cS IntroduSlion to the Kalendar. 



and how intolerable a confujion vcillfucceed a [mall negleft, after onee 

 a Ground is in order ^ vpe thought vref}OHld not attempt an unaccepta- 

 ble Work, ;/ here rvc endeavour to prefent our Gardners zvith. a 

 compleat Cycle of what is requifite to be done throughout every 

 Moneth of the Year : We fay^ each Moneth •-, becaufe by dividing 

 it into Parts fb dijiinB^ the Order in which theyfmllfind each ^zx- 

 ticvldii difpos' d^may not only render the work more facile and delight' 

 feme 5 but redeem itfiom that extream confufion, which for want of a 

 canjiant, and uniform Method, we find does jo vniverfally dijiraB 

 our ordinary fort of Gard'ners. T^hey know not (for the mofi part) 

 the Seafons when things are to be done j and when at any time they 

 come to knoWy there cften falls out Jo many things to be done on the 

 fudden^ that fome of them mufl of necejjity be negleBedfor that whole 

 Year, which is the greateji detriment to ^A/fMyftery, and frequent- 

 ly irrecoverable. Well therefore did the experiencd Columella put 

 bis Gard'ner in mind of the fugacioufnef of the Seafons, and the 

 necejjity of being Induftrious, where he thus be jpeaks the men of our 

 Trofeijion. 



Invigilate viri, tacito nam tempora greffu 

 DifFugiunt, nulloque fono convertitur annus. 



Colum. de cult. Hort.Yib. 10. 



Be watchful Sirs, the Seafons hafle them out^ 

 And without noife the Year is whirl' d about. 



We are yet far from impojing (by any thing we have alledg'd con- 

 cerning thefe Menftrual Periods) thofe nice and hypercritical Pun- 

 tiUos which fome Aftrologers, and fuch as purjue their Rules, Jeent 

 to oblige our Gard'ners to , as ifforfooth, all were loji^ and our pains 

 to no purpoje^ unlefs the Sowing and the Planting, the Cutting and 

 the Pruning, were perform'd in fuch and fuch an exalt minute of 

 , R '^^MOon.- In hacautemRurisdilciplinanondefideratur ejufmo- 

 I'b* 6 ' ^^ fcrupulofitas. 7here are indeed fome certain Seafons, andixx- 

 fpefta tempora, which the prudent Gard'ner otight carefully (as much 

 as in him lies') to prevent : But as to the reft, it Jhall be fufficient 

 that he diligently follow the OhCervatiom which (by great Indudry") 

 we have collected together, and here prefent him, as Jo many Sy- 

 noptical Tables calculated for his Monethly uje, to the end he may 

 pretermit nothing which is under his Infpeftion, and is ncceffary ^ or 

 difiraCt his Thoughts and Employment before the Seafons require it. 



And now, however This may feem but a Trifle to fome who ejieem 

 Books by the bulk, and not the benefit t, let them not yet defpife theje 

 few enjiiing Pages • For never was any thing of this pretence Jo fully 

 and ingenuoujly imparted, Jj/jall not fay to the regret of all our Mer- 

 cenary Gar'dners, becaufe I have much obligation to fome above that 

 Epithete ^ Mr Rofe, Gard'ner at EfTex-Houfe to Her Grace the 

 Duchefs of Somerfet, and Mr Turner, formerly of Wimbleton in 

 Surrey ; who being certainly amongji the moji expert of their Pro- 

 fcffion in England, are no lefs to be celebrated for their free com- 

 munications 



