150 PRACTICAL TREE REPAIR 



Better fitted to do the things which concrete 

 has failed to do, and adapted to the treatment of 

 every sort of cavity, is the " asphalt briquette 

 system." l The central idea of the method is the 

 use of briquettes, of various sizes, made of excel- 

 sior, or excelsior and sawdust, bound together 

 with asphalt. A wall is built up, in the front part 

 of the cavity, of briquettes cemented together with 

 melted asphalt. To prevent the possibility of a 

 crack opening between the filling and the wood, 

 as invariably occurs with concrete, the briquettes 

 next to the wood are nailed to it. The wall of 

 briquettes is reinforced by braces from the back 

 of the cavity. The remainder of the cavity, back 

 of the front wall, is filled with any one of a num- 

 ber of materials, such as " asphalt staff " (ex- 

 celsior cemented together with asphalt), sawdust, 

 or cinders. 



Besides the briquettes, there must be on hand 

 before work begins a supply of asphalt cement and 

 of fluxing oil, such as u Varnolene," a kettle in 

 which to melt the asphalt, another kettle, possibly 

 smaller, in which to mix asphalt and sawdust, 

 provisions for heating the kettles and for protect- 

 ing the grass while doing so, a supply of sawdust 

 and excelsior, some odds and ends of boards, ten- 



1 An application has been filed for a patent covering this 

 method, and those who wish to use it should apply to Mr. C. 

 H. Hoyt, Citizens Building, Cleveland, who can also supply 

 the asphalt briquettes. 



