APPLE TREE. 199 



Mr. Forsyth, recommends washing trees annually with 

 the tbllovving- mixture, which he says will destroy the 

 eg-gs of insects, prevent moss from growing, and have 

 the same ellect upon trees as a top dressing has upon 

 grass land. 



Mix fresh cow-dung with urine and soap-suds, and 

 with this mixture wash over the stems and branches of 

 tlie trees, as a white-washer would wash the walls of a 

 room ; taking care to cut off all the cankery parts, and 

 to scrape off all the moss, before it is laid on. In the 

 course of the season, he says, you will see a line new 

 bark coming on. 



Canker -worm. The female of this insect comes out 

 of the ground very early in the spring-, and ascemls the 

 tree to deposit her eggs, which she does in suitable 

 places in the bark, where they are brought forth, and 

 the young brood live on the leaves of the tree. Several 

 methods for subduing them have been tried with some 

 degree of success. 1. Tarring. This must be com- 

 menced as soon as the ground is bare of snow ; (which is, 

 in some years, as early as February ;) that the hrst thaw- 

 ing of the ground may not happen before the trees are 

 prepared. A strip of canvass, or linen, three inches 

 wide, should be put round the tree, having first tilled 

 crevices of the bark with clay mortar ; draw it close and 

 fasten the ends strong. A thumb-rope of tow should be 

 tied round the lower edge of the strip to prevent the 

 tar from running down on the bark and injuring the tree. 

 Let the strips be plentifully smeared with cold tar, of a 

 proper consistence, to be put on with a brush. It must 

 be renewed once a day without fail. The insects are 

 so amazingly prolific, that if ever so few of them get 

 up, a tree is ruined, at least tor the ensuing season. The 

 best time is soon after sun-set, because the insects pass 

 up in the evening, and the tar will not harden so much 

 in the night. This work must be continued with care, 

 generally, till the last of May. 2. Mr. JVichobnn recom- 

 mends to scrape off the shagg bark to the width of 2 or 

 3 inches ; then make a mixture of oil, or blubber, with 

 suitable proportions of sulphur and Scotch snuff; and 

 lay this on with a brush, forming a ring an inch or two 

 wide ; and no insect will ever attempt to pass this bar- 



