BRACING 



213 



twisting effect of winds. If the conduct of the tree 

 in high winds indicates that this danger exists, an 

 effort should be made to correct it by running 

 braces from a neighboring tree, not to its trunk, 

 but to its limbs. 



Although most bracing consists of bracing limbs 

 together, occasion sometimes arises for bracing 

 limbs or trees apart. This occurs when two trees 



Showing correct method of propping a weak limb, and three 

 ways of handling two limbs which rub against each other 



or two limbs are so close that they wear against 

 each other. The general rule in such cases is that 

 the less valuable of the offenders should be cut out. 

 Such heroic treatment, however, is often undesir- 

 able. If so, the thing to do is to brace the limbs 

 apart. The most obvious way to do this is to pull 

 the limbs away from each other by means of wires 

 or rods running to other limbs. Failing this, one 

 of several other solutions can be used. One way 

 is to pull the limbs apart, bore a shallow hole in the 

 worn surface of each, and put in a short iron rod 



