IN THE FRONT YARD. 27 



gineering of a great tree out in the open Avitli its wide 

 spreading branches covered with dense foliage? 



Present this problem to an expert : "Here is a tree 

 75 feet tall with branches having a spread of 50 feet 

 with an immense, well-rounded head. We want you 

 to brace this so that it will stand in a wind blowing 80 

 miles an hour and not fall over, and you must do it at 

 the base.'' It would take an immense amount of figur- 

 ing and an astonishing amount of bracing. But that 

 tree, never having studied mathematics or engineering, 

 goes quietly at work and solves the problem and does it 

 well. Such a tree left entirely to itself seldom blows 

 over. It sends down an immense tap root, and then out 

 go the laterals like tent cords, and as the tree grows, the 

 cords all grow stronger till they get to be immense 

 cables. Look at the base. How gnarled and toughened 

 and what a gathering of power there, as those mighty 

 arms of wood go out to clutch the solid earth, and 

 hold the tree in place. Years go by, the top becomes 

 heavier and the weight of the wind on that immense 

 leverage is something tremendous, but the tree seems 

 to have figured it all out and is prepared by additional 

 and stronger braces for every emergency. 



Before me as I write tliis there stand a cherry tree 

 and a Japan tree lilac. Both are good friends of mine 

 and we think a good deal of each other. The lilac is 

 destined to be a large tree 6 inches through and 30 or 

 40 feet high. I take the best of care of my trees and 

 meet their wants as I would take care of a horse or 



