f oB The feventeenth Booke of 



they eat and chew their meat moft leifurely. Btit daily experience teacheth the contrarie, and f e- G 

 iHfiech againlhhc one andthe other. And thus much as touehingcompoft of mucke. 



FurthcrmorCjallmenareof opinionjthat nothing is better for the ground^ than to fovvLu> 

 pines therupon; provided alwaiesjthat before it codjitbe turned into the ground by the plough, 

 IpadejOr two-piked yron forke; alfo when it is cut downe^to make it into wads or bottles, and fo 

 to buric them at the roots of trees, and vines cfpecially.In countries where there are no cattell 

 to better the lands, it is thought good to manure the fame in ftead of beafts dung , witlf verie* 

 hawme,ftraw, and ferne. Cato hath a devife to make an artificial! mucke or compoft of htter, li!- 

 pineftraw, chaffe, beaneftalkes, leaves and braunches both of maft-Holme and Oke* Hee faith 

 *'Herha J.siet,, iiioreovcr to the fame purpofe : Weed out of the ftanding corne, ^ Walwort [otherwife called 



Danewort] and Hcralockejalfofrora about oiier-plots, pluckeup rancke weeds, or ground- j.| 

 Elder ; alfo Reeke or Sea-graflc, and dead leaves or braunches lying rotten under trees : when 

 thou haft fo done, ftrcwand lay acourfe of them under fheepe where they be folded . liem^ if 

 thy vine beginc to decay and waxleane,burne the fhrcads and cuttings of the owne,and turn the 

 allies under ground hard to the roots thereof. Itcm^ Where thou meaneft to fow any wheat or 

 fuch like bread-corne,draw thy fheepe thither,3nd there fold them. He faith moreover, that the 

 fowingof fomegraineisasgoodasadungingto the ground: for thcfe be his very words. The 

 fruit it felfe of the earth is a bading to the earth, and namely, Lupines,Beanes,and VetcheSjfor 

 ihey mucke the lands : like as on the contrarie fide, Chiches doe burn the ground,both bccaufe 

 they are plucked, and alfo for that they ftand upon fait. Semblablydoth Barley, Foenigreeke, 

 Ervilc, and generally all kind of pulfe which are pulled and not,mowcn down . //m,T3ke heed 

 (quoth Cato) that you fet no pepins or kernels, where you meane to fow coi ne. As for Virgii^ he f 

 is ofopinion,that the fowingof Line-feed for flax,hkewiie of Ores and Poppies jdo burn come- 

 ground and pill itout of heart. He alfo giveth rules as touching mucke-hilis , That they fiiould 

 be made in the open aire, within fome hollow place where it may gather water ; that they bee co- 

 vered over with ftraw and litter, for feare they iliould driein ihefunnejandlaft of all, that they 

 have a good ftrong ftake of Oke pitched and driven in ^bout the mids thereof, for fo there will 

 no fnakes nor fuch like ferpents breed and engender therein . Moreover, as touching the fprea- 

 dingof muckc,and mingling it with themouldof a land,itis exceedinggood todoitwhcnthe 

 wind fetteth full Welifo that the Moone then be paft the full and in the waine.But this rule ma- 

 ny have miftaken and not conftrued aright, fuppofing that they fhouldfo doe when the Wc- 

 fterne wind Favonius beginneth to rile, and namely in the moneth of Februarie only : whereas K 

 indeed moft corne lands require rhispoint of husbandrie in other moneths as well, Butlookc 

 what time foever you lift to doe it,befurc many hand that the wind doe then blow from the^- 

 quinodiall point of the VVeft,and that the moone then be in the waine,and drie withall. Have 

 regard to thefe rules and obfervations, you will wonder to lecdieeffe(Sls thereof, and what en- 

 creafe the earth thereby will yeeld. 



Chap. x. 



^ ThepUntwg and fetthgcf trees: the manner herv trees doe grow, bja 



Si on Jlived and packed from the root, L 



NOw that we have akeadiefufficiently treated of the confiderations as well ofthe aire and 

 skie^as of the earth,belonging unto plants and trees 5 me thinkes it were to good purpofe 

 to difcourle oftheinduftrie and artificiall means that menhavc ufed to make trees grow : 

 and verily we fhall find no fewer kinds of them that come by mans hand, than of fuch as Nature 

 it felfe hath broughtforth 3 fo kind and thankfull have we been to her, as to make recompence in 

 this behalfe. Firft and foremoft therefore this is to be noted. That all trees doe grow either of 

 feed fowen, or of braunches growing to the tree and couched in the ground, or ot an old ftocke 

 from whence new imps may Iprout: alfojeitherof aflip or fprig plucked from another rrec,and 

 fo laid in the ground ^ or of a young fhoot^twigjimpe, or Sion, engrafted in tfjc very trunke of a ^ 

 tree, flit and cloven fot that piirpole.ForI cannot chufebut marveilemuchat Trogm,vihoms 

 verily perfuaded. That about Babylon the leaves onely of Date trees being let or fowen , would 

 proove trees. Now whereas there bee fb many deviles abovcfaid for to nourilli trees , this you 

 muft underftand; that fome trees there be which will grow by many of thele waies before fpeci- 



fied, 



