55 



the one with which I saw you engaged, ift 

 December, 1811. 



** When I came home, I caused a cutler 



make me an instrument similar to the one 



/ 



you shewed me, for barking your trees, and r 

 commenced my operations 'on an old Scotch 

 Carnock, with a very hard and corrugated 

 bark, which regularly produced plenty of 

 blossom, but seldom or ever any fruit. I 

 began among the small branches near the 

 top, and continued working downwards, 

 destroying in my progress many thousands 

 of insects, with their eggs. Most of the 

 professional men blamed me for spoiling a 

 good tree. In spring it produced a profu- 

 sion of flowers, which they declared useless, 

 and the last it would ever shed. In autumn, 

 however, it yielded as much fine fruit as it 

 could possibly carry. The bark is now in 



