^o A Difcowfe of Foreft-Trces. 



come the mofl: beautiful Trees in the world, without hind'iKg or 

 Stake '■) ftill reinembring to abate the middle ftem, and to bring up 

 the collateral branches in its ftead to what altitude you pleafe : 

 Thus likewife may you form them into Hedges and Topiary works, 

 or by (owing the Seeds in a (hallow furrow^ and plucking up the 

 fupernumeraries where they come too dole and thick : For in this 

 work, it (hall fuffice to leave them within a foot of each other , and 

 when they are ri(en about a yard in height (which may be to the 

 half of your Palifado) cut o(F their tops^ as you are taught, and 

 keep the (ides clipp'd, that they afcend but by degrees, and thicken 

 at the bottome as they climbe. Thus they will prefent you in 

 half a dozen or eight years with incomparable hedges^ preferable 

 to all others what(bever, becaufe they are perpetually green, and 

 able to re(i(t the Winds better then any which I know, the HoUj 

 only excepted, which indeed has no peer. 



7. When I (ay Winds, I mean their (ierceft gujis, not their cfildi 

 For though it be (aid, Bruma^ ilUfa Cuprejfuf, and that indeed no 

 fiofi impeaches them(for they grow even on the Jhowji tops oilda^ 

 yet our cruel Eajiern winds do (bmetimes mortally invade them 

 which have been late clipp'd, feldometheuntouch'd, or that were 

 drejfed in the Spring only : The e(fedl:s of this laft March and yipril 

 Winds,accompanied with cruel Frofts and cold blajis^^or the fpace 

 of more then two moneths night and day, did not amongft neer a 

 thoufand C)'/?re^/(growing in my Garden^ kill above three or /tf«r, 

 which for being very late cut to the quicks, (that is, the latter end 

 of O&ober") were raw of their wonnds^'took cold, and gangreen'd^ 

 fome few others which were a little fmitten towards the tops^ 

 might have efcaped all their blemilhes, had my Gard'ner capp'd 

 them but with a wif^ of hay or iiraw^ as in my abfence I command- 

 ed. As for the froH of the paft Winter (then which I believe there 

 was never known a more cruel and deadly piercing (ince England 

 had a name) it did not touch a C^pre/ of mine till it joyn'd forces 

 with that deftruftive Wind : Therefore for caution, clip not your 

 Cyprejfes late in Autumn, and cloath them againft thefe veinds 5 

 for the fiojis they only difcolour them, but feldome or never hurt 

 them, as by long experiencel hove found. 



8. If you afFeft to fee your Cyprefs in Standard, and grow wild 

 (which may in time come to oe of a large fubftance, fit for the 

 moft Jimmortal of Timber ) plant of the Male fort ; it is a Tree 

 which will profper wonderfully ^ and where the ground is hot, 

 and gravelly, though he be nothing fo beautiful. 



9. There is Wkew'iCe the Tar entine Cypref,io much celebrated by 

 Cato : I do not mean our Savme , (which (bme erroneoufly take 

 for it) both that, and the Mile(ian,3iYe worthy our culture. 



ic. I have already Ihew'd how this Tree is to be raisdfrom the 



feed > but there was another Method amongfl: the Ancients, who 



(as I told you) were wont to make great Tlantations of them for 



their Timber : I have pradhs'd it my felf, and therefore de- 



(cribc it. 



II. If you receive your feed in the Nuts, expofe them to the 



Su» 



