Repairing Damage 115 



years old, are trimmed to appropriate length and with 

 wedge-shaped ends grafted between bark and wood of upper 

 and lower margin, side by side, bridging the wound. To 

 keep the ends of the scions and the bark in place, a cloth 

 bandage is applied at the two margins, and the whole — 

 scions and all — is covered by melted tree wax. If prop- 

 erly done, the connection of upper and lower portions will 

 be re-established and the damage outgrown. 



Smaller wounds may be treated in the same way, or as 

 prescribed in the case of pruning wounds. In every such 

 case of bridging, care should be taken to clean and cut out 

 all decayed wood, dressing the edges back to live bark and 

 applying the antiseptic tar or paint, or wax, if the w^ound is 

 small and in }'oung wood. 



As it will have appeared from our discussions, cutting 

 into the wood of a tree does not injure it in any way, except 

 possibly weakening it mechanically, and no hesitation may 

 be felt in removing diseased portions, and, where it appears 

 necessary, in substituting other serviceable material for 

 the loss of substance. 



If a branch is partially broken out of its crotch or socket, 

 but still connected with the main trunk, it can often be 

 healed on again, by putting it into position, after applying 

 an antiseptic to the wound, bolting it securely to the trunk, 

 coating the scar heavily with wax or paint, and heading back, 

 so as to reduce the need of water in proportion to the 

 injury. 



With trees which are hable to breaking out at the crotch, 

 such as the Silver Maple and Elm among others, it is wise 

 to prevent such breaking by bracing them in time. This 

 should always be done by the use of bolts rather than bands, 

 for with the growth of the tree the bands constrict the nat- 

 ural expansion, obstructing the flow of water and food 



