jA A V'fcourfe of Foreft-Trces. 



Thefe iffues vent what moiftuie ftill abound. 

 And the veins unimploy'd grow hard and found. 



IVafe, 

 ' Vijk For 'tis a miftry to fee how our faireft Trees are defac'd, and 

 mangl'd by unikilful Wood-men^ and mifchievous Bordurers, who 

 go always arm'd with (hort Hand-bills, hacking and chopping off 

 all that comes in their way ^ by which our Trees are made full of 

 kfiots, boils, cankers, and deform'd bunches, to their utter deftru- 

 ftion : Goad husbands (hould be afham'd of it. As much to be 

 reprehended are thofe who either begin this work at unfeafonable 

 times, or fo maim the poor branches, that either out of lazinefs, 

 or want of fkill, they leave moft of them y?K/>i-, and inftead of 

 cutting the Arms and Branches clofe to the boale, hack them off a 

 foot or two from the body of the Tree , by which means they 

 become hoUoro and rotten, and are as fo many conduits to re- 

 ceive the Rain and the Weather, which perifties them to the ve- 

 ry head , deforming the whole Tree with many ugly botches, 

 which fhorten its life, and utterly marre the Timber. 



3. By this Animad-verjion alone it were eafie for an ingenious 

 man to underftand how Trees are to be govern'd ; which is in 

 a word, by cutting clean, fmooth, and cloje, making the ftroke 

 nprvard, and with a (harp Bill, fo as the weight of an untrafta- 

 ble boKgh do not jblice, and carry the bark, with it, which is 

 both dangerous and unlightly. 



4. The proper feafon for this work is a little after the change 

 in January : 



Tnnc fringe comas, tunc brachia tonde : 



■ Tunc deniqne dura 



Exerce Imperia, df ramos compefiejiuenteif. 



But this ought not to be too much in young Fruit-trees, after 

 they once come to form a handfom head , in which period you 

 fhould but only pare them over about March, to cover the 

 Jiock the fooner, if the Tree be very choice : To the aged, this 

 is plainly a renewing of their Touth , and an extraordinary re- 

 frelhment ; Belides, for Interlucation, exuberant branches, d^ j^ijjie 

 nemorum coma, where the boughs grow too thick and are cum- 

 berfome, to let in the Sun and Air, this is of great importance. 



5. Divers other precepts of this nature I could here enume- 

 rate, had not the great experience, faithful and accurate defcri- 

 ption how this neceflary fVork. is to be perform'd, fet down by 

 our Country-man honeft Lavpfon (Orchard, cap. i\.^ prevented 

 all that the moft Inquifitive can fugged: : The particulars are fo 

 ingenuous, and highly material, that you will not be difpleas'd 

 to read them in his own ftylc. 



9!l agCj8 (laith he) bp Rules ant) experience 1)0 tOnfent toa 

 pruning, ant lopping of Trees: ^ct W^notanpttJat 3( fenOtJJ 



prftribeDuntoujjCtjcteptmijarfe, anO general too|5}j()to^at, o? 



