know that Roses may as well be sowne from the séede as planted from the roote Syen or branch onely they are the slower in comming vp more tender to nourish and much longer in yéelding forth their flowers yet for satisfaction sake and where necessitie vrgeth if of force or pleasure you must sowe it from the séede you shall chuse a ruffish earth loose and well dunged and you shall cast vp your beds high and narrow the moneth which is fit for their sowing is September and they must be couered not aboue foure fingers déepe they must be defended well all the Winter from frosts and stormes and then they will beare their flowers plentifully all the next Spring following yet this is to be noted that all Roses which rise from the séede simply their flowers will be single like the Eglantine or Cyphanie therefore after your plants are two yéeres olde you must graft one into another as you doe other fruit and that will make them double and thicke also you must remember that those yellow small séedes which are in the midst of the Rose are not true Rose séedes but those which lye hid in the round peare knob vnder the Rose which as soone as the leaues are fallen away will open and shew the séede And thus much touching the sowing of all sorts of Roses which is for experience and knowledge sake onely for indéede the true vse and property of the Rose is to be planted in short slips about fourtéene inches long and the small tassels of the roote cut away they would be set halfe a foote into the ground in the same manner as you set ordinary Quick-set and of like thicknesse rather a little slope-wise then vpright and though some thinke March the best season yet doubtlesse September is much better for hauing the roote confirmed all the Winter they will beare the sooner and better all the Sommer following you must be carefull to plant them in faire weather and as néere as you can vnder shelter as by the sides of walls and such like couert where the Sunne may reflect against them and if they be planted on open beds or borders then you must with Poales and other necessaries support and hold them vp least the winde shake their rootes and hinder their growing The red Rose is not fully so tender as the Damaske neither is it so pleasant in smell nor doubleth his leaues so often yet it is much more Phisicall and oftner vsed in medicine it is likewise fitter to be planted then sowen and the earth in which it most ioyeth would be a little rough or grauelly and the best compasse you can lay vnto it is rubbish or the sweeping of houses the moneths to sowe or plant it in is March or September the time to prune and cut away the superfluous branches is euer the midst of October The white Rose is of lesse smell then the red and will grow in a harder ground his vse is altogether in Phisicke as for sore eyes and such like it will grow into a Trée of some bigge substance and is seldome hurt with frosts stormes or blastings it would likewise be planted from the roote against some high wall either in the moneth of February or March and the oftner you plant and replant it the doubler and larger the flower will be for the earth it much skilleth not because it will grow almost in euery ground onely it delights most in the shadow and would be seldome pruned except you finde many dead branches The Cinamon Rose is for the most part sowen and not planted whence it comes that you shall euer sée the leaues single and little the delicacie thereof being onely in the smell which that you may haue most fragrant and strong you shall take a vessell of earth being full of small holes in the bottome and sides and fill it with the richest earth you can get being made fine and loose then take Damaske Rose séedes which are hard and sound and steepe them foure and twenty houres in Cinamon water I doe not meane the distilled water but faire Conduit water in which good store of Cinamon hath bin stéeped or boyled or milk wherin good store of Cinamon hath bin dissolued and then sow those séedes into the Pot and couer them almost thrée fingers déepe then morning and euening till they appeare aboue the earth water them with that water or milke in which the séedes were stéeped then when they are sprung vp a handfull or more aboue the ground you shall take them vp mould and all and hauing drest a border or bed for the purpose plant them so as they may grow vp against some warme wall or pale and haue the Sunne most part of the day shining vpon them and you shall be sure to haue Roses growing on them whose smell will be wonderfull pleasant as if they had béene spiced with Cinamon and the best season of sowing these is euer in March at high noone day the weather shining faire and the winde most calme Now if you would haue these Roses to grow double which is an Act yet hid from most Gardners you shall 〈◊〉 Michaelmasse take the vppermost parts of the Plants from the first knot and as you graft either Plumme or Apple so graft one into another and couer the heads with earth or clay tempered with Cinamon-water and they will not onely grow double but the smell will be much swéeter and looke how oft you will graft and 〈◊〉 graft them so much more double and double they will proue The Prouince Rose is a delicate flower for the eye more then the nose for his oft grafting abateth his smell but doubleth his leafe so oft that it is wonderfull therefore if you will haue them large and faire you shall take the fairest Damaske Roses you can get and graft them into the red Rose and when they haue shot out many branches then you shall graft each seuerall branch againe with new grafts of another grafted Damaske Rose and thus by grafting graft vpon graft you shall haue as faire and well coloured Prouince Roses as you can wish or desire and thus you may doe either in the Spring or fall at your pleasure but the fall of the leafe is euer helde the best season Now if your Roses chaunce to loose their smels as it all happeneth through these double graftings you shall then plant Garlicke heads at the rootes of your Roses and that will bring the pleasantnesse of their sent vnto them againe Now for your generall obseruations you shall remember that it is good to water your Roses morning and euening till they be gathered you shall rather couet to plant your Roses in a dry ground then a wette you shall giue them much shelter strong support and fresh dung twise at the least euery yeare when the leafe is fallen you shall cutte and prune the branches and when the buds appeare you then begin your
well together then goe to the bedde where you meane to bestow them and hauing newly rackt it to stirre vp the fresh mould with your hand sprinkle and sowe them all ouer the bed so thicke as may be which done with a fine Rake rake the bed gently ouer then taking spare fine mould put it into a ridling Siue and sift it ouer the bed better then two fingers thickenesse and so let it rest thus you shall doe seuerally with euery séede one after another bestowing euery one vpon a seuerall bed Now for your Pot-hearbs which are most generally in vse they be these Endiue and Succorie which delight in moyst ground and will endure the winter Bleete of which there be two kindes Red and White this Hearbe neuer néedeth wéeding and if he be suffered to shed his séed it will hardly euer to be got out of a Garden Then Beets which must be much wéeded for they loâ—â— to liue by themselues and if they grow too thickâ— you may take them vp when they are a finger long in their 〈◊〉 earth and set them in another bed and they will prosper much better Then land Cresses which is both a good Pot-hearbâ— and a good Sallet-Hearbe it loueth shadowie places where the Sunne shineth least and standeth in néed of little dung Then Parcely which of all Hearbs is of most vse it is longest in appearing aboue ground and the elder sâ—â—d is the quicker in growth but not the surer but eyther being once come vp increase naturally and doe hardly euer decay it cannot grow too thicke but as you vse it you must cut off the toppes with your knife and by no meanes pull vp the rootes if it be put into a little pursse and beaten against the ground to bruise it a little before it be sowne it will make it haue a large crisped leafe Then Sauory of which are two kindes the Winter Sauory and Summer both delight in leane ground and are quicke of growth and long lasting Then Time of which are also two kindes the running Time and the Garden Time they delight in fertile ground and from the séede are very slow of growth therefore it is best euer to set them from the â—lip The running Time doth delight in the shadow but the Garden Time in the Sunne Then French Mallowes which will ioy in any ground and are quicke of growth Then Cheruill which will not by any meanes grow with any other Hearbe Then Dill which may be sowne almost in any moneth of the yéere as well as March it endureth all weathers but loueth the warmth best Then Isop â— which in like manner as Time is slow of growth from the séed and therefore â—itter to be set from the slips after it hath once taken roote it encreaseth wonderfully and will hardly be destroyed Then Mints which flourish onely in the Summer time but dye in the Winter it delighteth most in the moyst ground Then Violets the leaues whereof are a good Pot-hearb and the Flowers preserued in close glasse pots with strong Wine-vinegar and Sugar a most excellent Sallet it doth delight to grow high and will grow spéedely eyther from the plant or from the séed Then Basill which would be sowne in the warme weather as at the beginning of May for the séed is tender and when you haue sowne it you shall presse the earth downe vpon it with your féet for the seede can endure no hollownesse if you sowe it at the fall of the Leafe you shall sprinkle the séede with Uinegar and when you water it let the Sunne be at his height Then swéet Marioram which would be sowne on rich ground and farre from Sunneshine for it taketh no delight in his beames Then Marigolds which renew euery moneth and endure the Winter as well as the Summer this Hearbe the oftner you remoue it the bigger it groweth Then Strawberries whose leaues are a good Pot-hearâ—e and the fruit the wholesommeâ—t berry this Hearbe of all other would be set of the plant and not sowne from the séed for the oft changing and remouing of it causeth it to grow bigger and bigger it groweth best vnder the shadowes of other Hearbes but very sufficiently in beds or else where Then Borage and Buglosse both which are of one nature they would be sowne in small quantity for where they take they will runne ouer a whole Garden the séed must be gathered when it is halfe ripe it is so apt to shed and when you gather it you must plucke vp the stalkes leaues all and so laying them one vpon another thrée or foure dayes their own heat will bring the séed to ripenes Then Rosemary which is an Hearbe tender and â—â—â—rious yet of singular vertue it is soone slaine with frost or lightening it will grow plentifully from the séede but much better from the slip it delighteth to be planted against some Wall where it may haue the reâ—lection of the Sunne for to stand vnpropped of himselfe the very shaking of the winde will kill it Then Penyroyall which most properly is vsed to be mixt with Puddings made of the bloud of Beasts Oatmeale of it there be two kindes Male and Female the Male beareth a white flower and the Female a purple it must be sowne in small quantity for it will runne and spread ouer-much ground it delighteth most in moyst earth Then Leekes which would haue a fertile ground and as soone as they be shot vp a good length you shall cut the blades to the polt and then remoue the heads and set them borderwise about your other beds this remouing after the cutting off the blades wil make them grow bigger and prosper better as for thrusting Oyster-shels or Tyle-shreads vnder them to make the heads bigger it is a toy for if the mould be loose and good the Léeke will come to his perfect growth they may be sowne both in March Aprill May and Iune and they may be remoued all Iuly August September and October Then Onions which differ not much from the nature of Léekes they loue a fertile Soyle and would be sowne with the séeds of Sauory when they come vp if they grow too thicke as is often séene you shall plucke vp some and spend them in the Pot and in Sallets to giue the rest more roome and some you shall take vp and replant in other beds which you may preserue for séede those Onionâ— which you would not haue to séede you shall cut off the bâ—ades in the midst that the iuyce may descend downewâ—rd and when you sée the heads of the Onions appearing aboue the earth you shall with your féet tread them into the groundâ— there be some very well experienst Husbands which will take the fayrest goodliest and soundest Onions they can get and in this moneth of March set them thrée fingers déepe in the earth and these
differ not in their ordering from these already declared CHAP. V. Of diuers sorts of Sallet-Hearbes their manner of sowing and ordering AMongst the many numbers of Sallet-Hearbes I thinke it not amisse to beginne first with Lettuce which of all other whose vertue is helde in the leafe is most delicate tender and pleasant the ground then in which it most delighteth is that which is most fertile best laboured and of the finest mould being soft loose and more enclining to moysture then drinesse it may be sowne in any moneth of the yeare from February to Nouember it is very quick of growth and will appeare aboue the earth in foure dayes after the sowing it would at first be sowne thicke and carefully kept with morning and euening watrings if the season be dry but not otherwise after it is growne and faire spread aboue the earth which will be in a moneths space or there-abouts you shall chuse out the fairest and goodliest plants and taking them vp with the earth and all about their rootes replant or remoue them to a new bed of fresh mould and there set them a foote distance one from another and fixe their rootes fast and hard into the ground then couer or presse them downe with Tyle or Slate stones to make them spread and not spring vpward by which meanes the leaues will gather together and cabbadge in a thicke and good order for it is to be vnderstood that the oftner you remoue your Lettuce the fairer and closer they wil cabbage There be diuers which obserue to remoue Lettuce as soone as sixe leaues are sprung aboue the ground but I like better to remoue them when they begin to spindle they are most estéemed in the moneths of Aprill May and Iune for in Iuly they are supposed to carrie in them a poysonous substance Next the Lettuce I preferre the hearbe Spynage which delighteth in a well-dunged earth and may be sowne in Aprill March September or October it would not be mixed with other séedes because it prospereth best alone Sparagus ioyeth in a fertill moist ground the mould being made light which couers it and the ground well dunged the Spring is the best time to sowe it and it must be sowne in long furrowes or trenches made with your finger and not vniuersally spread ouer the bed as other séeds are it loueth moysture but may not endure the wet to lye long vpon it and therefore the beds would a little descend it must not be remoued till the rootes be so feltred together that they hinder the new branches from springing vp which commonly is two yeares Colworts or Cabbadge séede delighteth in any well husbanded handed ground and may be sowen in all sorts and seasons as Lettuce is and must also in the like manner be remoued after the principall leaues are come forth which will make them to gather together and cabbadge the better and as they may be sowen in any season of the yeare so likewise they may be remoued at all seasons likewise except the frost or other vnseasonable weather hinder you and although some men will not allow it to be sowen in clay grounds grauell chalke or sand yet they are deceiued for if the earth be well ordred they will grow plentifully onely you must obserue when you remoue them to let them haue earth roome enough Sage is in Gardens most common because it is most wholesome and though it may be better set from the slip then sowen in the séede yet both will prosper it loueth any well drest ground and may be sowen either in February March September or October it loueth also to grow thick and close together and will of it selfe ouercome most wéedes it asketh not much dung neither too great care 〈◊〉 watring onely it would be oft searched for Toaâ—es and other venemous things will delight to lye vnder it the more Sunne and ayre it hath the better it is Purslane is a most excellent Sallet hearbe and loueth â— fertile soile and though it may be sowen almost in any moneth yet the warmest is the best as Aprill May Iune or Septemb. Buck ashes are an excellent meanure for them and for most Sallet hearbs else but aboue all they loue dry dust and house-swéepings they are apt to shed their séede whence it comes that a ground once possest of them will seldome want them they may also be remoued and will prosper much the better Artychokes loue a fat earth and may be sowen in February or March the Moone encreasing the séedes must not be sowen together but set one by one a good distance asunder they must lye somewhat déepe and be firmely couered yet if you can procure them I rather with you rather to set them from Slips or young Plants then sowe them from the séedes for they doe so naturally loue the earth that you can hardly slip so wast a leafe from an Artychoke as will not take roote if you sowe the séede you must be carefull to wéede and water them well for the first leaues are very tender also if you remoue them after their first springing the fruit will be bigger and better Garlicke is best in September and Nouember to be set from the cloue in about the borders of beds or other séedes halfe a foote one from another and in February March and Aprill to be sowen from the séede it must be ordered as you order Onyon séede it loues not much wet nor extreame drought onely it desires a good mould which is rich and firme yet not too much dunged Raddish loueth a fertile ground that is well dunged chiefly with mans ordure that is déepe trencht and hath an easie and light mould and the séedes would be placed either in rowes or about the borders of beds as you doe Garlicke the manner of sowing it is with a dibble or round sticke to make a hole into the ground almost a foote déepe and then into that hole to put not aboue two séedes at the most and then close the hole vp againe and let the holes be foure fingers one from another it may be sowen in most months of the yéere if the frost hinder not and to make the roote large tender and to kéepe the branch from séeding you shall as it springs crop off the principall leaues which grow against the heart of the root to tread them downe into the earth after they haue fast roote is good also Nauew if the earth haue any small goodnesse in it will grow plentifully neither is offended with any ayre onely the mould would be loose and rough for otherwise it many times turneth to Rape the séede naturally commeth vp very thicke therefore it is expedient to remoue them and plant them thinner for that best preserueth their natures they may be sowne in February March Aprill September or October Parsneps or Carrets are of one and the selfe nature they delight in a good
of the soyle assures him so also he shall better confirme by these fewe signes and Charracters which I will deliuer as first if he sée grasse flow of growth and that no Spring will appeare before May. If in stead of Clouer grasse Dandylion and Honisuckle you sée your ground furnished with Penigrasse Bents and Burnet If you sée much Knot-grasse or Speare-grasse or if you perceiue the scorching of the Sunne burne away the grasse as fast as the raine had brought it forth or if you finde quarries of stone néere vnto the vpper swarth of grasse or if your ground bring forth Lyng Bracken Gorse Whynnes Broome Bilburie or Strawburie or if your ground be morish full of quick-myers mossie or full of blacke Flint any of these signes make it to be most apparant that the soyle is barraine and of hard encrease And then as before I said it is the Husbandmans first office to prouide for the bettering and perfecting of his earth which he shall doe in this sort First if he perceiue that the barrainnesse of his ground procéedes from want of good Plants as from want of Clouer-grasse Dandylion Honisuckle Cowslop and other swéet flowers then he shall repaire into the fruitfull Countries and there buy the hay séedes and swéepings of hay-barne-flowers which he shall euery Spring and fall of the leafe sowe as thin as may be vpon such Pastures as he shall either lay for meddow or preserue for the latter Spring after Michaelmas But if he respect not the goodnesse of grasse but the abundance of grasse as those husbands doe which liue in or about great Cities then he shall dung those grounds which he will lay for meddow at Candlemasse or those which he will graze or eate in the first beginning of the Spring at Michaelmasse before with the oldest and rottennest meanure he can get of which the best is the rotten staddell or bottomes of Hay-stackes or for want of it the meanure of horse-stables swéepings and scowrings of yards and barnes the mudde of olde ditches or else good Oxe or Cow meanure any of which will bring forth abundance of grasse Yet thus much I must aduertise the Husbandman that this meanuring of Pasture grounds carries with it diuers imperfections for though it occasion abundance of grasse to growe yet the meddow or hay which comes thereof is so ranke loggie and fulsome in tast that a beast taketh no ioy to eate thereof more then to holde very life and soule together Also the grasse thus meanure which you intend to graze or eate with your Cattell is by meanes of the meanure so loose at the roote that Cattell as they bite plucke vp both the grasse roote and all which being of strong ranke sent in the mouth of a beast maketh him loathe and cast it out againe and so not striue to eate to be fat but onely to maintaine life Now if your Spring be slow and late in the yéere before your grasse will appeare aboue ground it is méete then that you enclose your ground and not only maintaine the fences with high and thicke Quick-sets but also with tall Timber-trées whose shade and strength may defend many colde blasts from the earth and adde vnto it a more naturall warmenesse then it had before for it is onely the coldnesse of the soyle which makes the grasse long before it grow Also in this case it is méete that you lay as the husbandman tearmes it all such Pasture as you intend to graze at the spring following in Nouember before so not being bitten from that time till Aprill following no doubt but your spring will be both good and forward There be others which helpe their slow springing grounds by stocking them in the latter end of the yéere with great abundance of shéepe who although they bite néere to the ground and leaue little grasse behinde them yet they so tread and meanure it with their hot meanure that it will spring after it commeth to rest much more early and faster then it was wont So that to conclude in a word to make a barren ground spring earely is to kéepe it warme let it 〈◊〉 long rest and meanure it well with Shéepe If your ground be troubled with Knot-grasse or Speare-grasse it is a signe of too much colde moysture in the earth and in this case you shall with a great common Plough made for such a purpose turne vp great furrowes through your ground and make them so descend and fall one into another that not onely the moysture bred in the earth but that which falls vpon the earth may haue a swift passage from the same and so your soyle being drayned and kept dry all those wéedy kindes of grasse will soone perish If your ground be subiect to the scorching or burning of the Sunne then you shall vnderstand that it is directly contrary to the last soyle we spake of for as that by too much moysture is made barraine by colde so this by too much want of moysture is made barraine with heate wherefore the Husbandman shall in this case draw all his draynes to bring moysture into his ground which sometimes watring and sometimes ouer-flowing the same will in the end bring it to a reasonable fertility for it is a rule that where there may be ouerflowes there can seldome be any hurt by Sunne-burning vnlesse that such soyles be vpon Limestone ground or néere vnto other quarries of hard stone which lying néere vnto the vpper swarth of the grasse doth so burne the roote that the vpper branches cannot prosper In this case the bringing in of water doth rather hurt then good wherefore your best course is partly by your owne industry and partly by the labours of others who are traded in such commodities to let forth your ground to Stone-diggers or Lime-makers who digging the quarries out of the earth and then filling vp the emptie places with rubbish and other earth the soyle will in short space become as fruitfull as any other for it is onely the want of taking roote or the burning vp of the roote which makes this kinde of earth barraine Now if your ground bring forth Ling Braken Gorse Whinnes or such like you shall pare off the vpper swarth of the earth and lay it in the Sunne to dry in the height or heate of Sommer and being throughly dried you shall lay them in round hollow heapes one sod ouer another then putting fire vnto them burne them into ashes which done spread the ashes like a meanure ouer all the ground and you shall sée those wéedes will no more spring or grow in that ground If your ground be morish or full of quicke myers you shall then by small draynes or trenches draw 〈◊〉 the water and turne it into some lower ditch or 〈◊〉 and so bringing the ground to a stability or firmenesse there is no doubt but fruitfulnesse will presently follow after
of all other bring forth the purest and best séede for which purpose onely they are preserued as soone as your séed-Onions are knotted you shall vnderproppe them with square cradles made of stickes least the waight of the boules which carry the séede should breake the blades The time of gathering your séede is when it is all turned purely blacke and the time of gathering the Onions is when the heads doe forsake the earth after they be gathered you shall lay them on a dry floore for a fortnight or more and then binde them vp in ropes and hang them where they may haue the ayre of the fire onely note that shall gather your Onions in the increase of the Moone as they were sowne and not otherwise Many other Pot-hearbs there be which for as much as they differ nothing eyther in sowing planting or ordering from these which I haue rehearsed I will héere omit them and thinke this sufficient touching the sowing and ordering of all manner of Pot-hearbs CHAP. IIII. Of the sowing of certaine Hearbs which are to be eaten but especially are medicinall yet euer in the Husbandmans Garden OF Hearbes which are medicinall I will begin with Arage â— or Orache which being colde and moyst is very excellent against the hot Goâ—t it is to be sowne in any moneth from February till December it loueth much moisture and therefore must be oft watered it must be sowne excéeding thinne and quickly couered for the ayre is offensiue Next it is Lumbardy Loueage which being 〈…〉 dry is very purgatiue it desireth a very fruitfull 〈◊〉 but if it be sowne where it may haue much 〈…〉 some shelter accompanied with moysture it will 〈…〉 any ground the moneths for sowing thereof is 〈◊〉 the midst of February till Haruest Fennell is also hot and dry and it comforteth the stomacke openeth the inward vessels and helpeth disgestion it may be sowne in any moneth and vpon any indifferent ground especially if it be a little stony the séede would not be very old though of all other it be the longest laâ—ter Anise is hot and dry it dissolueth humors and obstructions and is very comfortable to weake stomacks it delighteth in a good and loose mould and is to be sowne in the height of the Spring onely Comin is of the nature of Anise and Fennell and mixt with either is very soueraine against all inward sicknesses procéeding from cold it loueth a fruitfull rich earth much warmth and therfore the later it is sowne in the Spring it is so much the better and aboue all things it would be sowne in the hottest time of the day if it be mixed with other séeds it is so much the better and appeareth the sooner Coliander is of the nature of the earth cold dry it helps disgestion suppresseth vapours which offend the braine it may be sowne vpon any indifferent ground in any month except December and Ianuary the elder the séedes are the better so they be sound and they desire much watering Rue or Hearb-grace is hot and dry is very soueraigne against all inward infection putrifactions and impostumations it ioyeth in any reasonable ground so it grow warme and dry the moneths fittest for the sowing thereof is March Aprill or May and the mould would be firme and not subiect to ryuing whence it procéedes that no meanure is so good for the encrease thereof as horse-dung and ashes mixt together the beds would be made high discending that no moysture may stay thereon they must be carefully wéeded for in their first growth otherwise they are soone choaked Organie is hot and dry and excellent against any sicknesse of the liuer the ground in which it most ioyeth would be a little stonie and full of rubbish yet by no meanes vndunged the moneth fittest for the sowing thereof is March and September the Moone being in Libra or any other moist signe it must be continually watred till it appearâ— aboue the earth but after forborne for being once well fixed it is euer certaine White Poppy is cold and moyst and much prouoketh sléepe it delights to be sowne in a rich warme dry ground in the moneths of March September or Nouember Germander is hot and dry and excellent against the Kings euill obstructions of the Spléene and hardnesse of Urine it is a hard hearbe and will prosper in any ground it is to be sowne either in the spring or fall of the leafe and is most comly for the setting forth of knots in Gardens Cardus Benedictus or the blessed Thistell is hot and dry it is very soueraine against most inward sicknesses stancheth blood and is a great comforter of the braine it delighteth in a rich ground and a loose well tempered mould it must be sowne very shallow and not couered aboue two inches déepe the first quarter of the Moone is best to sowe it in and in the moneths of March May or September if you sowe a little fine flaxen Wheat with it no doubt but it will prosper the better Angellica is hot and dry it openeth and dissolueth obstructions is an excellent cordiall against poyson and all infections it helpeth the collicke and cureth the biting of madde dogges or venemous beasts it loueth a fruitfull dry mould but may not indure the trouble of wéedes it is to be sowne in March or Aprill it flourisheth in Iuly August it hath a swéet odour and helpeth all euill infected ayres Valerian is hot dry and preuenteth infection it helpeth stitches and other griefes procéeding from windy causes it loueth to grow in moist and low places the ground being well meanured and fill it be shot at least a handfull high it must be kept with continuall watring the 〈…〉 of the yéere is the best to sowe it in Elecampana is hot and moyst and good for offences in the lungs or any outward ioynt being troubled with paine procéeding from colde it is better much to be set thâ—â— sowne yet notwithstanding it may safely enough be sowne at any time after mid-March the ground being richâ— soft and loose and the séede strowed very thinne and â—t least two fingers distance one from another Pepperwort is hot and drye yet of the two much more hot it is good against all kinde of aches and other paine in the ioynts or sinewes it delighteth in a rich blacke Soyle fat and loose it would be sowne in February and remoued in September Philipendula is very hot and dry and is good against abortiue births Stone Strangury or any griefe procéeding from colde causes it may be sowne in any barraine stony or grauelly Soyle in the months of May Aprill or September it neither desireth much wéeding nor much watering but being once committed to the ground appeareth sodainely and thus much of those Hearbes which are fit for Medicine of which though there be many others yet they
Plants they haue cropt and hauing spied them with his wood Bill presently cut the Plants so brouzed close by the bottomes of the last shuts and then they will newly put forth againe as well as if they had neuer béene hindred which done he shall finde out where the cattell brake in and then mend the same so well and sufficiently that it may preuent the like mischiefe Also if these young springs shall stand néere vnto Forrests or elder Woods which are full of wilde Deare and be no purfewes belonging vnto the same the Woodward then shall neuer walke without a little dogge following him with which he shall chase such Deare out of his young springs because it is to be vnderstood that the brouzing of Deare is as hurtfull to young wood as that of any other cattell whatsoeuer And thus much touching the ordering and gouernment of vnder-woods with their sales and the nourishing vp of greater Timber CHAP. III. Of High-Woods and their Plantation HIgh Woods are those which containe onely Trées for Timber and are not pestred or imbraced with the vnder growth of small brush wood such as Hazels White-thorne Sallowes and Poplar are these for the most part consist of Oakes Ash Elme Béech Maple and such like growing so remote and seperate one from another that although their tops and branches méete and as it were infolde one within another yet at the rootes a man may walke or ride about them without trouble These high Woods had their first beginnings from the séede as was before declared and nourisht from age to age amongst the vnder-woods which when men began to want foode for their bréede-Cattell and that from the super-abundance of young Woods they found some might conueniently be spared they forth-with in stead of cutting downe their young wood aboue the earth began to digge it vp by the rootes and with stubbe Axes to teare the meane sinewes from the ground so that it might not renew or encrease againe and then leuelling the earth and laying it smooth and plaine to leaue nothing standing but the tall Timber trées betwéene which the grasse had more libertie to growe and Cattell more abundance to féede on and all be not so long and well able to fill the mouth as that which growes in the thicke springs yet much more swéet and better able to nourish any thing that shall graze vpon the same by reason that the Sunne and Frosts hauing more frée power to enter into the ground the earth is so much the better seasoned and bringeth forth her encrease with more swéetnesse Some are of opinion that these high Woods may as well be planted as sowne and that many of them from the first beginning haue béene so to which opinion I consent in part for doubtlesse I am perswaded that many small Groues of Ash Elme Béech and Poplar haue béene planted for we sée in our daily experience and the new walkes in More-fields by London are a perfect testimonie that such Plantations may be without trouble or danger but for the Oake to be taken vp and replanted is very hard and very seldome in vse neither shall a man in an whole Age sée any Oake remoued come to perfecâ—â—on or goodnesse but growe crooked knottie and at the best but for the vse of fewell onely but for the other before rehearsed you may remoue them when they are a dozen yeares of age and plant them where you please and if the earth haue in it any goodnesse at all they will take rest and grow both spéedily and plentifully And since I am thus farre entred into the plantation of Woods I will shew you how you shall plant and remoue euery Trée in his due manner and season And first for the planting of the Elme which is an excellent Trée for shadow and the adorning of walkes or dwelling houses you shall make choise of those Plants which are straightest soundest the barke euen and vâ—twound and at least eightéene or twenty inches in compasse these you shall digge out of the ground roote and all then at the top of the head about thrée fingers vnder the knot where the maine armes seuerally issue forth you shall a little slope-wise cut the head cleane off them and mixing clay and a little horse-dung or fine ashes together couer the head round about there-with then ouer the same wrap Moâ—se or fine Hay and binde it about with faâ—t clouen Oziers or some such like bands then with a sharpe pruning Bill cut euery seuerall branch of the roote withâ—â— a finger or two of the stocke which done and the roote pickt cleane you shall make a hole to be digged in the place where you meane to plant the Elme iust of that depth the hole was from whence you digged out the Elme that so much and no more of the Elme may be hidden in the earth then was formerly at his remouing and this hole you shall make spacious and easie and that the mould be soft and loose both vnderneath and round about the roote of the Elme which done you shall place your Elme in the same straight and vpright without either swaruing one way or other which for your better certaintie you may proue either with plumbe leuell or other instrument which being perfected you shall with rich fresh mould well mixt with olde meanure couer and ram the same fast in the earth in such sort that no reasonable strength may moue or shake it and all this worke must be done in the encrease of the Moone either in the moneth of October or at the latter end of Ianuary but the latter end of Ianuarie is euer helde the best and safest for there is no question but you shall sée flourishing Trées the next Summer after and in this sort you may likewise remoue either Béech Witcher or Popler bestowing them either in Groues Walkes Hedge-rowes or other places of shadow as shall séeme best to your contentment for their natures being alike their growthes and flourishings haue little difference Now for the replanting or remouing the Ash though not much yet there is some difference for it is not at the first so spéedie a putter forth and flourisher as the others be but for the first yeare laboureth more to bestow and fixe his roote in the earth then to spread forth his vpper branches and although some Woodwards are of opinion that so much as the Ash is aboue the ground so much hée will be vnder before he begin to flourish outwardly yet experience doth find it erronious for though it be for the first yéere a little flower then other Trées yet when it beginneth to flourish it will ouer-take the spéediest grower Therefore when you do intend to plant Ashes for a spéedy profit you shall not according to the olde custome chuse the smooth small long Plants which are hardly thrée inches in compasse and haue put out hardly any branches and are such as grow from the rootes of elder
pruning that then although it grow thicke at the top yet it will decay and grow so thinne at the bottome that not onely beasts but men may runne through it and in the end it will dye and come to nothing which to preuent it shall be good once in seauen or eight yéeres to plash and lay all your Quick-set hedges in which there is much fine Art and cunning to be vsed For this plashing is a halfe cutting or deuiding of the quicke growth almost to the outward barke and then laying it orderly in a sloape manner as you sée a cunning hedger lay a dead hedge and then with the smaller and more plyant branches to wreathe and binde in the tops making a fence as strong as a wall for the roofe which is more then halfe cut in sunder putting forth new branches which runne and entangle themselues amongst the olde stockes doe so thicken and fortifie the hedge that it is against the force of beasts impregnable Now to giue you some light how you shall plash a hedge though diuers Countries differ diuersly in those workes yet as néere as I can I will shew you that which of the best Husbandmen is the best estéemed First for the time of yéere either February or October is passing good and the encrease of the Moone would likewise be obserued For the tooles which you shall imploy they would be a very sharpe nimble Hatchet a good Bill and a fine pruning knife Now for the worke you shall enter into it first with your Bill you shall cut away all the superfluous boughes and branches which are of no vse or hinder your worke and then finding the principall stemmes which issue from the maine roote you shall within a foote or lesse of the ground with your Hatchet cut the same more then thrée quarters through so as they may hang together by nothing but the outward barke and some part of the outward sap and this stroke must euer be sloape-wise and downeward then take those mayne bodies of the 〈◊〉 set so cut and lay them sloape-wise from you as you would lay a dead hedge and all the branches which extend from those bodies and would spread outwardly you shall likewise cut as before said and fould them 〈…〉 into your head and euer within a yard or two distance where a pretie Plant growes straight vp you shall onely cut off the top equall with the height of your hedge and so let it stand as a stake about which you shall folde and twind all your other branches Now when you come to the top of the hedge which would commonly not be aboue fiue foote high you shall take the longest youngest and most plyant boughes and cutting them as afore-said gently binde in the tops of all the rest and so make your hedge strong and perfect and herein is to be noted that the â—â—eser and thicker you lay your hedge so there be nothing in it superfluous the stronger and better lasting it will be Many vse not to binde in the tops of their plasht hedgeâ— but onely to lay the Quick-set and no more but it is not so husbandly neither is the hedge of any indurance many other curiosities there be in the plashing of hedges but this which I haue alreadie shewed is sufficient both for the Husbandmans benefit and vnderstanding The profit which ariseth from this labour is the maintenance and defence of fencing the preseruing and encrease of Quick-set and a continuance of amitie amongst neighbours when one liues frée from offending another It yéeldeth a good Mast for Swine and with the ouer-plus thereof at these times of plashings repaireth all a mans dead hedges and brings good store of fewell both to the Brewhouse Kitchin and Backhouse Next to the plashing is the lopping of Timber-Trées which in those Countries which are bare and naked of wood is of much vse and though I cannot much commend it because it oft marreth the bodies of Trées yet I must allow it for necessary because it is a néedfull rate which the Trées pay to their Planters This lopping or heading of Trées is the cutting off of the armes and vppermost branches of Trées and suffering the body to grow still and it may very well be done once in eight or tenne yéeres either at the beginning of the Spring or at the end of the Fall as you shall haue occasion to vse the wood and immediately after the Moone hath new changed Now for the manner of the worke there is small curiositie to be vsed therein if your Axe be good and sharpe for you shall but cut off the armes and boughes smooth and cleane without nickes rifts or gutters or any thing which may receiue wet whereby the Trée maybe cankred and spoyled Also in cutting away of the armes you shall haue a great care rather to cut them away if it be possible vpward then downeward least when you cut them downeward the waight of the arme sodainly falling downe riue and teare the barke of the body of the Trée which is dangerous and hath béene the spoyle of much Timber which to preuent you shall euer before you strike any blowe aboue make a good large nicke vnderneath and then after cut it downe from aboue and so the Trée shall receiue no hurt Also you shall obserue to cut the armes close by the body of the Trée and neuer to desist till you haue made the place as playne and smooth as may be for to doe the contrarie is neyther workmanly nor the part of any good husband And thus much touching the plashing of Hedges and lopping of Trées CHAP. VII Of Pasture grounds their order profit and generall vse HAuing alreadie sufficiently entreated of errable Grounds Gardens Orchards and Woods of all kindes I thinke it most méete as falling in his due place here to write of Pasture grounds which are of two kindes the first such Pastures as lye in wood land mountainous or colde climes and are enclined to hardnesse and barrennesse and therefore onely imployed to the bréeding and bringing forth of Cattell the other such as lye in lowe warme and fruitfull soyles and are most fertile and aboundant in encrease onely imployed to the fatting and féeding of Cattell And now to speake of the first sort of Pasture which being some-what barraine is preserued for bréeding you shall vnderstand that it is generally dispierced ouer all this Kingdome and particularly into euery Countrey for according to the veanes and mixture of the earth such is either the richnesse or pouerty of the same and of those seuerall mixtures I haue spoken sufficiently before in that part of this Booke which entreateth of errable ground Then to procéede to my purpose it is the first office of the Husbandman when he séeth and knoweth the true nature of his earth and perceiueth from perfect iudgement that it is of very hard encrease which as the temper and mixture