94 Forests and Trees 



where the ground was cultivated, while fully half the other 

 row has been replaced. The largest cotton wood in the 

 row in the lawn has a diameter now of about three and one- 

 half inches, while those in the other row will average seven 

 inches in diameter, measured one foot from the ground. 

 The elms in Fig. 15 have doubled their average diameter 



FIG. 15. Trees Growing in Cultivated Soil. Brandon Normal School. 



since planting, while only one elm of the original planting 

 remains in the other row. The cultivation not only pre- 

 serves the moisture but allows air to enter the soil, and this 

 is very necessary for the life of trees. 



After watering and cultivating, the next most important 

 point in the care of trees is pruning. Not only should all 

 shoots from about the roots and along the trunk be care- 

 fully pruned off, but the crown of the tree should be trimmed 

 to suit the location and trained to a symmetrical shape. 

 Care should be taken that no long weakly branches de- 



