March] THE ORCHARD. 227 



together, and set the matter on fire; when it has flamed a moment, 

 cover it up close and it will go out, then melt it well and tire it again 

 in the same way; this must be repeated three times (in the open 

 air(; after it has burned the last time melt it again, and put in 

 three ounces of yellow wax, shred very thin; and six drachms of 

 mastic in powder; let it all melt together till perfectly well mixed, 

 then strain it through a coarse cloth, and set it by to cool. 



"When you use this composition, melt a small piece of it, and 

 let it cool till it is just sufficiently soft to spread on the part where 

 wanted, but it must not be laid on very hot." 



When any of your old fruit trees, which you particularly esteem, 

 appear on the decline, and are grown thin of young wood, you may 

 probably restore them by heading down such limbs as are in a 

 bad state, to those parts where young shoots appear, and close to 

 the most vigorous; but be careful not to do this generally the same 

 season, for that would give too sudden a check to the sap, and 

 in all probability destroy the tree totally. But if every other 

 branch all over the tree were headed at proper lengths, each close 

 to some young shoot, new healthy wood would be produced, which 

 would soon come into bearing. The next spring after the first 

 branches were headed, the remaining old branches may be cut out, 

 as directed above; after which the head of the tree will be soon 

 filled with bearing wood, which may afterwards be pruned as 

 directed for other trees. This may be practised on either standard, 

 wall, or espalier trees. 



Peaches and nectarines will require to be treated with more cau- 

 tion than any other kinds; never head them lower down than you 

 find young shoots or healthy branches, otherwise you will endanger 

 their lives; and always cut close to the most vigorous of these, in 

 order that the sap may be drawn that way, by which the wounds 

 will heal and cover over. Indeed this caution will be generally 

 useful, but more particularly with these. 



When any of the trunks of your trees become hollow, cut out all 

 the loose rotten wood, and also examine the roots, cutting off the 

 injured, rotten, or decayed parts. 



As you proceed in pruning, apply to the wounds either of the 

 preceding compositions which you prefer, in the manner directed; 

 but if your trees are annoyed with worms, the medicated tar is 

 decidedly preferable. 



Examine now your fruit trees, particularly the peaches; and if 

 annoyed by worms, either in their trunks, branches, about the sur- 

 face of the ground, and a little under, pick out as many as you can 

 with a sharp pointed knife, and with as little injury to the bark as 

 possible; scrape off clean all the gum that appears on the stem or 

 branches, and wash all these parts, and any other that you suspect 

 to be infested with these insects or their embryos, with the corro- 

 sive solution described in page 141, which you may make twice or 

 three times as strong as there directed, without the least fear of its 

 injuring the tree; then dress the wounded parts with the medicated 

 tar, as there directed. 



I have at the present time (January, 1805,) and have had for 



