84 PRACTICAL TREE REPAIR 



mation of a slimy covering over the exposed wood. 

 This covering Is of a liquescent nature — attract- 

 ing water. It thus draws the watery sap from the 

 sapwood, preventing the natural drying-out and 

 closing of the sap-conducting tubes. The process 

 continues for an indefinite period, until the cam- 

 bium in the vicinity of, and especially below, the 

 source of the flux is killed. It, and later the inner 

 bark, turns brown, and the bark is easily separated 

 from the wood. The deleterious effect of the 

 flux upon bark tends to prevent the healing, by 

 calluses, of the wound, and contributes further 

 to the permanence of the flux, which usually con- 

 tinues until higher fungi invade the area and kill 

 the wood from which the flux had been drawing 

 sap. This is a rough and ready account of a 

 phenomenon scientists are still studying, but it will 

 do for our purpose. 



The disposition of wounds to be affected by 

 slime-flux can be diminished by pruning in the dor- 

 mant season and by dressing wounds promptly 

 with a penetrating antiseptic such as creosote. 

 Curative measures must of course be carried out 

 in the dormant season. If it is a flat pruning 

 wound scrape the cut surface and pare away all 

 dead bark. Then apply hot creosote or hot tar, 

 following later with a second coat. If the flux 

 exudes from a hole, clean out the place with a 

 gouge, making the excision a thorough one. Then 



