520 



Canadian Forestry Journal, May, ipi6. 



Proper Care of Shade Trees 



Count Up the Points Your Trees are Entitled to — Expert 



Instructions Simple to Follow. 



By 



Carl Bannzi'art, of the Newark Shade Tree Commission. 



Examine your tree for points 

 every month and see what percent- 

 age it will have out of a possible one 

 hundred. Each of the following, if 

 answered unequivocally, "Yes,'' 

 gives your tree 8 1-3 per cent, to- 

 ward the one hundred. These ques- 

 tions are put in order of their impor- 

 tance. 



1. Is the opening around your tree 

 of standard size? Standard size is: 

 4 feet square for a tree of 6 inches 

 (or less) diameter; for every 1 inch 

 increase of such (6-inch) diameter, 

 an increase of 1 square foot in area 

 of opening. 



2. Is the ground in this opening 

 well-loosened to admit air and 

 water? 



3. If the tree is surrounded by 

 grass, is the sod open around the 

 trunk? 



4. Does the tree get a good pro- 

 portion of the rain which falls on 

 the sidewalk, or does the water run 

 over the curb into the gutter? 



5. Is the tree protected with a 

 tree-guard? Guard must be six feet 

 high and not too tight. Tree must 

 be protected from chafing by guard. 



6. Is the tree free from borers? 

 Borers can be detected by sawdust 

 coming out of holes in the trunk. 

 Watch for the borers from April to 

 November. 



7. Are the trunk and the branches 

 cleared of all cocoons, egg-masses, 

 larvae, caterpillars, beetles, scale? 



8. (a) Is the head free from all 

 deadwood, has it been pruned by an 

 expert, and how do you know he is 

 an expert? Find out how a tree 

 should be pruned. Are all the cuts 

 painted? (b) Does the tree stan^ 

 perpendicular and is its present 

 place intended to be its permanent 

 home ? 



9. Have the scars from horse 

 bites or other injuries been cleaned 

 out and painted to prevent harbour- 

 ing insects and to stop decay? If 

 there are large cavities these should 

 be filled with cement. 



10. Does the tree remain green 

 and in full leaf to the middle of 

 October? 



11. Have you put as much nour- 

 ishment into the soil as the tree 

 needs for the year? Give it a treat; 

 dig in wood ashes, ground bone or 

 well-rotted manure. 



12. Are any wires interfering with 

 your tree either by swaying or by 

 electric current? Are there any gas 

 leaks? 



"Here are twelve points of a good 

 street tree. The total percentage if 

 below par reflects on the man, not 

 on the tree. The tree always does 

 its best. Man forgets that he has 

 taken it out of the God-made forest 

 where it could and did care for it- 

 self, and has placed it in a man- 

 made city where it is dependent on 

 man's care for thriftv growth. '" 



