68 DA VET'S PRIMER 



"Is that a 'tree butcher?" 



No, Nettie ; that is a noble young man with no 

 bad habits. He is posing here to bring out a little 

 more clearly what happens to a " crotched " tree. 



"What is a ' crotched " tree? " 



Well, Jessie, this is a term we use to indicate a 

 weak point formed between the branches. It is a seam 

 or crack which, as the branches become large, is made 

 to open by the wind playing upon them, causing it to 

 split. Nearly all the soft maples have this weakness. 

 It can be prevented, to some extent, by cutting off 

 these dangerous limbs and forcing out the "laterals." 



On one occasion a tree some thirty feet high was 

 in such a weak and dangerous condition that we took off 

 everything but the small twigs, carefully painting all the 

 wounds ; it then forced these twigs into a rapid growth 

 and formed strong arms, making a handsome tree. But, 

 boys, if you can get your parent's consent to do the 

 work, be sure you make the cuts right. Remember, if 

 the branch is large, cut it off, say two or three feet 

 from the trunk; then you can manage the " stub" so 

 that it will not split the bark down when you make the 

 second cut back to the " shoulder." I expect to make 

 thousands of young " tree doctors," or practical forest- 

 ers, by reading this book. Every time you have a 

 chance examine the trees ; see whether they have 

 strong shoulders, or whether there is a seam and 

 it is "forked." If it is, cut it out while the tree is 

 small. 



