PARK AND CEMETERY. 
500 
such selection of the trees removed 
should be made as will leave a nat- 
ural massing of the trees and a prop- 
•er frame to the vista. 
Now here it is that we discover 
the essential difference between the 
deciduous trees and the evergreens 
in their value in planting. With the 
deciduous trees, in the summer sea- 
son, we have a solid screen of foliage 
that in winter is almost completely 
SOME DIFFIC 
Tn removing a tree the degree of 
care and skill required increases in 
proportion to the size and height of 
the tree. In the open, with plenty of 
PREPARING TO REMOVE TRUNK. 
room for dropping the tree, the work 
resolves itself into a question of 
sharp axes and strong arms and 
strong ropes for guides. In narrow 
confines, where there are great possi- 
bilities of doing damage, as near 
buildings, in narrow passage ways, or 
streets where there is much travel, 
the element of danger is very great 
and the necessity of technical skill 
imperative. This sl^ill must not only, 
apply to the mechanical part of the 
work but it must go further, and 
must enable the operator to judge 
almost instinctively the internal con- 
dition of the tree, to determine the 
amount of strain that can be put upon 
it with safety. A neglect of this pre- 
caution often results in great damage 
to both persons and property. 
lost. With the evergreens the effect 
is quite the same throughout the 
year. 
A little study of one’s surroundings 
at this time of the year may be the 
means of broadening one’s possessions 
— for are not the mountains only his 
who can use them? With this broad- 
ening of one’s horizon, such places 
and objects as are displeasing may 
still be kept from sight. The views 
ULT FEATS IN 
A tree dead for some time, or dy- 
ing, must be regarded carefully by 
the foreman in charge of its removal, 
and every effort should be made to 
determine the soundness of the trunk 
and larger limbs by soundings for 
weak and decayed interiors. Very 
frequently a dead, but apparently 
strong trunk will be badly decayed 
within, and at points that would cause 
it to crash down, if any extra strain 
should be put upon it. This same 
tree might continue to stand for 
years if the same balance was pre- 
served. To send men into such a 
tree without an examination might 
result in death the moment any large 
limbs were removed. As an illustra- 
tion of this possibility, a maple tree 
had died and the cause of its deajth 
provoked an interesting discussion. 
Some said gas, others, the sewer, still 
another electric wires and a very wise 
one said he “didn’t know.” (I took 
my hat off to him.) Regardless of 
the brain storms the tree was dead, 
and ordered to be removed. An or- 
dinary man would have ordered his 
men into the tree to take it down, 
but this foreman intuitively felt that 
the tree was dangerous and soundings 
showed that it was so badly decayed 
at the base that there was great dan- 
ger of its falling. The street was 
closed, a rope was thrown over it as 
high as possible and a pair of horses 
brought it crashing down. This was 
a wise foreman. 
This skill must be supplemented by 
willing and strong workers, men who 
can, and will, climb to dangerous 
heights on limbs or ladders, who can 
tie knots that will hold and whose 
nerves are as strong as those sky 
workers who construct the frames of 
the sk3'- scraping buildings. 
A tree in a street must be taken 
down by pieces; it must be cut back 
limb by limb, and each limb must 
be lowered to the ground by strong 
ropes. Large limbs require three and 
sometimes five and six cuts to insure 
safety. After the limbs are short 
that have the greater breadth and dis- 
tance are inestimable in their worth 
in making a place one of interest and 
pleasure. 
While the whole breadth of our 
horizon is opened up to us, we should 
carefully and thoughtfully consider 
our “offscape” and thus realize a 
wealth that is ours for the taking. This 
is the time to study vistas. 
Lester Carman Griffith. 
TREE MOVING 
ended to the trunk, this is itself cut 
as low as possible to facilitate the 
matter of felling it when necessary. 
The work of cutting and lowering 
“TOPPING” A TREE. 
large pieces from great heights to the 
ground with safety, must be seen to 
fully appreciate the skill necessary 
to do the work. Sitting astride a 
swaying lirhb, manipulating an un- 
wieldly saw, tying the knot, guiding 
the log to the ground, shifting posi- 
tion for another cut and then monot- 
onously repeating the different oper- 
ations until the work is done, means 
muscle, skill and nerve. 
The matter of dropping the trunk is 
important. If on a sidewalk the 
bricks and curbing must be protected 
from damage and the trunk must be 
so guyed that the mass will drop in 
the exact position desired. Often 
times it is a question of inches to de- 
termine safety or great damage. 
Luke J. Doogue. 
