CARING FOR SHADE TREES 
i35 
and all because one horse was hitched to the unprotected 
stem. A tree guard would have made the damage 
impossible. 
Guards are of various styles. . Each type has its 
advocates, but any guard which prevents injury from 
outside sources serves its purpose. One of the most 
familiar varieties is a four cornered box made of upright 
Types of tree guards 
strips of board, anchored to four stakes driven firmly into 
the earth. This is a combined guard and support. For 
the purpose of keeping the young tree in an upright posi¬ 
tion, the stem is fastened to the top of the guard at each 
corner. Galvanized wire netting is much used for guards, 
and in some cities this is reinforced with sheet iron for 
a couple of feet at the base, to provide protection from 
dogs. Guards of iron or other metal are made in many 
styles and designs. The type is relatively unimportant, 
as long as it furnishes complete protection and is not 
distinctly unsightly. 
Contradictory though it may sound, the tree must also 
be protected against the guard itself. If the flexible 
young stem is permitted to sway in the wind and rub 
against the edges of the guard, abrasions of the bark will 
