OF THE VINE. 
S9 
light fandy earth. Let the bottom of each llioot be cut with 
a fharp knife, perfedlly fmooth, as they will then receive the 
moiflure from the mould better than when the wound is rough. 
H 2 They 
the body of the tree, wh’le its bafe below is grown over by the annual increafe of 
the bole. 
Now the outfide of the extending part of the dead branch (or imaginary pin) be- 
ing lefs mature than the heart or centre, by being expofed to the weather, it will, 
of courfe, decay firfl; ; and I have conftantly obferved it generally falls off in annual 
fcales. As thefe fcales fhell oft', the increafing new bark fwells round the bafe of 
the flump, and occupies the fpace till it meets and unites in the centre. — As the 
new bark covers a confiderable part of the dead wood, (for, as has been obferved, 
the lower part of the branch, inclofed in the tree, dies alfo to a confiderable depth, 
for the decay will follow the grain of the wood.) The important fubjedf to be 
difcuffed is, whether it may not contribute either to the general decay in the bole 
of the tree, or caufe a material blemifh in the wood, when it comes to be converted 
into ufe. Now the remaining part of the flump being protedled from the weather, 
and excluded from the air by the furrounding live wood, it may be confidered, in a 
great meafure, as fimilar to the pith of the tree, but with this difference, as having 
more body, and being of a firmer texture, confequently its decreafe will not be fo 
rapid ; however, length of time will reduce it to a vegetable mould. This is evi- 
dent, as thefe dead flumps are never found etitire in the bodies of large, found, un- 
fhaken trees, when converted into ufe. However, this vegetable mould being devoid 
either of fand or earthly particles, retains but little body in this ftate 5 and being com- 
prcffed by the intenictl growth (as admitted above) of the furrounding live wood, it 
will, at the laft, terminate in nothing more than a fmall black knot. I muft beg leave 
to obfcrve, that the dead branches of trees, of the refinous kind, do not come un- 
der the above defcription, for the dead branches of trees, of this clafs, are preferved 
by a turpentine matter quite entire, and in their original magnitude. This is 
evinced by the knots we conflantly obferve in deal timber. As the prefervation 
of timber is an object of fo much importance, I am willing to hope that it will 
be deemed unneceffary to apologize for this digreflional note. 
