The daily palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1904-1905, 1904-02-22


done, and therefore pruning becomes
needful. But if in order to limit the
size of a tree or even to control its
shape, all It's twigs and branches
which project beyond given outline
are cut off at just the point where
they pass beyond the "dead line
two other results are accomplished
which very strikingly alter the APP
pearance of the tree. The tick
ture" of its foliage surface is chang
ed from that of a mass of leaves
which catches the light and shadow
IN its own peculiar way, waving or
tossing or futtering or shimmering
with the breeze in its own partiucalr
manner, and tufted, or plumed, or
rounded, or laminated as the case
may be, like no other kind of tree
but like itself alone; changed from
some one OF thousand characters,
and certain variability, even from
tree to tree Of the same kind In the
same row; changed from this to a
comparatively fiat smooth and mon
otonous texture of leaves and twigs
and ends of branches, which move III
the wind stifay and take the light
and shape, uniformly. This uniform
ity of texture, if consistently OBJ
tanned along any given street, and ac-
companied by uniformity in size and
shape and kind of trees may be very
effective, bearing out and emphasiz-
ing the uniformity Of straight ave-
nue. very impressiyely, as in the
great avenues of Versailles; but the
danger to which it runs even in those
beautiful and perfect examples is
monotony, and when done in a care
less, incomplete, half-hearted or pur-
poseless way, and practised upon
trees of various sizes and kinds, or
upon a street which IS crooked or ir-
regular, it has only monotony and
stupidity and none of the impressive
ness of formal design. While these |
changes in the texture of the foliage |
are of the utmost Importance in sum-
mer, in winter the other result of in
discriminate looping back or clipping |
becomes conspicuous. Every tree
which has developed under tolerably |
stable conditions, whether natural or
artificial, whether favorable or adj |
verse, expresses its growth by a
wonderfully beautiful branch sys-
tenn which divides constantly from |
trunk to limb, limb to branch, branch |
to twig and twig to leaf. While it is
very systematic it is far from geom-
unifrom, and the arbitrary
cutting back intersects it In all sorts
of places. leaving some complete
branch system alongside of stumps
cut off abruptly Just as they are get
ting started. The result is not mere
ly unnatural, it is self-contradictory;
and nothing of that sortcan be pleas
ant to the. eye. When trees are cut
back uniformly year after year, as
they are in those avenues of Yer ]
sailles to which I have referred. the
trees adjust themselves to this annu
ally repeated operation and branch
system is developed which, If it lacks
The grace of natural tree has a
certain consistence IN deformi!y !
which is restful to the eye; but the
rec to which this process is applied
suddenly, and at rare in
.ervals, presents only the deformity
md tho contra II ctiou
The process of "topping" usually
means just that. and its results are
Usually deplorable. In most cases
he only excuse for it is the lack of {
kill on the part of those responsible {
COR the work. If size is the only I
difficulty and the natural form of the
rec is suitable to the situation, what |
5 needed is the removal of the small
r peripheral branches, repeated
very two or three years. If on ac-
cunt Of general appearance or be-
ause of unreasonable interference |
With window light, the general /
orm of the trees needs to be made !
thinner or fatter than they naturally [
row, the same general method t
hould be followed, only the small S
ranches should be cut back on the
verage further on the sides, or on s
he top as the case may be; but SO d
ar as possible whether twig, branch I
f limb be cut it should be removed Il
cut at the point where it n
ranches from its parent stem-and t
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