TREES WITH AN EDUCATION 65 



given with some degree of thought and care. No 

 one would think of chopping off a man's leg and 

 then turning him loose to get along with the bleed- 

 ing stump as best he could. Yet that is just the 

 way some people attempt to doctor trees. A wound 

 of this kind should be carefully cauterised with 

 tar but not with tin or zinc. In bolting it is best 

 not to employ iron bands which encircle the limbs, 

 stop the circulation and retard growth. Drive the 

 bolts clear through each limb and hold with a nut 

 on the opposite side. An ideal way is to have two 

 bolts held by a turnbuckle in the centre. This 

 allows the limbs more play and does not hold them 

 so rigid against the wind. 



In some respects a tree-cavity is like a cancer 

 eating into the vitals of its victim. More accurately, 

 it is like a cavity in a human tooth, as its opera- 

 tions are carried on in the hard, bone-like interior 

 wood. In either case, it should be thoroughly 

 cleaned out before filling. When the rotten wood 

 and fungus have been removed, the interior should 

 be washed with some antiseptic solution (copper 

 sulphate will do). It is wise to drive nails part 

 way into the inner walls to help hold the concrete. 

 The filling should be finished a little below the level 

 of the outer bark in order to allow it to lap over. 



