The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1909-12-10
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solid boGy OF cement which is placed
in 1t, with every care, and held by
frequent nails driven into the live
wood, to prevent its pulling away
from the wood till the bark begins to
inclose it. So fast does the tree re-
cover when it is given a chance that
in four years from now that cement
will be covered completely over, and
in few years more only long seam
will show where the bark has Joined
together and made the tree whole
tree once again. The elm grows to
great age, from 300 to 400 years be.
ing about as long as an elm, with
great care, can be expended to live.
1T is not often that we have to put
IN such big filling as this I have
showed you, or that over there in the
school yard just across the street,
where the cavity was at the very base
OF the tree itself and had to be treat
ed with even more care than this one.
we dug down for deep pit into
the roots Of that elm, and have 1t
now SO that 1t will stand for many
years, whereas. If 1t had not been
treated 1t must have become danger
Gus, in its exposed position, in a few
years.
You see, there are three layers be-
fore we get to, the wood of the tree,
the two outer bark layers and the
campian layer which lies close to
the wood. and through which the sap
flows to nourish the tree. AS this de-
velops the bark rolls toward the outer
point of circumstance, each year
rolling a bit closer, till in time It
gradually closes up the opening that
has been made. But the inner bark,
or ca1npian layer is the one that
does the growing, and as long az that
Is not destroyed there is hope for the
tree. We have to dig out every speck
of decayed or affected wood as thor,
oughly as If 1t were the decayed stun
IN tooth. and then very carefully
I'LL with our special mixture of ce.
ment, which is mixed of peculiar
consistency to be just right. Some
times we have to mix 1t over second
or even a third time, to get it Just
right.
The tin patching we use where the
hole is smaller, or where the cavity
is not SO deep and it is merely neces.
sary to protect the cavity, which has
been thoroughly cleaned out and
given coating of tar preparation to
keep out insects and cleanse the sur.
face more completely. These tin
patches are tackled on around the
edge of the opening. and when coated
with tar are good to protect the holes
till the trees can close them up nat,
urally.
"One of the hardest things we have
to contend with is the curiosity OF
people who can't let things alone.
On the big I'LL which we made close
to the ground in the schoolhouse ward
boys had kicked and SCARED the sur.
face of the fill with their shoes be,
fore it had time to set hard, spelling
an otherwise nice-looking bit of work
so far as looks CO. When l came
to fill the big elm cavity on Ham.
mond street ! put ropes all about it
to suggest that people let 1t alone.
yet the very first evening it was alono
some man came and stuck his finger
into it to see if 1t was hard. or
course 1t wasn't, and the next morn,
ing that finger mark was there, spoil.
ing the perfection Of good Job.
Bangor is almost entitled to be
called the Forest City. To stand al
the top of the standpipe in the high.
lands and look out over the city it an.
pears one vast carpet of green. with
here and there break, but mainly
showing evidences of civilization only
by the red chimneys peeping up
among the leaves.