MARCH] THE ORCHARD. 235 



tion of the medicated tar prescribed on page 58 ; and applied as 

 there directed. 



The following compositions have been much spoken of; I shall, 

 therefore, publish them without any comments on their virtues, 

 leaving the result to the experience of those who have, or shall have 

 tried them ; however, I must observe, that the methods of pruning 

 old or decayed trees, recommended by MR. FORSYTH, and accom- 

 panying his instructions for making the composition, are very judi- 

 cious, and should be duly attended to, whatever composition may be 

 determined on for use afterwards. 



ROYAL GARDENS, Kensington, May 11, 1791. 



Directions for making a composition for curing diseases, defects, and 

 injuries in all kinds of fruit and forest-trees, and the method of 

 preparing the trees and laying on the composition, by WILLIAM 

 FORSYTE. 



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

 bish of old buildings (that from the ceilings of 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 j then work them well together with a spade, and after- 

 wards with a wooden beater, until the stuff is very smooth, like fine 

 plaster used for the ceilings of rooms. 



" The composition being thus made, care must be taken to pre- 

 pare the tree properly for its application, by cutting away all the 

 dead, decayed, and injured part till you come to the fresh, sound 

 wood, leaving the surface of the wood very smooth, and rounding 

 off the edges of the bark with a drawknife, or other instrument, per- 

 fectly smooth, which must be particularly attended to ; then lay on 

 the plaster about an eighth of an inch thick, all over the part where 

 the wood or bark has been so cut away, finishing off 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 tin box, with holes in the top, and shake the 

 powder on the surface of the plaster, till the whole is covered over 

 with it, letting it remain for half an hour, to absorb the moisture; 

 then apply more powder, rubbing it on gently with the hand, and 

 repeating the application of the powder till the whole plaster becomes 

 a dry smooth surface. 



" All trees cut down near the ground should have the surface 

 made quite smooth, rounding it off in a small degree, as before men- 

 tioned ; and the dry powder directed to be used afterwards should 

 have an equal quantity of powder of alabaster mixed with it, in or- 

 der the better to resist the dripping of trees and heavy rains. 



" If any of the composition be left for a future occasion, it should 

 be kept in a tub or other vessel, and urine of any kind poured on it, 

 so as to cover the surface ; otherwise the atmosphere will greatly hurt 

 the efficacy of the application. 



" Where lime rubbish of old buildings cannot be easily got, take 

 pounded chalk, or common lime, after having been slacked a month 

 at least. 



