28 TREE WOUNDS AND DISEASES 



parks and such as are contiguous to or over- 

 shadow dwelling-houses. Park trees should 

 receive special attention in the way of making 

 sure that limbs are secure and not likely to 

 cause injury to visitors ; while, in the case of 

 heavy branches hanging over dwelling-houses, 

 these should be carefully and periodically ex- 

 amined, and made secure whenever such is 

 found necessary, any doubt as to whether a 

 limb is insecure and dangerous being given in 

 favour of bracing or reducing the weight by 

 pruning. 



Unwieldy and heavy limbs are most com- 

 monly to be found on isolated trees, or such 

 as have had plenty of room for the perfect 

 development of stem and branch. As the loss 

 of one or more of the larger branches often 

 mars the ornamental appearance of a specimen 

 tree, every reasonable means should be em- 

 ployed to prevent such an accident, as by re- 

 ducing the weight of the branch by a judicious 

 system of pruning, or giving support to such 

 as are heavy and diseased by means of wires, 

 chains, or light iron bands and connecting 

 rods ; but in all cases the object should be to 



