THE SCOTS GARD'NER 



refreshments once in two or three years, as shall 

 be required. And this cutting the roots will cause 

 trees that are apt to spend more in wood than fruit, 

 alter therefrom, and the ends of the roots cut off, 

 and their butt-ends raised up a little, will serve as 

 stocks to graff upon. 



When you would enrich your worne out planta- 

 tions, if the ground be poor and dry, add well rotted 

 manure prepared and mixt with soil: the water that 

 soaks from a dung-hill is excellent, for it will follow 

 the roots, and enrich the trees. If the ground be 

 cold and moist, add pidgeon's manure, or ashes and 

 soot, which is also excellent, if it be rank with un- 

 skilful manuring, or by noysome weeds that grow 

 about such roots (where the owner is a sluggard), 

 and hatches or nestles, moles, mice, toads, &c. 



If you observe the premises, you may prevent 

 their diseases, such as ill-thriving, &c. but if you 

 have, or do neglect, and the diseases are be come, 

 as if cankers or galls be entered, cut them clean out, 

 covering the wound with a plaister of cow's man- 

 ure and clay compounded. If the bark be pilled by 

 hares, conies, or mice, apply a plaister of the same ; 

 (but better prevent the last three, by swaddling the 

 trees with straw or hay-ropes, unloosed in summer, 



132 



