Evening star., 1909-03-14

rotten wood was carefully taken out ana
the inside of the cavity was scraped and
chSeled down to the live wood. Nails
thickly driven into the wood-to
form support for the cement filling
and the whole interior of the cavity was
then painted with creosoting mixture
When this dried the cement filling was
placed in the cavity: Watersheds or
channels TO carry off rain water or melt
ing snow were nodded in the soft ce-
ment and over the whole was tackled
carefully trimmed piece of zinc. cut to fit
exactly the shape of the cavity. The
zinc was then painted over with a rust
proof paint.
With the main body of the tree
strengthened and the big cavity taken
care of the pruning could safely be
done Several heavy limbs that added
nothing to the shapeliness of the tree
and that tended to drag apart the twin
trunks by reason Of their being on the
outsides of the trunks were taken off.
These limbs were sawed off close to the
trunks-indeed. flush with the bodies of
the tree--and the wounds, after being
treated with the creosoting mixture,
were covered with shaped pieces of zinc.
this in turn being painted.
This work was done last autumn.
During the winter the bark has begun
to grow over the wounds, and within
few years the treated places. large cav
itv and all Will be covered over with
newly formed bark. The arrangement
for draining off the water prevents any
further decay. and by reason of the
thoroughness with which the internal
cavity was prepared for its filling Of ce
nent no water can accumulate behind
the filing to cause further rotting of
the interior The progress already made
toward healing over the wounds makes
l. apparent that no great length Of time
will be required for the new growth OF
bark to hide completely the cement
filed. zinc-covered cavity. and when this
natural process has been completed the
tree will be good aS new
The second illustration shows much
simpler piece of work. Here there was
one large cavity. high up in the tree
trunk to treat and fill. while above IT
We're several smaller ones. made by the
old methods of trimming, to be taken
care of. The large cavity had already
caused a serious weakening In the trunk
of the tree, however. and if allowed 20
continue would soon have brought the
tree to a condition where any strong
wind would have snapped 1t off The
method followed was exactly the same
as in the case of the other tree, and
the treatment has been perfectly sue
cessful. The small decayed places were
similarly treated these We're caused by
ths saving off several years ago of Il
number of small llfllDS. tReSe llmDS Delnsr
taken off a foot or from the trunk
of the tree The stubs decayed. the de-
cay worked into the Tree trunk, wood
peckers enlarged the holes. and the en-
tire tree was being honeycombed with
holes that shortly would have ruined *
AS the tree is a handsome oak mot to be
replaced in less than couple of hun
dred years. the work done on it was
well worth while
A huge chestnut tree standing just
east OF the main building of the bureau
of standards is an example of cement
filing on large scale. Several tons
Of cement were used in filling this cav
ity which Is close to the ground. and
by reason of the treatment the tree Is
likely to remain thing of beauty for
years instead of progressing rapidly to
decay and ruin.
Tree surgeons have been at work dur
ing the past few months on several es-
tates in and near Washington besides
those mentioned here. The trees on Sen
ator Newlands' place in Woodley lane
are being put into shape: those at Friend
ship are receiving scientific treatment.
while the interest around among those