New-York tribune., 1909-09-05
Enemies Of tie Trees

No doubt all the little men and women know
that If tree is sawed straight across tho WOOD
will be found TO be all arranged in rings be,tnnin
al the centre and extending out TO the bark rbase
rings are formed by the layers of new wood rhat
the tree grows each year. and by counting them
can tell exactly how old the tree IS Each new
layer, as it is formed becomes the living Dart ot
the tree. All the rest is dead and so the tree Is
really tree every wear
Why then. should tree die? There does
not seem 10 he any reason why 1t should. except
II Is exposed TO so many dangers. 4 tree looks so
strong ana peaceful that il Is hard think of its
having any troubles but no plant that crows has
more We have already how the trees strug-
gle WITH one another for chance grow, ana
to-day going 20 talk about some of their
other trials and trhulations.
In some ways trees are much Ike human beings
They have diseases just DO. And thoy can
be wounded just as we can. They can be poisoned
by bad air or suttocated for want Of air-and. az
course. they can die Of hunger and cold and thirst
Many of our diseases are caused by IttIe plants
that get into our bodies and grow there. We cau
these plants bacteria and the plants ect into
trees and make them III. They are also attacked
by fungi plants which cannot make their own food
but have TO live the food prepared l.v other
plants The bark disease which has attacked The
chestnuts in New York State is caused by fungus
and the disease Is deadly and infectious that
the learned men whom the government employs u
study things OF this kind tel that il very
short time We won't have any more chestnut trees
The fungus works just beneath the bark in the
wound that extends completely round the trunk
the tree dies. because water and food that the
roots send up the leaves cannot get past the in
5ured place When tree has been injured this
way foresters say that il has been 'girdled" and
anything that ''girdles" a tree kills il
Little people who know anything about the coun-
try must often have seen fungi growing
bark of trees. and sometimes they very pretty.
But the part that see is not the whole plant.
II is only the part that bears the fruit before
we see anything the fungus may have been eating
into the heart Of the tree for a couple of years.
Fungi attack not only the trunks and branches
Of trees. but the roots also, and then the tree
either dies because its food supply cut off or it
IS uprooted by storm that il would not have
minded when it had good strong roots. When
fungus has attacked the roots OF a tree it ought
TO be cut down at once to prevent its blowing down
and hurting somebody.
Fungi and bacteria nearly always get into trees
through wounds, and for that reason persons who
understand how 10 take care OF trees try 10 pro-
;ect them from wounds. and never allow a wound
10 remain open. They either paint II over. or.
IS very large. fill II with cement, as the dentists
i'll teeth. Left 10 themselves try TO heal
their wounds with a salve which they manu-
fsciure, but this is rather a slow process, and
millions OF spores. or seeds, may be lying in wait
Just such oportunty 10 establish themselves
q LIE
The lichen is another plant enemy OF the trees
Il fastens on the bark and dissolves il away with
acid which II manufactures from the air. And
then there insect enemes-so many of them
that cannot stop to talk about them now.
Mother Nature. too. often forgets that the trees
ere her chi,e-V. .nd destroys them with wind and
storms. with lghtnngs and foods. or unex-
pected frosts. Then there is AS though the
trees had not troubles enough Of their own. this
stupid creature comes along and kills the birds
which feed their insect enemies. He fills the
ground and the air with poisonous gases. He starts
fires and leaves them 10 shoulder until they burst