The Kendrick gazette. [volume] (Kendrick, Idaho) 1892-1968, 1921-04-22

rest OF the exposed wood not already
covered by the shellac as protec-
ton. and the entire shellacked and
creosoted surface should be finally wa
terproofed with thick coal tar or as
phalt. Grating wax. particularly the
thick liquid alcoholic kind, is excel
lent for waterproofing small surfaces.
Another good method of treating the
scars is to char the surface with
gasoline or alcohol blast torch and
then quickly cover the hot surface
with heavy tar, pitch. or hot asphalt.
The treated surfaces should be
watched from year to year and recoat-
ed as necessary to preserve the wa
terproofing.
In removing small branches and
twigs the cut should be made as close
to the supporting branch as possible,
so as to leave no projecting stub. The
pruning wound must be sterilized and
water-proofed. For very small wounds
shellac is handy.
When a wound has been allowed tt
remain untreated for year or more.
decay-prOducing organisms are almost
certain to have started an area of de.
cay and insect activity behind the ex-
posed surface. Such regions gen.
orally require excavation of decayed
and diseased wood and sterilizing and
waterproofing of the cut surfaces.
The tools ordinarily required are
two outside-gro socket-handled
gouges Zone three fourths of an inch
and the other ~ inches), knife,
maIlet or hammer, and an oil
stone. Only keen edges should be
used on the bark or near the cam
blum.
Remove Diseased Wood.
Remove all the diseased or insect
eaten or water-sOaked wood In dis
eased areas of many years standing
| there may be only q thin shell of
! healthy wood around the cavity, in
which case the tree must be braced
or guyed. and it is often better re-
moved and replaced by a healthy one
| Do not leave n cavity so it will re-
tain water. In shaping cavity that
| is to be filled with cement, ETC., have
the sides undercut, if possible, so as
| to hold the filling more firmly in place.
InrOlled bark at the edges of the open
| Ing should be cut away after the de-
cayed and diseased matter has been
completely eXcavated and the edges of
the sapwOOd and bark adjoining the
| cambium Shellacked The remainder
Of the cavity also must be sterilized.
i CreOsOte is recommended. Over this
a heavy waterproof covering should
be applied.
Filling the cavity is of much less i'm
pOrtance. Often a cavity is better left
untitled. A cavity must be watched
from year to year and any tendency
Of the waterproofing to crack, split,
or blister should Immediately be coun-
+, teracted by repainting.
| Where sheet-metal covering is used
there should be narrow half-inch
ledge of bare wood around the edge
to which the margin of the metal can
be tackled. The cavity must be thor.
oughly steriized and waterpreofed,
and the sheet metal fitted tight at the
edges.
II long cavity is to be filed with
cement or asphalt, it usually is advis
able to place one or more bolts
through 1t to hold the wood and filling
more firmly together. Long cavities
as rule. should be bOlted every II
or "a inches.
The most widely used material fol
filling cavities is cement, usually IL
the form of cement mortar or con
crete. Under certain conditions as
phalt and sawdust and sand used II
combination with cement blocks o
with wood would be better than eithe
used separately, and they often ar
more economical. Often large piece
of wood or smaller sectional piece
can be fitted to the opening and the In
terstices filled with the plastic.
The Department of Agriculture In
vites correspondence concerning meth
DDS In tree-repair work, and will b
prepared to advise for or against an
particular method so far as eXperienc
and the results of experiments vii
parmit