Propping up an old friend

We have an elderly apple tree in the Old Orchard that has seen better days. Its roots are clearly not what they were, it has sustained a split in its trunk, and the tree has over the course of the last year adopted a rather pronounced 45 degree lean.

I am reluctant to wield the chainsaw just yet as the tree has fruited, and grown well this past year, and we have found that apple trees that fall over like this can go on for a year or two. So we'll see how it fares next year.

To help it, we've propped it up with three stays, one under each 'arm' using wood rummaged from the garage. These supports are somewhat noticeable at present but they should be better concealed by the emergent foliage in the spring. We believe this tree to be an original planting (around 150-200 years) so I'd be really reluctant to dispatch it without giving it a chance. We'll keep our fingers crossed!