On Sat, 20 Nov 2004 04:27:12 GMT, in rec.gardens wrote:

If the tree is actually growing thru the lines and the electric company thinks it is
dangerous, then it is best to simply remove the tree. southern dogwoods are dying
from anthracnose and having to cut one like that is going to make it an incubator for
disease that will be better able to spread to the rest of the dogwoods.
dogwoods are under story trees, they do best in hot climes under taller trees.
Ingrid


The utility lines are phone and cable and are not as securely fastened to
the house and street pole as electric. If it were electric, i would not
consider the branches in the winds to be of any danger.

The tree was planted as an ornamental anchor on one corner of the house
without apparent thought as to it's mature size. The upper branches had
begun to scrape the cedar-sided house.

The next nearest dogwood is at least 60 feet away and according to
conversations with the county extension agent several years ago, diseases
from the tree will not affect a tree that far away.

Essentially -- and literally -- this is an experiment. one that i have
thought over since August and the bottom line keeps coming out to what do I
have to lose if it fails versus what do i have to gain if it works.

If it dies, then a couple of hours with me, a shovel and a chainsaw can
remove all traces of it's former existence. (So far, I have used a manual
limb saw exclusively to trim it.)

If it lives, I will either have what I want or it will be ugly enough for me
to finish it off. If the latter, then clean-up and disposal will be easier
than it is now.

And all of that, so to speak, is the complete nut and branch of the thing.

Many responses i have seen remind me of the scientist who refuses to perform
an experiment to prove his pet theory lest he be proved wrong.

Cheers,

FACE

I