80 CULTURE AND MANAGEMENT 



remedy for canker to be a composition of rosin, 

 tallow, and beeswax, of a proper consistence to 

 stick, after taking off all the dead parts. 



M05S, AND SCALY BARK, AND DECORTICATION. 



Fruit trees, in all soils, and in all situations, are 

 liable to have their trunks covered with moss, and 

 their bark rough and scaly. Besides the unseemly 

 appearance, fruit trees suffer much injury by these 

 causes, if suffered to continue without a remedy. 

 The moss is easily removed by scraping with the 

 back of a knife, and rubbing with a cloth, after a 

 rain, or in damp weather ; and the scaly bark may 

 with equal facility be scraped off with a hoe or 

 knife. This operation should be performed every 

 spring, and immediately after, the trunks and larger 

 branches should receive a proper coat of some of 

 the compositions already mentioned. Either the 

 washing with the liquids, or the application of un- 

 diluted soap, (see page 74) will effectually remove 

 any remains of moss, and, if occasionally repeated, 

 the health and vigour of the trees will be re- 

 stored, and in two years the bark will appear fresh 

 and smooth. In some diseased condition of the 

 bark of apple trees, the experiment of disbarking 

 the whole trunk from the ground to the branches, 

 has been successfully practised. Dr. S. L. Mitchell, 

 of New York, in the summer of 1799, deprived 

 the whole body of one of his apple trees of the 

 bark, without injury to its leaves or fruit; and in 

 two months an entire new coat of bark was found 

 surrounding the wood on every side. Dr. M., 

 however, observes, that .though he has several 

 times been witness of the harrnlessness of the prac- 

 tice, it looked to him still like a very violent and 

 hazardous remedy. This sort of decortication is 

 by no means a novelty. Many ancient writers 

 have observed, that in cases where the outer bark 



