The Rathdrum tribune. (Rathdrum, Idaho) 1903-1963, 1922-01-20
TREES CUR ED
BY SURGERY
Injuries by Storm to Orchards
Is Minimized by Scien-
tiic Care.

What to do to save trees broken
by sleet storms was told this week
by Professor o. NJ Morris of the hor-
ticulture department of the State Col
lege of Washington to the orchardists
of Clarke county. Some of the or
chards there which were worth $500
an acre before the storm he says were
so broken as to be reduced to no more
than $500 an acre. Some of the fruit
farmers have been ruined by this loss,
but others will be able to recuperate
and go on by mending what is left of
the trees.
Practically every tree is a prob
lem in ITSELF said Prof Morris, "dif-
fering from the other trees; yet they
will all have to be handled according
to few fundamental conditions
found Trees that are blown over or
pushed over should be Strengthened at
tAO CdIllCSt pOSolUlS mOu1oul. Inc
longer they remain in PROSTATE con-
dition the more definitely will the
wood in the roots and the soil about
the roots become set in the new po-
sition, just as tree bent and held
for some time gradually adapts itself
to that new position and will not as
sumo its former position. In many
cases it will be necessary to remove
some earth so that the tree can be
righted. 1t should then be staked so
that it will hold for the rest of the
winter and during the next growing
season in an upright position.
Ordinarily it will not be necessary
to do much work in trimming or dis
injecting any roots. 1t will be a good |
plan, however, to dig out some of the
old roots that are broken off, These |
should be cleared out to such an ex-
tent that they will not, in their pro-
cess of decay, come In contact with |
the exposed root stumps of the trees, |
which often results in the fungus |
forming the root rot attacking. also /
the live pieces of root. Clearing them |
out will prevent this.
In repairing the older trees broken
and split branches should be placed |
in position if as much as one-fourth
of the sap wood and outer bark is
still intact. The more firmly this wood
can be placed and fastened the quick
er it will grow and heal. II the
branches had been broken and are at
tached, but with but little wood or
bark and that has been bent in an
acute angle, it is doubtful if such
branches can be profitably sazed. It
will be better to remove them al
once. Cut the limbs back to a clean
cross-cut and depend upon water
sprouts to renew the tree top.
A chisel can often be used to cut
away splinters and parts that prevent
drawing he split branches or parts
back into close contact Where large
openings are formed in cutting away
iuch material it will be advisable to
Use mixture of cement and fine sand
n the proportion of one of cement to
our of sand. Fill all the spaces but
10 not so use it as to prevent the sap
wood and bark of the split parts COM
ng together.
THE split branches may be very
disinfected with a lime
ulphur spray solution in concentrated
orm as purchased. For stumps of
mbs and exposed areas of wood the
est disinfecting paint is made by
liking coal tar and creosote, about
wo parts creosote to one of coal
ir. A brush should be used in ap-
lying this, spreading over any great
: areas than the fresh wood exposed )
will kill all of the edges of the bark -
18th which it comes in contact.
In many cases split branches will
assisted in healing if they are well
astered over with clay free from de- |
lying vegetation. A dressing of |
'out one and half of this material |
lould be used and then wrapped
Ter the outside with burlap of gunny
cks in strips. This outer tapping
n best be held in place by driving
small nail into the tree and hooking ,
e burlap over this, wrapping until
wrap is finished, then fastening