OP FRUIT AND FOREST TREES. 87! 



The inquisitive spirit which accompanied my 

 professional pursuits, with the natural desire 

 of improving my private practice in the ma- 

 nagement of the various kinds of trees under 

 my care, led me by degrees to this discovery^ 

 The idea, however, of making it public never 

 occurred to me, till the many trials, and expe- 

 riments that I had repeatedly made, both on fruit 

 and forest-trees, in the Royal gardens at Ken- 

 sington, had attracted the notice of many persons 

 of high rank, as well as philosophical eminence, 

 and prompted them to favour it with a particular 

 examination. Their investigation of my process 

 and method of curing the defects and injuries 

 which, from various causes, those trees had sus- 

 tained, by producing conviction in their minds, 

 gave the most flattering encouragement to me. 

 Indeed, the application of the remedy had been 

 attended with such uninterrupted success, that its 

 salutary and certain effects were evident to every 

 one who favoured it with an attentive observation. 

 Many who visited me, with the most decided opi- 

 nions against the successful application of any re- 

 medy for trees in a very advanced state of decay, 

 did not hesitate, on an investigation of the subject, 

 to acknowledge that their prejudices were not only 

 removed, but that their judgments were perfectly 

 convinced of the powerful efficacy of the di3co- 

 very, and the very great advantages which, both in 

 an individual and a national view, might be derived 

 from it. 



B B ^ 



