OF FOREST-TREES. 6z

and Salt , having first cut them out of the Shells before they areCHAP.X.harden’d, with a short broad Brass Knife, because Iron rusts • and thesethey call Gernois, from their Manner of scooping them out. Lastly ,of the Fungus emerging from the Trunk of an old Tree (and indeedsome others) is made Touch-wood , artificially prepared in a Lixivium ,or Lye, dried, and beaten flat, and then boiled with Salt-petre, to ren-der it apter to kindle. The Tree wounded in the Spring , yields a Li-quor, which makes an artificial Wine. See Birch, Chap. xvii. Of otherSpecies , fee Mr. Ray’s c Dendrolog. Tom. iii .p. 5, 6.

CHAP. X.

Of the Service y and Black Cherry-Tree.

i.Q Orbus, the Service-Tree (of which there are four Sorts) is railed service.

O of the Chequers , or Berries, which being ripe (that is) rotten,about September (and the ‘Pulp rubbed off clean from the Stones indry Sand , and so kept till after Christmas) may be sown like Beech -mast, educated in the Nursery like the Chejnut. It is reported that theSower never fees the Fruit of his Labour, either for that it bears onlybeing very old , or that Men are commonly y3, before they think of plant-ing Trees: But this is an egregious Mistake; for these come very soonto be Trees , and being planted young, thrive exceedingly ; I have like-wise planted them as big as my Arm successfully. The best Way is there-fore to propagate them of Suckers , of which they put forth enough, asalso of Sets, and may be budded with great Improvement. They de-light in reasonable good stiff Ground, rather inclining to cold, than overhot* for in Places which are too dry, they never bear kindly. ThcTcr-minalis (so called for its Effects against Gripings in the Bowels) is theKind most frequent with us ; for those of the narrower, and less indentedLeaf are not so common in England as in France , bearing a Sort ofBerry of the Pear- shape, and is there called the Cormier. This Treemay be grassed either in it self, or on the White-thorn and fstfmce.

To this we might add, the Mefpilus , or Medlar , being an hard Wood,and of which 1 have seen very beautiful Walking-staves. But there isyet a rare Kind of Service-Tree , frequent in Germany, which we findnot in our Woods; and they speak of another Sort, which bears Poison-berries.

2. The .Timber of the Sorb is useful for the Joyner , and of which uses.

I have seen a Room curiously wainscotted : Also for the Engraver ofWood-cuts, Bows, Pulleys , Screws , Mill-fpindles and other; Goadsto drive Oxen with, &c. Pistol and Gun-stocks , and for most that theWild Pear-tree serves; and being of a very delicate Grain for theTurner, and divers Curiosities , and looks beautifully, and is almosteverlasting; being rubbed over with Oyl of Linseed, well boiled, it maybe made to counterfeit Ebony , or almost any Indian-wood , coloured ac-cording to Art: Also it is taken to build with, yielding Beams of con-siderable Substance. The Shade is beautiful for Wa Iks, and the Fruit notunpleasant, especially the second Kind, of which, with new Wine andHoney , they make a Conditum of admirable Effect to corroborate theStomach', and the Fruit alone is good in Hyjfmteries and Lasks. TheWat er distilled from the Stalks of the Flowers and Leaves in M. B.

and