30 BULLETIN 816, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
age is easily broken by ordinary windstorms and causes it when 
a comparatively young tree to become unsightly. The second is 
its shallow rooting, which has a tendency to destroy pavements 
and also makes it difficult to grow grass near the trees. The roots also 
will grow into sewers. The third is the tendency to decay; the 
tips of the limbs frequently die, leaving’ the whole top of the tree 
bare of leaves, and the wood decays quickly, especially if the bark 
is broken. For this reason it does not stand pruning as well as most 
other street trees, and it probably has been pruned more ruthlessly 
than any other tree, 
unless it is the Caro- 
lina poplar. It should 
never be severely de- 
headed or, as it is 
popularly called, ‘‘de- 
horned”? (fig. 21), as 
the stubs will practi- 
cally never heal over, 
and from these cuts 
decay will start, which 
in a very few years will 
rot the center of the 
limbs and trunk and 
thus destroy the tree. 
Although it forms a 
large round head with 
an open top and its 
foliage is pale green 
above and almost 
white beneath, mak- 
ing a very delight-— 
ful shade, on account 
of its weaknesses it 
ae should never be used 
Fic. 21.—Silver maples severely headed back, an improper way to for street plan ting 
treat trees, especially silver maples, except under very unusual where other trees can 
conditions. Washington, D. C.; midsummer. 
be made to grow. 
The sugar maple,' or hard maple, is especially adapted to gravelly 
soils in regions 1, 10, and 11, the northern parts of regions 2 and 38, 
and the eastern and southern parts of region 9. It is oval headed, 
large, and handsome, having red blossoms which individually are 
inconspicuous but which in mass are showy early in the spring 
before the leaves appear. The leaves come early, but in late sum- 
mer they begin to turn brilliant yellow and red and drop before most 
other leaves. The sugar maple does not thrive under city con- 
ditions, but is admirably adapted to suburban conditions. 
1 Acer saccharum Marsh. 
