The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-11-21
REJUvENATING OLD TREES.
Scientific Method of Imparting New
VigOr Into Decaying Trunks.
From &c Boston Transerlpt.

From the Boston Transcript
Old trees are among the most cherished
treasures of rural and suburban homes
They are the most costly, too, as every
finished product is costly into which has
entered those Transforming and creative
processes which only long reaches Of time
can furnish. An old house may fall down
or be destroyed by fire, and, while we
mourn the loss of the visible sign of old
associations, a better and more beautiful
structure can be made to take its place.
But when an old tree that has been the
guardian of the home for generations and
stood there before the home was founded
surrenders to the blast the loss Is beyond
repair, for a long time at least. AS there
Is no immediate remedy possible the need
of precaution becomes all the greater.
When one Of these old sentinels begins to
show signs of disease and decay and year
by year grows more attenuated In its
branches and weaker in Leaf growth and
power we watch it as we watch a friend
attacked by slow but incurable malady.
But remedies are now being discovered
for almost every i'll of the body and sue
cesstul tree surgery Is or may be as COM
mon as the higher form of that science
A recent number of Garden and Forest
discusses the rejuvenescence of old trees
and gives practical directions for effecting
it, Directly to the point are two illustrR-
tons of the same tree, a venerable oak in
the Arnold arboretum. The first is of a.
tree with far preaching branches, but mark
ed by infalible signs of decrepitude the
LEAKAGE scanty and the general prospect OF
life discouraging.
The second illustration shows the same
tree twelve years later, shorter OF limb,
II is true, but displaying vigor In every
leaf and fiber, and exhibiting every char
acteristic of youth and strength and hops
ful promise of longevity. No miracle, not
even one OF natures, has been performed
The result is simply one of skillful tree
surgery of intelligent pruning according
to the De Care system, which instead OF
sending the tree blood long distances
through collapsed and withered arteries,
contracts the area and applies the nolr-
ishing forces in such way that they can
be assimilated and made to promote the
growth of all the members
The process is one which almost arya4n-
telligent farmer or tree owner should be
able 10 apply. ''Vigor can be restored to
a tree in this condition by shortening all
its branches by one-third OF, one half their
entire length. The only care needed in this
operation is to cut back each main
branch to healthy lateral branch, which
viii serve to attract and elaborate by
means OF its leaves a sufficient flow of sap
to insure the growth Of the branch" These
directions must be carefully Observer to
! prevent further decay, and care must also
! be taken to leave the lowest limbs the
| longest, so that the greatest possible leaf
surface shall be exposed to the light. SO
4 IL some old tree, near roadside or dwelling
| that has been the landmark Of a century
shows alarming symptoms, the owner
should not despair before he has treated 1t
according to the general plan here elald
! down