COM 



COM 



in the latter, they should be removed, and the 

 first sorts planted out in rows in the nursery, 

 and the last in warm sheltered situations or in 

 pots, to be protected during the winter. 



This sort may likewise be rendered much for- 

 warder, so as to flower the same year, by hav' 

 ing recourse to a hot-bed. 



The three first species are also capable of be- 

 ing raised by layers from the young shoots, 

 made either in the autumn or spring seasons ; 

 but as the fourth sort does not continue long, 

 and is more tender than the others, new plants 

 should be raised from seed every two or three 

 years. 



They are all beautiful ornamental plants, espe- 

 cially the fourth, and may be introduced into 

 the clumps, borders, and other parts of shrub- 

 beries and pleasure-grounds, where they pro- 

 <luce a fine effect by their foliage and flowers. 

 The last sort should^ however, have a dry warm 

 soil and sheltered sunny situation. 



COMPOSITION FOR TREES, a substance 

 discovered, prepared, and applied by Mr. For- 

 syth, for the purpose of removing diseases, de- 

 fects, and injuries in fruit- and forest-trees. It is 

 directed to be composed in the following man- 

 ner : 



" Take one bushel of fresh cow-dung, half a 

 bushel of lime-rubbish of old buildings (that 

 from the ciciingsof rooms is preferable), half a 

 bushel of wood-ashes, and a sixteenth part of a 

 bushel of pit or river sand : the three last articles 

 are to be sifted fine before they are mixed; then 

 work them well together with a spade, and af- 

 terwards with a wooden beater, until the stuff is 

 very smooth, like fine plaster used for the ciel- 

 ings of rooms. 



The trees should be prepared for its applica- 

 tion "by cutting away all the dead, decayed, and 

 injured parts, down to the fresh, sound wood, 

 leaving the surface of the wood very smooth, 

 and rounding off the edges of the bark with 

 a draw-knife, or other instrument, perfectly 

 smooth, which must be particularly attended to; 

 then la)' on the plaster about one eighth of an 

 inch thick, all over the part where the wood or 

 bark has been so cut away, finishinac oft" the 

 edges as thin as possible: then take a quantity 

 of dry powder of wood-ashes mixed with a sixth 

 part of the same quantity of the ashes of burnt 

 bones; put it into a tm box, with holes in the 

 top, and shake the powder on the surface of the 

 plaster, till the w hole is covered over with it, 

 letting it remain for half an hour to absorb the 

 moisture ; then apply more powder, rubbing it 

 on gciitly with the hand, and repeating the ap 

 plication of the powder till the whole plaster 

 ■becomi'S a dry smooth surface. 

 7 



" AH trees cut down near the ground should 

 have the surface made quite smooth, rounding 

 it oft' ni a small degree, as before mentioned; 

 and the dry powder directed to be used after- 

 wards should have an equal quantity of powder 

 of alabaster mixed with it, in order the better to 

 resist the dripping of trees and heavy rains. 



Such portions of the composition as may be 

 left for a future use " should be kept in a tub or 

 other vessel, and urine of any kind poured on 

 them, so as to cover the surface ; otherwise the 

 atmosphere will greatly hurt the efficacy of the 

 application. 



And " where lime-rubbish of old buildings 

 cannot be easily got, take pounded chalk, or 

 conmion lime, after having been slaked a month 

 at least.' 



It is further remarked, that " as the growth 

 of the tree will gradually affect the plaster, by 

 raising up its edges next the bark, care should 

 be taken, where that happens, to rub it over 

 with the finger when occasion may require 

 (which is best done when moistened by rain), 

 that the plaster may be kept whole, to pre- 

 vent the air and wet from penetrating into the 

 wound." 



But "as the best way of using the Composi- 

 tion is found, by experience, to be in a liquid 

 state," Mr. Forsyth adds, that it should " be 

 reduced to the consistence of pretty thick paint, 

 by mixing it up with a sufficient quantity of 

 urine and soapsuds, and laid on with a painter's 

 brush. The powder of wood -ashes and burnt 

 bones is to be applied as before directed, patting 

 it down with the hand." 



It is also advised, " when trees are be- 

 come hollow, to scoop out all the rotten, loose, 

 and dead parts of the trunk to the solid wood, 

 leaving the surface smooth ; then to cover the 

 hollow, and every part where the canker has 

 been cut out, or branches lopped off, with the 

 Composition; and as the edges grow, to take care 

 not to let the new wood come in contact with 

 the dead, part of which it may be sometimes 

 necessary to leave; but to cut out the old dead 

 wood as the new advances, keeping a hollow 

 between them, to allow the new wood room to 

 extend itself, and thereby fill up the cavity, 

 which it will do in time, so as to make as it 

 were a new tree." 



If the cavity be large, to cut away as much at 

 one operation as will be sufficient for three 

 years. But in this to " be guided by the size 

 of the wound, and other circumstances. When 

 the new wood, advancing from both sides of the 

 wound, has almost met, to cut off the bark from 

 both the edges, that the solid wood may join, 

 which, if properly managed, it will do, leaving 



