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AMERICAN FORESTRY 



factory districts and poor atmospheric and soil conditions 

 that it is often better to have that tree than none at all. 



The Silver maple is very pretty in its mode of branch- 

 ing and grows rapidly, but in most respects is as unde- 

 sirable as the poplar and more subject to dead wood and 

 injurious insects. 



The ailanthus like the poplar has the advantage of 

 being able to grow where few other trees will grow. 

 Moreover it is well formed and straight. The serious 

 objection, however, is the brittle character of its wood 

 which causes frequent accidents, especially in wind 

 storm. It is short-lived and has a tendency to become 

 hollow when it reaches a diameter of about 2 feet or 

 over. 



For special use under special growing conditions all 

 these trees may prove of great value but for general 

 planting in large numbers on city streets their disadvan- 

 tages should be considered with the utmost regard. 



.\DVICE FOR OCTOBER 



1. Prune all- dead branches before the leaves fall. 



2. Mark for removal, all trees hopelessly infested with 

 insect pests that are liable to become serious enemies in 

 a locality. Such pests as the hickory bark beetle in the 

 hickories, and the bronze birch borer in the birches are 

 examples. 



3. Collect and burn the egg masses of the Tussock 

 moth and destroy the eggs and cocoons of other insect 

 infestations. 



4. Spray for scale insects; but before doing this, de- 

 termine the character of the insect and receive specific 

 instructions from your local State entomologist or from 

 the United States Department of Agriculture. Do not 

 spray sugar maples with oils. 



5. Treat cavities before freezing weather sets in. 



QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 



Q. Should Lombardy poplar trees be trimmed around 

 the lower part of the tree or should the growth which 

 starts from the ground, that is the branches, be allowed 

 to grow, for, seemingly, by doing so they withhold from 

 the upper part of the tree the strength needed. 



C. F. Q., Center Harbor, N. H. 



A. Lombardy poplars are only beautiful and natural 

 when the branches are allowed to grow thickly from the 

 very bottom to the very top. The little- branches should 

 never be trimmed around the lower part so as to bare the 

 stem. When a Lombardy poplar begins to thin out or 

 grow old, the best thing to do is to cut off a great por- 

 tion of the top, varying with the size of the tree, and cut- 

 ting back all the little branchlets along the whole surface 

 of the tree. I do not mean to cut any of these off en- 

 tirely, but just to remove a part of them, half or more, 

 according to the condition of the tree. After cutting the 



form of the tree should be uniform. The harder and the 

 oftener the Lombardy poplar is cut, the faster and the 

 thicker it will grow. You can cut the tree at any time 

 from now on until the buds begin to open in the spring. 

 September or October, however, are the best months for 

 doing this work. 



Q. Have you, or do you know of a successful trans- 

 planting of large oaks? What are the chances of suc- 

 cess in moving oaks 2 inches in diameter as compared 

 with elms, maples and like fibrous rooted species? I 

 have a problem with a virgin live oak (Quercus agri- 

 folia) and shall appreciate any information you may give 



me. N. C. T., Oakland, Cal. 



s 



A. Oaks from 2 inches to 4 can be readily transplanted 

 with little difficulty and with fair chances of success. 

 Trees of larger diameter, up to 14 inches, have been trans- 

 planted with more or less degree of success ; but in each 

 case the work has been done with special lifting appa- 

 ratus and by men who more or less specialize in this sort 

 of work. I would suggest your writing to Messrs. Isaac 

 Hicks and Sons, Westbury, L. I., who are about the 

 largest tree movers in this section of the country and 

 who will undoubtedly send you their catalogue and other 

 information along these lines. 



Q. When will it be advisable to plant the following 

 trees, in a situation in the southern part of Cayuga 

 County, N. Y. : English Thorn, American holly, haw- 

 thorn, Swiss Mountain pine. Rhododendron, Fringe tree, 

 Korean pine. Giant Arbor Vitae, Linden, and one each of 

 the following: White pine, pitch pine, table mountain 

 pine, Austrian pine, Scotch pine, nut pine, fox-tail pine, 

 lace-back pine and needle pine. 



M. C. C, Venice Center, N. Y. 



A. Plant in the spring of 1916. About the beginning 

 of April. You can plant in September, but spring is 

 preferable on general principles. 



Q. I am sending you specimen from a Dogwood that I 

 have in my yard. This blight seems to be affecting the 

 whole tree. Can you advise a remedy? 



A. The premature turning of the dogwood leaf and its 

 dry condition shows that the tree is suffering from too 

 much exposure or too little water. Dogwood naturally 

 grows best in deep woods where the moisture from their 

 leaves does not evaporate as readily as in exposed places, 

 and where their roots can find plenty of moisture. There 

 is no evidence of disease. Would suggest cutting back 

 the tree lightly this fall not cutting out any branches 

 entirely but just cutting back from the ends. Dogwoods 

 respond to this treatment well. Also cover the tree with 

 a mulch of leaf mold late in the fall. 



