t would grow on them next year."

"Why, sometimes, the branches are dead, and then they would do no good,
but only be in the way."

"But do they do any hurt?" said Rollo.

"Why, they look badly."

"But, I mean, would they do any actual hurt to the tree?"

"Why, I don't know," said his father; "perhaps they would not. At any
rate, if I cut them off pretty close to the living part of the tree, the
bark will then gradually extend out over the little stump that I leave,
and finally cover it over, and take it all in, as it were."

By this time, Rollo and his father had reached the back side of the
garden, and his father showed him the place where he had cut off a limb
the year before, and he saw how the fresh young bark had protruded
itself all around it, and was spreading in towards the centre so as to
cover it over. Rollo then saw that it was better that all old dead limbs
should be cut off.

"That's curious," said Rollo.

"Yes, very curious," said his father. "A tree will take in, and cover
up, almost any thing that is fastened to the wood, in the same manner."

"Will it?" said Rollo.

"Yes," said his father. "If you drive a nail into a tree, the bark will,
after a time, cover it over entirely. Sometimes people find things in
old trees, which were put upon them when they were young."

"How big things?" said Rollo.

"O, I don't know exactly how big. The tree will make an effort to
enclose any thing small or large. Only, if it is very large, it will
take a great while to enclose it, and it might be so large that it never
could enclose it."

"Well, father, how large must it be so that the tree never could enclose
it?"

"O, I don't know, exactly. Once I saw a tree that was growing very near
a rock. After a time it came in contact with it, and it grew and pressed
against it, until the rock crowded into the wood. Then the bark began to
protrude in every direction along the rock, as if it was making an
effort to spread out and take the rock all in. But I don't think it will
ever succeed; for the rock was part of a ledge in a pretty large hill."

"What a silly tree!" said Rollo.

"Father, I believe I will try the experiment some time," continued
Rollo, after a pause.

"Very well," said his father.

"What shall I put into the tree?" asked Rollo.

"You might put in a cent," said his father, "and then, if it should get
fairly enclosed, I presume the tree will keep it safe for you a good
many years."

Rollo