200 S Y L V A BOOK I 



prove all attempts which may concern publick utility 

 or ornament, perswade me, that what I am adding 

 for the farther encouragement to the planting of some 

 other useful (though less vulgar) trees, will at least 

 obtain your pardon if it miss of your approbation. 



20. To discourse in this stile of all such fruit-trees 

 as would prove of greatest emolument to the whole 

 nation, were to design a just volume ; and there are 

 directions already so many, and so accurately deliver'd 

 and publish'd (but which cannot be affirm'd of any 

 of the former classes of forest-trees, and other remarks, 

 at the least to my poor knowledge and research) that 

 it would be needless to repeat. 



21. I do only wish (upon the prospect, and medi- 

 tation of the universal benefit) that every person 

 whatsoever, worth ten pounds per annum, within Her 

 Majesty's dominions, were by some indispensible stat- 

 ute, obliged to plant his hedge-rows with the best 

 and most useful kinds of them ; especially in such 

 places of the nation, as being the more in-land counties, 

 and remote from the seas and navigable rivers, might 

 the better be excus'd from the planting of timber, to 

 the proportion of those who are more happily and 

 commodiously situated for the transportation of it. 



22. Undoubtedly, if this course were taken effectu- 

 ally, a very considerable part both of the meat and 

 drink which is spent to our prejudice, might be saved 

 by the countrey-people, even out of the hedges and 

 mounds, which would afford them not only the plea- 

 sure and profit of their delicious fruit, but such 

 abundance of cyder and perry, as should suffice them 

 to drink of one of the most wholsome and excellent 

 beverages in the world. Old Gerard did long since 

 alledge us an example worthy to be pursu'd ; I have 



