TREE FELLING AS A SPORT 



663 



strokes of the ax may fell a fair-sized tree, so even Bogie 

 might have several trees to his score! 



One of the earliest references in literature to the eth- 

 ical lessons to be derived from skillful tree felling occurs 

 in the recital of one of Nebuchadnezzar's dreams. "In 

 the visions of mine head upon my bed," quoth he, it was 

 commanded "to hew down the tree and cut off his 

 branches, shake off his leaves, and scatter his fruit; let 

 the beasts get away from under it and the fowls 

 from his branches. Nevertheless leave the stump of his 

 roots in the earth, even with a band of iron and brass." 

 Which Daniel interpreted, as whereas it was "command- 

 ed to leave the stump of the tree roots, thy Kingdom 

 shall be sure unto thee, after that thou shalt have known 

 that the heavens do rule." (Daniel IV. 10-26.) 



This may be sound theological doctrine but it exhibits 

 a meagre knowledge of forestry. Job fell into a similar 

 error when he said : "For there is hope of a tree if it be 

 cut down that it will sprout again and that the tender 

 branch thereof will not cease." (Job XIV. 7.) In the 

 limited flora of Palestine this may apply to the olive and 



the fig tree, although it certainly does not to the cedar. 

 In our forests are many hardwood trees like the bass- 

 wood and oak, which it is true, send up vigorous sprouts 

 when the parent stem has been cut away, but they usu-. 

 ally do not thrive long and practically never reproduce 

 trees of any symmetry or value. The sprouts are vigor- 

 ous because they already possess an extensive root sys- 

 tem, but the processes of decay soon enter the unpro- 

 tected surface of the stump (not bound with "bands of 

 iron and brass,") travel down into the earth and work 

 up into the stems of the ground shoots or "sprouts." 

 Apparent exceptions are found in the willow and chest- 

 nut, but the willow is so hardy that it appears to thrive 

 on abuse, and sprouts may reach a height of 30 or 40 

 feet, springing from old trunks which are so split and de- 

 cayed that wide holes let the daylight pass through them. 

 But the sprouts are never so strong as the parent tree. 

 The chestnut is perhaps the most vigorous sprouter of 

 all, particularly in its dying effort to resist the fungus 

 which so lately has proved its mortal enemy. New Eng- 

 land forests, until recently, were full of tall chestnut 



Photograph by Brown Bros. 



GLADSTONE, ENDGLAND'S GREAT STATESMAN, WITH HIS FAMILY AT HAWARDEN, ENGLAND, ENGAGED 



IN HIS FAVORITE EXERCISE. 



