172 OHIO EXPERIMENT STATION: BULLETIN 332 



within reach of horses should, by all means, be protected by some 

 sort of metal shield. Many types are on the market, some of which 

 are good and some so bad that they actually do more injury to the 

 tree than it would receive were it left unguarded. It is not the 

 ornate, gaudy protection that is most to be desired, but the unob- 

 trusive sort which at the same time affords real protection to the 

 tree trunk. If it is a tree that we want, then let us have a tree and 

 not attempt its obscuration with a fancy-work mass of iron scrolls, 

 bars and rods. 



One of the most generally satisfactory types which the writer 

 has observed is made from 15-inch galvanized hardware cloth, 

 constructed of 16-gauge wire with half -inch meshes. The wire is 

 cut into 6-foot lengths and made into a cylindrical form, either 

 by hand or with the aid of a stove pipe or tinner's roller. At first 

 the cylinder entirely surrounds the young tree, but as the trunk 

 grows, the cylinder is opened and expanded to accommodate its 

 growth. The points in favor of this protector are that it is simple, 

 effective, inexpensive and very unobtrusive. Such a protector is 

 shown in place in Plate III, Fig. 2, in the cylindrical form and 

 expanded in Plate IV, Fig. 1. 



Mutilation by passersby. — How frequently we find trees, es- 

 pecially newly-set ones, that have been mutilated either thought- 

 lessly or maliciously by passersby. When the bark is broken by a 

 blow from a stick or a stone, or hacked with some sharp tool, the 

 wound not only detracts from the sightliness of the tree but as with 

 any other abrasion affords a point for insect pests or diseases to 

 estabHsh themselves. The protector just described is especially 

 useful in shielding the tree from injury of this type, since the small 

 apertures render it difficult to reach the bark. 



Injuries by builders. — Still another important source of me- 

 chanical injury is that accompanying the careless disposition of 

 materials during building operations. How frequently have we 

 seen young trees ridden down, or the trunks of older ones badly 

 bruised by the improper placing of such material. Where building 

 is in progress the trees in the immediate vicinity should be well 

 protected by rigidly constructed shields. (See Plate IV, Fig. 2.) 



Overhead wires a menace to the health of trees. — Aside from 

 the direct injury in the way of electric shock which so frequently 

 occurs after the insulation has been worn away from charo-ed wires 

 passing through treetops, a more serious aspect of the situation 

 is the butchery practiced by all types of aerial linemen in clearing 

 out the treetops to make way for their wires. (See Plate V, Fig. 1.) 



