Piinies Naturail Hifiorie. 



A fiorc of fioni 6r fets tkn it. For firft and formoft, nothing thereof is planted, but that which is 

 unprofitable jhurtfiiU/upcrfluouSjand of neccffitic to be pruned and cut away. But in the pru- 

 ningjthis rule muft be oblcrved, that thole braunches bee cut off which were portoirs and bare 

 grapes the ycare before.The manner in bid time was to plant or fet a fion^ headed(as it were)and 

 taking^hold on both fides of the old wood and hard ftocke: whereupon^becaufe it was fafliioned 

 like a little mallet or hammer headjit was and is at this day called in Latinc Malleolus. But after- 

 wards they began to flip off a twig with a heele onely of the old wood(as they ufe to dd in a Fig- 

 tree : ) and there is not a better way to make a Vine furely to take and live than this. A third ibrt 

 there is befides of fions or fets which are more readily gotten^withoui any fuch heele of the hard 

 woodland therefore they be wreathed and twined when they are fet into the ground : whereupon 



B they be called in Latine Sagittsep.Shafts;] for the fame fions only cut off and not wreathed, arc 

 named Trigemmes5as a man would fay, twigs with three buds or fpurts . And therefore of one 

 and the fame Vine braunch^a man may in this fort make many kinds of fions or fets; Howbcitj 

 this is to be notedjthat if you fet any young fprigs that never bare fruit but leafe only ^ the VincJ 

 comming thereof will be ever barren : and therefore none ought to bee planted but fuch as arc 

 fruitfull. A Vine-fet or cutting^thathath joints flanding thin,but here and therejis thought to be 

 fruitlefle: but contrariwife^if it be fet thicke with buds, by all likelyhood it will beare plentifully. 

 Some are of opinion^that no fions fhould be put into the ground,but thofe that have flouted al- 

 readie, AlfojThat to fet fuch cuttings as be called ShaftSjwhich have no part of the old wood, is 

 not fo profitable; for that in remooving they are in danger to breake whereas they were wry then, 



C Nowjwhen you have gotten fuch fets as bee meet for planting, let them be a foot long at the 

 leafl:,andcarie five or fixe knots, and at this length they cannot pofTibly have fewer than three 

 buds. Moreover, the befl way is prefently to fet them the very fame day that they bee gathered. 

 But in cafe a man be driven to keepe them longbeforc they bee put into the ground,great heed 

 would be taken,according to the rule beforefaid,That they be not laid above ground 5 that they 

 drie not in the Sunnejthat they take no windsnor loofe thdc frefh vigor by cold. And if it chance 

 that they lie out any while in the drie aire^they would belaid to foake in water manydaicstogc* 

 thetjuntill they be refrefhed and looke greene againe^beforethey be fet into the earth. Thcploc 

 or quarter within the nource-gardcn or vineyard, ought to bee wellexpofed to the Sunnc, of a 

 good largencfTejand fufficiently moulded : alfo,it mufl be well digged for three foot broad with 



^ a grubbing double toothed forkc; then mufl you goe deeper and cafi up the earth with a broad 

 fpade or fhovell^after that the fame hath been broken up with a mattocke or yron tooIe,cary ing 

 foure foot in the hcad,fo as the ditch may goe two foot diredly deepe iftto the ground. VVhich 

 done,the ditch is to be cleanfed,and the mould to be fpread abrOad,and not lef tlying raw in that 

 manner, but to take a kind concodion in the weather . And herein mull: the labourer proceed 

 and be ruled by meafure,and trie his wprke thereby : for if the earth be not well delved, it will be 

 foone found out by the uneven balkes otbeds.Therewouldbe ajuf^meafuretaken aifoof the al- 

 lies that lie betweene the beds. All thingsbeing thus prepared, let us come now to the planting 

 of the fets aforefaid, which would be couched either in trenches made of purpofe,or in long fur- 

 rowes J and then the finefl and moft delicate mould that can befound,is to becalt aloft . But all. 



£ this prevaileth not in a leane and hungrie ground, unlefle fatter earth bee laid as a pallet under- 

 neath. Morcover,this is to be looked unto,that twofeis at the leafl be moulded and laid vvithm 

 the earth together in one range : alfo they muflbe fo couched,that they leane with their heads 

 clofe upon the earth next about them : yca,and with one and the fame f^ake the faid earth oUghc 

 to be driven clofe and fafl about them. Over and befides,throughout the whole plot or quartet 

 of this nource-gardcn,regard is to be had,that between every two fets there be a foot & an halfc 

 one way^to wit,in breadth 3 and halfc a foot another way, to wit,forward in length. Thefe plants 

 being thus ordered, after they have grownc to twelve months,they fhould bee then difchargcd 

 of all their burgcons,even to the nethermoi^ knot, unleffe haply it be fparcd and let alone : fo£ 

 fome there be that cut it alfo. After thcfe,commeth forth the matter of the oilets,and fhcw then> 



F felvcs ^ and therewith at the third twelvemonth end the quick-fet root and all is removed to ano- 

 ther place in the vineyard. 



Befides.all this,therc is another pretie and wanton devife,niore curious y wis than needfullitp 

 plant Vines,and namely jafter this manner. Take foure braunches of foure Vines growing to- 

 gether^and beating fundrie kinds of grapes; bind them well and ftrongly together in that part 



whctc 



