OF FOREST-TREES. ^ i6i 



knows : it is certain that they are driven from their haunts, for a time, CHAP. vii. 

 by garlic, and other heady smells, buried in their passages. '-^ r"^ 



Mice and rats are taken with traps, or by sinking some vessel almost 

 level with the surface of the ground, the vessel half full of water, upon 

 which let there be strewed some hulls or chaff of oats : also with bane, 

 powder of orpiment in milk, and aconites mixed with butter : copperas 

 or green glass broken with honey, morsels of sponge chopped small and 

 fried in lard, &c. are very fit baits to destroy these nimble creatures, 

 which else soon will ruin a semination of nuts, acorns, and other kernels, 

 and, in a night or two, rob the largest beds of a nursery, carrying the 

 seeds away by thousands to their cavernous magazines, to serve them 

 all the winter : I have been told that Hop-branches stuck about trees, 

 preserve them from these thievish creatures. 



Pismires are destroyed with scalding water, and disturbing their hills, 

 or rubbing the stem with cow-dung, or washing the infested parts with 

 a decoction of tithymale ; and this will insinuate, and chase them quite 

 out of the chinks and crevices, without prejudice to the tree, and it is a 

 good prevention of other infirmities ; also by laying soot, sea-coal, saw- 

 dust, or refuse tobacco, where they haunt, often renewed, especially after 

 rain ; for becoming moist, the dust and powder harden, and then they 

 march over it. 



Caterpillars are destroyed by cutting off their webs from the twigs be- 

 fore the end of February, and burning them ; the sooner the better. 

 If they be already hatched, wash them off with water, in which some of 

 the caterpillars themselves and garlic have been bruised ; the juice of 

 rue, decoctions of coloquintida, hemp-seed, wormwood, tobacco, walnut- 

 shells when green, with the leaves of sage, urine, and ashes, make good 

 aspersions. Take of two or three of the ingredients, of each a handful ; 

 make them boil in two pails of water for half an hour, then strain the 

 liquor, and sprinkle it on the trees infected with caterpillars, the black 

 flea, &c. In two or three times it will clear them, and should be used 

 about the time of blossorning. Another method is to choke and dry 

 them with smoke of galbanum, shoe-soles, and hair ; and some affirm, 

 that planting Piony near them is a certain remedy ; but there is no 



