t 109 ] 



This faid I proceed to admonifh thd 

 careful agent, whom I think on this occali- 

 on I may not improperly call the Drejjer 

 of the Oak, on it's carelefs and negledful 

 outer habit 5 that he may very fafely bark-^ 

 Jlit any fuch in the height of fummer, as 

 well as the fpring, whofe bark he is able 

 to Jlit with a ftrong knife, at the fame time 

 he is contujing the germens. 



But becaufe the ftrongeft knife in the 

 ftrongeft hands, will not be able to per-- 

 form the like operation on fome unthrifty 

 Oaks of greater growth^ much lefs on fuch 

 as are ftill more in content of timber 3 he 

 will find himfelf obliged to make ufe of a 

 Cooper's Ax^ not Hatchet^ for that purpofe. 

 The ufe of which fhould not be too late in 

 the fpring : For if fuch performance hap- 

 pens in very hot weather, while the fap is 

 in great agitation and the fun violent hot, 

 the feveral flits thereby made will rend 

 open, fo as to expofe the naked wood to 

 wind and fun, which is to be learnt from 

 what has before been faid. But if the fame 

 is performed in mild weather in the fpring, 

 it is very agreeable to obferve how the cut- 

 ting 



