The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-06-30
NOT WELL PRUNED
STATE HoRFrcULTURIsT WRITES
 OF SELMA TREES.
Has Asked For services of Government Enfemefieisfs To Look Info Condi- kien ef Central City shade
 Daka.
Advertiser Bureau.

Advertiser Bureau,
 Selma. June 29
 Some weks ago, at the request of Mayor Atkins and a number of citizens, Professor Mackintosh. State Horticult- urist at Auburn, came to Selma to ex- anime number of the shade trees of the city which are being killed yearly hy small insects. During his visit here Professor Mackintosh examined many of the trees in various parts of the city
 This morning Mayor Atkins received the following letter from him on the subject, which will prove of interest to Selmians. It will also give them some valuable information In the mat ter of trimming the shade trees of the city, which they would do well to fol- tow The letter Is as follows;
 Tn regard to the trip I made to your city to look into the condition of the water oaks. I will say that have had this matter under consideration for quite a while, and have been able to get promise from Dr. Howard, of the United States Bureau of Entomology. that he would have one of his assist ants visit your city at his earliest con- vienee, to go mere deeply into the mat ter.
 "As I am not a regulap entomoiegist refrain from taking this matter up. because feel that is should be referred to one who makes this suhiect a spec ial study. It Is probable that Mir Fisk will be the one detailed for this work. Mir Fisk has been working for a num- her of years on the insects affecting forest trees in the South.
 From the point of view of the hor- ticulturist. think some of the trees In your city have been injured by poor pruning When a limb is removed II should be cut as close to the part re- maining as possible, and the mound ! covered with paint, or other material which will prevent the disease germ | from gaining entrance to the tissues oi l the tree. and which tends to injure ths part left. Pure lead paint makes one oi | the best coverings for such wounds T wrote to MT. ]. Berckmans of Au- gusta, Georgia. In regard to the water oak and its care. and he writes that he had some trees severely pruned be- cause of being injured by a severe storm. All the large limbs were cut oh about two feet from the main trunkk l and now-fiftten years later--ht | writes that they have recupePated very we'll It would no doubt be the best | thing to severely prune the trees which | show signs of dying. However. suct l ing very bad for a number of years but eventually they recover and are ef. | ten more shapely than at first. 'Tn a number of cases the large tree, | are crowdins each other and in thii way are apt to die Tn the future, ] believe that the trees should not be sel less than thirty or thirty-five feei apart, if they are expected to do theil l best. realize the fact that 1t Is hard | to set the trees so far apart at first because thirty feet seems a long dis tance between the small trees.
 "The good people of your thrivina city are justly proud of their oaks and | do not blame them. I always ad mire the trees when fin the city and fee that the people of Selma are comfort. able and happy with the noble speei. mems of nature giving them shade and 1 protection during the long summer days.
 "If can be of further service to you at any time please let me know. 1 tfYours very truly, l R. s. Macintosh, | State Horticulturlst.