TREATING OF CONTRIVANCE 



beds narrower ; yet still let the whole plot, ridges, 

 bordures and beds, be equally divided, and their 

 areas or edges three inches higher than the fur- 

 rowes or pathes, and so much higher than the side 

 of the walkes as the middle of the walk is higher 

 than its sides ; all handsomely clapt up with the 

 rake-head, by a line : and the like order you may 

 observe in your seminaries and nurseries of trees; 

 then plant and sow by lines and drills, both for 

 beauty and conveniency. 



When you set about this, divide the bed, bordure, 

 or ridge, at both ends, into so many equal parts (by 

 the help of the long rule and small sticks) ; then 

 stretch the line from end to end by these sticks, and 

 with the corner of the rule make a marke by the 

 line, and therein set your herbs and plants ; and for 

 setting of seeds, measure out, and stretch on the line 

 as before, and with the setting-stick make the holes 

 by the line (not too deep) and therein put the seeds. 

 And if you sow in drills, make a scratch, or little 

 ebb gutter, with the point of the stick by the line, 

 and therein sow. If the rowes be two foot distance, 

 let the first be one foot within the edge ; if six inches 

 asunder, make them three inches off the edge, and 

 so proportionally. Note that I have told the dis- 



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