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"1. Before starting out on a tree, judge its general condition. The 

 trunk of a tree, that shows age, disease, or wood-destroying insects generally 

 hae its branches in an unhealthy condition. Greater precautions should therefore, 

 be ttken with a tree in this condition than with a young vigorous tree. 



"2. The different kinds of wood differ naturally in their strength and 

 pliability. The soft and braeh woods need greater precautions than the strong 

 and plitible ones. All the poplars, ailanthus, the silver maple, the chestnut, the 

 catalpa and willow are either too soft or too brittle to depend on without special 

 care. The elm, hickory and oak have strong flexible woods nnd are therefore, 

 safer than others. The red oak is weaker than other oaks. The sycamore and beech 

 have B cross-grained wood and are therefore, fsirly strong. The linden has a 

 soft wood while the ash and gum 1 , though strong and flexible, are apt to split 2 . 



"3. Look out for a limb that shows fungus growths. Every fungus sends out 

 a lot of fibers into the main body of the limb which draw out its sap. The interior 

 of the branch then looses all strength and becomes like powder. Outside appear- 

 ances do not show the interior condition but one can be sure that every time he 

 sees a fungus cropping out, there is trouble behind it and the limb is not alto- 

 gether safe. 



"4. When a limb is full of holes or knots, it generally indicates that borers 

 have been working all kinds of galleries through it, making it unsafe. The silver 

 maple and sycamore maple are especially full of borers, which, in many cases, work 

 on the under side of the branch, so that the man in the tree looking down cannot 

 eee its dangerous condition. 



"5. A dead limb with bark falling off indicates that it died at least three 

 months before and is, therefore, less safe than one with its bark tightly adhering 



1. This refers Tulepo or I'yssa, end Liquidamter sp. not Eucalyptus. 



2. For more characteristic California trees see Chapter 3. 



