220 OBSERVATIONS ON THE DISEASES, 



shew the manner of preparing hollow trees, and also the grow- 

 ing of the wood.] 



Some months before the publication of the " Observa- 

 tions on the Diseases, &c. in Fruit and Forest-Trees," I had 

 tried the composition in a liquid state, but did not think my- 

 self warranted to make it public until I had experienced its 

 effects through the winter. The success answered my most 

 sanguine expectations ; and I have used it in that way ever 

 since. By using the composition in a liquid state, more than 

 three-fourths of the time and labour is saved ; and I £nd it is 

 not so liable to be thrown off as the lips grow, as when laid on 

 in the consistence of plaster : It adheres firmly to the naked 

 part of the wound, and yet easily gives way as the new wood 

 and bark advances. 



The first time that I tried the composition in a liquid form 

 %vas upon an elm which had been planted about twenty years. 

 Ii had been very much bruised by the roller, had several cavi- 

 ties in it, and was very much bark-bound besides. Having 

 prepared the wounds, and applied the composition with a pain- 

 ter's brush, I took my knife and scarified the tree in four places; 

 I also shaved off, with a draw knife, all the cankery outer 

 bark, and covered the whole tree with the composition, shak- 

 ing the powder of wood-ashes and burnt bones all over it. A 

 very heavy rain began in the evening and continued all night ; 

 yet, to my great surprize, in the morning, I found that only 

 some of the powder, which had not had time to dry and in- 

 corporate with the composition, was washed off. I now re- 

 peated the powder, and, without any thing more being done to 

 the tree, the wounds healed up and the bark was restored so 

 completely, that, three years ago, it could hardly be discern- 

 -ed where the wounds had been. The scarifications had also 

 disappeared. Some of the wounds were thirteen inches long, 

 eight broad, and three deep. Since the time when it was 

 scarified, the tree has increased ten inches more in circum.- 

 ference than a healthy tree planted at the same time with it 

 about sixteen feet distant, which was not scarified. 



