CHAP, vii S Y L V A 315 



suckers, fern, wet, mice, moles, winds, G?c. to these 

 may be added siderations, pestiferous air, fogs, excess- 

 ive heat, sulphurous and arsenic smoak, and vapours, 

 and other plagues, tumours, distortions, lacrymations, 

 tophi, gouts, carbuncles, ulcers, crudities, fungosities, 

 gangreens, and an army more, whereof some are 

 hardly discernable, yet enemies, which not foreseen, 

 makes many a bargain of standing-wood (though 

 seemingly fair) very costly ware : In a word, what- 

 soever is exitial to men, is so to trees ; for the aversion 

 of which, they had of old recourse to the robigalia 

 and other Gentile ceremonies : but no longer abus'd 

 by charmers and superstitious fopperies, we have in 

 this chapter endeavoured to set down and prescribe 

 the best and most approved remedies hitherto found 

 out, as well natural as artificial. 



And first, weeds are to be diligently pull'd up by 

 hand after rain, whiles your seedlings are very young, 

 and till they come to be able to kill them with shade, 

 and over-dripping: And then are you for the obstin- 

 ate, to use the haw, fork, and spade, to extirpate 

 dog-grass, bear-bind, G?c. 



And here mentioning shade and dripping, though 

 I cannot properly speak of them as infirmities of 

 trees, they are certainly the causes of their unthriving 

 till remov'd ; such as that of the oak and mast-holme, 

 wall-nut, pine and fir, ^fc. the thickness of the leaves 

 intercepting the sun and rain ; whilst that of other 

 trees good, as the elm, and several other. 



2. Suckers shall be duly eradicated, and with a 

 sharp spade dexterously separated from the mother- 

 roots, and transplanted in convenient places for pro- 

 pagation, as the season requires. 



Here note, that fruit graffed upon suckers, are 



