84 CULTURE AND MANAGEMENT 



of rosin, tallow, and beeswax, of a proper consistence 

 to stick, after taking off all the dead parts. 



MOSS, AND SCALY BARK, AND DECORTICAT1ON. 



v Fruit trees, in all soils, and in all situations, are li- 

 able 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 sraly bark may wilh 

 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 composi- 

 tions already mentioned. Either the washing with 

 the liquids, or the application of undiluted soap, (see 

 page 79) will effectually remove any remains of moss, 

 and, if occasionally repeated, the health and vigour 

 of the trees will be restored, 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, de- 

 prived 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. howev- 

 er, observes, that though he has several times been 

 witness of the harmlessness of the practice, 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 has become rough and full of 



