CHAP, ii S Y L V A 15 



been crept by goats, or any other cattle, who leave a 

 drivel where they bite ; which not only infects the 

 branches, but sometimes indanger the whole ; the 

 reason is, for that the natural sap's recourse to the 

 stem, communicates the venom to all the rest, as the 

 whole mass and habit of animal blood is by a gangreen, 

 or venereal taint. 



5. Divers other precepts of this nature I could here 

 enumerate, had not the great experience, faithful and 

 accurate description how this necessary work is to be 

 perform'd, set down by our countryman honest Lawson 

 (Orchards ', cap.ii) prevented all that the most in- 

 quisitive can suggest: The particulars are so ingenious, 

 and highly material, that you will not be displeas'd 

 to read them in his own style and character. 



All ages (saith he) by rules and experience do 

 consent to a pruning and lopping of trees : Yet have 

 not any that I know described unto us (except in 

 dark and general words) what, or which are those 

 superfluous boughs which we must take away ; and 

 that is the most chief, and most needful point, to be 

 known in lopping. And we may well assure our 

 selves (as in all other arts, so in this) there is a vant- 

 age and dexterity by skill ; an habit by practice out 

 of experience, in the performance hereof, for the 

 profit of mankind : Yet do I not know (let me speak 

 it with patience of our cunning arborists) any thing 

 within the compass of human affairs so necessary and 

 so little regarded ; not only in orchards, but also in 

 all other timber-trees, where or whatsoever. 



Now to our purpose : 



How many forests and woods, wherein you shall 

 have for one lively thriving tree, four (nay sometimes 

 twenty four) evil thriving, rotten and dying trees, 



