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number of smaller ones. Most of our native trees are evergreen, 
that is to say, that they do not shed their leaves all at once. In 
deciduous trees like the Indian Almond, Terminalia catappa , 
the leaves are shed several times a year, altogether making a 
troublesome lifter. Small-leaved trees are, as a rule, preferable 
to large-leaved ones, not only because of their producing less 
litter, but also because the large leaves, when falling, are apt to 
startle excitable horses. 
Certain trees are objectionable, because they throw off the 
rain to the outer ends of the boughs, so that it all falls upon the 
road in one spot, usually causing much trouble and expense in 
upkeep. These trees generally possess small leaves ending in a 
long point, which hang downwards, either normally or at least 
during rain. The water falling on any part of the tree runs from 
leaf to leaf downwards and outwards till it reaches the terminal 
leaves of the boughs and then falls to the ground. These are 
known as centrifugal trees. The Waringin ( Ficus benjamina) is 
one of this class. In centripetal trees such as Elceocarpus 
ganitrus, the rain pours down the boughs towards the trunk, 
where it runs down in a stream, so that a tree of this kind does 
not injure the road in this way at all. 
Fruit trees again are unsuitable as a rule, because they tempt 
natives to climb them, and break the boughs. 
Attention must also be paid to the roots of trees. In the Fig 
trees and other such trees, the roots are very copious, and not 
very deep, and have a habit of ploughing through the road and 
breaking it up. They also get into drains and pipes, choking 
them, and pushing their way into crevices in brick-work; sooner 
or later separate the bricks and destroy the structure. Trees 
whose roots are shallow are also more liable to be blown down 
in a gale than trees which root deep and take a good hold on the 
soil. 
A good shade tree should have a straight bare stem for at least 
twelve feet from the ground, and a good spreading head of strong 
branches. Proper pruning will improve almost any tree in these 
respects, and though it is usually neglected utterly by persons 
in charge of roadside trees, it well repays the little trouble entail- 
ed in attending to it. Trees with strict erect branches, like the 
Glam {Melaleuca leucadendron) are in some cases very suitable, 
but unless the road to be shaded is narrow they do not give 
enough shade to be of much use. 
Treatment of Shade Trees, 
It is not enough to merely put trees into the ground at stated 
distances and leave them to take care of themselves and grow or 
not as they like. They must be properly looked after and clean- 
ed and pruned in a proper manner or they wi 1 entail a great deal 
of further work. The distance that trees should be planted from 
each other differs with different kinds. Usually about thirty 
feet apart is the best distance, but if it is desired to shade a road 
speedily, quick-growing trees may be planted alternately with 
