A NEW ORCHARD AND GARDEN TEXT

_England_ are so euill thriuing when they come to growth, and our fruit so bad. Men are loth to bestow much ground, and desire much fruit, and will neither set their trees in sufficient compasse, nor yet feed them with manure. Therefore of necessity Orchards must be foiled. {SN: Time fit for foyling.} {SN: Kind of foyle.} The fittest time is, when your trees are growne great, and haue neere hand spread your earth, wanting new earth to sustaine them, which if they doe, they will seeke abroad for better earth, and shun that, which is barren (if they find better) as cattell euill pasturing. For nature hath taught euery creature to desire and seeke his owne good, and to auoid hurt. The best time of the yeere is at the Fall, that the Frost may bite and make it tender, and the Raine wash it to the roots. The Summer time is perillous if ye digge, because the sap fills amaine. The best kind of Foile is such as is fat, hot, and tender. Your earth must be but lightly opened, that the dung may goe in, and wash away; and but shallow, lest you hurt the roots: and the spring closely and equally made plaine againe for feare of Suckers. I could wish, that after my trees haue fully possessed the soile of mine Orchard, that euery seuen yeeres at least, the soile were bespread with dung halfe a foot thicke at least. Puddle water out of the dunghill powred on plentifully, will not onely moisten but fatten especially in _Iune_ and _Iuly_. If it be thicke and fat, and applied euery yeere, your Orchard shall need none other foiling. Your ground may lye so low at the Riuer side, that the floud standing some daies and nights thereon, shall saue you all this labour of foiling. CHAP. 13. _Of Annoyances._ A Chiefe helpe to make euery thing good, is to auoid the euils thereof: you shall neuer attaine to that good of your Orchard you looke for, vnlesse you haue a Gardner, that can discerne the diseases of your trees, and other annoyances of your Orchard, and find out the causes thereof, and know & apply fit remedies for the same. For be your ground, site, plants, and trees as you would wish, if they be wasted with hurtfull things, what haue you gained but your labour for your trauell? It is with an Orchard and euery tree, as with mans body, The best part of physicke for preseruation of health, is to foresee and cure diseases. {SN: Two kinds of euils in an Orchard.} All the diseases of an Orchard are of two sorts, either internall or externall. I call those inward hurts which breed on and in particular trees. 1 Galles. 2 Canker. 3 Mosse. 4 Weaknes in setting. 5 Barke bound. 6 Barke pild. 7 Worme. 8 Deadly wounds. {SN: Galls.} Galles, Canker, Mosse, weaknes, though they be diuers diseases: yet (howsoeuer Authors thinke otherwise) they rise all out of the same cause. Galles we haue described with their cause and remedy, in the 11. Chapter vnder the name of fretters. {SN: Canker.} Canker is the consumption of any part of the tree, barke and wood, which also in the same place is deceiphered vnder the title of water-boughes. {SN: Mosse.} Mosse is sensibly seene and knowne of all, the cause is pointed out in the same Chapter, in the discourse of timber-wood, and partly also the remedy: but for Mosse adde this, that at any time in summer (the Spring is best) When the cause is remoued, with an Harecloth, immediatly after a showre of raine, rub off your Mosse, or with a peece of weed (if the Mosse abound) formed like a great knife. {SN: Weaknesse in setting.} Weaknesse in the setting of your fruit shall you finde there also in the same Chapter, and his remedy. All these flow from the want of roomth in good soile, wrong planting, Chap. 7. and euill or no dressing. {SN: Barke-bound.} Bark-bound (as I thinke) riseth of the same cause, and the best, & present remedy (the causes being taken away) is with your sharpe knife in the Spring, length-way to launch his bark throughout, on 3. or 4. sides of his boale. {SN: Worme.} {SN: Remedy.} The disease called the Worme is thus discernd: The barke will be hoald in diuers places like gall, the wood will die & dry, and you shall see easily the barke swell. It is verily to be thought, that therin is bred some worm I haue not yet thorowly sought it out, because I was neuer troubled therewithall: but onely haue seene such trees in diuers places. I thinke it a worme rather, because I see this disease in trees, bringing fruit of sweet taste, and the swelling shewes as much. The remedy (as I coniecture) is so soone as you perceiue the wound, the next Spring cut it out barke and all, and apply Cowes pisse and vineger presently, and so twice or thrice a weeke for a moneths space: For I well perceiue, if you suffer it any time, it eates the tree or bough round, and so kils. Since I first wrote this Treatise, I haue changed my mind concerning the disease called the worme, because I read in the History of the _West-Indians_, that their trees are not troubled with the disease called the worme or canker, which ariseth of a raw and euill concocted humor or sap, Witnesse _Pliny_, by reason their Country is more hot then ours, whereof I thinke the best remedy is (not disallowing the former, considering that the worme may breed by such an humor) warme standing, sound lopping and good dressing. {SN: Barke pild.} Bark-pild you shall find with his remedy in the 11. Chapter. {SN: Wounds.} Deadly wounds are when a mans Arborist wanting skill, cut off armes, boughes or branches an inch, or (as I see sometimes) an handfull, or halfe a foot or more from the body: These so cut cannot couer in any time with sap, and therefore they die, and dying they perish the heart, and so the tree becomes hollow, and with such a deadly wound cannot liue long. {SN: Remedy.} The remedy is, if you find him before he be perished, cut him close, as in the 11. Chapter: if he be hoald, cut him close, fill his wound, tho neuer so deepe, with morter well tempered & so close at the top his wound with a Seare-cloth doubled and nailed on, that no aire nor raine approach his wound. If he be not very old, and detaining, he will recouer, and the hole being closed, his wound within shall not hurt him for many yeeres. {SN: Hurts on trees.} {SN: Ants, Earewigs, Caterpillars, and such like wormes.} Hurts on your trees are chiefly Ants, Earewigs, and Caterpillars. Of Ants and Earewigs is said Chap. 10. Let there be no swarme of Pismires neere your tree-root, no not in your Orchard, turne them ouer in a frost, and powre in water, and you kill them. For Caterpillars, the vigilant Fruterer shall soone espy their lodging by their web, or the decay of leaues eaten around about them. And being seene, they are easily destroyed with your hand, or rather (if your tree may spare it) take sprig and all: for the red peckled butterfly doth euer put them, being her sparm, among the tender spraies for better feeding, especially in drought, and tread them vnder your feet. I like nothing of smoke among my trees. Vnnaturall heates are nothing good for naturall trees. This for diseases of particular trees. {SN: Externall euils.} Externall hurts are either things naturall or artificiall. Naturall things, externally hurting Orchards. 1 Beasts. 1 Deere. 2 Birds. 1 Bulfinch. 2 Goates. 2 Thrush. 3 Sheepe. 3 Blackbird. 4 Hare. 4 Crow. 5 Cony. 5 Pye. 6 Cattell. 7 Horse. &c. _The other things are_, 1 Winds. 2 Cold. 3 Trees. 4 Weeds. 5 Wormes. 6 Mowles. 7 Filth. 8 Poysonfull smoke. _Externall wilfull euils are these._ 1 Walls. 2 Trenches. 3 Other works noisome done in or neere your Orchard. 4 Euill Neighbours. 5 A carelesse Master. 6 An vndiscreet, negligent or no keeper. See you here an whole Army of mischeifes banded in troupes against the most fruitfull trees the earth beares? assailing your good labours. Good things haue most enemies. {SN: Remedy.} A skilfull Fructerer must put so his helping hand, and disband and put them to flight. {SN: Deere, &c.} For the first ranke of beasts, besides your out strong fence, you must haue a faire and swift Greyhound, a stone-bow, gun, and if need require, an Apple with an hooke for a Deere, and an Hare-pipe for an Hare. {SN: Birds.} Your Cherries and other Berris when they be ripe, will draw all the Black-birds, Thrushes, and Maw Pies to your Orchard. The Bul-finch is a deuourer of your Fruit in the bud, I haue had whole trees shald out with them in Winter-time. {SN: Remedy.} The best remedy here is a Stone bow, a Piece, especially if you haue a Musket or Spar-hawke in Winter to make the Black bird stoope into a bush or hedge. {SN: Other trees.} The Gardner must cleanse his soile of all other trees: but fruit-trees aforesaid Chapter 2 for which it is ordained, and I would especially name Oakes, Elmes, Ashes, and such other great wood, but that I doubt it should be taken as an admission of lesser trees: for I admit of nothing to grow in mine Orchard but fruit and flowers. If sap can hardly be good to feed our fruit-trees, why should we allow of any other, especially those, that will becom their Masters, & wrong them in their liuelyhood. {SN: Winds.} {SN: Frosts.} And although we admit without the fence of Wall-nuts in most plaine places, Trees middle-most, and ashes or Okes, or Elmes vtmost, set in comely rowes equally distant with faire Allies twixt row and row to auoide the boisterous blasts of winds, and within them also others for Bees; yet wee admit none of these into your Orchard-plat: other remedy then this haue wee none against the nipping frosts. {SN: Weeds.} Weeds in a fertile soile (because the generall curse is so) till your Trees grow great, will be noysome, and deforme your allies, walkes, beds, and squares, your vnder Gardners must labour to keepe all cleanly & handsome from them and all other filth with a Spade, weeding kniues, rake with iron teeth: a skrapple of Iron thus formed. IC For Nettles and ground-Iuy after a showre. {SN: Remedy.} When weeds, straw, stickes and all other scrapings are gathered together, burne them not, but bury them vnder your crust in any place of your Orchard, and they will dye and fatten your ground. {SN: Wormes. Moales.} Wormes and Moales open the earth, and let in aire to the roots of your trees, and deforme your squares and walkes, and feeding in the earth, being in number infinite, draw on barrennesse. {SN: Remedy.} Worms may be easily destroyed. Any Summer euening when it is darke, after a showre with a candle, you may fill bushels, but you must tred nimbly & where you cannot come to catch them so; sift the earth with coale ashes an inch or two thicknes, and that is a plague to them, so is sharpe grauell. Moales will anger you, if your Gardner or some skilful Moale-catcher ease you not, especially hauing made their fortresses among the roots of your trees: you must watch her wel with a Moal spare, at morne, noon, and night, when you see her vtmost hill, cast a Trench betwixt her and her home (for she hath a principall mansion to dwell and breed in about _Aprill_, which you may discerne by a principall hill, wherein you may catch her, if you trench it round and sure, and watch well) or wheresoeuer you can discerne a single passage (for such she hath) there trench, and watch, and haue her. {SN: Wilfull annoyances.} Wilfull annoyances must be preuented and auoided by the loue of the Master and Fruterer, which they beare to their Orchard. {SN: Remedy.} Iustice and liberality will put away euill neighbours or euill neighbour-hood. And then if (God blesse and giue successe to your labours) I see not what hurt your Orchard can sustaine. CHAP. 14. _Of the age of Trees._ {SN: The age of trees.} It is to be considered: All this Treatise of trees tends to this end, that men may loue and plant Orchards, whereunto there cannot be a better inducement then that they know (or at least be perswaded) that all that benefit they shall reape thereby, whether of pleasure or profit, shall not be for a day or a moneth, or one, or many (but many hundreth) yeeres. Of good things the greatest, and most durable is alwaies the best. If therefore out of reason grounded vpon experience, it be made (I thinke) manifest, but I am sure probable, that a fruit tree in such a soile and site, as is described so planted and trimmed and kept, as is afore appointed and duely foiled, shall dure 1000 yeeres, why should we not take paines, and be at two or three yeeres charges (for vnder seuen yeeres will an Orchard be perfected for the first planting, and in that time be brought to fruit) to reape such a commodity and so long lasting. {SN: Gathered by reason out of experience.} Let no man thinke this to be strange, but peruse and consider the reason. I haue Apple trees standing in my little Orchard, which I haue knowne these forty yeeres, whose age before my time I cannot learne, it is beyond memory, tho I haue enquired of diuers aged men of 80. yeeres and vpwards: these trees although come into my possession very euill ordered, mishapen, and one of them wounded to his heart, and that deadly (for I know it will be his death) with a wound, wherein I might haue put my foot in the heart of his bulke (now it is lesse) notwithstanding, with that small regard they haue had since, they so like, that I assure my selfe they are not come to their growth by more then 2. parts of 3. which I discerne not onely by their owne growth, but also by comparing them with the bulke of other trees. And I find them short (at least) by so many parts in bignesse, although I know those other fruit-trees to haue beene much hindred in their stature by euill guiding. Herehence I gather thus. {SN: Parts of a trees age.} If my trees be a hundred yeeres old, and yet want two hundred of their growth before they leaue encreasing, which make three hundred, then we must needs resolue, that this three hundred yeere are but the third part of a Trees life, because (as all things liuing besides) so trees must haue allowed them for their increase one third, another third for their stand, and a third part of time also for their decay. All which time of a Tree amounts to nine hundred yeeres, three hundred for increase, three hundred for his stand, whereof we haue the terme stature, and three hundred for his decay, and yet I thinke (for we must coniecture by comparing, because no one man liueth to see the full age of trees) I am within the compasse of his age, supposing alwaies the foresaid meanes of preseruing his life. Consider the age of other liuing creatures. The Horse and moiled Oxe wrought to an vntimely death, yet double the time of their increase. A Dog likewise increaseth three, stanns three at least, end in as many (or rather moe) decayes. {SN: Mans age.} Euery liuing thing bestowes the least part of his age in his growth, and so must it needs be with trees. A man comes not to his full growth and strength (by common estimation) before thirty yeeres, and some slender and cleane bodies, not till forty, so long also stands his strength, & so long also must he haue allowed by course of nature to decay. Euer supposing that he be well kept with necessaries, and from and without straines, bruises, and all other dominyring diseases. I will not say vpon true report, that Physicke holds it possible, that a cleane body kept by these 3. Doctors, _Doctor Dyet_, _Doctor Quiet_, and _Doctor Merriman_, may liue neere a hundred yeeres. Neither will I here vrge the long yeeres of _Methushalah_, and those men of that time, because you will say, Mans dayes are shortned since the floud. But what hath shortned them? God for mans sinnes: but by meanes, as want of knowledge, euill gouernment, ryot, gluttony, drunkenesse, and (to be short) the encrease of the curse, our sinnes increasing in an iron and wicked age. Now if a man, whose body is nothing (in a manner) but tender rottennesse, whose course of life cannot by any meanes, by counsell, restraint of Lawes, or punishment, nor hope of praise, profet, or eturnall glory, be kept within any bounds, who is degenerate cleane from his naturall feeding, to effeminate nicenesse, and cloying his body with excesse of meate, drinke, sleepe &c. and to whom nothing is so pleasant and so much desired as the causes of his owne death, as idlenesse, lust, &c. may liue to that age: I see not but a tree of a solide substance, not damnified by heate or cold, capable of, and subiect to any kinde of ordering or dressing that a man shall apply vnto him, feeding naturally, as from the beginning disburdened of all superfluities, eased of, and of his owne accord auoiding the causes that may annoy him, should double the life of a man, more then twice told; and yet naturall phylosophy, and the vniuersall consent of all Histories tell vs, that many other liuing creatures farre exceed man in the length of yeeres: As the Hart and the Rauen. Thus reporteth that famous _Roterodam_ out of _Hesiodus_, and many other Historiographers. The testimony of _Cicero_ in his booke _De Senectute_, is weighty to this purpose: that we must _in posteras ætates ferere arbores_, which can haue none other fence: but that our fruit-trees whereof he speakes, can endure for many ages. What else are trees in comparison with the earth: but as haires to the body of a man? And it is certaine, without poisoning, euill and distemperate dyet, and vsage, or other such forcible cause, the haires dure with the body. That they be called excrements, it is by reason of their superfluous growth: (for cut them as often as you list, and they will still come to their naturall length) Not in respect of their substance, and nature. Haires endure long, and are an ornament and vse also to the body, as trees to the earth. So that I resolue vpon good reason, that fruit-trees well ordered, may liue and like a thousand yeeres, and beare fruit, and the longer, the more, the greater, and the better, because his vigour is proud and stronger, when his yeeres are many: You shall see old trees put their buds and blossomes both sooner and more plentifully then young trees by much. And I sensibly perceiue my young trees to inlarge their fruit, as they grow greater, both for number and greatnesse. Young Heifers bring not forth the Calues so faire, neither are they so plentifull to milke, as when they become to be old Kine. No good Houswife will breed of a young but of an old bird-mother: It is so in all things naturally, therefore in trees. {SN: The age of timber trees.} And if fruit-trees last to this age, how many ages is it to be supposed, strong and huge timber-trees will last? whose huge bodies require the yeeres of diuers _Methushalaes_, before they end their dayes, whose sap is strong and bitter, whose barke is hard and thicke, and their substance solid and stiffe: all which are defences of health and long life. Their strength withstands all forcible winds, their sap of that quality is not subiect to wormes and tainting. Their barke receiues seldome or neuer by casualty any wound. And not onely so, but he is free from remoualls, which are the death of millions of trees, where as the fruit-tree in comparison is little, and often blowne downe, his sap sweet, easily and soone tainted, his barke tender, and soone wounded, and himselfe vsed by man, as man vseth himselfe, that is either vnskilfully or carelessely. {SN: Age of trees discerned.} It is good for some purposes to regard the age of your fruit trees, which you may easily know, till they come to accomplish twenty yeeres,