THE CULTURE OF PLANTS 



and renewed every winter, if your fence cannot 

 guard them). Ill-taken-off branches, and branches 

 broken or rotten, must be cut off clean and smooth. 

 If any trees be bark-bound, which is the misery of 

 many, and especially f orrest-trees, slit them in the 

 spring through the bark on both sides, with a sharp 

 knife, from the head to the root, and delve about 

 them ; otherwayes raise and plant them ebber, if 

 too deep, which is the common cause of this disease, 

 together with bad inclosures. 



If jaundice affects them, cut off the diseased wood ; 

 if moss, scrape or singe it off ; but it's in vain to at- 

 tempt the cure, until you first remove the cause, 

 which you will find to proceed from some malig- 

 nity at the roots, whether the disease be bark-bind- 

 ing, cankers, &c. 



And this most commonly happens by ill-planting, 

 and not inclosing, as amongst clay, water, impene- 

 trable gravel, &c. Water must be drained, it is 

 an intolerable evil : cold clayes, or stiff and hard 

 soil must be trenched and mixed with manures and 

 soils often stirred and fallowed, as above is directed. 

 An d if you would have trees to prosper, observe their 

 nature, and wherein they most delight, and so apply 

 and keep them accordingly. 



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