270 
PARK AND CEMETERY. 
nate-leavecl trees tend to send a branch first 
to one side and then to the other side — 
e. g., the elm. 
Until the tree grows out of reach of our 
hand and strength we can keep it bent 
straight or the one-side bud removed so 
that it will tend to send up a straight stem. 
But as soon as it gets beyond our reach the 
identity of the trunk is lost in the branches 
and one may not as a rule trace the main 
trunk clear to the top of the tree. If such 
a tree is topped from time to time we may 
easily leave the last bud always on the 
same side of the stem and a tree will grow 
all to one side. 
(a) . Vase form. — In a vase form tree 
the branches bend up, then out and down, 
— the trunk forming the stem. Topping 
this tree will make it dished on top and 
weaken its structure. It cannot grow to- 
gether again and a “fatal crotch” is formed 
in the branches. 
(b) . Round-topped. — The branches of 
round-topped trees grow out and then bend 
up and inward, forming a globular top. 
Cutting off the tips of such branches thick- 
ens the top and strengthens the growth. 
Such a tree is the soft maple and by care- 
ful handling proper results will be gained. 
The difficulty is that such a tree is usually 
tapers down to a point. Topping de- 
stroys its chance to develop a cone 
shape and removing lower limbs destroys 
its beauty. Such trees are beautiful as 
lawn specimens, but are too low- 
branched to be of value for street shade. 
(e). Pyramidal. — The Lombardy pop- 
lar and others of the pyramidal type 
have limbs that tend to grow straight 
upwards, parallel to the trunk. The 
beauty of this specimen is in its unique 
spire-like shape which adapts it to a 
specimen used to attract attention, for 
example, to mark entrances or to cause 
variety of skyline in group massing. 
TREE STRUCTURE. FIG. 2 — TREE FORMS 
.Mtlioug'n variations maj^ occur in different trees of the same 
Study structure of tree carefully before undertaking- to prune it. species, yet each species may be classified more or less accur- 
ately under one of these general forms. 
Beyond this we must consider the nat- 
ural strength of a tree. There is no object 
in trimming or topping a strong hardwood 
tree such as an oak or a sugar maple that 
ordinarily would not be broken in the wind. 
Such a tree is naturally adapted to self- 
formation and unless injured by some ex- 
ternal cause will take care of itself. 
There are two other things we must 
know about trees. First, certain varieties 
or species will never make good ornamental 
shade trees and should not be used. Many 
are poor because they are too open ; buds 
too far apart on the stem and branches 
come out at long intervals. Other trees are 
objectionable because of the bad odor of 
their flowers, brittle twigs, dropping leaves, 
shedding of bark, or short life. Secondly, 
the method of branching or the angle of 
branching with the trunk affects its form. 
THE SIX FORMS. 
There are six forms into which trees 
may be grouped : 
a. Vase form — elm. 
b. Round-topped — maple. 
c. Boxiform — hickory. 
d. Coniform — spruce or pine. 
e. Pyramidal — Lombardy poplar. 
f. Grotesque — artificially propagated 
trees like the umbrella catalpa or Tea’s 
weeping mulberry. 
of a softwood and short lived variety that 
is past its prime of life at a time when it 
needs such topping. 
(c). Boxiform. — Trees that are included 
in the boxiform group also branch squarely 
or at right angles to the trunk and the top 
branches extend to approximately the same 
length as the lower ones. Such a tree may 
be topped, if it is desirable to have it lower 
or the lower branches may he removed. 
Doing this will make the foliage mass more 
cubical rather than rectangular and has a 
tendency to create a specimen that is out 
of proportion. 
(cl). Coniform. — Branches of trees in 
the coniform group form a right angle 
with the trunk. The lower limbs are 
wide and the others shorter as they ap- 
proach the top of the tree until the tree 
“My Garden,” by Louise Beebe Wilder, is 
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who among the annuals, of wild gardens, 
herb gardens, wall gardens — a veritable 
Such a tree does not as a rule spread 
wide enough to give shade and no prun- 
ing will change its angle of branching. 
(f). Grotesque trees. — Trees of the 
grotesque class are of odd and unusual 
character. They are either too irregu- 
lar or too formal to be adapted to nat- 
uralistic planting and usually branch too 
low to allow traffic underneath. 
It would be safe then to say that soft 
wood trees like cottonwood, box elder, 
soft maple and catalpa, need topping. 
Locusts, sycamores, and hickories need 
to have dead wood removed before it 
falls. Other trees need to be shaped or 
headed up and given a fair start in life 
when they are 12 to 20 feet high. If 
this is done they will thereafter take 
care of themselves unless artificially or 
accidentally injured. 
treasure-store of garden lore — a chronicle 
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of the poetry man has made to gardens, 
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day, Page & Co., Garden City, N. Y., and 
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NEW GARDEN BOOK. 
