The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1909-12-03

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.
I'VE dug down for a deep pit into
the roots of that elm. and have it
now so that it will stand for many
years whereas, if it had not been
treated it 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 'campian 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 speck
of deCayed or affected wood as thor
Oughly as if it were the decayed stuff
in tooth, and then very carefully
fill with our special mixture of &C.
| ment, which is mixed of a peculiar
! consistency to be just right. Some
times we have to mix it over a second
or even 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 fill which we made close
to the ground in the schOolhouse yarG
boys had kicked and SCARED the sur
face of the fill with their shoes be
fore it had time to set hard, spOiling
an otherwise nice-looking bit of worl
so far as looks go. When | came
to fill 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 it was alone
some man came and stuck his fingel
into it to see if it was hard. O
course it wasn't, and the next morn
ing that finger mark was there, spoil
, ing the perfection of good job.
1--WE have some exciting experiences
although we have been very fortunate
in their results. The other day say
Ryan get flip from electric contac
that came near being serious, but wit
presence of mind he caught the crotcI
I of the tree and didn't fall He wa
5 away up on an arm of a pole whic
thrust itself up into the foliage, cuttin
r off limb. To protect the bark fror
e stripping when we cut off a branch
f we made two cuts, the first out a fey
l. feet from the crotch. This had bee
: done, and as he put the saw to max
the second cut, standing on the pol
g but careful to touch no wires, b
d placed his hand against the end of tn
stump, wet with the flowing sap. Il
S stantly his saw flew and he was lite
t ally thrown into the tree, but b
It landed in crotch about four feet O
d and was soon over it. Had he been
e contact with a wire, making COL
e plete circuit through his body,
d must have killed him instantly"
y Bangor is almost entitled to
e called the Forest City. To stand
y the top of the standpipe in the hig
o lands and look out over the city it a
e. pears one vast carpet of green, wi
1t here and there a break, but main
1t showing evidences of civilization on
ID by the red chimneys peeping u,
% among the leaves.
lie AS far as Dreadnoughts are &C
10 narned Great Britain NAV have 60