40 



WINTERING. Trees are brought into bearing by this process, 

 which consists in carefully removing the earth from the trunk 

 roots and laying them open, and at the same time picking off all 

 the leaves. The tree is left in this way without water for a cer- 

 tain period, and is thus brought into bearing by the nutrient 

 matters and properties of the sap being thickened, and thus 

 stored up and afterwards thrown into the buds, the pulp, wood, 

 root, and crown of the root. The check to the growth of trees by 

 wintering, &c., is thus advantageous causing the leaf pulp to 

 become thickened by the loss of water and oxygen. When it re- 

 turns to the stem and crown of the roots, it lays the basis of fresh 

 branches terminating in flower buds. Whereas were a plant to 

 remain unmoved in a rich soil well watered, it would probably send 

 up more sap than the light could readily deprive of its water and 

 oxygen, and thence would push out new leaves to carry off the 

 superabundance ; while there would be no pulp formed thick 

 enough and containing enough of carbon to produce flowers. 



WORMS may either be destroyed by picking them up by hand 

 very early in the morning or late in the evening in moist weather, 

 or by watering with lime or salt and water. 



WOUNDS IN TREES. To heal wounds in trees, make a varnish 

 of common linseed oil rendered very dry, boiling it for the space 

 of an hour with an ounce of litharge* of each pound of oil, 

 mixed with calcined bones (pulverised and sifted) to the con- 

 sistence of almost a liquid paste. The wounds are to be covered 

 by means of a brush, after the bark and other substance has 

 been pared off so as to render the whole as smooth and even as 

 possible. The varnish must be applied in dry weather, in order 

 that it may attach itself properly. 



* Vitrified Oxide of lead (Moordar Sing.) 



