 than anything else and I 

 was mighty glad when 

 we could see them no 

 more." 



TREE SURGERY DESERVES MORE ATTENTION 



A T present tree-repair work has not received the recog- 

 -'* nition and approval from tree owners that it 

 deserves. This may be due at times to unfavorable ex- 

 periences with dishonest or ignorant tree surgeons, at 

 other times to the reluctance of the owners to spend much 

 money in preserving their trees, or from their ignorance 

 of the benefits that may result when tree-repair work is 

 properly done. 



Reliable tree surgeons are doing much in a practical 

 way to educate the public as to the benefits of tree- 

 repair work. A few States have laws regulating tree- 

 repair work on a commercial basis. 



The United States Department of Agriculture invites 

 correspondence concerning methods of tree-repair work 

 and is prepared to advise for or against any particular 

 method so far as experience and the results of ex- 

 periments permit. Farmers' Bulletin 1178. on tree sur- 

 gery, will be sent free on application. 



Tree owners are urged to remember that the necessity 



for tree repair work 10 or 20 years hence may be reduced 

 materially by promptly attending to the fresh injuries of 

 today. 



Most persons can at least with a very little prelimi- 

 nary practice on the simpler types of work, undertake 

 ordinary tree surgery provided they are familiar with 

 the use of a gouge and mallet, a saw and a paint brush. 

 A steady head and ability to climb will be necessary for 

 work in the top of the tree. 



A badly diseased or injured tree should be removed 

 and replaced by a healthy one unless there is some very 

 special reason for trying to preserve the tree. 



Two axioms of tree-repair work that should be borne 

 in mind constantly are : that prompt treatment of freshly 

 made wounds is the surest and most economical method 

 of preventing disease and decay in the future, and that 

 all wounds made in tree surgery should be cleaned, 

 sterilized and protected from infection just as thoroughly 

 as in animal surgery, and for the same reasons. 



PAGAN 



BY McLANDBURGH WILSON 



I would be young as the trees are young, 

 Open to glimpses of stars blue hung. 



I would have prime as the trees have prime, 

 Wrapped in myself from the winds of time. 



I would grow old as the trees grow old, 

 All in a glory of red and gold. 



Then I would fall as the trees will fall, 

 Showing how straight I have lived and tall. 



