Evening capital., 1907-09-13
PLUGGING THE Old CAVITY
WORK ON OLD LIBERTY pop
LAR SLOW BUT SURE
Cement Left TO IIardeE-HHst Sustain
Us Own Weight-NheH Complete
Ten Times Str0ager CIR.
defs for Supporfs-Nak-
ing Photographs
WITHERS THE TREE SURGEON
A HORTIcULTURIST BY
INHERITANCE

Ia six or eight days. Jr. John r..
NitheTs. the tree surgeon wh0 has ~
charge the work Of d0ctOfing the oid
| Liberty Poplar on ~ Johns c0iiege
campus. poets to complies the work.
Mr.. Wffheers. y no has been giving
the work his personal supervision
axuecks t. leave here tomorrow for =
few Hays' visit to his home IN Jersey
CITY. II is not always the tree doctor
personally snpcryises trees that be has
under Treatment. - - Re has q ucst
able and efficient superintendent ard
corf,s Of workmen. But be has felt es-
pseial interest in this old, historic
tnlip poplar, and more or less aprenen-
sftc lest severe storm or gale ~
wind would come with disastrous
effect 10 the old tree, which - nothing
but a shell.
.sfn the heavy wind storn Of We'd
nesday afternoon, said pr. Witbers,
~ watched the tree with fear ard
trembling, as il quiyeEed ard siso0k
IN the wind. : knew IL that tree
were - blow down, ] would ~ held
responsible. and the blame would
rest on my shoulders. Indeed, bad
such q thing happened I should have
wanted 10 take wings and hy 70
parts unknown. IN sEch great Teyer-
ence = the old tree held
Nr. John +. Witbers - . Weishmau.
although % him has been attributed
since he came here q tri-natiOnaiity-
n has been thought Dc was q Dane. a
Swcdc or German and BE- might
easily iye taken for any u these lie
"a a WeIshman. h0weyer- having been
born IN the mountains 0r North
49, L -
in this country fifteen years.
SIR. Wftbers believes IN the laws Ol
heredity. When aksed how be came
10 BE- a tree doctor, ne said because his
father was engaged in Horticulture, his
grandfather and his eas-grandfatLer
were foresfers. and boTtfcuIturists and
the love Of the work Is born and bred
| fn him. lie T. devoted 20 the work
wbich he loves as though be were do
| ing il alone FOR the love of the works
and not for . livelihood
Mr. WIthers received his early
training along horticultural lines in
Wales, where be took = course At a
school Of forestry and horticulture,
| buf finished near London. IT Walton
| ur-the- Thames. The work on tbe old
tuifp poplar on ~. John college
campus. Nr. Sffthcrs says. is good
object lesson and ought 10 create SYM
/ nafbv with ene work. Tire hollow ~
1 the old 4ree is being filled with cement
a little at a time. and this is left to
harden.
n IS necessary to do the WORK siou :
~ IN order not 10 have too great !
1 strain ON the old shell. IS soon a.
the the cement sets. Il holds its own
| weight. The base Of the fIling IS
mueh fxoader than the upper
part 80 il will support itseif- Iron
rods are run through tie eesuent and
thfs binds the cement together. max
ing ii > great tree Of cement IN itself.
| which would stana-w itBout its case.
| ment Of tree IL necessary.
Into the huge branch which Is mol.
low. iron rods arc also rHn, and soon
cans Of cement viii BE set here e
| we'll as in the trunk Until the fnnei
IflIing will sustain its own weight aud
consequently there viii be no strair
on the tree whatscevef- The idea q
the cement is 20 make an air and
| water~tighf plug, Or 1IIing which
| will prevent growth y funsus-air and
Y afer being Necessary Tor life 81
fungus. - IL Is for anything else 3
Vas the fungus growth ti1at had de-
stroyed the heart q me old tree
whfch- when reDewed. viii he ter
times stronger than Il ever was Defor'
/ and will Withstand severe gale
This tulip poplar Is especially q
horna in this section Of the couAutFy
whare II grows e. : greater siz.
fhan anvwl1ers else. AGr. Wifhers.
| rhoxe knowIedge Of trees and wh0sl
business takes him ese<ywbere. say.
- - ...~~<.na14r of.refra.I fha tuff1