form of branching; 

 photo 43 is an exam- 

 ple. This is a very 

 large tree and was in 

 perfect pealth, but it 

 went to pieces in a 

 wind-storm. It is 

 now completely 

 ruined. It should 

 have had two bolts of 

 inch iron or steel. 

 The upper bolt 

 would have held the 

 two branches indi- 

 cated, and the lower 

 one in like manner. 

 Apple trees, also, 

 have a great ten- 

 dency to crotchiness. 

 They should be 

 watched and bolted. 

 Photo 45 is an exam- 

 ple of unexpected 

 trouble. There was 

 no particular sign of 

 weakness in this 

 case. But it had been 

 gradually weakened 

 and the water had 

 found its way in, fol- 

 lowed by a slight rot down as far as the cross line. Just the weight of the crop or apples 

 broke it down. I speak of the bolt, as that is the best method of preventing the trouble. 

 Chains and bands are objectionable on account of their "chafing" tendencies. In 

 photo 44 you have a case of a large maple split clear to the ground. It gaped with 

 every wind-storm. Two ^ bolts were used at a point where the bits of paper are tacked 

 on. It is nine years since this was bolted. Putty and old dregs of paint were worked 

 into the crevices above to keep out the water, and a wonderful process of healing has 

 been going on down the wounded sides of the trunk. But this tree has recently taught 

 a valuable lesson. A violent wind-storm tore off one-half of the top, just where the bolt 

 was put through, revealing to what an alarming extent decay had penetrated and weak- 

 ened the wood before the tree was drawn together with bolts. We commonly practice 

 bolting in the way shown on the horse-chestnut in photo 46. The bolt might have been 

 put as high as indicated by the right hand. The higher the bolt the less the strain from 

 above. Always fill in around the bolt with putty or thick paint to exclude the air and 

 moisture. 



To show you how common it is for trees to be crotchy, we call your attention to 

 photo 47. These are fairly healthy elms, but no less than five of them that you can see 

 are so badly forked that they will be torn to pieces by the wind. The only way to 

 prolong the life of that row of trees would be to bolt them or lop off the tops as in photo 

 90. In some -situations it is well to do both. In photo 90 the trees are so exposed that 

 the top of one was torn clear off, and others probably would have been destroyed had not 

 the tops been shortened. In this operation great care should be taken to paint the 

 wounds, as it is difficult to get to them again. It is a very tedious piece of work to per- 

 form. Light ladders had to be fastened with strong ropes to the main branches t<> get 



19 



Photo 28. 



