when thus managed, they will produce another equally
good crop in the forcing-house the following season.

Notwithstanding this, it will be desirable to have
some of all the sorts intended for forcing potted annually,
particularly those of the Roseberry, which, instead of
being kept in pots for the second season, would answer
a much better purpose, if turned out into a bed of rich
soil, as soon as they are removed from the forcing-
house, cutting off their leaves at the same time:
by this means a very fine second crop of fruit will be
produced in August and September, after which the
plants may be destroyed, leaving room for a succession
the following year.

The Roseberry Strawberry is undoubtedly the most
valuable variety for forcing the first in the season, as it
succeeds with less light than any other sort; and
Keens' Seedling is the most valuable to succeed it. For
a small family there can be no two sorts better employed,
from the beginning of the year to the end of the forcing

Mr. Forsyth's Composition.

Mr. Forsyth, May 11. 1791, gives the following directions for making a composition for curing diseases, defects, and injuries in all kinds of fruit and forest trees, and the method of preparing the trees and laying on the composition.

"Take one bushel of fresh cow-dung, half a bushel of lime rubbish of old buildings (that from the ceilings of rooms is preferable), half a bushel of wood-ashes, and a sixteenth 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 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 at 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 must be particularly attended to; then lay on the plaster about an 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 possible. Then take a quantity of dry powder of wood-ashes mixed with 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 whole is covered with it, letting it remain for half an hour, to absorb the moisture; then apply more powder, rubbing it on gently with the hand, and repeating the application of the powder till the whole plaster becomes a dry smooth surface.

"If any of the composition be left for a future occasion, it should be kept in a tub or other vessel, and urine poured on it so as to cover the surface, otherwise the atmosphere will greatly hurt the efficacy of the application.

"When lime rubbish of old buildings cannot be easily got, take pounded chalk or common lime, after having been slaked a month at least.

"As the growth of the trees will gradually affect the plaster, by raising up its edges next the bark, care should be taken, when that happens, to rub it over with the finger when occasion may require (which is best done when moistened by rain), that the plaster may be kept whole, to prevent the air and wet penetrating into the wound."

Mr. Forsyth says, farther on, "As the best way of using the composition is found by experience to be in a liquid state, it must therefore be reduced to the consistence of a pretty thick paint, by mixing it up with a sufficient quantity of urine and soap-suds, and laid on with a painter's brush. The powder of wood-ashes and burnt bones is to be applied as before directed, patting it down with the hand."

Although I do not feel disposed to go the length of admitting of all that has been said of the virtues of this