176 ARBOR DAY. 



fail. They do not keep an eye on the growth and trim or 

 remove trees until they have crowded and damaged each 

 other beyond recovery. In most instances a few large, 

 well-developed trees should grow where many small ones 

 were planted years before. It needs courage and judg- 

 ment to remove some favorite tree that others may con- 

 tinue to spread and make a symmetrical growth. 



White Oak : Next will follow something in reference 

 to the flowers of trees. 



Bitternut (Silas) : With rare exceptions, our trees bear 

 flowers which are inconspicuous. The elms and the 

 maples produce flowers in spring before the leaves appear. 

 Most have the staminate and pistillate flowers on different 

 parts of the tree or on different trees. The wind or grav- 

 ity carries the pollen to the pistil, so there is no need of 

 sweet odors or a gay display of flowers to attract bees and 

 butterflies and moths to carry the pollen. Compensation 

 is well displayed in Nature. If the tree has not gorgeous 

 or fragrant flowers, it has a large size and often a beautiful 

 form. 



White Oak: We should learn to love trees and to 

 associate them with the generous hand who planted and 

 cared for them. 



Wild Plum (Ezra) : I will tell you something which 

 was written by Washington Irving : " There is something 

 noble, simple, and pure in a taste for trees. It argues, I 



