THE HANDLING OF THE PLANTS 143 
Tree guards. 
Along roadsides and other exposed places it is often necessary 
to protect newly set trees from horses, boys, and vehicles. 
There are various kinds of tree guards for this 
purpose. The best types are those that 
are more or less open, so as to allow the 
free passage of air and which are so far re- 
moved from the body of the tree that its 
trunk may expand without difficulty. If the 
guards are very tight, they may shade the 
trunk so much that the tree may suffer when 
the guard is removed, 
and they prevent the dis- 
covery of insects and in- 
juries. It is important 
that the guard does not fill 
with litter in which insects 
may harbor. As soon as 
the tree is old enough to 
escape injury, the guards 
should be removed. A 
very good guard, made of 
laths held together with %, 
three strips of band-iron, 
and secured to iron posts, 
is shown in Fig. 156. Fig- 
ure 157 shows a guard 
made by winding fencing 
wire upon three posts or 
stakes. When there is 
likely to be danger from 
too great shading of the 4,7 Wine-and-pust 
156. Lath tree : 
guard. trunk, this latter form of tree guard. 
