boughs, if very great, are to be cut off at some distance from the body, chap, vn,but the smaller close d .
Hornets and wasps, by breeding in the hollownefs of trees, not onlyinfect them, but will peel them round to the very timber, as if cattle had
d In the year 1791, Mr. William Forsyth, Superintendant of his Majesty’s gardens at'Kensington, published the following composition for curing injuries and defects of fruitand forest trees, and for which, he received a difbnguished mark of his Majesty’s ap-probation.
“ Take one bushel of fresh cow-dung, half a bushel of lime rubbish of old buildings,(that from the cielings of rooms is preferable,) half a bushel of wood ashes, and a six-“ teenth part of a bushel of pit or river sand. The three last articles are to be sifted fine“ before they are mixed; then work them well together with a spade, and afterwards“ with a wooden beater, until the stuff is very smooth, like fine plaster, used for the‘‘ ceilings of rooms.
“ The composition being thus made, care must be taken to prepare the tree properly“ for its application, by cutting away all the dead, decayed, and injured part, till you come“ to the fresh sound wood ; leaving the,surface of the wood very smooth, and rounding off“ the edges of the bark with a draw knife, or other instrument, perfectly smooth, which<4 must be particularly attended to: then lay on the plaster, about one-eighth of an inch“ thick, all over the part where the wood or bark has been so cut away, finishing off the“ edges as thin as pofsible. Then take a quantity of dry powder of wood ashes, mixedwith a sixth part of the same quantity.of the ashes of burnt bones ; put it into a tin box,“ with holes in the top, and shake the powder on the surface of the plaster, till the wholei‘ is covered over, with it, letting it remain for half an hour, to absorb the moisture : then“ apply more powder, rubbing it gently with the hand, and repeating the application of« the powder, till the whole plaster becomes a dry, smooth surface.
“ All trees cut down near the ground should have the surface made quite smooth,“ rounding it off in a small degree, as before-mentioned ; and the dry powder directed tou be used afterwards, should have an equal quantity of powder of alabaster mixed with it,“ in order the better to .resist the dripping of trees, and heavy rains.
« If any of the competition be left for a future occasion, it should be kept in a tub, or« other vefsel, and urine of any.kind poured on it, so as to cover the surface, otherwise« the atmosphere will greatly hurt the efficacy of the application-
“ Where lime rubbish of old buildings cannot be easily got, take powdered chalk,c« or common lime, after having been slaked a.month at lead.
“ As the growth of the tree will ..gradually affect the plaster, by raising up its edgesci next the bark, care should be taken, where that happens, to rub it over with the finger“when occasion may require, (which is best done when moiftened by rain,) that the“plaster may be kept whole, to prevent ..the air and wet from penetrating into the’A'.wound.”
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