Mansfield mirror. (Mansfield, Wright County, Mo.) 1908-1957, 1914-09-03

nrmly IN place until completely Be-
vered are being cut.
When the c is not naturally point,
ed above and below, 1t is a good prac-
tise on most trees to remove a short
triangular piece of bark from the
upper edge, SO as to anticipate its
dying back at these points. This
makes the scar pointed at both ends,
the most favorable shape for healing.
1t is important that some good shellac
be applied with a suitable brush over
the edge Of the bark and outer wood
Immediately after the cut Is made. II
the scar is a large one, 1t is a good
plan to use the knife around the edge
LOT one or two minutes and then shell
lac the freshly cut surfaces, repeating
the operation until all the bark and
sap wood around the zeal has been
shellacked. The full benefit Of the
shellac will not be achieved II many
minutes elapse between the cutting
and the shellacking, unless the freshly
cut surfaces are visibly moist with
sap. II necessary, the woody surface
Of the scar may now be smoothed
off with a chlsel and mallet to conform
in general shape with the tree trunk.
A%ntiseptlc and Waterproof Dressings.
The final operation Is to sterilize
and waterproof the surface of the ex-,
posed wood and bark. For this pur-
pose many preparations have been
used. Recent extensive tests by spe-
cialists in timber preservation indi-
cate that some of the creosotes stand
far ahead of all other tested prepare.
lions in their power to destroy and
prevent the growth Of certain wood
destroying fungi and that ordinary ere.
osote, although 1t does not head the
list, is far better than the other prep
arations except some of the less
known and less available creosotes.
Furthermore, creosote penetrates the
wood better than a watery antiseptic.
Commercial creosote can be applied
with an ordinary paint brush over
every part Of the exposed wood. The
entire shellacked and creosoted sur
face must finally be waterproofed by
painting 1t with heavy coal tar. A
single application of a mixture Of Gre
osote and coal tar (about o%ne-fourth
or one-third creosote) has been quite
extensively used with good results.
Although n coating of this mixture
may at times be sufficient, 1t is al
ways safer to follow 1t with a heavy
coat Of coal tar.
A good grade Of lead paint can be
substituted for the tar, II desired, al
though 1t is not generally considered
as satisfactory; or grating wax may
serve satisfactorily for small surfaces.
Asphalt and various preparations con-
tanning asphalt are excellent water
proof coverings and would doubtless
be more generally used were 1t not
necessary to apply them hot. A good
and possibly more permanent method
of treating the scars Is to char the
surface slightly with a gasoline or al
cohol blast torch and then cover the
hot surface with heavy tar or hot
asphalt. Although heat is an excel
lent sterilizing agent, 1t does not pene-
trate IS well as creosote and 1t kills
back the cambium or soft, forming
wood, to a greater extent.
Tools.
The necessary tools for digging out
decayed matter are few. AS a rule,
two outside ground socket-handled
gouges Zone with q curved cutting
edge of about thr%ee-fourths of an inch
and the other, perhaps n and a half
inches), a chisel, a mallet, a knife, and
an ~oilstone are sufficient for ordinary
work. The gouges. chisel, and knife
should never BIO used near the cam.
blum when they lack a keen edge, as
dull tools will injure 1t. In cutting out
deep cavities, longer interchangeable
handles for the gouges may be neces-
sary. A ladder or a s%te2ladder will
be required II the work is more than
five feet from the ground. Climbing
spurs should be avoided as they cause
injuries which may allow infection by
organisms, causing rot or parasite dis.
!