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Show Surgery for Sick Trees A cavity in a decayed tree is something some-thing Ilka a cavity In a decayed tooth. If an unreliable tree surgeon who hns been called in to savo the tree only partially removes the diseased dis-eased part of the wood, uses no an-tlseptlo an-tlseptlo coatings In tho cavity, and fills It up with cement, the tree U no more cured than is a person whose decayed tooth lias not been properly filled by a dentist. Tho only difference differ-ence Is that after tho tree cavity has been covered, If the work hnB not been properly done, tho tree hns no why of making its trouble known except ex-cept by further decay. Within tho ltist decade thero has been a great Increase In demand for surgeons to repair decaying shade trees, but the possibilities of practicing practic-ing fraud In this profession, llko the instance Just cited, have tempted o' many unvelltiblo people to dabble In tho science that tree surgery has fallen somewhat Into disrepute. The department realizes that commercial treo surgery should occupy a high placo In tho estimation of tho public and has recently Issued a pamphlet entitled "Practical Tree Surgery," wherein suggestions are made for Improvement Im-provement along theso lines. As In all professions, thero are reliable re-liable and unreliable men and tlrms. competing for contracts In tree r urge ur-ge ry. In recent years so many occv slons havo arisen when property owners own-ers felt tho necessity of calling In commercial treo surgeons to attend to their trees that thero are now numerous nu-merous firms, both honest nnd dishonest, dishon-est, engaged in the work. Usually treo surgery Is practiced In connec; lion with somo nearly related line, but often it Is taken up as a buslnecs of itself. When a blight such as tho chestnut bark disease infects the trees of a district, tho community or Individuals In It will often spend considerable con-siderable money to control ravages which may rob tho whole district ol its trees. An affection llko the chem ist bark dlsense Is contagious. It requires re-quires scientific knowledge of the disease to know whether an affected trca should bo destroyd at once or Is worth treating. It requires scientific sci-entific training to understand lio mnnner of growth of the fungi caus Ing tho disease and what treatment is best. Many individuals who havo had faith in treo surgery lfavo lost it through following tho fidvico of unrc-llablo unrc-llablo treo surgeons who claimed to bo nhlo to dlngnoso'n case, but whose main interest was to collect n good sum of money for their work. Misuse of Pruning Hooko and Climbing Devices Besides tho careless filling of decayed de-cayed cavities In trees, thero are other practices of certain so called "treo surgeons" that da tho trees moro harm than good. Many of theso "surgeons," as well as tho poo-plo poo-plo who employ them do not realize tho danger arising from fresh Injuries to u treo. Tho tree owner should rcallzo that prompt nttendanco to fresh injuries will largely do away with tho need of treo surgery 1G or 20 years hence. Tho treo surgeons must roalizo that it they ninko fresh injuries In tho living bark, when treating decayed portions, thoy nro laying tho treo open to moro dangers of infection that will result in further decay. Just as a person Is .subject to Infection Infec-tion through cuts nnd scratches, trees aro rendered subject to infection by hnvlng thjilr living bark torn. Notwithstanding Not-withstanding tills, many treo surgeons surge-ons uso pruning hooks and climbing spurs and cut fresh gashes in tho treo. To break off small dead branches bran-ches a workman may uso a long pruning hook as though it wero n club. In doing so tho hook usually causes Injury to tho young bark near? by. Every now wound may furnish a now point of entrance for decay, even though tho old dead branch may havo boon removed. Tho uso of climbing spurs should bo particularly avoided on trees in vicinities where thoro Is a contagious Infection. They simply render the treated tree all the moro lltiblo to catch tho disease which Is "in tho air." All properly equipped firms of commercial com-mercial surgeons should have ladders that would reach 40 or more feet Into In-to a tree. Ladders, ropes, and rubber rub-ber soled shoes will allow a man to reach practically every part. Roll able estimates Indicate that it takes somewhat longer (pcrhnps 25 per cent on an average) to do work on a tree when these nro used instead of climbing spurs, nnd this Is one reason why many firms who value remuneration more than reputation uso tho spurs. To Minimize Unreliability Tho department Is suggesting a plan 'thnt may help put commercial treo surgery on n better basis. Owners Own-ers aro urged to have a definite written writ-ten contract with tho treo surgeons they employ and the following Is suggested sug-gested as a model for such contract. 1. No climbing spurs shall bo used on any part of a tree. 2. The shoes worn by the workmen shall havo soft rubber bottoms. 3. Ordinary commercial orange which Is the soft formative tissue from which the now wood and bark originate) within five minutes after shellac shall be applied to cover the cut edges of sapwood and cambium the Until trimming cut Is inndc. 4. All cut or shellacked surfaces shnll be painted with commercial creosote, cre-osote, followed by thick coal tar. 5. All diseased, rottou, discolored, wntersoaked, or Insect eaten wood shall be removed in cavity work nnd the cavity inspected by tho owner or his agent before It is filled. (J. Only a good grade of Portland cement nnd clean, sharp sand in no weaker mixture than 1 to 3 aha 1 bo' used to 1111 cavities. 7. The contractor shall repair freo of expense any defects that may appear ap-pear In the work within onu year. If the owner prefers to havo a cavity cav-ity filled with asphalt or other material ma-terial Instead of cement, the contract can be Altered according. If 1t Is desirable de-sirable to substitute somo other preparation pre-paration for shellac, this can bo done. Similarly, under certain conditions, con-ditions, various other modifications may be made, although alterations In Nos. 1, 2, 5 and 7 Bhould be mftde with caution. It may so happen that If all Insect enten wood is removed the tree may bo dangerously weakened; weaken-ed; under such conditions the dlseas ed matter can bo removed to solid wood and tho cavity fumigated. Other Oth-er suggestions along theso lines may bo found In the pamphlet Issued by tho department. ... ! |