MANAGEMENT OF FRUIT TREES, t& 245 



pare it off, as it is always, when in that date, very much hurt 

 by the canker. This lhould be done with the draw-knife, or 

 other Sharp instrument ; then apply the Composition as before 

 directed, which will bring on a fine fmooth bark under it. In 

 the fucceeding Winter, or Spring, you will fee all the plafter, 

 with the old part of the bark that was left in the hollow parts 

 of the tree, or where old branches had been amputated, 

 peeling off and fhewing the fmooth bark underneath. You 

 lliould then fcrape off, with a wooden or bone knife, what 

 old bark remains in the hollows where the draw-knife could 

 not reach without cutting too much away. When that is 

 done, mix up fome frefh cow-dung with foap-fuds and urine, 

 making it very thin, and give the tree a coat of this mixture 

 all over where the bark has been fcraped off: the cow-dung 

 will adhere to it, and heal the parts where you were obliged 

 to fcrape to the inner bark. This wafh will remain till the 

 frefh bark comes on ; then it will be difcharged of itfelf 

 during the Summer,. or the next Spring, leaving a new frefh 

 fmooth bark where the old and cankery was taken off. Next 

 Spring, if any of the old bark remains, you may repeat the 

 fame operation, which will caufe all the remaining old bark 

 to flough off like a fcab from a wound on the human body. 



By thefe means you will keep your trees in a fine flourishing 

 healthy ftate, and, in general, prevent them from becoming 

 bark- bound. If any of them, notwithstanding, lliould be 

 bark-bound, you muff fcarify them, by taking a fharp knife, 

 and running the point of it Straight down the middle of the 

 Stem from top to bottom ; taking care to run your knife 

 through the outer bark only ; then, with a brufh, or your 

 finger, rub in fome of the Composition, to prevent the 

 incifion from bringing on the canker. This operation will 

 caufe the tree to expand the bark and become very flourifhing. 



Remem- 



