96 



COM 



COM 



of old buildings (that from Ihe 

 ceilings of rooms is preferable,) 

 half a bushel of wood ashes, and a 

 sixteenth part of a bushel of pit or 

 river sand. The three last arti- 

 cles are to be sifted hne before 

 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 cielings of 

 rooms. 



" The composition being thus 

 made, care must be taken to pre- 

 pare the tree properly for its ap- 

 plication, by cutting away all the 

 dead, decayed and injured parts, 

 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 

 drawing knife, or other instru- 

 ments, perfectly smooth, which 

 must be particularly attended to ; 

 then lay in the plaster about one 

 eighth of an inch thick, all over 

 the part where the wood or bark 

 has been so cut away, finishing off 

 the edges as thin as possible : 

 Then take a quantity of dry pow- 

 der 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 covered over with it, 

 letting it remain for half an hour, 

 to absorb the moisture ; then ap- 

 ply more powder, rubbing it on 

 gently with the hand, and repeat- 

 ing 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 smoth, rounding it off 

 in a small degree, as before men- 

 tioned, and the dry powder direct- 

 ed to be used afterwards should 

 have an equal quantity of powder 

 of alabaster mixed with it, in or- 

 der to resist the dropping 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 poured on 

 it, so as to cover the surface ; 

 otherwise the atmosphere will 

 greatly hurt the efficacy of the ap- 

 plication. 



'' When lime rubbish of old 

 buildings cannot easily be got, 

 take pounded chalk, or common 

 lime, after having been slacked a 

 month at least. 



" As the growth of the tree will 

 gradually affect 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 moisten- 

 ed by rain,) that the plaster may 

 be kept whole, to prevent the air 

 and wet penetrating into the 

 wound." 



" As the best way of using the 

 composition is found by experi- 

 ence to be in a liquid state," Mr. 

 Forsyth advises that it should be 

 reduced to the consistence of pret- 

 ty thick paint by mixing it up with 

 a sufficient quantity of urine and 

 soap suds, and be laid on with a 

 painter's brush. The powder of 

 wood ashes and burnt bones is to 

 be applied as before directed, pat- 

 ting it down with the hand." 



