The message
from hazchem contains these words:

A 150 year old beech tree is due to be cut down soon. It looks healthy
but it has fungus sprouting from its base. The owner of the tree
contacted the council and someone came round and said that it had to
be cut down. They said the roots would rot away and then it would fall
over.

Does this make sense to you?

On the balance of probabilities, no.

I have heard that fungus will hollow out
the inside of a tree and that actually makes it stronger. It makes it
more flexible so that it can withstand storms better, and that it will
live for many more years.

Some old trees have been hollow for centuries.

It doesn't look like honey fungus. It occurred to me that maybe the
council official wanted to be on the safe side. They might not want to
say it could be OK because then if something happened and it did fall
on someone or a car then they might be considered to be to blame.

Well, if you have a website, and the fruit-bodies are still there, could
you get a pic and post it? If no-one here can identify it,
alt.nature.mushrooms would be a good place to ask. There are some
serious mycologists in the group.

By the way, its costing £3,000 to get it cut down.

Hum. Don't get me started on the cost of tree-felling. I used to be a
partner in a tree-felling company, and our quotes were generally about a
third ov the next more expensive.

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Rusty
Direct reply to: horrid dot squeak snailything zetnet point co period uk
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