"trees, [see pl. II. and V. which shew the manner "of preparing hollow trees, and also the growing " of the wood.]

"Some months before the publication of the Ob. "servations on the diseases, &c. of fruit and forest

66

66

trees, I had tried the composition 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 san"guine expectations; and I have used it in that way ever since. By using the composition in a liquid 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 "6 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

P

"knife and scarified the tree in four places; I also "shaved off with a drawing-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

66

my great surprise, in the morning I found that "only some of the powder, which had not had time "to dry and incorporate 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 re"stored so compleatly that three years ago it could hardly be discovered 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

66

66

was scarified, the tree has increased ten inches 66 more in circumference than a healthy tree planted at the same time with it, about sixteen feet "distant, which was not scarified.”

BUDDING.

THIS is practised upon all sorts of stone fruit in particular; such as peaches, nectarines, cherries, plums, &c. also oranges and jasmines; and is preferable to any sort of grafting for most kinds of fruit.

Provide a sharp pen-knife with flat haft for raising the bark of the stock to admit the bud, and some sound bass mat soaked in water. The cuttings being taken off from the trees, choose a smooth part of the stock, 5 or 6 inches above the surface of the ground, if designed for dwarfs, and for half standards at three feet; but for standards, bud six or more feet above the ground: then cut horizontally across the rind of the stock; and from the middle of that cut make a slit downwards about two inches long, forming a T be careful not to cut too deep and wound the stock. Having cut off the leaf from the bud, leaving the footstalk remaining, make a cross cut about half an inch below the eye, and with the knife slit off the bud with part of the wood to it, in form of an escutcheon; this done, next with the knife pull off that part of the wood which was taken with the bud, observing if the eye of the bud be left

:

to it or not, (buds that lose the eye in stripping are good for nothing); then gently having raised the bark of the stock where the cross incision was made, with the flat handle of the knife clear off the wood, thrust the bud therein, placing it smooth between the rind and the wood of the stock, cutting off any part of the rind belonging to the bud which may be too long for the slit made in the stock; and having thus exactly fitted the bud to the stock, tie them closely round with bass mat, beginning at the under part of the slit, and proceed to the top; taking care not to bind round the eye of the bud, but leave it open.

In three or four weeks, you will see which have taken. The shrivelled and black are dead. The fresh and plump are joined; at which time loosen the bandage, that the stock be not pinched.

In the next March cut off the stock three inches above the bud; sloping it that water pass off: to the part above the bud, fasten the shoot proceeding from the bud. This must continue but one year: then cut it off close above the bud.

Time of innoculating is the middle of June to the middle of August. The time may be ascertained by

trying if the buds will come off well from the wood

or not.

Apricots are the first,

and oranges commonly the

Oranges should never be

last sorts innoculated.

innoculated before the middle of August. Cloudy weather is the best: rather avoid the middle of the day for it. Avoid the erroneous practice of throwing cuttings into water.

All trees of the same genus, which agree in their flavor and fruit, will take upon each other under grafting or innoculation: All the nut-bearing trees on each other, and all the plum-bearing trees, including almond, peach, nectarine, apricot, &c.

Success of experiments on Heading-down, Composition, &c.

MR. FORSYTH says, that since he published "Observations on the diseases, defects and injuries in Fruit and Forest trees," he has been assidious in making experiments. A great many hollow trees that had little more than the bark remaining sound, have within a few years been filled up :-Others that were headed down within a few feet of the