54-2 The ordering of the Orchard. 



CHAP. IIII. 



The diuers manners of grafting all forts of fruits 

 i)fed in our Land. 



THe mod vfuall manner of grafting in the ftocke is fo common and well known 

 in this Land to euery one that hath any thing to doe with trees or an Orchard, 

 that I think I fhall take vpon mee a needlefle worke to fet downe that is fo well 

 knowne to moft ; yet how common foeuer it is, fome directions may profit euery one, 

 without which it is not eafily learned. And I doe not fo much fpend my time and 

 paines herein for their fakes that haue knowledge, but for fuch as not knowing would 

 faine be taught priuately, I meane, to reade the rules of the arte fet downe in priuate, 

 when they would refufe to learne of a Gardiner, or other by fight : and yet I difcom- 

 rnend not that way vnto them to learne by fight ; for one may fee more in an inftant by 

 fight, then he (hall learn by his own practice in a great while, efpecially if he be a little 

 pradtifed before he fee a cunning hand to doe it. There are many other kindes of graf- 

 ting, which fhall be fpoken of hereafter, and peraduenture euen they that know it well, 

 may learne fomething they knew not before. 



i . The grafting in the ftocke, is, to fet the fprigge of a good fruit into the body or 

 ftocke of another tree, bee it wilde or other, bee it young or old, to caufe that tree to 

 bring forth fuch fruit as the tree bore from whence you took the fprigge, and not fuch 

 as the ftocke or tree would haue borne, if it had not beene grafted, and is performed in 

 this manner : Looke what tree or ftocke you will chufe to graft on, you muft with a 

 fmall fine fawe and very fharpe, whip off, or cut off the head or toppe thereof at what 

 height you eyther thinke beft for your purpofe, or conuenient for the tree : for if you 

 graft a great tree, you cannot without endangering the whole, cut it downe fo low to 

 the ground, as you may without danger doe a fmall tree, or one that is of a reafonable 

 fize ; and yet the lower or neerer the ground you graft a young tree, the fafer it is both 

 for your ftocke and graft, becaufe the fappe fhall not afcend high, but foone giue vi- 

 gour to the graft to take and fhoote quickly : After you haue cut off the toppe of your 

 ftocke, cut or fmooth the head thereof with a fharpe knife, that it may be as plaine and 

 fmooth as you can, and then cleaue it with a hammer or mallet, and with a ftrong knife, 

 cleauer or cheflell, either in the middle of it if it be fmall, or of a reafonable fize, or on 

 the fides an inch or more within the barke, if it be great : into both fides of the cleft 

 put your grafts, or into one if the ftocke bee fmaller ; which grafts muft bee made 

 fit for the purpofe on this fafhion : Hauing made choife of your grafts from the toppe 

 branches efpecially, or from the fides of that tree whereof you would haue the fruit, and 

 that they be of a reafonable good fize, not too fmall or too great for your ftockes, and 

 of one or the fame yeares fhoote ; (and yet many doe cut an inch or more of the olde 

 wood with the fprigge of the laft yeares growth, and fo graft the old and young toge- 

 ther (but both are good, and the old wood no better then the young) cut your graft not 

 too long, but with two, three or foure eyes or buds at the moft, which at the lower or 

 bigger end for an inch long or more (for the greater ftockes, and an inch or lefle for the 

 leffer fort) muft be fo cut, that it be very thin on the one fide from the fhoulders down- 

 ward, and thicker on the other, and thin alfo at the end, that it may goe downe clofe in- 

 to the cleft, and reft at the fhoulders on the head of the ftocke : but take heede that in 

 cutting your grafts your knife bee very fharpe that you doe not rayfe any of the barke, 

 eyther at the fides or the end, for feare of lofing both your paines and graft, and ftocke 

 too peraduenture ; and let not your grafts bee made long before you fet them, or elfe 

 put the ends of them in water to keepe them frefh and cleane : when you fet them you 

 muft open the cleft of your ftocke with a wedge or cheflell as moft doe, that the graft 

 may goe eafily into it, and that the barke of both graft and ftocke may ioyne clofe the 

 one to the other, which without ftirring or difplacing muft bee fo left in the cleft, and 

 the wedge or cheflell gently pulled forth ; but becaufe in the doing hereof confifteth 

 in a manner the whole lofle or gaine of your paines, graft and ftocke, to preuent which 

 inconuenience I doe vfe an iron Inftrument, the forme whereof is fhowne in the fol- 

 lowing 



