GETTING ACQUAINTED WITH THE TREES 



must confess, accumulates some ragged dead 

 branches in its interior. 



This raggedness is easily cared for, for the 

 tree requires and few trees do no "trim- 

 ming" of its outer branches. The interior 

 twigs that the rapid growth of the tree has 

 deprived of air and light can be quickly and 

 easily removed. In Washington, where street- 

 tree planting has been and is intelligently 

 managed under central authority, the avenues 

 of pin-oaks are a splendid feature of the great 

 boulevards which are serving already as a model 

 to the whole country. Let us plant oaks, and 

 relieve the monotony of too many maples, pop- 

 lars and horse-chestnuts along our city and 

 village highways. 



I like, too, to see the smooth little acorns 

 of the pin-oak before the leaves drop ; they 

 seem so finished and altogether pleasing, and 

 with the leaves make a classical decorative 

 motive worth more attention from designers. 



While I am innocent of either ability or 

 intent to write botanically of the great oak 

 family, I ought perhaps to transcribe the 

 information that the flowers we see if we 



