The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1903-08-18
SAVING
TREES BY
SURGERY
Experts Operating With Remark
able Success on the Old Oaks
Of tho University Of California

Berkeley. Cal. Aug. is.-Tree surgeons
are at work on the University OF CALI
fornia oaks. Those famous trees that al
most everybody In the world has read
or heard about are submitting TO a re-
juvenatIng process.
II may be as painful as the surgery
practised on human beings, but IL is doing
a great deal Of good. and the patient old
oaks will come out OF the ordeal revivi-
fed and the better equipped TO Withstand
the Pacinc winds.
Once In their lives oak trees-the Cali
fornia kind. that is-must be operated
upon. Like human beings. as they grow
cider, their vitality decreases. Their
withered limbs get more crusty, and the
dry rot takes hold OF their trunks.
In their young days. say when they
were about 200 years old-for the univer-
sity oaks are estimated be over 400 years
OF age-they were strong enough to shake
off these manifesto tions Of age.
If the wind made a wound In the trunk
of an oak II soon healed over with new
bark: II limb broke, IL sent new one
TO take Its place.
But in the infirmity Of old age the pail
sled tree can no longer cover up It's in
juries. and II stretches out Its scraggy
arms to man. appealing 20 him for assist
ance in it's distress.
AFFLICTED WITH DRY ROT.
The most devitshzing arliction of the
oak Is the dry rot. This usually mani
tests itself at the places on the trunk
where the limbs have been broken or
cut on. Before the bark has had time to
shield the wound the weather sets into II
and the wood rots away.
Sometimes there will I've a hole several
feet deep where IL is least suspected II
d. aA NIL
It's way in the heart OF the tree, eventual
ly killing II.
Professor w. A. Setcheil OF the botany
department OF the university, has been
watching with some apprehension the en-
croachments OF the dry rot on the trees
Just before his departure for Europe re-
Gently he had a conference on the subject
with President Wheeler. 10 whom he said
that something must be done TO save the
oaks. and done at once.
President Wheeler was alive TO the ne
cessity OF immediate treatment, and gave
orders therefore. to Grounds Superinten-
dent A. l.. Bolton 10 proceed according TO
Professor setchelrs directions.
In carrying out the instructions. Su-
perintendent Bolton. as chief surgeon.
and the surgeons under him havS<-seen
tenderly solictous for the fathers of the
campus.
IN digging out the cavities and filling
| them with more wholesome stun they
| have exercised the greatest care not to
hurt the tree, though there must be in
ward groans when the drills pierce too
| far.
TREATED AND FILLED WITH CE-
MENT
Workers have proceeded by ridding the
trees OF all the dry rot, then disinfecting
| the exposed places with coal tar and fill
ing them with California cement. The
| cement takes the place Of the natural
| wood and enough is put into the cavity
| to bring II TO the edge of the bark.
This leaves surface over which the
bark grows In time, thus enclosing the
! cement II the cement was filled to the
| brim OF the bark the bark would be re-
tarded in It's growth and finally the tree
would die
The treatment Of the trees has disclosed
/ some strange things. Most curious OF
| these is an oak I'm which the letters &c.
r." were cut years ago in the bark.
This left the wood exposed 10 the
weather which I'm time rotted deep. though
II was not apparent until the operators
| began work upon It, In a few more years
the tree would have died.
Various are the tools used by the tree
surgeons I'm prosecuting their labors,
many OF them not unlike those used by
a surgeon. There are scoops and spoons
and drills and all sorts OF instruments
all OF them turned out for the purpose by
the college blacksmith shop.
For the cavities high up from the
ground an improvised chair is employed
! work
The last legislature made special ap.
preparation for this work
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