M A 



art many pcrfons who prefer low fituations at the foot 

 of hills, but I am thoroughly convinced from expe- 

 rience, that all bottoms where there are hills on each 

 fide, are very improper for this purpofe -, for the air 

 is drawn down into thefe vallics in ftrong cur- 

 rents, which, being pent in renders thefe bottoms 

 much colder than the open fituations -, and during 

 the winter and fpring, thefe bottoms are very damp 

 and unhealthy to all vegetables ; therefore the gentle 

 rife of a hill, fully cxpofed to the fun and air, is by 

 much the beft fituation. As to the foil, a gentle ha- 

 zel loam, which is eafy to work, and that doth not 

 detain the wet, is the beft ; if this happens to be 

 three feet deep, it will be better for the growth of 

 the trees, for although thefe trees will grow upon ve- 

 ry ftrong land, yet they are feldom fo thriving, nor 

 are their fruit fo well flavoured, as thofe which gcow 

 on a gentle foil ; and on the other hand, thefe trees 

 will not do well upon a very dry gravel or fand, 

 therefore thofe foils ihould never be made choice of 

 . for orchards. 

 The ground intended to be planted Ihould be well 



f)repared the year before, by ploughing it thorough- 

 y, and if fome dung is laid upon it the year before, 

 it will be of great fervice to the trees j if in the pre- 

 ceding fpring a crop of Peas or Beans is planted on 

 the ground (provided they are fown or planted in rows, 

 at a proper diftance, fo as that the ground between 

 . ,them is horfe-hoed,) it will deftroy the weeds, and 

 . loofen the ground, fo that it will be a good prepara- 

 tion for the trees, for the earth cannot be too much 

 . wrought, or pulverifed for this purpofe : thefe crops 

 . .will be taken off" the ground long before the feafon 

 . for planting of thefe trees, which Ihould be as foon 

 as poffible performed when the trees begin to Ihed 

 their leaves. 



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" long lafting, and thefe two are no fmall advan- 





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i 



tages." For, fays he, " Men are milbk^n, whci 

 " they fay, the more trees in an orchard, t!ie more 

 *'_ fruits ; for one or two large trees which have room 

 " to fpread, will bear more fruits than fix or ten he 

 " may be) of thofe chat grow near together, and 

 " crowd one another." Again he fays, "Let men but 

 " obferve, and take notice of ibmc Apple-trees that 

 " grow a great diftance from other trees, and have 

 " room enough to fpread both their roots zx\d 

 " branches, and they ihall fee, thatoneof thofe trees 

 " (being come to full growth) hath a larger head 

 " and more boughs and branches, than (it'may be) 

 ^' four, or fix, or more, of thofe which grow near 

 " together, although of the fame age." 

 And Mr. Lawfon, an ancient planter, advifes to 

 plant Apple-trees twenty yards afunder. As the two 

 authors above quoted have v^ritten the beft upon this 

 .. fubjeft, andfeemto have had more experience than 

 . any of the writers I hav^ yet feen, I have made ufe 

 of them as authorities to confirm what I^have ad- 

 vanced ; though the fa6t is fo obvious to every perfon 

 who will make the leaft reflection, that there needs 

 no other proof. , . ' - *'■■ 



When the trees are planted, they fhould be ftaked^ 

 to prevent their being ftiaken, or blown out of the 

 ground by ftrong winds ; but in doing of this, there 

 fhould be particular care taken, to put either ftraw, 

 ' hay bands, or woollen cloth, betv/een the trees ^d 

 the ftakes, to prevent the trees from being rubbed 

 and bruifed, by the ftiaking againft the ftakes, for if 

 their bark fhould be rubbed off, it will occafion fuch 

 great wounds, as not to be healed over in feveral 



years, if they ever recover it. v ■ > ■ ^i 



. If the winter ftiould prove very fevere, it will bepro- 



A^^. /(Ml 'per to cbve*rthe furface of the ground about their 



^,jlnchufmg of the trees, I would aclvife the taking F rodtswithfome mulch, tb prevent the froft from pfe^ 





'/ 



,, fuch as are but of two years grqwih from the graft, 

 ^ and never to plant old trees, or fuch as are grafted up- 

 on old^ ftocksj, for it is lofmg of time to plant thefe ; 

 ;a young trees being always more certain to grow, 5nd 

 ^I'iriake ^ much greater progrefs than thqfe which are 

 ^.. ,^§ to pruning of the roots, it muft be done in 

 T^;.ue Tame manner as nath been already diredted for the 

 c^alier-trees •j'^and in pruning their heads, little nrtore 

 'Jis^nfceflary than to cutout fuch branches as are ill 





netrating the ground, which will deftroy the young 

 fibres V but this mulch lhou!d not be laid on too foon, 



. ■■. placed, or that crofs each other ; for I do not approve 

 , the heading of them down, as is by fome oftenpraftifed 

 _ to the lofs of many of their trees. .' > ._ ^^ 



The diftance which thefe trees fhould be planted, 

 (V where the foil is good, muft be fifty or fixty feet j and 

 i; jwhere the foil is not fo good, forty feet may be fuffi- 



.^cientj but nothing can be of worfe confequence, than 



■ the crowding trees too clofe together in orchards. 



... And although there may be fome who may imagine 



this diftance top great, yet, I am fure, when they have 



wfhoroughly confid^re^jh^^adyantages .attending this 

 .,, j)ra£tice, they will agree with me. ^ ^ Nor is it my own 



' opinion in this affair, for in manj of the old writers 

 v,on this fubieit, there is often mention made of the 



-'r * *.- : \ 'J ' 



- neceffity for allowing a proper^ ^diftancp^ to the fruit- 

 ...j^j^ree^^^in, orchards, particularixAuft^n, upon planting 

 •.1 before quoted, who faySjp^'He ftiould chufe to 



e the plantmg thefe trees fourteen or fix- 



•i^.'t^teen yards afunder; for both trees and fruits have 



;• " many great advantages, if planted a good diftance 



pne from another."; ^ One advantage he mentions 



The fun refrelhes every tree^ . the roots, body, 



and branches, with the bloilbms and fruits ; where- 







^' ^ -- ^^-- * 



^*v by trees bring forth more fruit, and thofe fairer and 



-.JdJ 



■ '.> *^ better." . Another advantage he mentions is,, " That 

 'v " J^-^n ^l^PP^ are.planted at a large diftance, much 

 'v4^. PX^fit may be made of the ground under and about 

 vf^^^thefe trees, by cultivating garden-ftuff, commo- 

 .^f^wdiGus as well for fale as houfekeeping ; as alfo 

 .*';;Gop{eberrie3, Rafpberries, Currants, and Straw- 

 f". berries, may be there planted."-. Again he fays, 

 " When trees have room to fpread, they ^yill grow 

 " very large and great 3 and the confequences of that 

 " will be, not. only multitudes of fruits, but alfo 



' J -^ 



1. 1 



--fi 



'- ^-\ 



as hath been ^eTore mentioned, left the moifture 

 fhould be prevented fro'm foaking down to the rood 



. of the trees, nor ftiould it lie ontoo long in the fpring 

 for the fame reafon ; therefore where perfons will be 

 at the trouble to lay it on in frofty weather, and re- 



.. move it again after the froft is over, that the wet ia 

 February may have free accefs ' to' the roots of the 



trees; and if March ihould prove dry, with fharp 

 .: north or eaft winds, which often happens, it will be 

 I proper to cover the ground again with the mulch, to 

 . prevent the winds from penetrating and drying the 

 . ground, and will be of Angular fervice to the trees. 

 But I am aware, that this will be objedtedjoby ma- 

 ny, on account of the trouble, which may appear to 

 be great ; but when it is confidered, how much of 

 this bufinefs may be done by a fingle perfon in a Ihorc 

 . time, it can have little force, and the benefit which 



- the trees will receive by this management, will greatly 

 ■ Vrecompenfe the trouble and expence. 



As thefe trees muft be conftantly fenced from catdc, 

 Af it will be the beft way to keep the land in tillage for 

 . fome years, that by conftant ploughing'or digging or 



- the ground; the roots of the trees wijibe more en- 

 ,cou raged, and they will make the rpore progrefs m 

 .; their growth ; but where this is done, whatever crops 

 .fare fown or planted, ftiould not be too near the trees, 

 _{ left the nouriftiment ftiould be drawn away from the 



,trces ; and as in the ploughing of the ground where 

 it is fo tilled, there muft be care taken not to go too 

 near the ftem of the trees, whereby their roots. vjuld 

 be injured, or the bark of their ftems rubbed of^ lo 

 ' - it will be of great fervice to dig the ground about 

 the trees where the plough doth not come, every 

 autumn, for five or fix years after planting, by whicii 

 time their roots will have extended themfelves to a 

 greater diftance. 



It is a common praftice in many parts of England,^ 

 lay the ground down for pafture, after the trees are 

 grown pretty large in their orchards j but this is y 

 -..AQ means advifeable, fori have frequendy ^^^"^^^^^^ 



V of above twentv years growth, almoft deftroyed J 



' ^ ° • horfes, 



4, 



