March.] THE ORCHARD. 221 
a standard, and endanger its being blown down by the wind. It will, 
therefore, be necessary to leave part of the dead wood, at first to 
strengthen the tree, and to cut it out by degrees as the new wood is 
formed. If there be any canker, or gum-oozing, the infected parts 
must be pared off, or cut out with a proper instrument." 
" Some months before the publication of the " Observations on 
the Diseases, &c, in Fruit and Forest-Trees," I had tried the com- 
position in a liquid state, but did not think myself warranted to make 
it public until I had experienced its effects through the winter. 
The success answered my most sanguine expectations; and I have 
used it in that way ever since. By using the composition in a li- 
quid state, more than three-fourths of the time and labour is 
saved; and I find it is not so liable to be thrown off as the lips grow, 
as when laid on in the consistence of plaster; it adheres firmly to 
the naked part of the wound, and yet easily gives way as the new 
wood and bark advances." 
" The first time that I tried the composition in a liquid form was 
upon an elm which had been planted about twenty years. It had 
been very much bruised by the roller, had several cavities in it, and 
was very much bark-bound besides. Having prepared the wounds, 
and applied the composition with a painter's brush, I took my knife 
and scarified the tree in four places; I also shaved off, with a draw- 
knife, all the cankery outer bark, and covered the whole tree with 
the composition, shaking the powder of wood-ashes and burnt bones 
all over it. A very heavy rain began in the evening and continued 
all night; yet, to my great surprize, in the morning, I found that 
only some of the powder, which had not had time to dry and incor- 
porate with the composition, was washed off. I now repeated the 
powder, and without any thing more being done to the tree, the 
wounds healed up and the bark was restored so completely, that, 
three years ago, it could hardly be discerned where the wounds had 
been. The scarifications had also disappeared. Some of the wounds 
were thirteen inches long, eight broad, and three deep. Since the 
time when it was scarified, the tree has increased ten inches more 
in circumference than a healthy tree planted at the same time with 
it about sixteen feet distant, which was not scarified. 
Barnes's Composition. 
" Melt together in a large earthen pipkin, two pound and a half 
of common pitch, and half a pound of common turpentine, then put 
in three quarters of an ounce of powder of aloes, stir them all to- 
gether and set the matter on fire; when it has flamed a moment, 
cover it up close and it will go out, then melt it well and fire it again 
in the same way, this must be repeated three times (in the open air;) 
after it has burned the last, time melt it again, and put in three 
ounces of yellow wax, shred very thin; and six drachms of mastick 
in powder; let it all melt together till perfectly well mixed, then 
strain it through a coarse cloth, and set it by to cool." 
" When you use this composition, melt a small piece of it, and let 
it cool till it is just sufficiently soft to spread on the part where 
wanted, but it must not be laid on very hot." 
