TREE SlIEGERY. 



BY EDWARD H. FORBDSH, WAREHAM, ORNITHOLOGIST TO THE BOARD. 



When work on the gypsy moth was begun, by the State 

 Board of Agriculture, in 1891, it became necessary to cut 

 from the trees many decaying limbs, for the cavities in such 

 limbs, or the loosened bark upon them, harbored the moth. 

 It being desirable, so far as possible, to prevent injury to 

 trees such as commonly follows such operations, experts 

 were consulted, and available literature was searched, with 

 a view of learning : — 



1. The best manner of removing limbs. 



2. The best manner of treating resulting wounds. 



3. The best season to perform such operations. 



4. The time required to heal wounds of dilferent sizes. 



5. How large can wounds be safely made. 



6. What treatment, if any, will assist trees in healing 

 Avounds. 



DesCars' work on pruning answered the first query fully 

 and some of the others partially, yet left much to be learned, 

 especially in regard to fruit trees.* 



The search made through available literature disclosed the 

 fact that statements made by different writers were often 

 contradictory, and that in many if not in most cases their 

 conclusions were not based on the results of exhaustive 

 experiments. A very few investigators had published valu- 

 able results, but their work had been too limited in its scope 

 to furnish all the information required. 



* A. DesCars, " A treatise on pruning, forest and ornamental trees." Edited 

 by Charles S. Sargent, Boston, 1881. Mr. Francis H. Appleton, at the time 

 a member of the gypsy motli committee, secured from the Massachusetts Soci- 

 ety for Promoting Agriculture several copies of this work, which were distrib- 

 uted to the superintendents in charge of the various divisions of gypsy moth 

 work. 



