1853. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER, 



357 



For the New England Farmer. 

 A RARE AND PLEASANT BOOK. 



Mk. Editor :— I found, not long since, among 

 some old books in this village, a treatise on Fruit 

 Growing and Gardening, which interested me so 

 much, that I could not deny myself the pleasure 

 of sending a description of it to yourself. _ 



It is an octavo in form, and divided into two 

 sections. The title page to the first part has been 

 torn out, but the title over Chapter 1, is "The 

 Best, Svre and Readiest vay to make a Good Or- 

 chard and Garden." The date of course is gone 

 with the title page, but that of the second part, 

 which is probably the same, as the pages are con- 

 tinuous, is 1G31. The title to this, "The Covntry 

 Hovse Vife's Garden, containing rules for herbs 

 and seeds of common use, with their times and 

 seasons, when to set and sow them. Together 

 with the Husbandry of Bees, published with se- 

 crets very necessary for euery housewife. Also 

 diuerse new Knots for Gardens. London. Printed 

 by Nicholas Okes for lohn Harrison, at the gold- 

 en Vnicorne in Pater-noster Row, 1G3L" 



It is not merely the antiquity of the book which 

 pleases, though I must confess to the weakness, 

 if weakness it be, of possessing a very tender re- 

 gard for old things, among which old friends, old 

 books, and old wine are especially valuable — but 

 as I remarked, it is not merely this which makes 

 the book valuable ; but the writer (I wish we had 

 his name) is hrimfull of love for his subject. He 

 loved trees as men love their children, and as you 

 follow him, his simple, quaint style, and his ear- 

 nest sincerity win you at once. You feel sure that 

 he wrote, not to make a book, but because he 

 couldn^i help it. There are seventy-four pages 

 upon "Making a Good Orchard," and many of the 

 hints might be safely followed by our modern 

 gardeners. He has inserted two or three sketch- 

 es of trees, forms for a garden, &c., of which he 

 says, "I have shadowed out these for the better 

 capacity of those that are led more with the eye 

 than the mind, craving pardon for the deformity, 

 because I am nothing skilful either in painting 

 or causing." He has seventeen chapters each of 

 them short and to the point. 



Il^^ives minute directions for "Grafting" "In- 

 cisiflP' "Packing on," &c. Let me copy his re- 

 marks upon the "Age of Trees," which will give 

 you some idea of the old gentleman's style, and 

 if you like it not, I will send you no more, but if 

 it please your readers, I will add another chapter 

 at a future time. 



"All this treatise of trees tends to this end, that 

 men may love and plant orchards, whereunto there 

 cannot be a better inducement than that they 

 know or at least be persuaded that all that bene- 

 fit they shall reape thereby, whether of pleasure 

 or profit, shall not be for a moneth, or one or many, 

 (but many hundreth) yeeres. Of good things the 

 greatest and most durable is alwaies the best. 



"If, therefore, out of reason grounded upon ex- 

 perience it be made (I think) manifest, but I am 

 sure probable, that a fruit tree in such a soile and 

 site, as is described, so planted and trimmed and 

 kept, as is before appointed and duly foiled, shall 



"Let no man think this to be strange, but peruse 

 and consider the reason. I have apple trees stand- 

 ing in my little orchard, which I have knowne 

 these forty yeeres, whose age before my time, I 

 cannot learne, it is beyond memory tho I have en- 

 inquired of divers aged men of 80 ycers and up- 

 wards ; these trees although come into my pos- 

 session very evil ordered, misshapen, and one of 

 them wounded to the heart, and that deadly (for 

 I know it will be his death) with a wound where- 

 in I might have set my foot in the heart of his 

 bulk (now it is lesse) notwithstanding, with that 

 small regard, they have had since, they so like, 

 that I assure myself they are not come to their 

 growth by more than two parts of three which I 

 discerne not only by their owne growth, but also 

 by comparing them with the bulk of other trees. 



"And I find them short (at least) by so many 

 parts in bigness, although I know those other 

 fruit trees to have beene much hindered in their 

 stature by evill guiding. Here thence I gather 

 thus. 



"If my trees be a hundred yeers old, and yet 

 want two hundred of their growth before they 

 leave increasing, which make three hundred, then 

 we must needs resolve, that this three hundred 

 yeere are but the third part of a tree's life, because 

 (as all things living besides) so trees must have 

 allowed them for their increase one-third, another 

 third for their stand, and a third, part also for 

 their decay. All which time of a tree amounts to 

 900 yeers, three hundred for increase, three hun- 

 dred for stand, and three hundred for his decay. 



"But every living thing bestows the least part of 

 his age in his growth, and so must it needs be 

 with trees. A man comes not to his full growth 

 and strength before thirty yeers, and some slender 

 and cleane bodies, not till forty, so long also stands 

 his strength, and so long also must he have al- 

 lowed in course of nature for decay. 



"Ever supposing that he be well kept with nec- 

 essaries, and from and without straines, bruises 

 and all other dominyring diseases, I will not say 

 upon true report, that physicke holds it possible, 

 that a cleane body kept by these 3 doctors — Dr. 

 Diet, Dr. Quiet and Dr. Merriman may live neere, 

 a hundred yeeres. Neither will I here urge the 

 long yeeres of Methushalah, and those men of 

 that time, because you will say man's days are 

 shortened since the flood. But what hath short- 

 ened them 1 God for man's sinnes ; but liy meanes, 

 as want of knowledge, evill government, ryot, 

 gluttony, drunkennesse, and to be short on in- 

 crease of the curse, our sins increasing in an iron 

 and wicked age. 



The testimony of Cicero in his booke De Sen- 

 ecutte, is weighty to the purpose ; that we must 

 in posteras actates ferere arbores, which can have 

 no other sence than that our fruit trees of which 

 he speakes can endure for ages. 



"What else are trees in comparison with the 

 earth ; but as haires to the body of a man 1 — 

 Haires endure long, and are an ornament and use 

 also to the body, as trees to the earth. 



So that I resolve upon good reason that fruit 

 and Hke a thousand 



trees well ordered may live 

 A.,\.^ innn ^«..»„^ ,'u i \a ■ i i i • iveeres, and beare fruit, and the longer the more, 



dure 1000 yeares, why should we not take pams ^ ' ^ , ' ^^^^^^^^ 1^;^-; ; ,^^d 



and be at two or three yeers charges, (for /nder S whenhis yeers are many^ 



seven yeeres will an orchard be perfected for the ,° ° „ m * „„„ v>,.f h,^;,. h.,rla^nrl Kl^o 



/. . r ,• o • iu .. i.' u u ii.i. /■ •.^ "You shall see old trees put their ouds ana D108- 



first p anting, and in that time be brought to fruit) u ^u a ^^^/ T^lant;fMl +h-in irmir,,, 



. ^ ? j'i. J 1 °i .• ' I soms both sooner and more plentiiui ttian young 



to reape such a commodity and 80 long lastmg. ooiub uuwi o^^. ^ r j & 



