Ill 
TREES MAY BE POISONED 
I SN’T IT ODD that shade trees will not grow in front 
of drug stores! 
Any one who doubts this statement has only to go 
about his own town and observe the facts. There may be 
solid rows of handsome trees up and down a street until 
a drug store is reached. Then there is sure to be a gap 
that is treeless. 
Almost anybody can think back and remember a time 
when he has seen some handsome tree beside the curb 
gradually languish and die. The tree did not appear to 
have been injured. Its body was sound. The insects had 
not attacked its leaves. Come to think of it, this tree 
stood in front of a drug store. As likely as not, the drug¬ 
gist loved and cherished it. But it died. Trees have died 
in front of drug stores everywhere. 
These deaths are due to the fact that drug stores sell 
ice cream. They take place in front of other places where 
ice cream is sold. To be sure, the trees do not eat ice 
cream, and they have no objection to its being eaten by 
human beings. They are quite willing that it should be 
served under their sheltering shade. 
The trouble lies in the fact that ice cream comes packed 
with salt and ice about it. This layer of salt and ice 
keeps the ice cream frozen. As ice cream is used, the salt 
and ice melt. 
The practice of the druggist may be to pour this salty 
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