184 NEBRASKA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



Every wound on a tree, from whatever cause is a danger, and 

 should be cared for if the Mfe of the tree is to be indefinitely 

 prolonged. The most general cause of wounds is the wind, 

 which breaks or twists the branches and often splits them badly. 

 In the dense forests, trees are rarely injured in this way, as 

 they protect one another, but every isolated tree is especially 

 subject to the power of the wind. Orchard trees are usually 

 planted so far apart that they are exposed to almost the full 

 fury of the wind, and after every storm many trees show many 

 ragged wounds through which fungi of various kinds may 

 enter. 



Another fruitful source of wounds is the gnawing of the bark 

 by rabbits and other animals. These wounds are not as deep 

 as those due to the winds, and yet they are often even more 

 harmful, since they expose or destroy the cambium, and so stop 

 the stem growth, often resulting in the early death of the 

 tree. 



The third class of wounds includes those made by the fruit 

 grower himself when he prunes his trees. In many cases he is 

 wise enough to so handle his trees that he does not have to re- 

 move any large branches, thus avoiding the necessity of making 

 large wounds. But in too many cases the tree is allowed to 

 grow as it will for a number of years, and then when too many 

 branches have started, the top is severely pruned, leaving many 

 open wounds through which fungi gains entrance, and in which 

 decay sooner or later sets in. If these wounds in the top are 

 accompanied with the wounds on the roots, which accompany 

 transplanting, the tree is in a sad phght indeed. The wonder 

 is that with so many gaping wounds the tree ever recovers. 

 And there can be no question that these partially healed wounds 

 are the cause of the early death of many a tree. Such trees are 

 like the soldiers who have many wounds, from which tl^ey seem 

 to recover for a time, only to find after a while that the old 

 wounds which were only partially healed, finally drag them 

 down to death. A wounded tree is like a wounded man, it may 

 recover from it , but there is always danger that the wound is 

 not fully healed, and may some day prove fatal. 



5. Loss of necessary parts. All things considered the leaves 



