The ordering of the Orchard. 



haue them thriue and profper ; for the want thereof at that time, hath often killed ma- 

 nie a likely tree. To (lake and fence them alfo if neede bee after they are new fet, 

 and fo to continue for two or three yeares after, is verie expedient, left windes or other 

 cafualties fpoile your paines, and ouerthrow your hopes. And likewife to defend 

 your grafts from birds lighting on them, to breake or dif place them, to fticke fome 

 prickes or fharpe pointed ftickes longer then your graft into your clay, that fo they 

 may be a fure defence of it : As alfo to tye fome woollen cloathes about the lower end 

 of your ftockes, or thruft in fome thornes into the ground about the rootes, to defend 

 them from hauing their barkes eaten by Conies, or hurt by fome other noifome ver- 

 mine. 



CHAP. VII. 



Ohferuations for the drefsing and <well keeping of frees and an 

 Orchard in good order. 



THere are two manner of waies to dreffe and keepe trees in good order, that 

 they may bee both gracefull and fruitfull; the one is for wall-trees, the o- 

 ther is for ftandards: for as their formes are different, fo is their keeping or 

 ordering. Wall trees, becaufe they are grafted lowe, and that their branches muft 

 be plafht or tackt vnto the wall to faften them, are to be fo kept, that all their branches 

 may be fuffered to growe, that fhoote forth on either fide of the bodie, and led either 

 along the wall, or vpright, and one to lappe ouer or vnder another as is conuenient, 

 and ftill with peeces of lifts, parings of felt, peeces of foft leather, or other fuch like 

 foft thing compaffing the armes or branches, fattened with fmall or great nailes, as 

 neede requireth, to the wals, onely thofe buds or branches are to be nipped or cut off, 

 that moot forward, and will not fo handfomely be brought into conformity, as is fit- 

 ting ; yet if the branches growe too thicke, to hinder the good of the reft, or too high 

 for the wall, they may, nay they muft be cut away or lopped off: and if anie dead 

 branches alfo happen to be on the trees, they muft be cut away, that the reft may haue 

 the more libertie to thriue. Diuers alfo by carefully nipping away the wafte and fi> 

 perfluous buds, doe keepe their trees in conformity, without much cutting. The time 

 to pruine or plam, or tye vp wall trees, is vfually from the fall of the leafe, to the be- 

 ginning of the yeare, when they begin to bloffome, and moft efpecially a little before 

 or after Chriftmas : but in any cafe not too late, for feare of rubbing off their buds. 

 Some I know doe plafh and tye vp their wall trees after bearing time, while the leaues 

 are greene, and their reafon is, the buds are not fo eafie or apt to bee rubbed from the 

 branches at that time, as at Chriftmas, when they are more growne : but the leaues 

 muft needes be very cumberfome, to hinder much both the orderly placing, and clofe 

 faftening of them to the wall. This labour you muft performe euery yeare in its due 

 time ; for if you fhall neglecl and ouerflip it, you (hall haue much more trouble, to 

 bring them into a fit order againe, then at the firft. The ftandard trees in an Orchard 

 muft be kept in another order; for whereas the former are fuffered to fpread at large, 

 thefe muft be pruined both from fuperfluous branches that ouerload the trees, & make 

 them leffe fruitfull, as well as leffe lightly, and the vnder or water boughes likewife, 

 that drawe much nourifhment from the trees, and yet themfelues little the better for 

 it, I meane to giue fruit. If therefore your Orchard confift of young trees, with a lit- 

 tle care and paines it may bee kept in that comely order and proportion it was firft de- 

 ftined vnto ; but if it confift of old growne trees, they will not without a great deale 

 of care and paines be brought into fuch conformitie, as is befitting good and comely 

 trees : for the marke of thofe boughes or branches that are cut off from young trees, 

 will quickly be healed againe, the barke growing quickly ouer them, whereby they 

 are not worfe for their cutting ; but an old tree if you cut off a bough, you muft cut it 

 clofe and cleanly, and lay a fearcloth of tallow, waxe, and a little pitch melted toge- 

 ther vpon the place, to keepe off both the winde, funne, and raine, vntill the barke 

 haue couered it ouer againe : and in this manner you muft deale with all fuch fhort 

 ftumps of branches, as are either broken fhort off with the winde, or by carelefneffe or 



want 





