MARCH.] THE ORCHARD. 217 



otherwise their foliage would wither ; and also in deciduous trees 

 (that is such as shed their leaves in winter) ; because the branch of 

 an ever-green tree, will grow on a deciduous tree, and not lose its 

 leaves in winter, as the Prunus Lauro-Cerasus, or European laurel, 

 on a cherry, and the ever-green oak, on a common oak. 



When pruning is judiciously done, and at a proper time ; if 

 the branches are small, a fresh bark and fresh wood, will in one 

 season completely cover the wounds ; but if large, a time propor- 

 tionate to the size, will be necessary for their covering and healing; 

 this process however, is much accelerated by the application of a 

 proper composition, which excludes the air and wet, protects the 

 vrounds from the effects of the various changes of the weather, the 

 surrounding bark from any injury by insects or worms, and yields to 

 its growth : all these ends will be effectually answered, by an applica- 

 tion of the medicated tar prescribed in page 39, 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 ac- 

 companying his instructions for making the composition, are very 

 judicious, and should be duly attended to, whatever composition 

 maybe 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 me" 

 thod of fire flaring the Trees and laying on the Comfiosition, by 

 WILLIAM FORSYTH. 



" TAKE one bushel of fresh cow dung, half a bushel of lime 

 rubbish of old buildings (that from the ceilings of rooms is prefera- 

 ble), 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 be- 

 fore they are mixed ; then work them well together with a spade, and 

 afterwards 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 ajtplication, 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 draw-knife, or other instrument,* 

 perfectly smooth, which must be particularly attended to ; then 

 lay on the plaster about one eighth of an inch thick, all over the 

 part where the wood or bavk 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 



F f 



