SPAULDING: WOOD ROTS AND THE STORM 
35 
were seriously damaged. In any case innumerable branches were 
broken. No one knows yet how many roots were injured or broken— 
that remains for root-rot to reveal in the future. The tremendous 
twisting and bending of branches and trunks undoubtedly made numer¬ 
ous invisible cracks in many of which rot will later develop. The 
effects will come to our attention as long as this generation of trees, 
from middle age upward, survives. 
There are so many fungi causing rot of living trees that it is out of 
place to call their roll here. There are hundreds of different known 
fungi which can rot the sap wood where branches have broken. Dozens 
are known which can rot the heartwood where it is exposed in such 
wounds. There are known smaller numbers which can rot injured roots. 
In spite of years of investigation our knowledge of the wood-rotting fungi 
is far from complete. New instances of fungi which have been con¬ 
sidered incapable of spreading into living wood from open wounds are 
constantly being found aggressively attacking sap wood of living trees. 
The abnormal abundance of wounds in the trees of the hurricane area 
must result in many such occurrences in the future. The main thing 
is to look for and recognize rot and to prevent and remedy it so far as 
possible. 
The tree surgeon has a huge amount of work ahead in remedying the 
obvious damage as soon and as efficiently as possible. Abnormally 
high numbers of large pruning wounds must be so treated as to prevent 
infection by the wood-rotting fungi or at least delay their attacks. 
Perhaps one of the most important things to be done is to feed valued 
trees to stimulate maximum growth and hasten healing of wounds, thus 
decreasing the length of time that exposed wood is open to attack by rot. 
The tree owner is very decidedly on the spot. If he cares at all for 
his trees he must try to put them in as good shape as is possible under 
the circumstances. Prompt and continued care will tend to minimize 
extensive decay some years hence, and is the only way by which it can 
be done. The directions and recommendations given in U. S. Depart¬ 
ment of Agriculture Farmers Bulletin 1726 entitled Treatment and Care 
of Tree Wounds by J. Franklin Collins (obtainable for 5 cents in cash 
from Superintendent of Documents, Washington, D. C.) apply with 
especial force to the care of trees injured by the hurricane. 
In woodlots decision must be made as to what trees can be left with 
a reasonable expectation that they will survive. If any use is to be made 
of them, the trees that are down or that will die from their injuries ought 
