OF FRUIT AND FOREST TREES. 



199 



the wounded or injured part of the tree with a painter's brush : 

 It is of a soft and healing nature ; possesses an absorbent and 

 adhesive quality ; and, by resisting the force of washing rains, 

 the contraction of nipping frosts, and the effects of a warm sun 

 or drying winds, excludes the pernicious influence of achange- 

 ble atmosphere. 



The discovery of it is the result of much reflection and stu- 

 dy during a long course of years, and of a great variety of expe- 

 riments, made, at a very considerable expence, to ascertain 

 the efficacious powers of the application. Nor shall I hesitate 

 a moment to declare my firm belief, that wherever it shall be 

 properly applied by the proprietors of gardens, orchards, and 

 woods, it will be productive of all the advantage that can be 

 derived from restoring as v/ell as preservirg vigour and fertility 

 in all kinds of fruit-trees ; as also from preventing decay, and 

 promoting health and sound timber, in every species of forest- 

 trees : And how great that advantage maybe, it is in the capa- 

 city of every one to determine. 



On the Management of Forest-Trees, 



The received opinion and common practice of most pro- 

 fessional men has been, to prune or top their trees^ from the 

 month of October, when the juices have been exhausted by the 

 summer foliage, autumnal fruit, and general nourishment of 

 the body of the tree, until the month of March, when the 

 sap or juices, re-invigorated by nature during the winter's re- 

 pose, begin to re-ascend and perform the annual function of 

 cloathing it with fresh foliage, blossoms, and fruit. The rea- 

 son of this practice is, that, the sap being fallen at that season 

 of the year, it has been considered as the most proper period 

 to lop off all superfluous growths ; and the efforts of nature 

 to heal the wounds thus necessarily given, (before the rising 

 of the sap in the following spring) have been judged best for 

 the safety and health of the tree. The danger of performing 

 this service when the juices are in a more vigorous flow, as in 

 the months of May, June, and July, has been dreaded, from 

 a fear of its occasioning a waste of the nutritive juices, dis- 

 charging themselves through the wound, to the impoverish- 

 ment and injury, if not the ruin, of the tree. 



The pruning of fruit-trees and the lopping off large branches 

 from forest-trees during the winter season, has also been fre- 

 quently attended with great hurt and impediment to their health 

 and vegetation ; the wounds being exposed to all the rigours 

 of an inclement season, and thereby contracting those diseases 

 which contain the principles of decay. Hence it is, that 



