Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-08-01

A cavity in decayed tree is some
thing like cavity in a decayed tooth.
If an unreliable tree surgeon who has
been called in to save the tree only
partially removes the diseased part
of the wood, uses no antiseptic coat
tings in the cavity and fills it up with
cement the tree is no more cured than
is a person whose decayed tooth has
not been properly filled by dentist.
The only difference is that after the
tree cavity has been covered, if the
work has not been properly done, the
tree has no way of making its trouble
known except by further decay.
Within the last decade there has
been a great increase in demand for
surgeons to repair decaying shade
trees, but the possibilities of prae-
Using fraud in this profession, like
the instance just cited, have tempted
so many unreliable people to dabble
in the science that tree surgery has
fallen somewhat into disrepute. The
u. S. departent of agriculture realizes
that commercial tree surgery should
occupy high place in the estimation
of the public, and has recently Issued
a pamphlet entitled Practical Tree
Surgery wherein suggestions are
made for improvement along these
lines.
AS in all professions, there are re-
liable and unreliable men and firms
competing for contracts in tree sur
gerry In recent years SO many occa-
sions have arisen when property own
ers felt the necessity of calling in
commercial tree surgeons to attend
to their trees that there are now nu-
merous firms, both honest and dis
honest, engaged in the work. Usu-
ally tres surgery is practised in coll
nection with some nearly related line,
but often it is taken up as business
of itself When blight such as the
chestnut bark disease, infectS the
trees of a district, the community,
OF individuals in it, will often spend
considerable money to control raw
ages which may rob the whole dls-
trict of its trees. An affection like
the chestnut bark disease is conta-
gious. 1t requires scientific knowl-
edge of the disease to know whether
an affected tree should be destroyed
at once or is worth treating. 1t re-
ouires scientific training to under
stand the manner of growth OF the
fungi causing the disease and what
treatment is best.
Many individuals who have had
faith in tree surgery have lost II
through following the advice of unre-
liable tree surgeons who claimed TO
be able to diagnose case, but whose
main interest was to collect a good
sum of money for their work.
Misuse of Pruning Hooks and Climbing
Devices.
Besides the careless filling of de-
cayed cavities in trees, there are
other practises of certain so-called
tree surgeons" that do the trees
more harm than good Many of these
surgeons" as well as the people
who employ them, do not realize the
danger arising from fresh injuries to
a tree. The tree owner should realize
that prompt attendance to fresh in
juries will largely do away with. the
need of tree surgery, is or 20 years
hence. The tree surgeons must redl-
lie that If they make fresh injuries
in the living bark when treating. de-
cayed portions, they are laying the
tree open to more dangers of infec-
ton that will result in further de-
cay.
il Just as a person is subject to in
fection through cuts and scratches.
trees are rendered subject to infec-
ton by having their living bark, torn.
Notwithstanding this, many tree
surgeons use pruning hooks and
climbing spurs and cut fresh gashes
in the tree. To break off small dead
branches a workman may use long