My Mother in law has what I think is a Hickory tree in her front yard that grew straight up for about 15 feet, then split into two braches, forming a Y. This tree has started to split down the middle of the main trunk and we would like to reinforce it so it doesn't split and drop one side of the tree. I've been given two suggestions; 1, wrap a cable around each branch, pad the cable with a section of garden hose and connect in the middle with a turnbuckle. 2, is to drill a hole through each branch and thread an eye bolt through, connecting the eye bolts with a lenght of cable with a turnbuckle in the middle.

Is there a better way? or is there a specific method to approach one of these ideas?

thanks

Bruce