The Living Trunk and Branches 145 



single bud. The wind can graft on a whole branch 

 — and thus outdoes the gardener. But the result 

 of the gardener's surgery is a well-shaped tree, 

 whereas a wind graft often spoils the symmetry 

 of two trees. 



When branches are united by the wind, their 

 ends beyond the place where they are joined are 

 apt to dwindle away and die. There Is no cam- 

 bium now at the place where the boughs are welded 

 together, so no new wood is made there with the 

 return of spring. And as the fluids coming up 

 from the root move only through the new wood, 

 those parts of the branch which are above the 

 graft are not getting their full rations. At last 

 starvation does its work, and all that part of the 

 bough which Is above the graft decays. 



The beeches in the picture have been joined by 

 the wind In two places. There is one union near 

 the middle of the picture, and another in the upper 

 right-hand corner. The branch which reaches out 

 to the right above this union Is dead, dried and 

 brittle (Fig. 36). 



