I40 PRACTICAL TREE REPAIR 



within four or five inches of its mouth, spread 

 over them a layer of mortar. The best trowel 

 for this purpose is a garden trowel to which has 

 been fixed a rather heavy handle about fifteen 

 inches long. Such a trowel scoops and carries 

 better and spreads as well as the flat, diamond- 

 shaped mason's trowel. The butt of the handle 

 is handy as a tamp. After thoroughly compacting 



the cement about the 

 stones, bring up the level 

 of the front of the fill- 

 ing with mortar alone. 

 Lay each trowelful down 

 at right angles with the 

 mouth of the cavity. 

 Spread it back so as to 

 bond with the stones, 

 and pull it forward to 

 the face, pressing it 

 against a pointing trowel 

 held in the left hand. 

 Every layer must be 

 carefully tamped and 

 compacted by pounding 

 and pressing it from 

 above and pressing it in- 

 If the filling extends up 

 more than three feet above the surface of the soil 

 (or less in a small tree) divide the filling into 



Vertical section showing di- 

 vision of cement filling into 

 sections 



ward from in front. 



