Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-11-13
DOGTORING SAVESTREES
CENTURY-oIiD ELMS THE PRIDE
OF NORTHAMPTON.
Tree Set Out $50 Years Ago by iona
than Edwards--Example Of What
Can Be Done.

From the New York Sun.
Up around Northampton. Mass. tree doc
toring Is carried on to an extent which
would make some New Workers open their
eyes. The consequence is that even in
state which Is rich in fine old trees this
particular region is famous
Century-old elms are not only too nu-
merous to be mentioned, but also too nu-
merous to attract individual notice. There
are good many magnificent trees which
have seen $50 years of growth and few
which are well on to the 2Oo-year mark.
Thanks to the tree doctor they win prob
ably add at least another century to their
existence.
The most conspicuous example in North
ampton of the modern method OF dealing
with disabled tree is the Edwards elm.
1t was set out more than $50 years ago
by Jonathan Edwards himself.
The famous old preacher lived In North
ampton score or more Of years, and this
elm he planted in front of his house.
House and preacher have long since mold
ed away, but the old tree still stands.
Tree Treatment.
The profession of tree doctoring de-
veloped too late though. to save the old
tree in hale and hearty condition. 1t
was eaten by insects. decayed and shat
tered before public interest was reused to
keep what was left.
BY that time the trunk was so far gone
that 100 barrels of cement We're packed
into it before 1t was considered ready for
timing over. IT will not live a great
many years even now. for the work of
repair was too long delayed
The reha bilita ton of the Edwards elm
would have cost $3.50 il the tree doctor
had charged regular prices for 1t. Being
public work, that was not done. But
other trees have been repaired in and
around Northampton at 500 each.
That is about the cheapest way of cir
cumventing nature that be found.
The old saying, "a penny saved is penny
earned" Is true of trees. "a tree saved
is Il tree grown" And to get a 10O-ycar-
old tree for 800 is certainly dirt cheap.
A tree even II it be centenarian among
it's fellows, need not be abandoned to dis
ease and decay any more than child
need be allowe ed to die of the first ailment
that comes along. II trees properly
sprayed they will be saved from the Dor
ers and other insect enemies If dead
branches are kept cleared out another
menace is removed.
If. however decay has already begun.
or If a limb has been broken off, leaving
an open wound in the trunk, where decay
will soon set In, the tree doctor can come
to the rescue. Where there is decay he
goes to work like "a dentist operating
a gigantic scale.
from the cavity till every trace of 1t is
gone and the sound. clean grained wood
is reached Then the cavity is filled with
Portland cement-anywhere from a hat
full of 1t to the 100 barrels which went
into the Edwards ELM
Closing the Wounds.
In Northampton the trees not only re-
ceive enough cement to protect the open
wound but also are built up with it to
their natural symmetry of shape. Then
this cement trunk is covered with tin
lott yryIt .l int 70 ha
irconspicuous as possible In this way
some of the finest trees in the state have
been preserved. and unless other locali-
ties wake up to greater activity this part
of the Connecticut valley will soon boast
the finest old elms in the country.
There are naples here. too which are
100 years old. The naples are treated in
slightly different manner from the
elms. After the cavity is cleaned out it Is
filled with wood driven in piece by piece.
till the cavity is entirely full, when it is
timed over and painted.
Christopher Clark, to whose interest in
the local antiquities the preservation of
these old trees is due, says that IL old
orchards received a-little care of this sort
they would live to return good profits to
their owners. He himself had an old ap-
pie tree-about seventy five years old
which he repaired, putting in several bar
rels of cement where it had decayed.
BY way of showing its appreciation of
the attention it promptly put forth
much new wood close to the filled cavity
that he actually had to cut off a cart load
of new growth, 1t has gone on bearing
four varieties of apples with great vigor,
and seems to feel that it has new lease
of life.
Another precaution recommended In the
case of apple trees is to brace up all the
branches with wires instead of depending
on props to keep overloaded boughs from
breaking. Props are not always to be de-
pended on, as the branch often breaks
beyond the prop itself.
The wires there to StaV and H.
solutely trustworthy. AS the old trees
bear better than the young ones, and also
bear better fruit II they are taken care of
Mr.. Clark advises that the tree doctor be
called in cases where orchards threaten
to die of old age.
AS for the shade trees. they deserve the
help which, given in time, would save
nine-tenths of them. Even lightning
s@roke need not necessarily be fatal.
Maiden Names in Other Lands