PARK AND CEMETERY. 
138 
placed not less than 14 inches from the outer edge of 
curb, so that collision with the hubs of wagon wheels 
will be avoided. 
The next heading is pruning at the time of planting. 
It is unreasonable to suppose and expect that nature 
can maintain the luxuriant and symmetrical form of a 
tree produced by several years growth under the most 
favorable conditions. When that tree is brought into 
the city and subjected to contra-conditions nature will 
assert and strive to adapt itself to the existing condi- 
tions it is true, but without skillful assistance it will fail 
in the attempt and the tree will succumb. Pruning is 
necessary both in the branches and roots. In my 
opinion, as the root is the most important feature of a 
tree, it should receive the first and greatest attention. 
The ends of all trunk roots should be pruned off, 
broken roots removed, and any cancerous or fungoid 
growth, however minute its appearance may be, must be 
pruned away, the operation being performed with a 
sharp knife and not by shears. Of the use of shears I 
will speak a little later on. Now as to head pruning. 
Practice teacnes us that the beautiful symmetrical form 
of the tree obtained by the patient and skillful assist- 
ance to nature by the nurseryman in the trees natural 
element, cannot possibly be maintained under adverse 
conditions. The only remedy, therefore, is to extend 
farther assistance to nature by judicious pruning into a 
reduced symmetrical form natural to the true type of the 
tree according to its variety, thereby relieving the tree of a 
burden it cannot possibly carry, and assisting it to repro- 
duce itself in a healthy form under its new conditions. 
The results of the foregoing methods are to-day in 
evidence in several parts of our city, especially so on 
the sidewalks surrounding Allegheny Square, which is 
situated on Allegheny avenue and Belgrade street; John 
Dickinson Square, Third and Tasker streets, and 
Wharton Square, Twenty-third and Wharton streets. 
At each of these places the sidewalk pavements are 
granolithic, a»d the surrounding streets are surfaced 
with Belgian blocks and asphaltum respectively. 
Continuing, we will consider the after care and 
attention of the trees we have now in our mind’s eye 
planted. I do not in all cases agree with the practice 
of puddling the roots of trees immediately prior to 
planting, but prefer giving a liberal supply of water at 
the close of the firming. When the water has dis- 
appeared the soil should be filled in slightly above the 
surface line and leveled off without further treading or 
firming, and if the weather be dry the earth should be 
kept moist by an occasional watering. This applies to 
spring planting only, for rarely, if ever, is it necessary 
to water trees that are planted in the fall season. The 
infant forest giant has many enemies to contend with 
when ensconced on our sidewalk, aside from the under- 
ground conditions. The cart-driver frequently breaks 
off a branch to switch his horse; the small boy loves to 
swing around and around its bending stem; at night 
cats may be seen sharpening their claws in its bark, 
from which wounds are made; the boy with a knife 
(and what boy hasn’t a knife?) is very fond of trying it 
on every tree, especially a young, newly planted tree 
with tempting smooth bark; he passes, and older boys 
that are supposed to know better, do not hesitate to 
hitch their horses to the convenient sidewalk tree; the 
horse at once gnaws at the bark or young shoots, or 
both, and often leaves it irredeemably mutilated; and 
then the caterpiller pest, with which many portions of 
our city is infested at this present time, neglect for the 
want of watering, and several other adverse contin- 
gencies could be named, atmospheric gases and in- 
fluences, etc., etc., and yet some people wonder why 
their trees do not thrive, and endeavor to compare their 
friends trees in the country with theirs on their side- 
walk, failing to consider the wide difference of the con- 
ditions of the two. 
Experience has taught me that the antiquated tree 
box, the wood or metal frame tree guard, is very little 
service to the tree, but rather, on the contrary, is 
injurious, as also the wooden stake or support, except 
perhaps in the case of the latter in very windy and 
exposed conditions. To guard the tree from the attack 
of its worst enemies, I find the half-inch mesh, galvan- 
ized wire cloth placed loosely around the stem and 
fastened with wire, to be not only economical but the 
most protective of all the several designs of so-called 
tree guards. This can be removed or enlarged at will 
according to the requirements of the tree. It is proof 
against the grasp of the swinging boy, the claws of cats, 
the edge of the jack-knife, the death dealing bite of the 
horse, and forms a comfortable rendezvous for the 
caterpiller to go into the cocoon stages of its existence, 
and, being easy of removal, this pest in this form can 
as easily be annihilated and the tree preserved. 
We have now reached our last heading, “General 
Remarks.” Referring back to the pruning question I 
recommended the use of the knife in preference to 
shears, and the reasons for my preference for the former 
are as follows: The drawing together of the tissues by 
the action of the shears bruises them, leaving a rough 
surface and causes decay, and this applies to branches 
as well as to the roots, whereas the knife leaves a clean 
smooth surface, and the liber or inner bark forms a 
callous covering from which new fibres start and form 
roots, thus supplying new feeders to the tree. In ref- 
erence to the branches, the shears leave the ends rough 
and bruised, and death to the immediate part is the 
result. Decay sets in, and time will tell us whether one 
inch, one foot, or the whole branch succumbs to the 
operation. Whereas, if the knife is used the liber exerts 
itself and gradually envelopes the wound till it dis- 
appears from view. I do not by any means wish to 
disparage the use of shears for general purposes, for in 
this time of keen competition they cannot be dispensed 
with, for both shears and the knife can be used. The 
shears can do the trimming, but the knife alone can do 
the pruning. The operator can go over the tree, both 
root and branch, with the shears, trimming the parts an 
inch or so beyond the pruning point, and then follow 
with the knife and do the pruning expeditiously. The 
foregoing applies only to small trees, such as are usually 
planted on our streets. In larger trees both shears and 
knife are laid aside and the saw and broad chisel are used. 
