SECT. XII. OF PRUNING; 143 



ill-conditioned tree, to a healthy and bearing state, 

 if all is but right at the root, it having a good soil 

 about it. 



Keep all wall trees clean, and particularly weak 

 ones, from moss, cobwebs, or other filth; and attend 

 to insects, snails, caterpillars, ants, and smother rlies. 

 Bark that is decayed by cracks, &c. should be 

 cleared away to the quick, either by rubbing, or by 

 the knife, as filth and insects are apt to gather there; 

 wipe the part clean with spunge and soap. 



Consider the soil about an unthrifty tree, and if it 

 is thought bad, improve it by moving away as much 

 of the old as conveniently can be done. The roots 

 may be laid carefully quite bare, and well examined, 

 in order to cut off decayed or cankered parts, and 

 to apply immediately to them some fine and good 

 fresh earth, with a little thorough rotten dung in it^ 

 and a sprinkling of soot, or wood ashes. 



Hog dung, applied fresh, is said to have a peculiar 

 efficacy in recovering weak trees; and cow dung may 

 reasonably be expected to do good, if the soil is a 

 warm, or hungry one, and if not so, these dungs are 

 not so proper, being cold dressings. If the soil is a 

 strong one, a compost of fo?vls, or sheep's dung, time, 

 with any fresh light earth, one part of each of the 

 former, and three of the latter, mixed with the soil 

 that is taken off, will be a proper manure ; to which 

 a little sharp sand may be added. An animal dres- 

 sing, as of entrails, or any carrion, or bullock's or 

 hog's blood, applied to the roots, has been frequently 

 found effectual to make fruitful in recovering de- 

 cayed trees, and in particular vines. All these ap- 

 plications should be made late in autumn y or early in 

 spring. 



The constitution of a tree is sometimes naturally 

 barren ; or the soil that the roots have got into may 

 be so nought and deleterious, that no pains, or per-* 



1* 



