CHAP. 43.—OTHER REMEDIES FOR THE DISEASES OF TREES.
The medical treatment of trees in a great degree resembles
that of man, seeing that in certain cases the bones of them both
are perforated even. [Note] The bitter almond will become sweet, if,
after spading round the trunk and cleaning it, the lowermost
part of it is pierced all round, so that the humours may have
a passage for escape and ensure being removed. In the elm,
too, the superfluous juices are drawn off, by piercing the tree
above ground to the pith when it is old, or when it is found
to suffer from an excess of nutriment. So, too, when the bark
of the fig is turgid and swollen, the confined juices are discharged by means of light incisions made in a slanting direction; by the adoption of which method the fruit is prevented
from falling off. When fruit-trees bud but bear no fruit, a
fissure is made in the root, and a stone inserted; the result of
which is, that they become productive. [Note] The same is done
also with the almond, a wedge of robur being employed for
the purpose. For the pear and the service tree a wedge of
torch-wood is used, and then covered over with ashes and earth.
It is even found of use, too, to make circular incisions around
the roots of the vine and fig, when the vegetation is too luxuriant, and then to throw ashes over the roots. A late crop of
figs is ensured, if the first fruit is taken off when green and
little larger than a bean; for it is immediately succeeded by
fresh, which ripens at a later period than usual. If the tops of
each branch are removed from the fig, just as it is beginning
to put forth leaves, its strength and productiveness are greatly
increased. As to caprification, the effect of that is to ripen the
fruit.