Birch Bind of the American Indians. 405 



walls, before the leaves and buds appear, with mixtures which 

 cannot be safely applied after ; for which purpose the above 

 mixture, with the addition of spirits of turpentine, is likely 

 to succeed as well as any other, or better : but I have not yet 

 had an opportunity of giving it a trial. Half an ounce, by 

 measure, of spirits of turpentine being first well mixed with the 

 soap, and the sulphuret and water added as before ; or the 

 wash may be made stronger, by adding twice the quantity of 

 each ingredient to the same quantity of water. 



For destroying slugs and worms there is no recipe so 

 simple, attended with so little trouble, and, when properly 

 applied, so effectual, as common lime-water. The plants on 

 which the slugs are found must be watered with it twice at 

 least, at an interval of three or four minutes. If you place 

 three or four slugs on the ground, and pour lime-water on 

 them from a watering-pan, you will soon perceive them throw- 

 ing off a kind of slough, and after that crawling away ; but if 

 you sprinkle them again with the lime-water, they will not 

 be able to throw off another slough, and soon die after the 

 second operation. When a person has therefore watered as 

 many plants as takes up the time of three or four minutes, he 

 must turn back to the place where he began, and water them 

 again. 



Lime-water, for this purpose, may be easily made so as to 

 be always ready. Into a trough, containing about fifty-five 

 gallons of water, throw in two or three shovelfuls of lime, 

 stir it up three or four times on that day, and the next day 

 the liquor is clear and fit for use, and will continue to an- 

 swer the purpose for some time, without adding any fresh 

 lime, by stirring it up again before it is used, and letting it 

 settle. If the lime-water be of sufficient strength, it will de- 

 stroy the large grey snail with twice watering, and all worms 

 that are out of the ground at the time of watering, and it 

 will not injure the most tender plant when used in a clear 

 state. I am, Sir, &c. 



February, 1830. N. T. 



Art. VI. On the Birch Rind of the American Indians, arid the 

 Uses to which it might be applied in Gardening. In a Letter from 

 Mr. Hawthorn, of the Honourable Hudson's Bay Company, to 

 Mr. Baillie of Dropmore Gardens ; with a Note by Mr. Baillie. 



Sir, 

 Having some time ago spoken to you on the subject of 

 birch rind, and suggested its application in horticultural prac- 



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