CHAPTER II 



THE TREE'S STRUCTURE AND 

 MANNER OF GROWTH 



THERE is no necessity, in a book of this 

 character, for going deeply into the in- 

 teresting sciences of tree morphology and tree 

 physiology. It is, however, quite essential that a 

 simple account be given of the nature of arboreal 

 life, and especially of those points in the tree's 

 structure and manner of growth which make 

 possible the physical repair of trees. An under- 

 standing of these basic principles is just as 

 necessary to the man who would repair trees as a 

 thorough knowledge of human anatomy and 

 physiology is necessary to a physician or a surgeon. 

 All three do their work by virtue of certain natural 

 laws, which they must know well before they can 

 effectively use them. And, aside from the mere 

 utility of such information, the effort required for 

 its acquirement is repaid a hundredfold by the 

 interest it adds to every day's work in the trees and 

 every walk in the woods. 



The word tree, like many other common words, 

 is not easy to define, but it will probably be safe to 



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