THE GARDENERS' CHRONICLE OF AMERICA. 
241 
The Cavity, Thoroughly Cleansed and Treated, Ready for 
Its Filling. 
surgery is very much like dentistry — all, not nearly all, 
but all decay must be removed, and so in tree surgery 
the carving, bracing, rilling and general treatment of a 
tree has become a fine art. After the decay was thor- 
oughly removed, the entire interior of the cavity was 
carefully disinfected. A finely carved "watershed" was 
made all around the edges of the cavity for the purpose 
of excluding moisture, after which the entire interior 
surface of the cavity was carefully waterproofed. 
Proper bracing is a most essential part of reliable tree 
surgery, for it is evident that serious decay consumes 
much of a tree's strength ; but when properly braced, 
much of the lost strength is restored and a proper means 
of holding the tree together and binding the filling se- 
curely in place is provided. In the tree referred to the 
principal requirements were the many bolts of steel rod. 
threaded full length. Each bolt had four nuts and wash- 
ers, two on the outside and two on the inside of the tree. 
Those on the inside are called "lock nuts" and are em- 
ployed to keep the parts of the tree from shifting and to 
prevent crushing of the filling. Many trees require rather 
complicated systems of bracing, which include besides 
bolts and "lock nuts," anchors, torsion rods, steel back- 
bone and ribs, etc., etc. This work requires a skill that 
can only be acquired through long practical experience. 
The fifth illustration shows the manner in which the 
tree was filled. The filling was made in distinct sections, 
a sort of ball and socket arrangement, to allow for the 
swaying of the tree from wind. Each section was care- 
fully made, the top being smoothed off to slope upward 
somewhat towards the rear of the cavity. Tar paper was 
placed over the top of each section to keep the next up- 
per section from uniting with it, this allowing a suffi- 
cient movement between the sections to conform to the 
swaying of the tree. It is the only method we know 
of so far devised, to allow for swaying and prevent the 
ine\ , table breaking of the filling, as when made solid 
in one piece. 
The work above described was done many months ago 
The Cavity Filled, Not Solid, But in Sections, to Allow for the 
Tree's Sway. 
and the tree has since withstood several terrific storms 
as well as the ordinary ones. The tree is in perfect con- 
dition in spite of the unusually severe storms it has en- 
countered since it has undergone its surgical operation. 
A few minor defects have been uncovered, but these 
were quickly and easily remedied. 
BOSTON'S SPRING FLOWER SHOW. 
HpHE Grand May Exhibition of the Massachusetts Hor- 
ticultural Society for which some $6,000 was offered 
in premiums proved to be a good show but did not come 
up to expectations. Would-be exhibitors are too busy 
in mid May to give much thought to flower shows, and 
the prolonged winter, added to a serious labor shortage, 
has caused such a congestion of work that many who 
would have liked to exhibit could not spare time to do 
so. The general public while it attended the show in 
goodly numbers would have more liberally patronized 
such a show in March and it is unlikely that Boston 
would soon again attempt a big May Show. 
The principal exhibits were roses, hydrangeas, azaleas, 
orchids, calceolarius, marguerites, groups of plants, bulb- 
ous flowers, antirrhinums and rhododendrons. Carnations 
were practically nil, prizes of $100 and $50 in one class 
failing to draw a single entry. Some of the leading ex- 
hibitors and prize winners were : W. C. Rust, gardener 
to Mrs. C. S. Weld ; Henry Stewart, gardener to Miss 
Cornelia Warren ; Alex McKay, gardener to E. A. Clark ; 
E. H. Wetterlow, gardener to Mrs. Lester Leland ; Dun- 
can Finlayson, gardener to Larz Anderson ; N. N. Craig, 
gardener to E. O. Brandegee ; William Thatcher, gar- 
dener to Mrs. J. O. Gardner ; Daniel Whyte, gardener to 
Winthrop Ames ; Charles Sander, gardener to C. S. 
Sargent : T. O. Hatfield, gardener to Walter Hunnewell ; 
Edward Parker, gardener to Oliver Ames ; J. O. Christ- 
ensen, gardener to W. J. Clemson ; Wellesley College, 
Thoma T. Watt, gardener ; William Martin, gardener 
to X. T. Kidder. 
