The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1909-12-04

solid body OF cement which is placed
in Il, 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 il. 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 a few years more only a long seam
will show where the bark has joined
together and made the tree a whole
tree once again. The elm grows to
great age, from 800 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 a big filling as this | 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 a deep pit into
the roots of that elm, and have il
''O' Sc IIIdI II W III SIdllu IOI many
years, whereas, if it had not beer
treated it must have become danger
Gus, in its exposed position, in a few
years.
You see, there are three layera be.
lore we get 70 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 'campan layer is the one that
does the growing, and as long as that
Is not destroyed there is hope for the
tree. We have to dig out every spcck
OF decayed or affected wood as thor
oughly as if it were the decayed stuff
in a tooth, and then very carefully
fill with our special mixture of cc-
ment, which is mixed of a peculiar
consistency to be just right. Some
times We have to mix it over a 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 a 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
10 the ground in the schoolhOuse yard
boys had kicked and SCARED the sur
face of the fiji with their shoes be
fore II had time TO set hard. spelling
an otherwise nice-looking BIT of work
so far as looks go. When | came
to I'll the big elm cavity on Ham
mond street | put ropes all about il
to suggest that people let It alone.
yet the very first evening il was alone
some man came and stuck his finger
into It to see { II was hard or
course it wasn't, and the next morn
ing that finger mark was there, spoil.
ing the perfection Of a good job
Bangor is almost entitled 70 be
called the Forest City To stand al
the top OF the standpipe In the high.
lands and look out over the city II an
pears one vast carpet Of green, with
here and there a break, but mainly
showing evidences Of civilization only
by the red chimneys peeping VI
among the leavsa