486 



AMERICAN FORESTRY 



let them prune more than is necessary. The tendency on 

 street trees has generally been the other way, to the 

 great detriment of the trees. 



Treatment of C.wities 



Cavities caused by some old neglected horse-bitten 

 wound, or bv an improperly made cut, are more common 



RESULT OF NEGLECT 



This tree should have been protected with a wire netting guard, but nothing was 

 donefor it and the result of this carelessness is evident by a glance at the picture. 



in street trees than in park trees, and the present tendency 

 is to indiscriminately fill them all with cement. This work 

 is expensive and in many cases unjustified. It is particu- 

 larly true of trees on the streets because there the trees 

 are frequently of poor species and the cavities so neglected 

 that the absolute elimination of diseased wood is utterly 

 impossible. There the decay would keep on developing 

 after treatment with the same rapidity as before treat- 

 ment. Cavity filling is justifiable only where the tree is a 

 much valued specimen, where the filling can serve the 

 practical purpose of eliminating moisture and where every 

 trace of diseased wood can be thoroughly removed before 

 the filling is inserted. In many cases the proper use of the 

 chisel or gouge alone without the filling will eliminate all 

 disease and leave the wound in a position where moisture 

 will not collect. The absolute eradication of all infested 

 wood from a neglected cavity is often impossible and in 

 many cases where this is true, the ax is by far the safest 

 and most practicable tool. Street trees especially should 

 be cut down as soon as they become the least dangerous, 

 or when their trunks become hollow or badly infested 

 with disease. For, as soon as the citizen notifies the 



A DANGEROUS PEST 

 RL-moving egg masses of the Tussock moth from shade trees. 



authorities of the condition of his tree, all responsil)ility 

 is shifted on the city and law-suits are sure to follow in 

 case of any subsequent damage. 



The next consideration to engage the forester's atten- 

 tion will lie the planting of trees and that we shall leave 

 for the next issue of the magazine. 



BROOKLYN'S TREE PLANTING 



Park Commissioner R. V. Ingersoll, of Brooklyn, has 

 undertaken to dot Brooklyn with trees, and will plant 600 

 at one time along a three-mile stretch of Bedford Avenue. 



The trees which Commissioner Ingersoll plans to set 

 out are the Norway maple and the Oriental sycamore. 

 " Both these varieties," he said, " grow rapidly and give 

 ample shade, and prove very hardy in city conditions." 



In undertaking to interest property ow'iiers in this 

 campaign for street-tree planting Commissioner Ingersoll 

 has developed a force of men to take special care in plant- 

 ing trees. These men see that these trees are properly 

 pruned and otherwise cared for. 



■■ A pail of water every day will do wonders," the Com- 

 missioner said. " Another thing to do is to cultivate and 

 work up the soil around the roots. If people knew the 

 splendid results they would obtain by doing just that 

 little bit of work, more of them would be anxious to 

 do it. It is especially necessary to break up the earth 

 around the roots of trees when they are not surrounded 

 by grass plots. \\'here the grass is absent the soil is ajjt 

 to be trampled so hard that no moisture can penetrate it." 



INOCIRY DEPARTMENT 



Send any inquiries about tree conditions to The Editor, 

 American Forestry, Washington, District of Columbia, 

 and they will be answered without charge. 



