Manifestation of Disease. 1 1 



Thedead upper branches or "stag-horn top," 

 as it is usually called (and the name is not 

 inappropriate), is often met with, and is a sure 

 indication of disease in the stem itself. There 

 is no cure for this, but life may be prolonged 

 by drastic measures if it is important from an 

 ornamental point of view. In hardwood trees, 

 such as the oak, the injury to the stem is slow 

 and many years may elapse before any 

 serious defect is seen, but in the case of the 

 soft woods, such as the lime, the effect upon 

 the stem is rapid, in fact, it is often accom- 

 panied by a decayed base, but of this anon. 



Then we find holes large and small where 

 branches have died or been cut off, where 

 birds build their nests. At the base of these 

 we have dampness, often water, and this 

 percolates through the stem and causes 

 untold waste. Only a little while ago I 

 felled a large oak, and found that where a 

 large hole had been caused by the breaking 

 off of a limb, the water ha.d penetrated, 

 percolated through the heart-wood, and 

 rendered the tree comparatively useless. 

 This in the case of a soft wood such as the 



