A THOUSAND-YEAR PINE 



Fortunately relief came. One day 

 the chief surgeon of all the Southwest- 

 ern pineries came along. This surgeon 

 was the Texas woodpecker. He prob- 

 ably did not long explore the ridges 

 and little furrows of the bark before he 

 discovered the wound or heard these 

 hidden insects working. After a brief 

 examination, holding his ear to the bark 

 for a moment to get the location of the 

 tree's deadly foe beneath, he was 

 ready to act. He made two successful 

 operations. Not only did these require 

 him to cut deeply into the old pine 

 and take out the borers, but he may 

 also have had to come back from time 

 to time to dress the wounds by de- 

 vouring the ant-colonies which may 

 have persisted in taking possession of 

 them. The wounds finally healed, and 

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