Show I STUDENT LIFE ing There seems to be something of a feeling of kinship between man and great and noble trees a sort of sympathetic understanding be- tween them Solitude is not nearly so solitary if there is a tree in it and If there is a gioup ct trees we almost feel it to be peopled A tree is much nearer to us than a ruck It is already a sort of humble relation not inferior on all points but entirely at our mercy which ri ts a sort of pathetic interest to its existence Wherever man is the tree can only live by his permission so that in all populous countries the tree expresses man’s desire that it should be there and gains something almost human from his tolerance lie has' gone much beyond mere tolerance by inviting the tree to live upon his land He has planted it and become almost its father its only conscious father watching its growth year by year with a gentle paternal feeling To cut down trees is felt to be a kind of manslaughter to protect them is the sign of a tender and merciful disposition Dignified noble trees like the elm the chestnut and the oak have an air of nrandeur and strength about them and seem to give a sense of solidity to the place when they are planted close to the house When they spread out their great branches above it they seem to stand like silent guards an embodiment of stability sentinels giving a token of faith and protection to the little dwelling nestling beneath them Our poet philosopher Thoreau -- 101 says “Many large trees especially elms about a house are a sure in- dication of family distinction and worth Any evidence of care bestowed on these trees receives the traveler’s respect for as noble a husbandry as the raising of corn and potatoes” Many fine dwellings are surrounded by inclosures full of trees and shrubs arranged in a way which ornaments and denotes taste and with plenty of space so that there is no crowding or inconveni- ence Sometimes however this craving for trees is carried to an exThere are many houses treme badly shadowed and shut in and many yards cramped and crowded by twice or thrice the number of large trees which they ought to support In such cases the ax is the only remedy The remedy is very often hard to apply to trees which have become old friends but the improvement will be worth it The best way is to make such thinnings very much earlier in the development of the grounds before an atIn arrangetachment is formed ment of trees grouped trees give an apearance of naturalness because in nature trees are almost always At any rate they are grouped never set in rows A good strong oak grows up and there soon appears under the shelter of its branches a younger generation so we have a group of oaks and even with the willow and poplar which widely distribute seed we find them grouped where the environments |