vri PREFACE. 



.cut out; then to one of the trees apply the Composition as 

 directed in this Treatife, and leave the other to Nature : if proper 

 attention be paid to the former, no great length of time will be 

 necefl'aryto ihew which method ought to be purfued in future. 



J nepenthe candid reader will pardon me for dwelling a little 

 von this fubjecl:. It has been faid, that there is nothing new either 

 In the Compofition or its application. It is certainly true, that 

 Gompofitions of various kinds have been tried ; but no one has 

 ;been attended with fuch great fuccefs as that which is defcribed 

 in the following pages : indeed, they were generally made up in 

 a ilovenly manner, and applied without properly preparing the 

 trees; fo that little good could have been expected, even if the 

 ^Compofition had confifted of proper materials. In thefe parti- 

 culars I am perfuaded, that every impartial perfon will acknow- 

 ledge that I have made great improvement. Former Compos- 

 itions have been made up of loam and cow or horfe-dung, of 

 bees- wax, pitch, tar, chalk, rofm mixed with greafe, gums, Sec. 

 It is granted, that fuch as thefe may fometirnes be of ufe, but not 

 in general ; moft of them being liable to become hard, and to 

 crack and peel off. I have tried them all, with but very little 

 fuccefs. I have alfo tried a Compofition of tarras (which is ufed 

 as a cement for building under water) : this alfo cracked and 

 peeled off after it became hard. Some of thefe Compofitions 

 become fo hard, that, inftead of giving way to the new bark as it 

 is produced, they cut and tear it, to the great injury of the tree. 



The Compofition which I recommend is not liable to thefe in- 

 conveniences ; it poileffes an abforbent and adhehve quality, and 

 is moreover of fuch a nature as not in the leaft to hurt the new 

 and tender bark ; for it eafily gives way to it and to the new wood 

 as they advance. On applying it to trees which contain a 

 ftrongiacid, fuch as Oaks, Apple-trees, Apricots, &c. when in- 

 fected 



