

MARCH.]' THE ORCHARD. 219 



a standard, and endanger its being blown down by the wind. It 

 will, therefore, be necessary to leave part of the dead wood, at first 

 to strengthen the tree, and to cut it out by degrees as the new wood 

 is formed. If there be any canker, or gum oozing, the infected 

 parts must be pared off, or cut out with a proper instrument." 



" Some months before the publication of the " Observations on 

 the Diseases, &c. in Fruit and Forest-Trees," I had tried the com- 

 position in a liquid state, but did not think myself warranted to make 

 it public until I had experienced its effects through the winter. 

 The success answered my most sanguine expectations ; and I have 

 used it in that way ever since. By using the composition in a li- 

 quid state, more than three-fourths of the time and labour is 

 saved ; and I find it is not so liable to be thrown off as the lips grow, as 

 when laid on in the consistence of plaster ; It adheres firmly to the 

 naked part of the wound, and yet easily gives way as the new \vood 

 and bark advances." 



" The first time that I tried the composition in a liquid form wa's 

 upon an elm which had been planted about twenty years,. It had 

 been very much bruised by the roller, had several cavities in it, and 

 was very much bark-bound besides. Having prepared the wounds, 

 and applied the composition with a painter's brush, I took my knife 

 and scarified the tree in four places ; I also shaved off, with a draw 

 knife, all the cankery outer bark, and covered the whole tree with 

 the composition, shaking the powder of wood-ashes and burnt bones 

 all over it. A very heavy rain began in the evening and continued 

 all night ; yet, to my great surprize, in the morning, I found that 

 only some of the powder, which had not had time to dry and incor- 

 porate with the composition, was washed off. I now repeated the 

 powder, and, without any thing more being done to the tree,the wounds 

 healed up and the bark was restored so completely, that, three years 

 ago, it could hardly be discerned where the wounds had been. 

 The scarifications had also disappeared. Some of the wounds were 

 thirteen inches long, eight broad, and three deep. Since the time 

 when it was scarified, the tree has increased ten inches more in 

 circumference than a healthy tree planted at the same time with it 

 about sixteen feet distant, which was not scarified. 



Barnes"** Composition. 



" Melt together in a large earthen pipkin, two pound and a half 

 of common pitch, and half a pound of common turpentine, then put 

 in three quarters of an ounce of powder of aloes, stir them all to- 

 gether and set the matter on fire ; when it has fiamed a moment, 

 cover it up close and it will go out, then melt it well and fire it again 

 in the same way, this must be repeated three times (in the open air) ; 

 after it has burned the last time melt it again, and put in three 

 ounces of yellow wax, shred very thin ; and six drachms of mastick 

 in powder ; let it all melt together till perfectly well mixed, then 

 strain it through a course cloth, and set it by to cool." 



" When you use this composition, melt a small piece of it, and 

 let it cool till it is just sufficiently soft to spread on the part where 

 \vantedjbut it must not be laid on very hot." 



