Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1921-08-26
LACK OF CARE DOOMS
MIDDLEBURY'S ELMS
TREE EXPERTS ADVISE IMME-
DIATE ACTION
Acid Soil Prevents Proper Nourish-
ment and Causes Low Vitality and
Decay

Three tree experts representing the
Davey Tree Expert Company of
Ohio, who trimmed and cabled the
shade trees of the C. c, Wells resi-
dence this week, have an interesting
message for the people of Middlebury
regarding their village elms.
Although the foreman of the crew
estimated the beauty of Middlebury
on par with some of the most attrac-
tive towns that he has visited, he said
that in a very few years the village
elms would be ruined unless immediate
steps for their preservation were taken
The soil in this locality contains a su-
perabundance of acid, which prevents
the roots of the trees from assimilating
the nourishment necessary for healthy
growth. Low vitality is the result, he
said, of this lack of nourshment, max
ing the trees an easy prey to insects
and fungus. The average elm gives off
5000 gallons of water weekly, he added,
and unless they are able to slake their
giant thirst from the soil, their growth
will be impeded and their death has
tened. Many of the elms in Middle
bury have not grown an inch withiR
the last year was his opinion their
leaves are small and the beetles have
done unwarranted damage on account
of lack of care.
When interviewed by The Register
the foreman, H. A. Horan of Fair
Haven, Mass, was feeding the roots
of one of the largest elms in front of
the Wells residence, a first aid method,
he explained A large circle of small
holes were filled with ordinary fertili-
zer, over which was pressed the natural
soil and well watered Mr.. Horan said
that the better way to treat the trees
in this district would require the
ploughing of the land for the purpose
of loosening the SOIL as in agriculture,
and the addition of the phosphate fer
tilizer.
According to these experts the ma
pies of Vermont are rapidly declying
under the attack of the maple bark
bore, although in this vicinity their
condition is above the average, far bet
ter than that of the elms,
When asked about the methods of
trimming practised by the local park
commissioner and his assistants who
are now engaged in work on the trees
of the village, he said that unless the
amputation of the branches was made
flush with the trunk and then water
prOofed. decay would inevitably de
stroy the tree in a few years Judged
according to the criterion of these eX-
perts, most OF the work recently done
on the village trees has been No less
than poor butchering or hacking.
The Davey Tree Expert Company,
of which the three men are representa-
tves. employs a force of $50 IN all
parts OF the country as tree surgeons.
The Vermont territory is included with
Massachusetts and Rhode Island, and
incidentally, its tree lovers have had
more work done on their trees than
has been done in the other TWO states.
/ In addition to trimming and taDllng
on the Wells trees, the experts expect
ed to do considerable surgery on one
of them This is the most interesting
of the various details of their work to
the layman, the manager said 1t is
necessary to use the same care in fill
ing a tree cavity as the dentist uses
in work upon the human teeth, he eX-
planned, all of which must 3e done by
hand as no machinery has yet been de-
vised to successfully cut into the green
wood.
With Mr. Horan are A, B. Wilson of
! Chicago ILL.,, and K. f. Gravener of
Buffalo, n. Y.
These men expect to return later for
further work on the Wells place and
on the campus of Middlebury College.