172 b I LJ V A BOOK I 



14 or 15 inches broad as good for flooring, and other 

 purposes within doors, as deals, last as long, work 

 finer, white and beautiful : 'tis indeed a good while 

 since they were planted, but it seems the crop answer'd 

 this patience, when he cut up as many of them (the 

 year 1700) as were well worth io/. And since that 

 another tree, for which a joyner offer'd him as much 

 for those were left, which was more by half than the 

 whole ground it self was worth ; so as having made 

 2O/. of the spot, he still possesses it without much 

 damage to the grass. The method of planting was 

 first by making holes with an iron crow, and widen- 

 ing them with a stake of wood, fit to receive a lusty 

 plant, and sometimes boaring the ground with an 

 auger ; but neither of these succeeding, (by reason 

 the earth could not be ramm'd so close to the sides 

 and bottom of the sets, as was requisite to keep them 

 steady, and seclude the air, which would corrupt and 

 kill the roots) he caus'd holes, or little pits of a foot 

 square and depth to be dug, and then making a hole 

 with the crow in the bottom of the pits, to receive 

 the set, and breaking the turf which came out of it, 

 ramm'd it in with the mould close to the sets (as they 

 would do to fix a gate-post) with great care not to 

 gall the bark of it. He had divers times before this 

 miscarry'd, when he us'd formerly to set them in plain 

 ground, without breaking the surface, and laying it 

 close to the sets ; and therefore, if the soil be moist, 

 he digs a trench by the side of the row, and applies 

 the mould which comes out of it about the sets ; so 

 that the edge of the bank raised by it, may be 

 somewhat higher than the earth next the set, for the 

 better descent of the rain, and advantage of watering 

 the sets in dry weather ; preventing likewise their 



