70 DAVET'S PRIMER 



Here is one of the undesirable " soft maples." Look 

 at it ! It seems as if it were liable to go into a dozen 

 pieces. 



" What trees are the freest from ' crotchiness? ' ' 



An excellent question, Sam. The "forked" or 

 " crotched " tree troubles are traced more to variety 

 than to kind, though some kinds are reasonably 

 free from these faults. The white oak has nearly 

 always strong, lateral arms, while the red oaks and 

 scarlet oaks have a strong tendency to have these 

 crotchy joints. The sycamore, or button ball, is usually 

 strongly built. The liriodendron, or tulip tree, is gen- 

 erally well constructed, also the liquid amber. There 

 is but little trouble with the Norway maples and the 

 rock, or sugar maple. The beech, American white elm, 

 hickories and black walnut, can be usually relied upon. 

 The European lindens give but little trouble ; but, even 

 from all these mentioned, care should be taken to select 

 the seed from the best types. The poplars and soft 

 maples should be discarded entirely from street plant- 

 ing. The noble cut-leaved birch is a strong tree, but 

 not suitable for the street. 



There should be consistency in naming streets. If 

 it is called "Elm Street " it should have elms ; if " Maple," 

 that's the kind that should be there. It seems ridiculous 

 to call a street " Walnut," when, perhaps, there may not 

 be a walnut tree within a mile. 



Trees, like animals, breed after their own type. 

 The grayhound has long legs and a long, slim, body; 



