8o 127. How to pleach a hedge. 



127. \ To plasshe or pleche a hedge. 



^erch°a ^^ ^^® hedge be of .x. or .xii. yeres growing sythe it 



hedge. ^as first set, thanne take a sharpe hachet, or a handbyll, 



and cutte the settes in a playne place, nyghe vnto the 

 moritha^n'* 4 erthc, the more halue a-sonder; and bende it downe 

 tifrough, towarde the erthe, and wrappe and wynde theym to- 



[Foi. 55.] gether, but alwaye se that the toppe lye hyer than the 



and bend , , •/-,,, 



them down, TOte a good quantytie, for elles the sappe wyll not renne 



but not too o • i J.U 1 J 1 1 



low. o in-to the toppe kyndely, but in processe the toppe wyll 



dye ; and than set a lyttel hedge on the backe-syde, and 

 it shall nede noo more mendynge manye yeres after. 

 And if the hedge be of .xx. .xxiiii. or .xxx. yere of age, 



^erch°an ^ ^ Sythe it was fyrst sette, than wynde in first al the nether- 



oider hedge. moste bowes, and wynde them together, and than cutte 

 the settes in a playne place a lyttel from the erth, the 

 more halfe a-sonder, and to lette it slaue downewarde, 

 1 6 and not vpwarde, for dyuerse causes : than wynde the 

 bowes and braunches therof in-to the hedge, and at euery 

 two fote, or .iii. fote, to leaue one set growyng not 

 plasshed ; and the toppe to be cut of foure fote hygh, 

 2 or there-aboute, to stande as a stake, if there be any 

 suche, or els to set an-other, and to wynd the other that 

 be pleched about them. And if the bowes wyll not 

 lye playne in the hedge, than cut it the more halfe 



How to 24 a-sonder, and bynd it to the hedge, and than shal he not 



pleach a very "■ 



old hedge. Hcde for to mcnde the hedge, but in fewe places, .xx. 



yeres after or more. And if the hedge be olde, and be 

 great stubbes or trees, and thyn in the bottome, that 



28 beastes may go vnder or betwene the trees: thanne 



take a sharpe axe, and cutte the trees or stubbes, that 



[Foi. 55*.] growe a fote from the erthe, or there-about, in a plaine 



place, within an inche or two inches of the side, and let 



32 them slaue downward, as I sayd before, and let the 

 toppe of the tree lye ouer the rote of an other tree, and 

 to pleche downe the bowes of the same tree, to stoppe 



