The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1908-10-26
DENTISTRY FOB TREES.
Interesting Work Done Nowadays to
Preserve Trees From Decay.

|
What is tree SURGERY In so Ear an
1t applies to the cement work done a
good answer would be that Il is the
practical application OF dentistry to
trees. But this answer would not
cover the many branches of the pro-
| fesion, consisting of trimming, chain
ing, packing, scraping, spraying and
fertlizing. Tree surgery is In fact an
| advanced deyelopment'of arboriculture.
| Both fruit and shade trees are valued
now as never before. and the fact has
become generally known that by skill
fnl methods of the tree surgeon IL is
| possible to give new lease of life to
trees which apparently had reached
their limit of existence. 1t is safe to
say that almost any tree of medium
age may be saved by these methods.
or the many branches embraced in
this work the cement filling forms by
far the largest and most important
part. The practice of filling cavities
with cement mas long been in use, but
| when carried out along the usual lines
| 1t only serves to add to the original
trouble. The method of sealing up
the decayed section simply increases
the decay. Many examples may be
seen where the bark at one side of the
| cavity was covered by the cement, no
regard having been paid to drainage
or the subsequent healing of the
wound. AS the cement did not stick
to the wood and the swaying of the
tree by the wind often enlarged the
crack between the wood and the filli,,g
water penetrated behind the oepIent
and decay wen ton even more .-apidly
than before.
The tree grows in girth by the de-
post o. thin layer of new wood be-
tweer the wood and the bark There
arc three layers in this coat--the mid
die one being composed of thin form
ing tissues known as "cambium." The
inner side of this layer forms new
wood, the outer new bark. 1t is this
new layer and the layers of the four or
five previous years which are known as
the sapwood, and form the active Sec
tion of the trunk and branches The
cells of these inner rings are gradually
covered by the yearly deposits Of new
growth, and from living sapwood be-
comes heartwood, which is dead and
serves merely as strong framework
for the living parts of the tree and as
storehouses for exess material.
This is the reason why hollow trees
may often be found in a fiourishing
condition when the heartwood may
have entirely disappeared. However,
landscape tree in this condition, de-
prived of the shelter of it's fellows, is
in grave danger, for high wind or
heavy snowfall may find II an easy
victim.
After a mass OF decay has been re-
moved from the interior of the rot
ting trunk there remains a shell of
living sapwood and bark. Into this
cavity steel brace is inserted and
bolted in place This gives the tree
stability which by the decay of the
supporting heartwood IL had lost Now
comes an important operation, the cut
ting of the water sheds which prevent
the entrance of moisture. The water
sheds consist of a deep groove cut
about an inch inside the edge and
opening to the ground below. The
cement, being packed tightly into rnese
grooves, forms channel ever which
the water flows. to be let out at the
base. The cavity is then wired
throughout, the wire being stretched
Hpf int
acting as reinforcing for the cement,
This work having been completed. the
cement is made as moist as possible,
and then built out into the original
outline of the tree. The bark which
has been cut back for an inch or so In
order to prevent bruising while the
work is in progress will eventually |
cover the filled in wound, the tree
thus regaining its normal appearance
In the case OF exceptionally large ]
cavities the opening is covered by
large strips of zinc. The cement is
then forced down into every crevice |
and allowed to set, after which the |
zinc is removed and a coat of fine fin
isning cement put on and painted the
color OF the bark. BY this method the |
tree surgeon is enabled to build ont
trees where fully half the wood may
have been destroyed by lightning or
from some other ciluse. This treat
ment serves as fine example of The |
healing powers or nature, for II is re-
markable how quickly these wounds |
VIII heal when protected from mois-
ture and further decay by the cement
filling insured by the Watersheds