66 NEBRASKA STATE IIOUTICULTURAL SOCIETY 



trol it. You must go to work and cut it out. You are not going to 

 spray that canker with anything that is going to penetrate that far 

 and kill the canker unles you kill jour tree. Whenever you strike a 

 free spore with this, I think you will kill the spore. 



Q. Another thing. This application of asphaltum for wounds caused 

 by pruning. Now I noticed you say that the only method or the best 

 method perhaps was to get your asphaltum in a position so that you 

 could heat it and bring it up to a proper temperature and tlien you would 

 have to have a fire along all ihe time? 



A. Yes, sir, we carry a gasoline tinner's torch. 



Q. Now this last year at home, we did a great deal of pruning, and 

 we used a prepaation of this asphaltum and father figured out a method 

 of preparing it for application which was by first heating it and then 

 diluting it with gasoline and next kerosene. It remained liquid-like thp.n, 

 and we could cover a wound with a great deal less trouble. 



A. We have got back tliere to the objection that is made to coal 

 tar, and that is that the kerosene which you put in there to keep that 

 in a liquid condition will be absorbed more or less by the tree, and that 

 is supposed to be injurious to the growing of the tree. 



Q. What is the nature of the injury? 



A. I cannot tell you just exactly how that is, but it acts on the 

 bark from which the growth goes, both on the wood and on the bark 

 and acts upon it in such a way as to prevent growth of the bark of the 

 tree. That is the objection. 



Q. You have had instances of that come under your observation, 

 where you have seen those results? 



A. Not when they v/ere as serious as T have had reported. Now 

 as to my own observation itself, it has not amounted to a great deal, 

 but from reports that come in they seem to think that this may amount 

 to a good deal. 



Q. Of course this application was more in the nature of protecting 

 the wound from a canker, ratlier than from tiie infection itself? 



A. Yes, sir. 



Q. So your idea would be, it would be better to use a fire of some 

 kind, and put on the asphaltum instead of diluting it? 



A. That seems to be the best way so far. If you want to use any- 

 thing to dilute it, you can use linseed oil. 



Q. Will that cut it? 



A. Yes, sir, and that being a vegetable oil, it will not hurt the tree. 



Q. What is the matter with pine tree tar? 



A. That is good, but the objection is that in the summer it cracks. 



Q. How is paint? 



A. That does not seem to prevf-nt cracking, and checking at all. 



Q. Now you speak about using fornuildehyde, do you think that 

 will stop the spores if put on at the proper time? 



A. Yes, sir. 



