THE TREE DOCTOR 



65 



Photo 53 presents a case which would have been quite a sur- 

 prise to most people. It is a good-sized Hickory tree, on the es- 

 tate of Mr. Wm. Rockefeller, Tarrytown, N. Y. The top of the 

 tree showed signs of failing. To a person not acquainted with 

 "tree troubles" there was no visible cause for the dying condi- 

 tion. It took but little time, however, to locate the cause of 

 "twig failure." It was found at the base of the trunk. Dead 

 bark on one side was the first "pointer." Following this "lead" 

 the discovery was what you can see for yourself in the photo- 

 graph: the whole center of the tree dead and had to be removed. 



One of the things of interest in this work is the amazing 

 numbers of "live critters" that are found in these portions of a 

 diseased tree. It sounds almost paradoxical to say that a "dead" 

 trunk is "alive" with borers, grubs, beetles, ants and all kinds of 

 creeping things. Yet a moment's reflection satisfies one that 

 this is the natural order of affairs. Every living thing feeds on 



Photo 53 

 Hickory Tree, Wm. Rockefeller estate, Tarrytown, N. Y. 



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