152 
TREES AS GOOD CITIZENS 
Gas leaks are a frequent source of underground damage. 
Prevention of trouble from this source and treatment 
for the overcoming of injuries are detailed in Chapter xvn. 
Much of the damage to shade trees is purely man¬ 
made, ranging from the wounds caused by careless use of 
the pruning-hook to those incidental to building construc¬ 
tion. In the erection of a new building a tree is liable to 
various forms of mistreatment—all of them injurious and 
preventable, as using a tree as part of a scaffold or allow¬ 
ing guy wires or ropes to be fastened to its trunk, piling 
of stone, bricks or other building material against it or 
striking with the hubs, double-trees or fenders of delivery 
vehicles. If, under the stress of extreme and unusual con¬ 
ditions, it should be necessary to permit the use of a tree 
as a substitute for the support of a guy wire, ample protec¬ 
tion should be provided in the form of substantial strips 
of wood, placed vertically and in such way as to keep the 
cutting force from reaching the bark. To use a padding 
of burlap or other textile fabric, as is sometimes done, 
fails to furnish adequate protection, as the strain pene¬ 
trates this soft material and often causes serious damage. 
If the piling of stone, bricks, sand, lumber or other build¬ 
ing material is a necessity due to limited space or other 
unavoidable causes, the tree must be protected by strong 
wooden guards to prevent cutting or bruising the trunk. 
All of these injuries can be avoided. When the damage 
has been done the important step is at once to repair the 
injury and apply the means of healing. Prompt action 
simplifies the healing process and improves the tree’s 
chance for complete recovery. When bark is torn or 
broken, all ragged or loose bark should be trimmed with a 
sharp knife or a gouge, and the wound should be given 
protective treatment at once by painting the exposed wood 
