Ids l:(>Al;|i i>V Ai.lMi ll.TllM';. 



aliovo, ono iiicli tliifU. W'illiiii thrco or four days llie leavps on this limit 

 liiul rt'SJiiiied tlicir ;j;ivi.'ii, j;io\viiij;, hcnltliy nppoa ranee. 1 could not avoid 

 the conclusion that the decayed wood was killing; the liuih and that 1 had 

 saved it liy tlic removal of the rot tiny: mass. Tliat linil) is a live, fjrowiug 

 linii) today. If it lie true that such places on the body or linihs of a tree 

 tend to exhaust its vitality, what must be thought of an operation of tree 

 trimminsr that leaves at one time a hundred places so situated that they 

 never can heal, and every on(> of which must lie a point of decay attract- 

 inj; an army of insects to feed on the youny wood tlirowu out in the vain 

 attempt to repair the terrible damage done by the ignorant vandal. 



Limbs are sonietimes broken in healthy shade trei's by the wind, in 

 fruit trees by wind oi- tlic wciglil (if fruit. If a man has a leg or arm in- 

 jured the prol)leni that presents itself to the surgeon is of considering the 

 importance of the part injured and the severity of the injury, shall the 

 attempt be made to save it or shall it be removed as the best way to save 

 life. The same problem is presented to the horticulturist by ;i broken 

 limb on one of his trees. Usually the importance of a limb is not such 

 that it is wise to attempt to save it, although it sometimes may be. The 

 only question is usually which will do the tree the least harm— to remove 

 the limb or try to save it by caring for the break. If the limb is so situ- 

 ated that when removed the stump will look downward the difficulty is 

 not great. It is usually better to remove such limbs. Often such breaks 

 are so situated that the stump will point upward. Then you have a prob- 

 lem that will require good judgment, considerable ingenuity, watchful 

 care and i)atience. The one thing that must be considered is how can the 

 wound be drained. If you could hear a surgeon teaching a class of med- 

 ical students you would hear the word drainage manj^ times. In treating^ 

 open wounds of the human body much stress is put upon drainage. The 

 wound must be kept clean and so arranged that no fluids will be retained 

 in it. This question of drainage is of even more iiuportance in the surgery 

 of tfees than in the surgery of the human body. You can not change the 

 position of a tree. It is fixed. You can not turn it around nor turn it 

 over and secure drainage by position as the surgeon is often able to do 

 in the treatment of the human l)ody. Several things entcT into the prob- 

 lem. The size of the limb is important. If a limb is cut oft' so that falling 

 water is retained in the wound decay can not begin at once, if tlie limb 

 is small and removed with a sharp tool at the proper time it will heal 

 over in one season, but if it is lar.ge so that it requires the growth of 

 several seasons to cover up the wound you are very likely to have trouble 

 with it. Unless there is perfect drainage secured in some way the water 

 will get into the exposed wood. It will decay and furnish an inviting 

 home for insects and worms that will feed upon the young growth 

 around the wound. You will often find after a whole season is passed, 

 that, although much new tissue has been thrown out around the wound 

 that no real progress has been made. On examination you will find that 



