OF FOREST TREES. 



177 



longer intervals, as at three, five, seven, or sooner, that the wounds cHAP. II. 

 may recover, and nothing be deformed. v^VW 



Evergreens do not well support to be decapitated ; side-boughs they 

 freely spare in April, and during the spring ; and if you cut at first two 

 or three inches from the body, and the next spring after, close to the 

 stem, covering the wounds with wax, or well-tempered clay, the most 

 tender may suffer such amputations without prejudice. 



That the side and collateral branches of the Fir cut, or broken off, 

 spring no more ; and though the tops sometimes do, yet they never 

 prosper to beautiful and erect heads, in which consists the grace of that 

 beautiful tree. 



Another caution is, that you be sure to cut off such tender branches 

 to the quick, which you find have been cropt by goats, or any other 

 cattle, who leave a drivel where they bite ; which not only infects the 

 branches, but sometimes endangers the whole ; the reason is, that the 

 natural sap's recourse to the stem, communicates the venom to aU the 

 rest, as the whole mass and habit of animal blood is by a gangrene or 

 venereal taint. i 



Divers other precepts of this nature I could here enumerate, had not 

 the great experience, and faithful and accurate description how this ne- 

 cessary work is to be performed, set down by our countryman, honest 

 Lawson, prevented all that the most inquisitive can suggest : the par- 

 ticulars are so ingenious and highly material, that you will not be dis- 

 pleased to read them in his own style and character ^. 



^Uage0,saith he,6g rules anD experience DO COHlElCnt tO a pruning 



anD lopping Of trees ; j)et liWuz Hot ang tftat 31 ^notn DesmtieD unto 

 U0 (erccpt in Data anD general toorns) tobat or \x)bich arc tbose 

 0upcrfluou0 boughs tofjicl) tD0 tttujSt ta&e atoag ; anD tf)at isi tfje 



^ Law son's Book is entitled, A New Orchard and Garden. 

 Another edition appeared in l623. 



It was published in 1597--- 



