Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1914-06-16
TREE SURGERY
Modern Experience Recognizes 1t to be
of Value.

of Value.
| Tree surgery is an established factor
in the improving, relieving or saving of
trees. Tree grating, Of course, is
long known art, but the real surgery of
trees is where the saving of the life Of
a shade tree or fr lit bearer IL involved.
The pruning and trimming ~ trees is
one branch of tree surgery also, and,
unfortunately, very much misunder-
stood by those who believe they know
how to trim tree, but instead Of show
| ing the skill of a tree surgeon in their
operations, prove themselves to ne alb
solute tree butchers,
The use Of cement to fill aecayed
cavities in tree trunks which operation
often extends the life of a valua BILE tree
is a practical method to pursue where
the tree is large enough to support the
weight of the concrete, which hardens
and makes firm body that will outiast
the life Of any tree. Such treatment
usually hinders further decay by GOV
ering the exposed and tender interior
of the trunk, and the bark will at times
grow out and around the cement filing
partially covering it, at least.
Many trees have weak limbs and de-
velOp bad crOtches. In some cases these
result from injudiCious pruning, while
often they are the expression Of the
natural habit of the variety. There Is
strain at the point where the two
large limbs meet, hence a partial split
ting making an opening from which
the sap eXudes. This leakage is un-
slightly; furthermore weak crotches Of
trees are dangerous to life and proper
~. Especially is this true in n climate
with high winds and heavy, wet SHOWS.
In most cases weak crotches may be
easily braced. There is a right and Il
wrong way to do this. 1t is not uncom"
mon to see the two parts held together
by a chain or iron band. These will
serve the purpose for while, but sub
| sequent growth and increase in the
thickness of the tree will cause injury.
| The portions of the tree bound will
gradually become choked to death. The
food which is made by the leaf is OBJ
structed in its course down the stem.
AS result, more wood is formed above
the band than below, causing a bulge
and ultimately the death OF the part af-
fected
A better method of strengthening n
weak crotch is to run an iron rod
through the two limbs which form the
undesirable crotch. a hole is bored
through the two limbs short distance
above the crotch. This hole should be
made to fit the rod as nearly as pos
sible; this hole will not injure the tree.
The rod should have a large head at
one end and be threaded for q large
nut at the other. The rod Is inserted
and the nut screwed up tightly. A l.
inch rod will support a tremendous
strain, but the size will depend, Of
course, upon the size of the limbs to be
braced.
An orchardist Of much experience,
who has saved many a valuable fruit
bearing tree from damages done either
by accident or rodents, gives the fol-
lowing directions for saving trees that
have been girdled: Orchard trees which
have been girdled may often be saved
by what is called bridge grating. This
consists in bridging the injured parts
by means of the cions Of the last sea-
sons growth, thus connecting the part
below the wound with that above. First
trim the bark around the injured parts
Then sharpen the ends of the cions to
a wedge shape and fit tightly into the
layer of new wood just beneath the
bark, called the cambium layer. Cover
the union at the end of the cions with
grating wax completely to exclude the
air. Also wrap the wound with cloth
to protect it from drying out, and like
wise cover the wax with old muslin to
keep it from being melted by the sun.
If the lower edge of the wound is near
enough to the ground to make it prac-
ticable to do so, it is better to cover it
= or inches deep with fresh earth.
Where the trees are very young and
the girdling is severe, cutting the trunk