operation according to this Verse It is receiv'd that Seed of Grapes being sown Bring forth degenerate Clusters or else none But Stocks being grafted prove a faithful Vine Whose pleasing Berries yield a generous Wine There are also great variety of opinions concerning the Digging and Dunging for some would have them to be dugge every Moneth some but three times in a year and that between the Tenth of October and the Tenth of March c. Weeding As for their opinion in Weeding them I shall very well approve of which is if it be found needful to Weed them every Moneth which some do with a Hoone but it is better to pluck them up by the Root for thereby they do somewhat hollow the ground neither are they so apt to grow again The best times to gather grapes And some there be so nice and curious as to observe and take notice in what Signe or Degree the Moon is in when they gather their Grapes and say that the best time to gather them is the Moon being in Cancer Leo Scorpio Capricorn c. But passing by all controversies and varieâ—ies of opinions and large discourses which many have written which if you please you may read at large in their several books of Husbandry now extant as being for the most part taken from authors who have written and approved the same in other Countries CHAP. II VVE will now come to set down a plain easie new yea and the best and surest way that I could ever see or hear of for the planting and bringing up of vines and experienced here in England for many years last past The situation of the vineyards And in the first place give me leave as nigh as I can to describe unto you the situation of our ground or what kind or sort of ground it was the manner of fencing and also how it ought to be ordered and dunged before it be planted and in what fashion it should be laid in First then for the situation it was on the side of a hill which lieth towards the South or South-east-part Secondly as for the sort of ground it was a sort of red earth which is commonly called Marle a little intermingled with sand the other part was sandy and gravilly ground The manner of Fencing Thirdly it was fenced with a wall which may also be done with a bank or pale close Jointed to keep of as much as might be the North North-east and North-west-winds and withall not hindring the force of the Sun but by the reflection to further as much as may be How it ought to be laid before it be Planted Fourthly clearing the place of bushes or any other rubbidge which might otherwise be noxious let it be made even or level either by bringing in of earth or by abating one place to raise another so that it may lie slooping down almost as the flat side of a house and being thus laid dung it with good rotten dung as Oxe or Cow-dung or Hoggs-dung and if your dung be mingled with Sheeps-dung for Dunging good and when sandy ground so much the better also if your ground be more cold pigeons dung is excellent and other dung may be used as you see good which being dung'd we digg a good depth to turn in the dung about October November or Decemb that it may lie all or most part of the winter that so the turffe if any be and the dung may be rot together then when the spring draweth nigh you ought to lay on it a little more good dung being well rotted or rank earth if you think your ground be not ranke enough before and so digg it again which being this dugg and laid even or rather as it were in little berries according to the French fashion as we shall hereafter more at large declare but slooping as I said plant it as is shewn in March CHAP III January The Vine a tree of the Sun THe Vine is a most excellent tree of the Sun which to set down the several names and kinds according to each Country and according to every quality would be a thing beyond my reach to perform besides it would be here altogether needless therefore we shall not trouble you with long tautologies but come to our discourse intended Proining of Vines and the time when First then you may in this month proine your vines but observe that the surest and best way is to stay till the beginning of the next month and then proine them as I shall there declare the first quarter of the moon and the last is held the best time to cut or proine in and by the way observe that if you proine the first year after they be planted it must be done with great care therefore in my opinion it is better to break off some of the leaves and branches and let them alone which is most usual till the second or third year and then warily proine them Best not to proin till the second or third year I say proine your vines in this month if the time be inclining to be seasonable viz. not to much cold winds and black-frosts for it is observed that the earlier in the year a Vine is provided the earlier in the spring it beginneth to budd but afterwards many times comes as I said cold winds and frosts and nips the buds and so spoileth the fruit When to lay open the Roots In this month you may also dig away the mould or earth which some do three times a year from the root of your vine-trees that have born fruit and so mingle it with good rotten dung and lay it too again What Dung is best for your Vines Pigeons dung is excellent mingled with other dung for the same purpose also it is said that Oxe bloud or Horse blood or I suppose the blood of any other beast tempred with Pigeons dung is most excellent to lay to the principal root of any vine the root of the Vine having taken aier a few daies by laying it bare for some say it will make a decaying tree or Vine to bring forth fruit and blossomes fresh also the bloud of beasts tempred with some lime for without lime the bloud ingendreth great store of wormes is said to be excellent to be laid on the roots of vines both to make them bear and also to hasten the ripening of the grapes To hasten the Ripining of the Grapes This is best to be applyed to make them bear in February or March but to hasten the ripening of the grapes apply it in July or August and also any piss or urine put to the root especially in some sort of ground is excellent CHAP. IIII. February The proining of Vines The Proining of Vines THe surest and safest way is not to proine your vines till this month for then the spring draweth nigh and the cold winds and black frosts are almost past which otherwise might nip the
THE Compleat Vineyard OR A most excellent Way FOR THE PLANTING OF VINES Not onely according to the German and French way but also long experimented in England WHEREIN Are set forth the whole circumstances necessary for the Planting a Vineyard viz. The best election of your Soil the scituation thereof the best way for the Planting of your young Plants the best time and manner of Proining both the Stocks and Roots the turning and translation of the ground c. With all other things necessary to the Plant and the fashion of your Wine Presses with the manner of Bruising and Pressing and also how to advance our English Wines never before Printed By William Hughes LONDON Printed by G. M. for W. Crooke at the three Bibles on Fleet Bridge and John Playfere at the White Lion in the Upper Walk of the New Exchange 1665. To the Reader Courteous Reader IT is the saying of the Philosophers that those things are most principally to be taught and maintained which in the Common-wealth are most profitable and necessary according to which opinion if we consider how profitable many acts of Husbandry have been to the Commonwealth I think it necessary that this of Vines should be made publick for as Seneca Cato Varro Columella c. do affirm the Planting of Vineyards have been more gainful then any other act of Husbandry whatsoever And it being manifest that there have been plenty of Vineyards in England heretofore as Mr. Hollinshead in his History of England doth affirm and Cambden in his Chronicle maketh mention and some there are at this day both in Essex and in the West of England as also in Kent which produce great store of excellent good Wine I think it not impertinent to set down a way how we may of our English Grapes purchase a very good Wine and the rather for that I find the same to be both probable and possible not only by Antiquities but also by experience set down by Mr. Barnaby Googe in his Book of Husbandry as also by that inevitable Argument which be draweth from the same latitude of the Pole wherein we are and under which there be found beyond the Seas most fruitful Vineyards and which doth yield both good and pleasant Wines as about Backrach Colin Andernach and divers other places in Germany which hath as he affirmeth and also others the same Latitude and disposition of the Heavens that we have whereby is sufficiently confuted that common received opinion against our Climate that is should not be hot enough for that Plant nay he preveth farther that the wideness to the South is not altogether the cause of good Wines as appeareth in that you have about Orlance great store of good and excellent Wine whereas if you go to Bruges two daeyes journey farther to the South you shall finde a Wine not worth the drinking the like is proved between Paris and Barleduke aend divers other places And here I have just cause to accuse the extream negligence and blockish ignorance of our people who do most unjustly lay their wrongful accusations upon the Soil which truly may be removed on themselves for whereas neither in Pasture or arable ground they look for any great increase without all the due and necessary circumstances of Husbandry be performed to the same yet in Vines onely they expect a plentiful Harvest or else they condemn the Soil although they bestow no other manuring proining or ordering of them but onely cut or proine them in the twelve dayes and that very carelesly and without any due regard or choice had of the branches which should be taken away close to the stock and which should be cut off between the third and fourth joynt and many other observations as we shall hereafter shew in our following discourse Therefore in a word I have just cause as I said both by Travels Discourse and Experience in England and also out of it to be fully perswaded Nay I do know that Plants by continuance of time and good ordering once made familar with our Soil and Climate will produce both full and good Wine This Method in Planting was used by that experienced Gardner M. K. Deceased who for about twenty years practised the same in his own Countrey Germany And about the Year one thousand six hundred thirty two became over into England and from that time until the Year one thousand six hundred fifty eight he practised the same here from whose own mouth I turned it out of High Dutch into English my self having for some years before been an observer of his proceedings and operations and since being abroad in the world have added many observations of my own experience both according to the German French and English practice which if fully and rightly understood is the full and sole discour a necessary for the producing of English Wine which is most natural to our constitutions as I shall hereafter prove Thus Reader I desire thee to excuse the rudeness of the language and the several faults thou meetest with and however accept of my good will who hath not written ad ostentationem I onoly now wish I were present at thy proceedings Vale. William Hughes The Contents CHAP. I. OF the excellency of the Vine Extream heat or extream cold not good for the Vine How to bring Vine plants from beyond Sea Vines to bear the first year Whether the Vine were known before the flood Vineyard more gainful then other Husbandry The divers wayes of dressing of Vines What tree is good and what hurtful to the Vine The height of the Vineyard Vines Of the Grafting of Vines Of weeding the ground The best time to gather Grapes CHAP. II. The siituation of the Vineyard The manner of fencing the Vineyard How the Vineyard ought to be laid before it be planted Of dunging the Vineyard and when good CHAP. III. The Vine a tree of the Sun Proining of Vines and the time when Best not to proine till the second or third Moneth When to lay open the roots of Vines What dung is best for Vines How to hasten the ripning of Grapes CHAP. IV. The proining of Vines Cautions in proining of Vines How to chuse your young plants The time when to gather your young plants CHAP. V. Of proining How to order your young plants to plant in May or June When to water your young plants How the roots of your young plants ought to be left How to replant young plants The best time to plant when At what distance the young plants should be set The French way of planting At what distance the French usually see their plants CHAP. VI. Of weeding your ground CHAP. VII When good to take up your young plants The French way of cutting out plants The time when it is good to break off sulperflnous branches How your Vine are supported and tyed When to take up your young plants CHAP. VIII How to defend the root of the Vines from mush heat and wet When to
water the young plants The time when your Vines begin to flower CHAP. IX Grapes how they ripen best CHAP. X. Observations in gathering your grapes How to preserve the bunches till they are ripe How to know when your grapes are ripe The fashion of your wine-presses How to bruise your grapes the best way Of divers things that belong to bruising your grapes Of the best Juice or Liquor How to make your Claret wine Wine-presses how they are made Another fashion wine-press How to make other sorts of wines as of Rasbes Cherries Curtrans c. CHAP. XI When to gather grapes to keep long How the first and second running is called The manner of pressing What vessels you ought to put your wine in Of the best Cellars Of fermentation How to keep wine from decaying How to help the wine that reboileth When the wine fermenteth Thereason why wine reboileth How to purge wine quickly How to make wine brisk or quick How to make wine more pleasant The best way to help our English wines To help your sharp wine another way CHAP. XII Of weeding your Vineyards Vineyard grapes the best Air a great help to the Vine as also to all other trees How the Germans preserve their Vines in the winter When to cut away the small roots of the Vines CHAP. XIII Of proining Of laying open the roots Of several things to be used to prevent the bleedig Vines CHAP. XIV How to have grapes to grow long upon the Vines How to have them grow long on the Vines another way How to preserve bunches of grapes long Another way to preserve bunches of Grapes How to keep Claret wine or any wine good 9. or 10. years How to separate water from wine How to make spirit of wine How to make good Vinegar How to make Vinegar with your corrnpted wine How to make Verjuice of Grapes THE Compleat Vineyard CHAP. I. The excellency of the Vine AMong all Trees and Plants the Vine by good right challengeth the Sovereignty seeing there is no Plant used in Husbandry more fruitfull and more commodious then it not only for the beautifulness and goodliness of the Fruit but also for the easiness he hath in growing whereby he refuseth not almost any kind of Countrey in the whole world Extream hot or Extream cold not good for the Vine except such as are so extreamly scorched with the burning heat of the Sun or else too extreamly frozen with vehement cold prospering also as well in the plain and Champion Countrey as it doth upon the Mountain and hilly Countrey likewise as well in the stiff and fat ground as in the soft and mellow ground and oftentimes in the leany and lean ground as in the fat and foggy and in the dry as in the moyst and myrie yea and in many places in the very Rocks and gravily ground it groweth most abundantly and most fruitfully but this is for the most part in other Countries as in Germany France Spain c. How to bring Vine Plants from beyond Sea for here we are more choice in the election of our Soil yet the Plants being brought over of what sort you please if you cannot have them in England and with use made familiar with our Climate and ground I know they would prosper in many sorts of this soil The way we used to bring our Plants out of Germany was this At Proining time we cut out as many Plants as we sw good or that we thought we should have need of and filled large and deep Baskets or Tubbs with good earth and so we pat or set in the said Plants almost to the head or toppe and bringing them thus over we order'd them as you are taught in March by which means we were furnished with divers sorts or kinds of excellent Grapes which are prosperous to this day for of thousand of Plants that I have seen ordered and planted as hereafter is shewn there hath scarce any mist growing Vine to bear the first year yea I have known some bear the first year and others the second or third years after they have been planted whereof we have had Wines Whether the Vine were known before the flood Whether the Vine were known or at least in request before the Flood I know not but the first Planter of it after the Flood according to the general opinion or that I read of was Noah and with good reason indeed Vineyard more gainful then other Husbandry for Seneca Cato Varro Collumella c. do affirm the Planting of Vineyards have been more gainful then any other Art of Husbandry whatsoever The divers dressings of Vines These Vines are also very diversly dressed according to the fashion of each Countrey for they are Dressed otherwise in Spain then in Italy neither do they Dress them so in France as in Germany but every Country using his several manner as is best known to them Also there are different ways in Planting or supporting for as Pliny and Collumella teacheth the Vine may be Planted five several ways as some are suffered to run upon the ground or without a stay grow upright or upon an Arbour serving to sit under by a house or Wall side but properly in a Vineyard they have a Stay or Prop set for them and they climbe up by it or run up by a course of stiff props or sustained with four as you see good What tree is good and what is hurtful to the Vine Some will not have them to be sustained by either Nut-tree or Bay-tree c. for that by their Antipathy they spoil the Vine but will have them either supported or sustained by Elme Willow Ash Poplar Figge Olive c. which by their Simpathy do rather cherish the Vine then hurt it Also some will have the body of the Vine to grow not The height of the Vineyard Vines above 5 6 or 7. foot high at the most some nor above 3 or 4. foot others will have all cut away to one Stock or Twigg and that cut within two Joints of the ground As in this so they differ much in the cutting out of their Plants and after in the planting of them or the fashion of placing of them in the ground Of the grafting of Vineyard Some held heretofore Grafting of Vines a good way for the which the best time say they is a warm weather when the winter is past and when the Bud and Rind is naturally moved and it safe from cold the which might annoy both the Stock and Graff for which purpose you must chuse a warm day and no wind or as little as may be should be stirring the Graff must be round and sound not full of Pith but of Buds and of thick Joints the tenant whereof must not exceed three inches and small and even cut the Stock and Cleft must be well closed with Clay and Moss The Poets observed or took notice heretofore of this manner of