218 THE ORCHARD. [MARCS. 



covered over with it, letting it remain for half an hour, to absorb 

 the moisture ; then apply more powder, rubbing it en 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 

 mentioned ; and the dry powder directed to be used afterwards 

 should have ?,n equal quantity of powder of alabaster mixed with 

 ir, in order 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 pour- 

 ed 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. 



" As the growth of the tree will gradually effect 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 prevent the air and wet, from penetrating into the 

 wound." 



Additional Directions for making and using the Comfiosition. 



" To the foregoing directions for making and applying the com- 

 position, it is necessary to add the following.'* 



" As the best way of using the composition is found, by experience, 

 to be in a liquid state ; it must, therefore, be reduced to the consis- 

 tence of pretty thick paint, by mixing it up with a sufficient quantity 

 of urine and soap-suds, 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." 



" When trees are become hollow, you must scoop out all the rot- 

 ten, loose, and dead parts of the trunk till you come to the solid 

 wood, leaving the surface smooth ; then 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, 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 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, you may cut away as much at one operation as 

 will be sufficient for three years. But in this you are 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, 

 cut off the bark from both the edges, that the solid wood may join, 

 which, if properly managed, it will do, leaving only a slight seam 

 in the bark. If the tree be very much decayed, do not cut away all 

 the dead wood at once, which would weaken the tree too much, if 



