398 rRINCIPLES AND PRACTICE OF PRUNING 



fungi which caus;" disease in trees, nr, if they do know something 

 ahout it, they apparently do not allow this knowledge to modify 

 their methods appreciahly. It is extremely important that special 

 jireeautions he taken when a contagious disease, such as the chestnut 

 hark disease, is infecting a tree Ihccause through ignorance disease 

 may he spread hy infected tools, as in the ease of pear hlight, 196]. 



307. Ignorant workmen and fakers.— Unfortunately for tree 

 owners and tile trees themselves, many men who are set at work by 

 an unreliable contractor know httle or nothing of the fundamental 

 principles concerning the life history of a tree. In their ignorance, 

 such workmen are likely to make serious blunders through neglect- 

 ing to do certain important things, the reason for which they do 

 not understand. The faker will always slight any stage of the work, 

 no matter how important, if evidence of his neglect can be effec- 

 tually obliterated or hidden by subsequent operations. 



There are few more favorable opportunities for practicing frauds 

 of this nature than in the operation of filling cavities in trees. The 

 decayed and diseased wood may be only partially removed, im- 

 proper or no antiseptic coatings used in the cavity, or no proper 



fk;. jii— ruping a tree preparatory to bolting 



T \ ropes in this case wtre left for several months during the growing seasQl). 

 So' befjan to girdle the large limb at the right. 



