CHAP, vii SYLVA 93 



carefully bound up, will not only abate, but be per- 

 fectly cur'd. The manna of Calabria is found to exsude 

 out of the leaves and boughs of this tree, during the 

 hot summer-months. Lastly, the white and rotten 

 dotard part composes a ground for our gallants sweet- 

 powder, and the trunchions make the third sort of the 

 most durable coal, and is (of all other) the sweetest of 

 our forest-fuelling, and the fittest for ladies chambers, 

 it will burn even whilst it is green, and may be 

 reckoned amongst the aKtnrva vAa. To conclude, the 

 very dead leaves afford (like those of the elm) relief 

 to our cattle in winter ; and there is a dwarf-sort in 

 France, (if in truth it be not, as I suspect, our witchen- 

 tree) whose berries feed the poor people in scarce 

 years ; but it bears no keys, like to ours, which being 

 pickled tender, afford a delicate salading. But the 

 shade of the ash is not to be endur'd, because the 

 leaves produce a noxious insect ; and for displaying 

 themselves so very late, and falling very early, not to 

 be planted for umbrage or ornament ; especially near 

 the garden, since (besides their predatious roots) the 

 leaves dropping with so long a stalk, are drawn by 

 clusters into the worm-holes, which foul the allies 

 with their keys, and suddenly infect the ground. 

 Note, that the season for felling of this tree must be 

 when the sap is fully at rest ; for if you cut it down 

 too early, or over-late in the year, it will be so obnox- 

 ious to the worm, as greatly to prejudice the timber; 

 therefore to be sure, fell not till the three mid-winter 

 months, beginning about November : But in lopping 

 of pollards, (as of soft woods) Mr. Cook advises it 

 should be towards the Spring, and that you do not 

 suffer the lops to grow too great : Also, that so soon 

 as a pollard comes to be considerably hollow at the 



