MANAGEMENT OF FRUIT TREES, he. 165 



When the trunk is become hollow, cut the loose rotten 

 part clean out till you come to the sound wood, taking care to 

 round the edges of the hollow part; then apply the composition 

 in a liquid state, laying it on with a painter's brush wherever 

 the cankered bark has been pared off or the dead wood cut 

 Qut, till these places are entirely covered with it: When that 

 is done, shake some of the powder of wood-ashes and burnt 

 bones over the composition, and pat it gently down with your 

 hand. [See the chapter On the Making and laying on of the 

 Composition.'] 



If the foregoing directions he carefully followed, the can- 

 ker will be completely eradicated, and the hollow trunk in 

 time be filled up with sound wood. 



When the stem is much decayed, it will be absolutely ne- 

 cessary to open the ground, examine the roots, and cut off 

 ^11 the rotten parts. When you have cut out all the rotten and 

 decayed parts below ground, and scraped the hollow clean, 

 make up a mass of the composition mixed with some clay, 

 like what is used for grafting then fill the hollow part with it 

 to within about two inches of the surface of the ground, treadl- 

 ing it in with your foot, or pressing it in with the hand, as close 

 as you possibly can, to prevent the wet from penetrating to 

 the roots, and leave the surface of the composition sloping 

 from the tree towards the outside of the border, to throw the 

 wet off, which will prevent the fresh part of the root from rot- 

 ting ; then cover the root over with mould level with the rest 

 of the border. 



When you have examined all the old wounds where large 

 limbs have been cut off, you should next examine the old bark ; 

 and, if you find the outside of it wrinkled and cracked, pare 

 it off, as it is always, when in that state, very much hurt by 

 the canker. This should be done with the draw-knife, or 

 other sharp instrument ; then apply the composition as before 

 directed, which will bring on a fine smooth bark under it. In 

 the succeeding winter, or spring, you will see all the plaster, 

 with the old part of the bark that was left in the hollow parts of 

 the tree, or where old branches had been amputated, peeling 

 off and shewing the smooth bark t^nderneath. You should then 

 scrape off, with a wooden or hone knife, what old bark remains 

 in the hollows where the draw-knife could not reach without 

 cutting too much away. When that is done, mix up some 

 fresh cow-dung with soap-suds and urine, making it very thin, 

 and give the tree a coat of this mixture all over where the 

 bark has been scraped off: The cow-dung will adhere to it^ 

 and heal the parts where you were obliged to scrape to the in^ 



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