BRACING 207 



inches away. Another way is to bore two holes 

 from a single point, one slanting up the limb, the 

 other down. A slot in the bark from one hole to 

 the other can be made to receive the wire, but care 

 should be taken in pounding the wire into place 

 not to bruise the bark. The nail or wire will be 

 grown over in a year or two. If the hole is not 

 filled up by the wire a bit of cloth dipped in tar 

 might be pressed into it to keep out insects and 

 fungus spores until growth closes the opening. 

 Tree-doctors may say these schemes are not work- 

 manlike, but they are effective, economical, and 

 easily worked, and they don't hurt the trees. 



If there are a number of weak branches they 

 can be supported from a ring near the center of 

 the tree. If two weak branches are opposite, with 

 a strong trunk between them, a wire can be fixed 

 to one, run up to the trunk, straight through it, and 

 down to the other. 



In larger work we must substitute wire rope for 

 wire and eyebolts for screweyes or nails. Wire 

 rope is made of steel and is not very easy to handle 

 at first. It is better to begin with one of the 

 smaller sizes before tackling three-eighths or half- 

 inch. If you have a job to do with the cable, be- 

 gin by preparing the holes, coffers, etc., for the 

 bolts, and get the bolts ready. Then, on the 

 ground, take the bolt which is to go into the place 

 at which it is less convenient to work. Run the 



