20 The ordering of the Garden of Pleafure. 



that they will likewife take if they be fo vfed ; the manner whereof is thus : You muft 

 choofe out the youngeft, likelieft, and loweft branches that are neareft the ground (for 

 the vpper branches will fooner breake at the ioynt, than bend downe fo low into the 

 earth, without fome pot with earth raifed vp vnto them) and cut it on the vnderfide 

 thereof vpwards at the fecond ioynt next vnto the roote, to the middle of the branch, 

 and no more, and not quite thorough in any cafe, and then from that fecond ioynt vn- 

 to the third, flit or cut the branch in the middle longwife, that fo it may be the more 

 eafily bended into the ground, the cut ioynt feeming like the end of a flippe, when 

 you haue bended downe the branch where it is cut into the ground (which muft bee 

 done very gently for feare of breaking) with a little fticke or two thruft flopwife, 

 crofle ouer it, keepe it downe within the earth, and raife vp fufficient earth ouer it, that 

 there it may lye and take roote, which commonly will be effected within fixe weekes 

 or two moneths in the Summer time, and then (or longer if you doubt the time too 

 fhort for it to take fufficient roote) you may take or cut it away, and tranfplant it where 

 you thinke good, yet fo as in any cafe you fhadow it from the heate of the Sunne, vn- 

 till it haue taken good hold in the ground. The other way to encreafe Gilloflowers, 

 is by fowing the feede : It is not vfuall with all forts of Gilloflowers to giue feede, but 

 fuch of them as doe yeeld feede may be encreafed thereby, in the fame manner as is 

 here fet downe. The Orange tawney Gilloflower and the varieties thereof is the moft 

 vfuall kinde, (and it is a kinde by it felfe, how various foeuer the plants be that rife 

 from the feede) that doth giue feede, and is fowne, and from thence arifeth fo many 

 varieties of colours, both plaine and mixt, both fingle and double, that one can hardly 

 fet them downe in writing : yet fuch as I haue obferued and marked, you fhall finde 

 exprefled in the Chapter of Gilloflowers in the worke following. Firft therefore 

 make choife of your feede that you intend to fowe (if you doe not defire to haue as 

 many more fingle flowers as double) that it bee taken from double flowers, and not 

 from fingle, and from the beft colours, howfoeuer fome may boaft to haue had double 

 and ftript flowers from the feede of a fingle one ; which if it were fo, yet one Swallow 

 (as we fay) maketh no Summer, nor a thing comming by chance cannot bee reckoned 

 for a certaine and conftant rule ; you may be aflured they will not vfually doe fo : but 

 the beft, faireft, and moft double flowers come alwaies, or for the moft part, from the 

 feede of thofe flowers that were beft, faireft, and moft double ; and I doe aduise you 

 to take the beft and moft double : for euen from them you fhall haue fingle ones e- 

 now, you neede not fowe any worfer fort. And againe, fee that your feede bee 

 new, of the laft yeares gathering, and alfo that it was full ripe before it was gathered, 

 left you lofe your labour, or mifle of your purpofe, which is, to haue faire and double 

 flowers. Hauing now made choife of your feede, and prepared you a bedde to fowe 

 them on, the earth whereof muft be rich and good, and likewife fifted to make it the 

 finer ; for the better it is, the better fhall your profit and pleafure bee : hereon, being 

 firft made leuell, plaine, and fmooth, fowe your feede fomewhat thinne, and not too 

 thicke in any cafe, and as euenly as you can, that they be not too many in one place, 

 and too few in another, which afterwards couer with fine fifted earth ouer them about 

 one fingers thicknefle ; let this be done in the middle of Aprill, if the time of the yeare 

 be temperate, and not too cold, or elfe ftay vntill the end of the moneth : after they 

 are fprung vp and growne to be fomewhat bigge, let them bee drawne forth that are 

 too clofe and neare one vnto another, and plant them in fuch place where they fhall 

 continue, fo that they ftand halfe a yard of ground diftance afunder, which after the 

 planting, let be fhadowed for a time, as is before fpecified ; and this may bee done in 

 the end of luly, or fooner if there be caufe. I haue not fet downe in all this difcourfe 

 of planting, tranfplanting, fowing, fetting, &c. any mention of watering thofe flips 

 or plants, not doubting but that euery ones reafon will induce them to thinke, that 

 they cannot profper without watering : But let this Caueat be a fufficient remembrance 

 vnto you, that you neuer water any of thefe Gilloflowers, nor yet indeede any other 

 fine herbe or plant with cold water, fuch as you haue prefently before drawne out from 

 a pumpe or Well, &c. but with fuch water as hath ftood open in the aire in a cifterne, 

 tubbe, or pot, for one whole day at the leaft ; if it be two or three daies it will be neuer 

 the worfe, but rather the better, as I haue related before : yet take efpeciall heede that 

 you doe not giue them too much to ouer-glut them at any time, but temperately to ir- 



rorate 



