IS THIS FOR REAL? 1922 experiment to dye the roots of beech trees.

What the…?  I came across this bit in Karl Kraus’ Die Fackel, November 1922.

A few days ago… a lumber company demonstrated a method to dye trees to the Saxon state minister Buck and a number of invited guests. In that context the reader may be interested to know that a similar process is already being used…near the city of Uslar. Several hundred square meters of a beech wood have been fenced off. A container with red and blue dye is attached to each tree. The dye is conducted to the roots through a rubber hose, using electricity. From the roots the dye spreads to the outermost branches, even as far as the leaves. A sizeable trunk will be completely dyed in about four weeks up to a height of 28 meters. At that point it dies and is cut up. Most of the wood will be used for the manufacture of furniture.

Tell me it ain’t so. But it was. The information can also be found in The Children’s Newspaper, Oct 14 1922. Great stuff to tell your children!