Quack Medicines 123 



react to such treatment. Especially when the foliage of an 

 old tree has become generally slim, caution is indicated in 

 pruning. 



On the other hand, improvement of soil conditions as 

 regards water-supply will invariably show good results, 

 and when by this means the old trunk has been brought to 

 more vigor, the time for the knife has come. 



Even quite dilapidated ruins, hollow to the core, have 

 been resuscitated and given a new lease of life, by building 

 up with brick and cement the stability of the tree, and by 

 applying the measures of invigoration described in detail. 



Often it would not be worth while to preserve the disfig- 

 ured ruin, if its beauty is already gone, but where special 

 value is placed on securing an old landmark, a historical 

 monument, or a stately veteran, much can be done by the 

 simple process of soil improvement and pruning. 



Quack Medicines. All kinds of prescriptions which are 

 not based on an intelligent knowledge and appreciation of 

 the life processes of the plant we may call quack medicines. 

 Such are the indiscriminate scraping of the bark, painting 

 it with lime without definite reasons, applications of fluids 

 to the soil without knowledge of their value or diagnosis 

 of their needfulness, boring holes into the tree and placing 

 various powders or concoctions into them. This last pro- 

 cedure practised by the quacks may be harmless or harmful, 

 according to what may be placed in the hole, but is mostly 

 harmless. While it may not be impossible to drug a tree 

 by such means, securing transfusion through the body, 

 this field of medicine is so far undeveloped, and the pre- 

 scriptions of the quacks have not proved themselves effec- 

 tive. 



