 Your coca-cola bottler presents Claudia based on the play and novels by Rose Franken Brought to you transcribe Monday through Friday by your friendly neighbor who bottles coca-cola Relax and while you're listening refresh yourself. Have a coke and now Claudia Dum-dum-dum-dum-dum-dum-dum-dum-dum-dum-dum-dum-dum-dum-dum Oh David, I'm glad we have to see the tree surgeon today, but we wouldn't have come up here today, would we? We would not I Don't seem to get any work done anymore. It's good Roger's so understanding yesterday, Julian Hartley today, the tree surgeon Everything's so wonderful up here in Eastbrook, David. I couldn't bear it if things started going wrong What is there left to go wrong so far everything's gone wrong? Honestly, if these are the more we do the more there is to do Are we uncovering things David? No not yet There's been so much that meets the eye. We haven't had time to uncover yet sound kind of depressed about it Do I don't mean to Actually, I'm in love with this place. I love every bit of work I put into you probably be terribly disappointed if it was all perfect without your wooden too I think you have said something very profound darling. It's a nice place the trees are beautiful and useful too Those oaks and and maple maples over there along the edge of the meadow That's so the herd can lie in the shade while they while they're tired and grazing and these great maples around the house The apple orchard over toward the barn are four trees and orchard are three people a family. You're right They're an orchard What other kinds of trees have we know those elms over across the matter by the brook? Hey, don't forget the Christmas trees by the driveway hemlock. I think they're my favorite. Well, that's because you can recognize them Oh David, how can you tell trees apart? Tell them apart. They look completely different Christmas trees do hemlock Darling their leaves are different there their trunks their branch formations. They look as different as you or I I'm so embarrassed. I don't even dare look a tree in the trunk I wish that tree surgeon would get here Paradiso said to meet him here at 11 o'clock. It's now 11 20. I'm glad he's late It's nice standing here talking about our land Especially with winter thawing and spring in the air. What's more our trees don't need a surgeon. They look wonderfully healthy Oh, there. Oh, Mr. Tucker. Hello. What are you doing up here today? Wasn't expecting you to come Saturday Paradiso call told us he ordered the tree surgeon today So we came up tree sir. Mm-hmm. What kind of a newfangled doctors? Hey, uh, you and the missus feeling sick No, no, we're fine. Mr. Tucker a tree surgeon is a doctor for trees the tree says Trees ain't feeling well since when well, they're fine. Mr. Tucker. At least I think so and why call the doctor Doctors is good for when you're getting set to kick the old bucket. Goodbye David says the doctor is just in case the trees aren't feeling well and can't say so Oh trees can tell you all right. They just start dropping their leaves and breaking their branches here You don't need any doctor to tell you that I know mr. Tucker, I don't expect him to tell us anything except the what kind of spray we should have and when we should have it done Sprays you say last time I had the sniffles until I'll call the doctor He wanted to spray my throat with some pink stuff. I wouldn't let him touch it So it got better the next day my cousin Harry got himself sprayed all the time He just died right away one night been sprayed just that morning, too. No, I don't believe in sprays doctors Any snow David, what do you think? Well, I I think mr. Tucker's being a little pessimistic. That's your what? No, I'm being honest. I'm just warning you look around here Look over your trees. Where have you seen a nicer bun standin so tall and straight and strong? Ain't never been one that caused me any trouble none tall none tall now Every now and then one of them nope nope. They're all fine It never hurts to make sure mr. Tucker make sure what hey these trees are all healthy trees going fine worth the whole price of the place Counting trees. I I should have charged you more well there a handsome lot I was just telling Claudia then leave well enough alone son leave well enough alone trees have been standing a couple million years You've been standing well lesson 30 tree surgeon. He's been business lesson 20 trees must know best of all Of us whether it's well or not when dated it'll drop drop. I don't want any of our trees to drop darling stop worrying This place hasn't got a bit of disease on it You can tell by by just looking at it our trees are beautiful and healthy and good glad to hear you appreciate it I'm glad to hear it why you can field in your bones when a place is reeking with health and this year farm is reeking My dad never had a doctor. I never have one when I'm conscious and our trees Would be an insult to that would that's a car pulling in now isn't it? Yeah, but this must be the man Can you see his face? What's he look like? I don't like him. I know I didn't know it David he looks like a salesman Hello, mr. Mr. Thondake. Oh, hello, mr. Thondake. I'm mr. Norton. I do mr. Paradiso said that you'd get here Yes, sir. Well, let's get started Got a lot of trees. I'm Tucker the trees are all fine young man We bought this farm from mr. Tucker, and this is my wife. Mrs. Norton. I do Well, and which one's the worst off where'd we start as mr. Tucker says I don't think we're going to have very much trouble But how about taking a look at these Elms right over here, right? You realize cost mr. Norton They will have to spray have to spray right away for the tree starts leaf you shave remember what I was telling your son Yeah, we give the dormant spray in spring, and then we spray a game when the trees are fully foliated Foliated. What's that David in leaf darling? Why didn't he say so? You noticed any signs of Elm disease? Elms have a particular kind of disease. Is it catching highly epidemic Bacteria sets in trees start looking bad defoliation sets in Very serious sounds like getting bald. I don't think I like a bald tree David Here we are Hmm white young card. No looks good. Look bad What looks bad decay set in gone bad for the deep. Yeah, I see it That's uh, that's the cave it brought it all the way down Have to clean her out. Just hope it's not worse than it looks decay doesn't always show up on the surface David he sounds just like a dentist. She's um, she's really bad. See that bad spot right here on the side Down here on the side Just hope it's not one continuous involved area. Well, what happens after you dig out the decay You put in an inlay. I fill the cavity with cement would pop asphalt or some such substance Depending of course on the condition of the cavity Hmm Yep, here's another elm similar condition Take it all this way. Well, what do you think cost all of this? Mr. Sunday upset diet hasn't been adequate their diet trees have been eating the same thing for 50,000 years Maybe a hundred thousand mr. Tucker. You're making a very common mistake The earth is not yielding as balanced a diet these days as 50,000 years ago I thought science in advance. This is noton We robbed the earth We're all but every day. Oh David did you know that? Well, I I didn't realize it was so serious doctor I mean mr. Thorndike, would you please take a look at this oak tree across the drive hmm? Tell you from here that oaks disease the old tool notice that bark on the trunk notice the scars All the way deep into the cambium mr. Tucker. You never had those scars tended to did you well? I uh, I ain't never noticed him the tree was standing fine been standing fine for a hundred years If it fell out of put a new one in but I ain't wasted no money on sprainer bandage in her coddling these trees They they ain't window boxes. They're bigger than me and stronger Well mr. Norton I can well imagine the condition of the rest of the trees You consider yourself fortunate if you have one of these standing in three years your elms disease White pine probably blistered these oaks here covered with parasites your apple trees probably not even bearing possible our beautiful trees Deceptive remember the chestnut blight. No, I don't remember. Well, you weren't even born darling Every chestnut tree on the continent of North America died not one survived Not one has been able to survive sin. That's not possible I Merely remind you the chestnuts to tell you that those things do happen. You stand in danger of losing everyone in your trees If you don't do something radical about it and immediately Well, I'll get my instrument there in the car That's what you get for neglect mr. Tucker. Oh sure. Oh David. I feel terrible Look at our place While I go it's so beautiful. And now I feel as if I were walking through a hospital ward cheer up I feel as if we were walking through a graveyard Imagine pretty soon if things keep up this way our land will be completely naked. There won't be a tree on it I am imagining to tell you the truth. I I don't like it I never realized before that Anything could look so good on the outside. Just look at these trees an example and be so sick on the inside Makes you suspicious of everything around you and you mr. Tucker It's all your fault. You didn't care enough about those trees I cared enough about them young woman there to keep them going while could an apple tree went bad on me I spiked the roots with a nail next season. She bore me fruits dead in her death pangs Well, uh, Pete's tree look bad. I twisted her twisted her next spring She bloomed good as new next fall. She died Oh, yes Don't have to be a fancy fangle kind of a doctor to know that nature cracks herself when she's drove into it I hurt them trees to force to make them force themselves to live and live the dead I ain't had a tree die on my place except when it couldn't live no more That's true. Then then you think that maybe look here young woman you too son These trees will be standing here long after you're not here to look at them even I Maybe you're not going to be here. Maybe you heard that there highfalutin a boreal medico talking He says nature has a way to find your balance. He said that one true word. No, that's a consolation Especially since we've so beautifully disturbed nature's balance Well, what I'm trying to say is cook nature 50,000 years to get where she is give her another 50,000 and she'll be right back where she started from all nice and balanced out And then our trees will probably be as beautiful and healthy and strong as they look David. Yes, darling They'll last with the time David. I feel better already. This is a beautiful place The trees need us darling. We love them all the more for it. Yep 50,000 years and everything will be fine is around red apple again. Now ain't that a cheerful thought to think about? Yes, very cheerful very funny Does your family gather round to see what you've brought home from the market? They're probably looking for that familiar carton of Coca-Cola And if you've brought home a whole case in the car a whole lady is that a red letter day the phone buzzes with party Invitations when there's plenty of coke on ice and the whole family falls into a gala mood Isn't it nice that you can rouse such festive feelings for so little money? Coke is just five cents a bottle, you know Mr. Tucker before you go Well, just thought I'd like to ask how you like your new neighbors the mountains. Oh nice young people I was kind of hoping they'd be up here this Saturday But they've got to visit some fancy friends on Long Island Long Island, huh? Hmm sounds like tomorrow David and Claudio will be packing to go visit Reggie Finch Well, thanks for the news mr. Tucker. So long I'll I'll see you when the thaw's off the ground so long boy. So long mr. Tucker Every day Monday through Friday Claudia comes to you transcribed with the best wishes of your friendly neighbor who bottles Coca-Cola So listen again tomorrow at the same time And now this is Joe King saying or if war and remember Whoever you are whatever you do wherever you may be When you think of refreshment think of Coca-Cola or ice-cold Coca-Cola makes any pause the pause that refreshes This broadcast of Claudia was supervised and directed by William Brown Maloney And now here's a word from your friendly neighbor who bottles Coca-Cola