122 PRACTICAL TREE REPAIR 



" Punk-wood " can sometimes be burnt out 

 with a gasoline torch, using a tree scraper 

 to scrape off the charred wood and control the 

 flame. 



It would require a good many pages even 

 to enumerate the hundreds of schemes and adapta- 

 tions employed by a resourceful workman during 

 a season's work. A person of normal ingenuity 

 will not need any further suggestions along this 

 line than are daily furnished by the work to be 

 done and the tools at hand. 



As the work nears completion, the operator 

 must constantly keep in mind the standard of per- 

 fection decided on in the beginning. The tree 

 has presumably bee,n sounded (by boring holes, if 

 necessary), and it has been definitely determined 

 that all of the decay can and should be removed. 

 We shall speak later of those cases in which it is 

 found impossible to get out all the rotten wood. 

 At present we are taking it for granted that com- 

 plete excision has been prescribed. It may seem 

 superfluous to say (but repeated experiences have 

 shown that it is not) that " complete " does not 

 mean " substantial." It does not mean that the 

 rot is to be cleaned away perfectly where it is easy 

 to get at, and yet permitted to remain in corners 

 and crotches which are difficult of access. And 

 too much must not be left for the antiseptic dress- 

 ing, for few of the dressings soak in to any con- 



