cutting engine, will enable the reader to purfue the fubjeft, and
extend it further, both for his own pleafure, and the advantage o f
the public.
T h e M a n n e r o f o b t a i n i n g t h e P a r t s o f a S h o o t
SEPARATE.
In the beginning o f April, take a quantity o f young branches
from the fcarlet oak, and other trees. Thefe are firft cut into
lengths, o f the growth of different feafons; and then part are left
entire, part fplit, and the reft quartered. In this ftate they are
put into a wicker bafket, with large openings, or of loofe work,
and a heavy ftone is put in with thetn : a rope is tied to the handle
o f the bafket, and it is thrown into a brook o f running water:
at times it is taken up, and expofed a little to the air; it is frequently
fhook about under water, to wafh off filth; and once in
ten days the flicks are examined.
By degrees the parts loofen from one another; and by gentle
rubbing in a bafon o f water, juft warmed, they will be fo far
feparated, that a pencil brufh will perfeft the bulinefs, and afford
pieces o f various fize, pure, diftina, and clean. One part will
m this way feparate at one time, and another at another ;• but by
returning the flicks to the water, and repeating the operation,
m the courfe o f four or five weeks, every part may be obtained
diftina. They are beft examined immediately; but if anyone
wifhes to prefervethem for repeated inquiries, it may be done in
this manner : diflolve half an ounce o f alum in two quarts o f
water; drop the pieces thus feparated, for a few moments, into
this folution, then dry them upon paper, and put them up in
4 vials
vials o f fpirit o f wine. Nothing but fpirit o f wine can preferve
thefe tender bodies.
T o p r e p a r e t h e R i n d f o r O b s e r v a t i o n .
As the veffels of the rind are o f different diameters in various
trees, though their conftruaion and that of the blebs is perfeQJy
the fame in all, it will be beft to chufe for this purpofe the rind
o f a tree wherein they are large!!. The rind of the afh-leaved
maple is finely iuited. A piece of this may be obtained of two
inches long, and will very fuccefsfully anfwer the intention. Such
a piece being prepared without alum or fpirit, but dried from the
water in which it had been macerated, it is to be impregnated
with lead in the following manner, to fhew the apertures by
their colour.
D i f f o l v e one dram of fugar o f lead in an ounce and a half of
water; filter this through paper, and pour it into a tea-cup.
Clip o f f a thin flice of what was the lower end o f the piece o f
rind as it grew on the tree, and plunge it near an inch deep into
the liquor; keep it upright between two pieces o f f l i c k , f o that
one half or more may be above the water: whelm a wine and
water glafs over the tea-cup, and fet the whole m a warm place.
When it has f l o o d two days, take it out, and clip off all that part
which was in the liquor, and throw it away.
The circumftances here mentioned, trivial as they feem, muffi
be attended to : the operation will not fucceed, even if the
covering-glafs be omitted ; it keeps a moift atmofphere about the
rind, and makes it’s veffels fupple..
While