THE CULTURE OF PLANTS 



of the ditch, sloping at the face according to the slop 

 determined, with half a foot of table intercepting, 

 because so much will crumble down by the frosts, 

 &c. On the top of that lay one row of quicks, their 

 tops standing up a little towards the ditch ; cover 

 their roots with fine small earth, and lay another 

 spading above them, and, if you will, lay another 

 row of quicks above that, every one opposing the 

 mid-intervall of the other, and so cover on the rest 

 of the mould till the ditch be finished, being always 

 sure to put good earth next the quicks, tho' you 

 should bring it from the highway or a ridge of land 

 next thereunto ; and every year scour the ditches, 

 clapping it up about the quicks. Or a farr better 

 way is, 



To cast half of the earth that comes out of the 

 ditches to each hand, and quicks on both sides ; ac- 

 cordingly this will make an invincible fence ; for 

 then the hedge grows up on both sides, and the gut- 

 ter betwixtmakesit terrible. But that I am against 

 the common double (which is two ditches near one 

 another, and the earth which comes out of both laid 

 betwixt them with a row of quicks in the face of 

 each ditch) is, because here the quicks are obnoxi- 

 ous to the croping of cattle; besides they take much 



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