Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1916-05-23
Care Of Shade Trees.
METHOD OF PRUNING AND TREATMENT
OF WOUNDS TO PREVENT ENTRANCE
OF DEoAY.PRoDUc1Na GERMS.

OF DkCAx-PBODUCIN6 GERM5. J.
I The best time to attend to several Inn.
. portant operations connected with the
proper care Of shade trees IL during the
late fall or early winter. This work may
be done at later season, however, when
weather conditions permit.
II Large dead, decaying, or unsightly
limbs may be removed. The best way
to do this IL to saw one-qusrter or one
third through the limb from the under
side, at point inches or Q foot beyond
the point where the fiual cut il to be
made. A second cut on the upper side
should be made half inch or more back
of or beyond the first ono. The saving
on the upper side should be continued
until the limb falls. The first cut on the
under side is to prevent the splitting or
stripping of the outer wood and bark as
the limb falls, something which almost
Invariably happens when heavy limb is
removed by single ont from the upper
side. This leaves stub several inches
long which must now be sawed of close
to the trunk, or close to the larger sup
porting limb, as the case may be. The
stub should be held In place until COM
pletely severed. The final out should be
made so that It's surface will conform as
nearly as possible with the shape of the
supporting limb or trunk. No projecting
stub or stump should be left, az this iu.
terferes with the rapid healing of the
wound.
PREVENTING INFECTION OF WOUNDS.
If the wood exposed by the final cut is
healthy and there is no trace of decay or
disease. It should las soon as the surface
is dry) Immediately be painted with
shellao, good lead paint, tar, or asphalt,
in order to prevent the entrance OF de-
cay-producing organisms. Without some
such precaution, organisms Of this sort
are practically certain to gain entrance
and cause serious damage to the tree 10
later years. From the point of view Of
rapid healing, shellao is the best of the
coverings mentioned above, but 1t 10
much less durable. On the other hand,
asphalt is the most durable when prop
erly applied, but probably interferes
with the earlier stages OF normal healing
to greater extent than any Of the 9th.
ers. However, az the rapid healing of
large scars is usually OF secondary i'm.
portance to that of preventing infection,
asphalt Is recommended In preference to
the others, when facilities for properly
applying 1t are available.
The asphalt should be applied while
hot; consequently 1t is necessary to have
some apparatus for keeping 1t melted.
A brush OF broom corn or rope should
be used, as the hot asphalt will usually
destroy bristles. Because this method
can not ordinarily be handled convenient
ly by most people, coal tar has come to
be the most generally used preparation
for covering large pruning wounds, while
good lead paint Is close second. One
advantage of paint is that 1t can be OBJ
tanned almost anywhere and in colors
that will conform to that of the normal
bark, and thus be less conspicuous than
either tar, asphalt, or shellac when ap-
piled to wound. A mixture OF about
three parts coal tar and one part creosote
has proved very efficient, and is easily
applied with an ordinary paint brush,
but In many cases It is advisable to re-
paint with clear coal tar after few days,
In order to make Q more lasting water
proof covering.
Prior to painting, tarring, or asphalt
ing wound many persons apply an an
tiseptic wash Of one part Of corrosive
sublimate in 1000 parts OF water, or q
moderately blue solution of copper sui
phate (blue stone, blue vitrioD or creo.
sote. A special antiseptio wash Is not
necessary, however, when the tar and
.,ooeoka v,ci~knpa vnonkfOnoH ohnvo 10
used. preliminary antiseptic coating
should always be used when deoayed
matter has been removed, or when decay
was known to have been present only q
short distance from the final cut; also
when tho tree is susceptible to oonta-
gious disease which is known to be In
the vicinity.
CARE OF TREE AFTER PRUNING.
Many people remove limbs from shade
trees and properly treat the wounds, but
neglect to keep watch of the work from
year to year. In q single season cracks
or checks will often appear In the painted
area, especially II the wound was not
carefully covered In the first place. When
cracks appear they should Immediately
be filled, and the whole surface repsinted
with tar, paint, or asphalt) In order to
prevent, as far az possible, the entrance
OF decay producing germs.
One of the best, though little used,
methods of oounteracting the danger
arising from such cracks 10 to cover the
pruning wound with sheet metal In ad.
dition to tho usual treatment. This can
be done by following the brief directions
tabulsted below, In the order mentioned (:
(1) Trim the wound 20 that Its surface
will be approximately straight line
length wise OF the limb or trunk. Cross
wise the surface may be fat in small
wounds, or curved In large ones to con-
form with the general contour Of the
limb or trunk.
(2) Paint the edges of the bark and I'D.
Joining wood with shellac Immediately
after making the final cut, or at least -
soon ~ the surface 10 sufficiently dry.
e., Apply an sntiseptic wash to the
remainder Of the exposed wood.
(4) Trim . piece Of tin, zinc, or thin
sheet iron 90 as to fit closely over the
wood of tho wound, though not sufa.
ciently large by sixteenth or an eighth
of an inch on ell sides TO reach tho thin
layer of living tissue (the csmbium) be-
tween tho bark and wood.
(5) Al soon - the shellsc 10 dry, paint
the surface of the wood that 10 to be COW
cred by the sheet metal With hot asphalt,
taking care to cover thoroughly every
part OF It. Do not ut this time paint
over the csmbium and bark, q the un.
painted portions will serve % Q conven-
lent guilds for placing tho sheet metal,
the inner surface Of which should also
be painted. Tar or paint may be sub.
stituted for the asphalt II desired.
(6) Tack the sheet metal over the sur
face of tho wound by means Of slender
brads or tacks, placed about half inch
apart CLOSE along the margin. Sec that
the margin OF the metal docs not overlap
the cambium ut any point, and particu-
larly be careful that the csmbium 10 not
bruised during any part Of the operation.
(7) Paint tho surface OF the metal and
the exposed margin OF wood and bark
with hot aephslt Tor tar or psint), 90 -
to make the edges alright md water
proof and tho surface rustproof. Il
Healthy new wood and bark common
" start to grow over the metal In .
single season, thus sealing it, edges with
living tissues.
At times this method develops certain
defects, especially whom weather oondi
tions are suoh that there 10 sudden and
striking contrast In the expansionl and