Againe if other men and those perhaps your neighbours should out of malice as many do informe your Lord that your Farme were better worth by twentie pounds the yeare than it is whereby the Lord perhaps somewhat too couetous to aduance his own thrift is drawne by their reports to prize it accordingly and hereupon he employeth a man of good sufficiencie both in skill and honestie to suruey it this man vpon the surueying of euerie particular hereof certifieth the Lord in an vpright conscience that this your neighbours information was false and grounded altogether vpon malice and spléene if this then be so as commonly it is it cannot be called terrible dealing in the Surueyor but good and vpright iustice and who then may be iustly said to be a shroade and terrible man this your malitious neighbour or the honest Surueyor And this haue I certainely knowne by experience that vpon surueying of a Manor wherein I haue had power and authoritie from the Lord both to set and sell lands during which time diuers men haue come to me to deale for them by way of hiring and buying wherein I haue found such apparant malice as they would not onely in priuat importune me to outbid each other but also euen publikely and that with great earnestnesse affirme the same and what then should I doe but according to the trust reposed in me informe the Lord thereof and why also should not the Lord without any imputation of racking his Tâ—nants take what willingly is offered him And truly I must néedes say this of most Tenants that by â—eason of this gréedinesse and spléene one against the other of hyring and buying land they are more their owne enemies Tenants are most their own enemies than is either the Surueyor or their Landlord so that hither vnto I sée no shroade or terrible dealing in the Surueyor yet I will not denie but that there may be some such officious men as you speake of who account themselues skilfull Surueyors and who also to win a reputation in the world will séeme to estimate land so immeasurably déere as there is no possibilitie the Lord should euer get that rate for it Others there may also bee who doe value land at so meane a price as the Lord is greatly preiudiced thereby which is a lamentable thing and much detriment commeth to the buyer as seller thereof and great pitie it is that there is no redresse therefore Neither is it possible for a Surueyor to value What belongeth to a skilfull Surueyor lands truly except he know the Tenure Rents Customes Seruices Reprises and haue some vnderstanding in the law and also he must be very iudicious in the qualitie and quantitie of the land or else his error must néedes bee great Therefore I would wish all Surueyors to bee verie carefull in this important matter of Suruey which should with great iudgement indifferencie be managed betwéene the Lord and Tenant And now I trust I haue well satisfied you in these few words Ien. Well Sir I am content for this present to take your spéeches for payment but I trust before we depart to make you confesse your owne shroade and terrible doings Sur. If you can doe that iustly let me then be proclaimed not onely shroade and terrible but also dishonest and treaâ—herous Wood. Master Peregrine our Farmer here is too contentious and cholericke I pray let this idle controuersie be ended vntill some other time and let vs proceede in our former discourse of planting wood Therefore Sir we must entreat you to beare with this honest Farmers imperfection for it is likely hee speaketh according as hee hath found by some such officious men you spake of euen now who haue certified the value and goodnesse of his Farme to be much better than the rent he now payeth and therefore I pray haue patience and let vs continue our subiect of Planting Sur. Most willingly if it will please this angrie Farmer to haue patience and not to interrupt me I will willingly frame my selfe to a peaceable discourse and would be glad to satisfie him in any thing I can and therefore speake fréely if you conceiue any doubt And now to our planting againe Next after you haue thus planted your trées and that they are well and firmely setled in the ground the whole Summer and Winter then towards the Spring you must begin to trimme and husband them which is a speciall helpe and Dressing and husbanding of young trees comfort to young trées for their better prospering if it bee done in conuenient and due time for the more they are trimmed and dressed the more will they prosper and grow and especially the first thrée or foure yeares they must bee most carefully and that twice in the yeare dressed and trimmed somewhat like vnto your Hoppe grounds I meane for the wel husbanding of the mould and howghing vp of the wéeds the not doing whereof would endanger their destruction and that about the middest of Aprill when they begin to put forth their buds and then againe towards the end of Iune and this must be done as néere as you can after some raynie weather and not in hot or drie weather because the earth being then drie and turned downeward towards the rootes it must néeds be that those clods of earth will lye hollow and not close vpon the root so that for want of earth and moisture the plants must of force die which to the contrarie being digged in moist weather the earth will then lye more néerâ— and firme to the root and the water that falleth will the rather more easily enter vnto it which nourishment plants greatly desire And the chiefest labour about young trées that are newly planted is to kéepe the ground cleane from wéedes which if they be suffered to grow they will in such Weeding is necessarie for the Spring sort take away the sappe and heart of the ground from the plants as it will much hinder them from growing to that handsome and full forme as otherwise they would be and perhaps proue to be wind shaken and galled trées by reason they want that good nourishment as they expect and as is daily séene in Hoppe grounds which except they be well and orderly husbanded in opening the hils putting good moulâ— vpon the roots and cleane kept from wéedes you are like to haue but bad Hoppes And so will it proue in these plants that being orderly husbanded as aforesaid in due and seasonable times you shall find the profit double by the encrease of the stemme and branches so that then one of the greatest cares is after their planting especially if they be very young and small plants to kéepe them cleane from wéeds for foure or fiue yeares for if they be choaked or smothered by them how possibly can they prosper Wood. This must néedes be a most excellent course and manner of planting onely that the charge thereof will somewhat dismay men from entring
Surneyors honest men so I would not haue honest and discreete Surueyors condemned but as they are so I leaue them But now againe to our Planting wherein wee haue somewhat though not altogether vnnecessarily digressed I told you before that it is fit to prune â—ong Plants vntill three or foure yeares after they are Planted and also after if you see cause and this pruning must The time to prune yong trees or plants be about March when the cold weather and Frosts are past for if you should prune them in Winter time it would greatly endanger the Plants And you may thus continue pruning of them till towards the middest of Aprill at what time the Bâ—d beginneth to put forth And after they are come to the growth of thrée or foure yeares they must be cut finely and neately with a sharpe hooke or Hatchet in doing which you must vse great care from shaking or loosing the Roote of the Plant and this course of pruning you may vse yearely for a long or short time if need be and many of those little sprigges or boughes so cut off may serue to Plant in other places making choice of the straightest or handsomest among them they may also in time proue faire tall trees And some do write that if you will haue an Oake or any other trée to continue A secret greene all the Summer and Winter you must graft it vpon a Colewort stock which kind of experiment I leaue to the ingenious to practise Pe. Now trust me your discourse of Planting is verie pleasing and happily may proue very profitable and I pray giue me leaue also to adde one other benefit thereunto which is that by this manner of husbandry poore men shall now and then helpe themselues by earning a peny Sur. It is true and they may also when Wood is growne to be more plentiful keep better fires with much lesse cost and your Hedges are like to stand longer Wood. But I pray what circuite or quantitie would you haue this peece of ground to be which should be thus planted Sur. Because it should not séeme tedious or chargeable to yâ— vndertakers of this good worke I would wish it were not aboue eight or ten Acres more or lesse according as the parties ability desire is to haue it that either to be within one hedge or else in seuerall little and conuenient places about the ground for be it great or little when they once begin this worke they will haue as great desire and pleasure in séeing of it kindly to prosper and grow as they haue in their Hoppe grounds or rather much more For though Hops do now then yéeld a good commoditie yet in respect of the continuall great charge of them vncertaintie of the yéere I haue known many a man who haue giuen ouer planting of them which is not so in this course of planting trees for after the first thrée or foure yeares charge and labour there is then no more to be done to them or at least very little but onely a diligent care to bee had in preseruing of what is already well done and which will alwayes remaine to posteritiâ— Ie. I now begin to like your discourse well of Planting trées according as you haue said and I thinke it were also very fit to Plant in Hedgrowes and so quickset euery ditch where already are none or perhaps but thinne Hedges of boughes or bushes for this once well done they would sufficiently strengthen one another hee a great sauing of Wood and also be a Fence to the worlds end and we frée from hauing our Hedges broken downe the repayring of which is daily a charge to vs and many times bréedes much discontent and suite betwéene neighbours Sur. It is true and therefore I maruaile at those Landlords who doe graunt many Estates either for liues or yéeres of their Land doe not condition with such persons to Plant trées and Quickset ditches in connenient places of the Farme so graunted and especially in Champian Countries where Wood is scarce And also it were most necessarie that when the Lord felleth any Timber trées in his Farme or demeane Lands that he doe for euery trée so felled cause to be set thrée or foure yong Plants fit and likely to proue to be Timber in stéede thereof which course would not be sâ— chargeable as profitable For by this meanes also we should haue Wood and Timber perpetually without want Pe. You say well if Tenants would be carefull therein to sée them prosper and for my part I intend to make triall thereof vpon the next Farme which falleth to me But now Sir that you haue thus probably spoken of Planting yong trées I would desire you if you please to begin to speake somewhat of sowing Acornes Chesnuts Béechmast c. For if you speake with that good likelyhood of the one as you haue done of the other I sée no reason to the contrarie if men would apply themselues hereunto and be industrious but that we might in very few yéeres haue the whole Realm sufficiently furnished with Wood to serue our selues and posteritie for euer Sur. No question but it would be so if men would not altogether be so slacke in their owne profit of this nature but that they would bee pleased to plant yearely one hundred or two hundred of young trées more or lesse and that for foure or fiue yeares together in conuenient places about their grounds the charge of which would not be so much as the profit thereof would bee pleasing and commodious they should then bee their owne Iudges to consider whether it were profitable or no to which I will leaue them and will now if you please speake a little of sowing Acornes Chesnuts Béechmaste and Ashen keyes Wood. I pray doe for hetherunto you haue spoken well of planting and I long to heare an end of your opinion in this kind Sur. Sir most willingly and I will now begin to satisfie your desire You must then first let your ground be of a good and fertile soyle neither too wet drie or barren and that it be Preparing of ground for sowing of Acornes seated in a warme place and towards the South Sunne if it may be and let it be wel digged or ploughed as you would doe if it were to set or sâ—w Wheat in and make choise of your Acornes to be ripe but not ouerdrie faultie or corrupted Then must you haue a Firre boord which must haue six or eight reasonable big woodden pinnes fastened in it a foot distant the one from the other of fiue or six ynches long and when you begin to set your séed you must lay this boord vpon the ground and presse it so downe that euery of those pinnes make holes in the ground of that depth the pinnes are long and then let another for more expedition goe along with you to carrie and put the séed into those holes and alwayes when hee hath so done
let him then couer those holes with a little loose earth and you must set them euen and straight by a long line and which must be done in Nouember in the decreasing of the Moone in moist grounds and encreasing of the Moone in drie grounds shee being then in Aries Taurus Cancer Libra Capricorne Aquarius or Pisces and the best time to gather your Acornes for kéeping and sowing of them is in October And after they are thus set in the ground let them then be watered â—uening and 〈◊〉 it conueniently you can and that there be 〈◊〉 thereof And also be carefull that the Birds and Crowes be kept away from eating the seed or yong sprigges which grow vp and these séedes when they are come vp and growne to be trées will bee more high and tall by reason they haue alwaies the full height of their tops than your Plant that is thus set as aforesaid because his top at the setting or planting thereof is cut â—â—f Some men also doe vse to sow Acornes Chesnuts c. as they caâ— it vnder â—urrough with the hand as you do caâ—e and which also is good both which sorts of setting and sâ—wing the Acorne I will leaue to your practise Wood. But I maâ—uaile why you would haue such good ground charge paines bestowed thereon for the planting of your Oake considering that it is not vnknowne to you that aâ—â—â—ll in this as many other Counties of England Trees growing vpon rockie grounds great and â—â—ll Timber trées doe grow and prosper excellent well vpon Rockie grounds and where such Rockes are I would rather haue them employed for those purposes than our good land Sur. The reason why trées grow vpon Rockie grounds as I conceiue is this Your Rockes or Mountaines that bring forth great trées it is to be intended that they are not firme or solide but haue many veines in them where the verie heart and mother of the soyle lyeth and where happily such trées doe chaunce to grow by being either planted or â—owne of Acornes there withâ—â—t all doubt they will as well encrease and fructifie as vpon any other â—oyle whatsoeuer because in thâ—se veines the whole nourishment of the soyle doth more abundantly ascend vp and féede the trée thâ—n it doth in any open fertile grounds And I can giue you an instance thereof by Vines growing along the Riuer of Rhine vpon the sides of Rockes where those countrey people doe more estéeme such a Vine garden both for quantitie goodnesse of the grape than they doe a garden planted in a large and battable ground yet though we sée sâ—me rockâ—e grounds to beare large trées I would not aduise any to bestow much cost in planting them vpon such hard and desperate aduentures though yet not amisse to trie conclusions how or whether they will there prosper or no. Pereg. Sir I commend your reasons why trées doe grow vpon Rockie grounds but your opinion concerning the distance of setting Acornes I cannot approue because you allow but one foot distance betwéene euerie Acorne thus set which I thinke too little by much for considering that when they are growne vp to bee trées the longer they grow the greater they will be so that in the end there will bee no legges to beare these bodies I meane all the ground will be trées Sur. You say well for if there were no larger distance allowed for the setting of them than one square foot the ground indéed would not bee able to beare them therefore as you leaue longstwayes but one foot distance so also sidewayes you shall leaue fiue or six féet which will be distance sufficient and yet notwithstanding that distance if all of them doe not prosper well and grow straight and séemely when they are come vp as perhaps many of them will not doe you may then make a culling of the most vnhandsomest of them from the other of finer and â—eater growth and then those remaining the greater they grow the better they will prosper And this Garden or Nurcerie thus made you may when they are growne to thrée foot high remoue of them how many you please and to what other conuenient place about your ground you thinke fit and begin to remoue them from the change to the full or in the last quarter of the Moone she The best time to remoue young plants being in Taurus or Capricorne and let it be done in September October or Nouember before the rootes grow to be too strong and then being planted they will prosper much the better And when you doe remoue and set these young plants anew if you cut off the toppes and prune them they will prosper the better to beare Maste but if you intend to reserue them for Timber trées then meddle not at all with the toppes of them because they will be more straight séemely and higher for that purpose Ien. This is spoken to great reason for there is no question but if you remoue your young plants to a firtler soyle they will in short time â—reatly aduance themselues in their growth and if we did not in liue sort triumâ—e and dresse our Hoppes by pulling away sprigges and rootes which superfluously grow out of them and also put shéepe into our wheat grounds which grow too ranke to eat it downe wee should haue as bad Hoppes as Corne and little profit should wee haue by either so that this course of husbanding yong plants must néedes be very good Sur. You are likewise to consider to set wéeders on worke that the séedes be not smothered by wéedes nor that the ayre Weeding Sunne or heart of the earth be taken away by them which especially in wet weather will grow apace among the séedes and plants for if these nourishments and comforts doe not fréely come to the séed and tender plants newly set or come vp as I haue alreadie said there is no doubt but that it will endanger the whole Croppe which otherwise by this good meanes and labor of wéeding theâ— wist cause thâ—m to grow and prosper so well as that within short time they will haue the greater power of the wéedes and if there were no such labour in this kind the wéedes would assuredly ouer grow and spoile them and cause them to come vp aâ—â— grow so abortiue and ill fauoured as you would neither find pleasure or profit therein Ien. You say true for as I said before of Hoppes and Corne if they be not in their kinds well pruned husbanded and wéeded in faith we were like to haue poore Croppes and therefore wéeding of these séedes and young sprigges newly come vp must needes be most excellent for their better prospering Sur. These trees and seedes thus let you must be carefull that the ground be well fenced that no manner of cattell The ground fenced may come in for spoyling the Speing and passengers would be kept out because they should not touch or handle thâ—se tender sprigges And this manner of
doe naturally desire a low and moist soile wherin they will grow and prosper much better then in high drie grounds yet the ground néed not be altogether so low and watrie as that which is for Aller Withie Birch and Aspe therefore the best ground which is most agréeable to their condition and wherein they most delight is in valleyes of an indifferent layre neither too drie nor moist for in such warme places they will grow tall and beautifull and that also in short time But howsoeuer if conueniently they cannot bee set in Valleyes they will grow verie well in any fat and moist soyle but by no meanes plant them in any drie or barren ground nor yet in very low watrie places Ien. Yet I haue often séene Ash trées grow vpon high hils and that very well Sur. I graunt that to be so but then it is likely that those hils are somewhat replenished with Springs or else the ground is verie good and then there is no doubt of their prospering though yet not to proue so firme and tough wood by reason of the wind and stormes doe often shake them and the full heat of the Sunne makes them more spault and brittle for vses yet will they be better feathered and longer endure for building as those which grow secure and steadie in temperate and calme places And you may either set Ashen-keyes To set or sow Ashen keyes to haue Plants of them the ground being well husbanded as aforesaid or else young Ashen Plants to be dressed and ordered in like sort as the young Oaken Plants are To plant yong Ashen trees And when your Ashen-keyes are growne vp to bee little trées you may then yearely for two or thrée yeares prune or cut away the superfluous boughes of them but not the top which will cause the trée to prosper excéeding well and to grow high round smooth and strong And as for the Plant within a yeare or two after it is thus set and firmely rooted in the earth at the vsuall time of cutting downe Copies wood you may then if you please also cut downe this Plant or any other kind of Trée thus set hard by the root and it will prosper and put forth againe thrée or foure stemmes which will grow in short time to be good wood for fuell and very tall trées for Timber because then it will haue his full height and top if you let them stand and preserue them well as formerly hath béene spoken And you shall vnderstand At what time and for what vses it is best to fell Ashen wood that the best time to fell Ash wood for the Cooper is when it is about fourtéene or sixtéene yeares growth if you will let it grow vntill about thirtie yeares it is then best for the Whéelewright and Ploughwright and if you let it grow longer it is then best for Timber to build withall and fell it for the foresaid vses in or about Nouember Of the vse of The Oake tree of which there are three sorts this Trée I haue formerly spoken therefore I will procéed to speake somewhat of the Oake of which you shall vnderstand there be thrée sorts Woodward But I pray how are their differences knowne Sur. They are easily knowne for the first of them hath a The first sort bodie very short thicke and large being full of knots and knubs and great spreading roots yet beareth a good quantitie of boughes which are thicke and long growne but commonly not straight The wood of this Oake is good for little else than for the fire because of his short knubbie bole therefore not worth your labour to plant any of this kind The second sort hath a bodie of a reasonable thicknesse and The second sort height of fiue or six fadome long with some few boughes vpon the bodie and more towards the top and those of no great breadth or spreading out and of this kind you may well venture to sow Adornes or plant young Trées because they are reasonable â—all the bodie smooth and without knots and proueth good Timber for many vses of building The third The third sort sort hath somewhat a more small and smooth bodie than the second but very straight comely cleane and neatly growne and about eight or nine fadomes long or more not hauing any boughes on the bodie at all but onely towards the top so that all or most of the nourishment of such a Trée is in the bodie and these sorts of Oakes are held the best for any building and therefore fittest to plant of this kind And also they grow more close and néere together than the others doe nature teaching them by reason of their slendernesse and height the it is best so to grow rather than to stand scattering and open to winds and stormes and be endangered by them All these thrée sorts of Oakes doe beare leaues and Acornes of seuerall bignesses and fashions and it is said that these Trées are of long continuance namely one hundred yeres in growing one hundred yeares to continue good and sound and one hundred yeares in decaying and therefore we must not expect that in sowing of Acornes or planting of young Oakes they will in fortie or fiftie yeres come to be good and indifferent large Timber as Elme Ash and Béech will doe which will grow and put forth more in eight yeares than an Oake will doe in twelue and which commonly are at their best at seuentie or eightie yeares growth but we must with patience expect that our posteritie may haue the profit of such long continuing Trées as we plant and sow which in time they may reape both to their pleasure and profit And all Oakes generally would be planted in a fat good and seasonable ground as I haue alreadie said for according to the nature and qualitie of the soyle be it good indifferent or barren so will your Oake grow and prosper Ien. It is most probable to be so but I pray at what time of the yeare is it best to fell Oake Timber trées as well for the durablenesse of the Timber for building as also to haue profit by the Barke for as I haue heard they must be felled at two seuerall times in the yeare Sur. The best time to fell all manner of Timber trées for building is in December and Ianuarie from the full to the change of the Moone and towards the last quarter she being then in Aquarius and Pisces and then commonly they will The time of felling Oake timber trees as well for building as for Barke neither chinke riue nor grow rotten or be worme eaten for then they are as one may say at a stand from growing by reason they haue little or no sappe in them at that time but all is in the root And to fell Oake Timber trées for Barke the Statute appointeth it to be betwéene the first of Aprill and last of Iune for then the Barke will pill well by
AN OLDE THRIFT NEWLY REVIVED WHEREIN IS DECLARED THE MANNER OF PLANTING PRESERVING AND Husbanding yong Trees of diuers kindes for Timber and Fuell AND OF SOWING ACORNES CHESNVTS BEECH-MAST THE SEEDES OF Elmes Ashen-keyes c. With the Commodities and Discommodities of Inclosing decayed Forrests Commons and waste GROVNDS And also the vse of a small portable Instrument for measuring of Board and the solid content and height of any Tree standing Discoursed in Dialogue betweene a Surueyour Woodward Gentleman and a Farmer Diuided into foure parts by R. C. Tout pour L'Eglise LONDON Printed by W. S. for Richard Moore and are to be sold at his shop in St. Dunstanes Churchyard 1612. To the Nobilitie Gentrie and Yeomanrie of great Britatine IT eyther is or should be the dutie of euery man to inuent publish and act some thing that might benefit his countrey according to which I present to your noble approued and discreet iudgements a willing mind in setting forth that which I assure my selfe if the conclusions heerein be carefully practised will proue most profitable to you and your posteritie for euer The good that I doe heere intend to speake of is an increase of wood in generall which vpon my employment in the late Surueyes and Sales of diuers his Maiesties Copies and Woods wherein I found lamentable scarcitie and exceeding abuses which I feare to be vniuersally as wel ouer the Realme as in the said particular places I then began as dutie â—bound me seriously to consider of such notes which I had obserued in those seruices as well for redresse of misdemeanors as also for planting of wood and preseruing of spring-wood and timber for increase of timber and fuell which I saw in most places too apparantly decay And hauing digested these collections into some forme I then conceiued that the publishing of them might be very beneficiall to the Realme And the rather was I incouraged hereunto because I perceiued such prudent care in the right noble Lord Priuy Seale the Earle of Northampton who most freely endeauoured himselfe to haue the seruice carefully performed as well for the carriage of those whome hee employed in that affaire as also to be respectiue of such who were any manner of waies to bee interessed in that seruice concerning those Surueyes and Sales and also for maintenance and increase of Wood which when I had diligently noted in that Honorable and worthy person I then resolued to diuuâ—ge them abroad And were it not pitie nay more than time that this worke of preseruing or surueying his Maiesties woods being with that graue consent of such worthy Peeres so aduisedly begun should now by inferiour officers be reiected or not carefully coÌ„tinued the present necessitie being so great and markable For if Coale should faile as it is too apparant it beginneth to grow deere and scarce and in many places there is none to be had how then should we doe for this materiall of fuell for doe we thinke that wood alone can beare the brunt to satisfie euery mans chimney assuredly no except it were more plentifull Then must there needs be some speedy means vsed for preuentioÌ„ of felling whole woods of timber and grubbing vp of Copies at pleasure to conuert them into pasture arrable or meadow grounds else in short time this waste and scarcitie will grow to a consummation of the whole which preuention must be as well the execution of the law prouided for such abuses committed to honest and discreet officers by punishing or complaining of such who wilfully offend in this kind as also willing minds to propagate and aduance this most needfull thrift of planting young trees and sowing of their seeds where scarce of wood is for increase of Timber and Fuell both which combined together will in short time make a plentifull haruest I write not these instructions to offend any but as well to please all desirous that all should reape benefit hereby as also to incourage others to take paines hereafter to collect and publish some more ample instructions concerning this subiect wherein if I haue omitted any thing that might fully aduance this Old thrift I craue pardon and doe commend it to your honorable fauorable and husbandlie censures and willing minds to practise Alwaies resting in my seruice friendship and true loue as it will please you to account of him R. Ch. The generall Contents of this Booke 1 THe first part treateth of planting trees of diuers kindes for timber and fuell and of sowing their seedes preparing the ground husbanding and pruning the young plants and trees and of diuers other things 2 The second part discourseth of the commodities and discommodities of inclosing decayed Forrests Commons and waste grounds 3 The third part sheweth the difference of diuers kinds of trees for timber and fuell and such as are most apt to grow and prosper in our clymate and also a discourse concerning some new law to be made for the increase and preseruation of wood 4 And in the fourth part is expressed the vse of a small portable Instrument for measuring of board and the soild content and height of any tree standing OF PLANTING and preseruing for Timber and Fuell THE FIRST PART Which treateth of planting Trees of diuers kinds for Timber and Fuell and of sowing their seedes preparing the ground husbanding and pruning the young Plants and Trees and of diuers other things Surueyor MAster Woodward you are well met I hope you haue now sufficiently digested those doubts concerning woods and wooddie grounds which at our last méeting I was desirous to satisfie you of Woodward Sir I must confesse that since my last conference with you I haue better apprehended that subiect then I did at the first for to tell you true though by Patent I am his Maiesties Woodward in these parts and according to the opinion and vnderstanding of euery man I should not be ignorant in the particulars concerning my office yet so ambitious we are of preferment and gaines as if we can deuise to make a secret commoditie to our selues we thinke we haue vnderstanding sufficient for the executing of the place Suru It séemeth then you little respect either diligence or art in planting and well husbanding of woods and wooddie grounds within your office but all séemeth to be well done by you if it be done with profit to your selfe Wood. Not so M. Surueyor you tax me too farre for though I am content partly by custome and partly I must confesse out of a desire of gaines to make some honest thrift of my office yet notwithstanding though I doe not plant or set young trées I haue a speciall care that none of his Maiesties Timber or Dottard trées be taken or felled but by speciall authoritie and as for vnderwood and Coppies they are so carefully preserued as not any cattell commeth in them vntill fiue or sixe yeares after the fall Sur. If you doe so you doe reasonable well though yet to be blamed for by
thereinto which if it should then we are still like to haue all manner of wood goe downe which at last must néedes make an end of all Sur. I tell you againe the charge is little to be respected in regard of the profit which within thrée or foure yeres men shall apparantly sée come on which short time ended the charge and labour is then past for euer for after the plants be growne to a sufficient height steadinesse in the ground that wéedes bushes cannot ouertop or sway them downe then to the contrarie the young trées so growne the shadow of them will kéepe the Sunne and ayre from the wéedes that they cannot get vp or at least very poorely and if this were but once put in practise by some industrious men and a diligent care had therein as is aforesaid I doe not thinke the contrarie but that the vndertakers thereof would grow more ambitious and iealous in concealing the profit therein than the Marchant who aduentureth great summes of money vpon vncertaine and desperate hazards Ien. Why I pray M. Surueyor is it not daily séene that young trees grow vp and prosper well without such paines and charge and that onely by the naturall nourishment and fruitfulnesse of the ground or climate And if so what then néedes all this paines cost and therefore I should thinke if men will néedes be at cost and charges that sowing of Acornes and other such Timber séedes is much better lesse charge and will grow vp as timely Sur. It is true many plants or young siences or springs grow vp naturally to goodly tall straight trées but where one doth come vp so well without art there doe an hundred perish for it being either ouergrowne by wéedes or bushes or Trees set by art doe grow sooner and better than wild trees eaten and bitten by cattell while they are young and tender or else by some other casuall mischance they miscarrie in this their infancie And for that you thinke sowing of Acornes and other Timber séeds more profitable because lesse chargeable I will presently speake somewhat in approuing your opinion the more fully to satisfie and encourage you others therein for there is no doubt but that they will grow and prosper excellent well and the trée that commeth vp of such séedes doe grow to their full height and top which the plant doth not but yet I hold planting to be more sure and as profitable yet would I not haue men so farre to insist vpon planting as that they should expect that not any should die but this I say that if the ground be well and orderly husbanded and the plant carefully chosen and set in the ground as aforesaid that then in ordinarie vnderstanding not one in a hundred of them will die as experience sheweth it true in many places and particularly in Moorefields at London and to that end I would wish ingenious and willing mindes to make tryall both of the plant set thus by art and the wild trée growing of his owne accord and I make no doubt but that they will confesse with me that the plant thus orderly set will grow more in one yeare and that also more comely than the wild trée will doe in two yeares Pereg. Your discourse is verie pleasing and probably may effect well if it were put in practise and of this you said sufficiently and therefore I thinke there néedeth not any thing else to be done concerning the setting and husbanding of plants Sur. Yes there is yet more to be said and done concerning this practise which I shall now speake of Before then you goe in hand to plant any young trées you are first to consider of two things namely the soyle where you intend to plant Two things to be considered of in planting and the soyle where the plant did formerly grow for if you intend to plant vpon a barren soile and take your plant from a fat soyle that trée will hardly prosper at all but contrariwise if you take your plant from a barren soyle and plant it in a fertile soyle that trée by all likelyhood will in time proue Remouing of trees from a barren soyle to a fat soyle and so of the contrarie large and beautifull for the firtler the ground is the better will the trée thriue and beautifie as well in his verdure as bole and boughes if it be well ordered at the first as is to be séene in euery place where great trées are which sheweth they haue béene well and carefully husbanded And therefore I would aduise that before any doe plant young trées or sow their séedes well to obserue the qualitie and species of the soyle as whether the production or vesture thereof either which now is or formerly hath béene of a comely and large proportion namely bigge bodies large spreading branches and armes smoothly growing and high tapering trées for in such layers one may with excéeding pleasure and comfort aduenture to plant or sow because it is to be expected orderly obseruing the foresaid prescriptions that the habitude or fertilitie of the ground will againe in time produce like growthes And it were also good that at the taking vp of the plant you made a marke vpon it to know which side stood towards the South Sunne because you may also so set it againe and it will prosper so much the better Being thus planted during the first two or thrée yeares their boughes or small sprigges newly shooting out as some are of opinion would gently and better be taken away with the hand because Pruning of young Plants those superfluous twigges doe hinder the growth of the trée rather then to cut them with a knife or any edged toole and in this sort they must be vsed vntill the fourth yere after they are come to that growth then vse altogether an edged toole to prune them withall if you perceiue they spring too thicke and that they hinder each others growth and leaue onely some few of the principall branches in the top and this pruning must be done in March the Moone being in Taurus Virgo or Capricorne Wood. Indéed I like well of this pruning or shredding of trées especially when they grow to some good bignesse of Timber for then the Déere haue their fill of brousing the trée much prospereth and we poore officers make some little commoditie of the remnant of such brouse wood and also now and then for want of sufficient brouse for our fuell we take a poore old doted trée or two to supply our wants Sur. M. Woodward I beléeue you without swearing for vnder the colour for brouse for the Déere you make hauocke of loppes and manie times fell branches or armes of Timber trées wherein my selfe haue séene sixtéene or twentie foot of good Timber in many such loppings wherein indéed you should fell boughes for brousing no bigger than the Déere may well turne ouer with his hornes And further where you
setting Acornes Chesnuts Béechmaste or any other seed for trees may â—â— in voide places wooddie grounds or betwéene â—reâ—s where there is Seed or plants may also be set in void places oâ— in wooddie grounds any rooâ—re or scope sufficient or in Hedgrowes as well as in this appointed and husbanded place made of purpose so that there bee a diligent care had in trimming the ground and well preseruing them afterward Pe. It is very true for we were much better to employ vacant places and Gaâ—les in Springs and woodie grounds and in Hedgrowes to some good profit then to let them liâ— and be nurceries for weedes and trash without any conundditie And surely this course of setting or sowing Acornes is very necessarie for those who dwell in Champian Countries and can hardly come by any Plants either for loue or money and I doe much wonder that men of good woorth and also Farmers Husbandmen where Wood is scarce and also at excessiue prises doe not take this course of setting Acornes Ashen-keyes Withies c. Ie. Sir it is no wonder For men of worth haue commonby a good Spring wheresoeuer they goe I meane their purses are well and thickly set with Crownes so that they may at all times kéepe good firing And as for the poore Tenant I haue giuen a sufficient reason before why he is vnwilling to bestow that labour and cost and M. Surueyour I thanke him dâ—â— approue my reason to be good and honest Sur. In deede you speake to good purpose and I could wish that many Land-lords were better respectiue of their poore Tâ—â—ants aswell for the Land-lords owne profit and honour as for the Tenants better reliefe of himselfe and family Ie. God I giue him thankes that I heare a man of your prefessiâ—â—s so charitably affected towards poore men for I did surely agree with the common opinion you all were great enemies to vs poore Farmers but now vpon better consideration I sée it otherwise But well I pray proceede Sur. A 〈◊〉 might likewise answere you according to common opinion that all Farmers desire to conceale thâ— quantitie qualitie and value of their Farmes from the knowledge of the Lord yet I am not of that opinion but thinke the contrarie that all honest Farmers will truely certifie the Lord the truth of euery the former particulars But leaâ—ing euery man to his own conscience let vs againe returne to the subiect of our discourse The place ground thus fenced and the Spring now growen to ten or twelue yeares of age both pleasure and profit will now begin apace to come on And first for the pleasure thereof it greatly Pleasures of the Spring delighteth the fight with the varietie of his greene and pleasant colours the harmonie and Muâ—â—de of the Birds iâ— pleasant to the eare the Haâ—e and Fore hunted with a kenell of good mouthed Dogges doth also greatly reioyce the spirits and minds of man with an excellent resounding crie fine and pleasant cooling walkes in the heate of Summer are there to be had as well to keepe tâ—â—m from the heate of the Sunne as also to solâ—ce themselues in priuate from being distracted in their other affaires With these pleasures and many more not here spoken of which commeth by planting or sowing of this Wood there may by paraâ—elâ— as many Commoditie of the Spring profitable commodities as namely by putting in of Cattle for at these yeares the Spring is past all danger by being annoyed with their féeding there in the heate of Summer which by reason of the great store of shadow in this Spring the Cattle will feede and like the better and it is also in the Winter time good 〈◊〉 and shelter for them and which also will greatly enrich and battle the ground Then may you at fifteâ—ne or sixteene yeares growth make a fell either of the whole or part of the Spring which happely you may fâ—ll for foure or fiue pounds the Acrs or according as the valuâ— and vent for Wâ—â—d is in that place wher 's it growâ—th and you are also like to haue store of Maste of as many kinds as you â—ew to fat your Swine withall and for other good purposes Wood. The pleasure profit no doubt of such a Spring is very great but I pray what number of Standils for Timber trées are to be left vpon euery Acre at the time of fâ—lling the Spring Sur. As I intend not now to speake of the whole course of the Statutes concerning Wood yet I would bee glad to satisfie you in any thing I can therefore you shall vnderstand that euery Spring so felled the Owners or buyers thereof are bound by Statute to leaue twelue yong Trees commonly called Standils for Timber trees vpon euery Acre which Standils must not be afterward felled vntill they are growen to bee ten ynches square within thrée foote The number of Standils to be left vpon euery Acre of Wood-land of the ground except it bee for needfull vse of repaire in which leauing of Standils I would aduise the feller to haue a speciall care that he maketh choyse of the straightest and neatest growen Standils for that purpose Wood. Your aduise herein is good for as the Plant is so is the Tree like to proue and I perceiue the ground which beareth Wood considering the great pleasure profit Wood-ground as profitable as Corne ground and little charge thereof is little inferiour in commoditie to the ground which is employed in bearing of Corne or Hoppes Sur. You say well but if any difference be in the profit of them I thinke it rather in the Wood-ground especially if it be husbanded and preserued accordingly as I haue said and that the vent for Wood where it groweth be deare For it is true that though the profit of Woods be longer in comming to a mans purse then Corne or Hops are yet in the end it maketh a double recompence because the first three or foure yeares charge once defrayed nature then of it selfe without further charge or labour will abundantly bring forth the Crop which is not so in Corne or Hop grounds because they beare not without continuall charge of Tillage Hop-poles digging and deluing seruants and good husbandrie But now if you please I will begin to draw to an end wherein I haue béene the more prolixe to set downe the course of Planting yong Trées and sowing Acornes as also in speaking somewhat of the pleasure and profit which commeth by Woods to the end that those who are industrious may hereby be the rather encouraged to begin and procéede in this profitable course and let none euer thinke the time large in reaping profit hereby but let them be sorie that they haue lost so much time because they Planted and Sowed no sooner And note that all Timber trées which grow vpon high grounds though they will not be so large Note tall and tough yet will they bee of a more beautifull and
pleasing graine then those which grow in low Valleyes and also it will last and endure longer And as you sow Acorns so must you dâ—e Béeth-mast and Ashen-keyes and as for the maner of sowing and setting of Chesnuts I will hereafter more at large speake of and in the meane time I will onely acquaint you with the difference of some seuerall trées for Timber and what grounds are most apt for them to prosper And also set downe some briefe Rules to take the Sollid content of any Timber-trée standing together with the height thereof performed by a small portable Instrument which is both facill and pleasant and which may be caried in one pocket fitting that purpose THE SECOND PART Discoursing of the Commodities and Discommodities of inclosing decayed Forrests Commons and Wast grounds Peregrine MAster Surueyor you haue formerly spoken so well of planting and sowing in this kind as I long to heare your opinion concerning the differences and qualities of Trées that hereby we might compose of this our Discourse some ample introduction to this your new kind of Husbandrie And the rather most abundantly to aduance this kind of thrift by planting of trées and sowing of their séedes for encrease of Timber and Fuell or rather to haue it linked with a benefit equalling or farre excéeding it in a generall profit I should thinke it not amisse that decayed Taking in of decayed Forests Commons and Wast grounds Forests Commons and Wast grounds might bee taken in and diuided into seuerals with good ditches which should be set with Quickset and also planted with young Trées accordingly as my neighbor Ienings did speake of euen now Ien. Sir your memorie is good and it is true that I spake of quicksetting and planting ditches about a Farme or Demeane grounds but not to haue decaied Forests Commons or Wast grounds inclosed for hereby the King should bee greatly scanted in his pleasure euery man wronged the poore generally be vndone and all would be in an vprore Pereg. That is but as you conceiue it for it is not intended that any Forests should bee inclosed where is store of Game or néere to any place where vsually his Maiestie maketh any progresse for his pleasure but I would haue onely such decayed Forests inclosed which haue few or no Déere in them and which are farre remote from any such his Highnesse places of progresse or pleasure and which also are a charge to his Maiestie by paying officers their fées and yet neither profit or pleasure commeth by them And though this name of inclosing and taking in of Commons and wast grounds be odious to the Communaltie and therefore may séeme dangerous yet if they did rightly apprehend it that as well the rich as the poore might reape a generall good hereby as most assuredly they would no doubt they would vniformely importune that all such decaied Forests Commons and Wast grounds might be taken in Ien. Yea when there is any apparance of such a generall benefit then it is likely they will yéeld thereunto but in my opinion there is neither benefit or conscience to be expected hereby Sur. Nay there you speake somewhat too vnaduisedly for By inclosing of Commons is both benefit conscience by inclosing of Wast grounds there is both benefit and conscience And first in generall for the benefit it conuerteth all such bad and Wast grounds to be good and profitable to all those who haue any interest in such kind of grounds and as for vsing a conscience in this businesse when all thinges are done with indifferencie and conueniencie in allotting with the approbation of the Commoners an equall portion according to their Fréehold Copyhold and Cottage and that at an easie rate I hope then you will confesse there is good conscience vsed therein Wood. Yet by your fauor M. Surueyor this plaine Farmer in my opinion hath spoken honestly for if your Common be taken away how shall the poore Farmer and Cottager liue Or shall they not rather by being thrust out of it both themselues and whole familie liue in extreame penuriâ— and famine Sur. It is true that the poore inhabitants of such a Common would be much impouâ—rished if they should be wholly abridged thereof which God forbid But by inclosing decayed What is intended by inclosing decayed Forests Commons and wast grounds Forests Commons and Wast grounds as I vnderstand by M. Peregrine is wholly intended such communitie that both the rich and the poore should be allotted equall portions thereof according to their Fréehold Copyhold and Cottage the good whereof in euery mans vnderstanding would bee greatly beneficiall and pleasing to all Pereg. It is so for who doubteth that if any such Forest Common or Wast ground were inclosed but that they would plentifully yéeld a treble benefit euery one should The benefit of inclosing wast grounds haue more certaine scope and fréedome to their Farmes Copyholds and Cottages than they had before to sell let or vse them themselues many idle persons would be oftner set on worke and Church liuingâ— would bee excéedingly aduanced Ien. You haue spoken well and briefely in commendation of this vnpleasing worke if euery one would applaud it But Sir because you néerely touch my poore liuing a great profit whereof is in respect of the Common you must giue me leaue as briefely as I can to answer you And therefore 1 The discommodities of inclosing wast grounds first for the treble profit you speake of I thinke the charge considered about Surueying Ditching Quicksetting and Planting this Inclosure and other husbanding of it before it co 〈…〉 th to yéeld any profit and then the not any charge of the other as it lyeth in common and where is a daily profit both compared together I beléeue your treble profit will f 〈…〉 e be cast vp scarce to make you a single sauer And then for the scope and 〈…〉 doâ—â— which they should haue to their Farmes Copyholds and Cottages by this Inclosure that the Owners or Farmers thereof may fell let or vse them at pleasure I 〈◊〉 â—one but the rich Fréeholders shall reape any benefit thereby for as for the Copyholder Farmer and C 〈…〉 r they must still be vnder the protection or hazard of their Lord either to continue the first rent which is vnlikely or else after the expiration of their first taking of them to improue their rents at an extreame rack by which the losse of inclosing this wast ground is then most apparant in paying at the end of that expiration a racked rent for that which they were wont to haue gratis among their other grounds As for idle persons to be vsed in this busines you do well to prouide some employment for them whom you would vndoe by taking away their Commons which when they are once gone you must theÌ„ either set them on worke or else they must be forced to beg or steale and so be in danger of the law so that indeed this is
which by law they cannot iustly who doubteth but that the King may more freely make vse and profit of his owne by inclosing and diuiding as aforesaid Further more Commons that lye open are much subiect to ill weather so as Cattell which graze vpon them are not able to continue there about foure or fiue moneths in the yeare but if once they be made into seueralties they will then become warme and the hedges and walles which do mound them will mightily preserue and defend the Cattell both from wind and weather and which will batten the soile and make the Cattell grow more fat to the great comfort and profit of the owners And would you not thinke it a good and pleasing sight to sée a large decayed Forest or wild and ruinous piece of ground which as it lieth is not worth perhaps sixe pence the Acre to be now inclosed with ditches and quickset and planted with many yong trées of diuers kinds to proue worth eight shillings or ten shillings the Acre What should I say more the Subiects pouertie will be turned into wealth his Royall Maiestie abundantly supported without any burthen or charge to his Subiects and such a flourishing estate will be both to Prince and people as the like will not be parallelled in all Christendome If all this may probably be true which I haue said what hurt or depression is there offered herein to the poore man or could I possibly haue spoken more for his greater benefit Ien. Indeed I must now confesse you haue satisfied mee with better reasons than I did euer heretofore dreame of But yet Sir I pray giue mee leaue a little by the way after all your discourse of inclosing now to fall to disclosing I meane not leuelling or pulling downe of Ditches or Hedges but somewhat more amply to disclose to you the true state and dislike of vs Husband-men and Farmers concerning this point of taking in waste grounds It is true and cannot bee denied that which you say of the benefits of inclosed Counties if they bee compared with champaine and open Counties for which wee need no further proofes than to compare Rent Essex Suffolke Middlesex Hartford-shire Hereford-shire and diuers other Counties and particular places with those of Buckingham Oxford Northampton Cambridge Lincolne Rutland and sundrie others what plentie of all thinges most necessarie for sustenance of life farre aboue other Counties are in those inclosed Counties is so infallible a truth as it cannot be denied and the reason is the agilitie and industrie of man concurring with Gods grace from whence ensueth abundance and plentie of all thinges But hence alas is our miserie when inclosures once bee made straight waies some yea very many mercilesse Landlords that estéeme it best to liue Lordlike doe péecemeale ingrosse and resume such Inclosures and expell their poore tenants leauing them in wofull state either to begge steale or starue This in my opinion is not onely now but still like to be the very Gangrene of Inclosures I must confesse that Ingrossement Resumption the Gangrene of Inclosures we poore Farmers beating Iacke for Itlls fault doe exclaime against Inclosures in which we in my conscience are rather led because of the mischiefe of Resumption which doth most commonly follow it than by any euill that we can iustly find in the Inclosure it selfe For I must fréely confesse that if we could be assured from those two Cankers Ingrossement and Resumption and in equall distribution haue portions in such Inclosures at easie rates and vpon good tearmes as you haue before spoken of neuer was there any thing more wealefully propounded nor a better meanes to frée England from idle Rogues and wandring Beggers of which kind of people some one champaine Countie hath a greater number resident therein than I thinke can be found in any foure of the inclosed Counties And now hauing something disclosed my opinion concerning the inclosing of decayed Forests Commons and Wast grounds in which also great difficultie would be in managing of it by diuiding the seuerals with indifferencie and conueniencie as also to lay out high wayes and conuenient passages for the country I pray if you please procéede in your Discourse where you left Sur. You haue spoken herein as much as possibly can bee said to which alreadie sufficient is answered and for the managing of this businesse there is no difficultie in it at all in giuing good satisfaction to euery one both for conuenient and seuerall Closes as also for commodious highwayes and passages for the good and ease of the countrey as formerly hath béene discoursed of But let vs now close vp this our inclosing Discourse and happily expect by a generall consent and applaud of euery one the practising thereof which in my opinion would be the greatest benefit that hath come to our countrey these many yeares and let vs now againe returne to our Planting Wood. Sir though you haue made a long discourse of inclosing Commons and wast grounds to which argument this our good Farmer Ienings hath added in his opinion the true reasons why it is to be feared and hated of the Communaltie yet it hath béene very pleasing and you haue also conceiued good considerations to approue your opinion and if the actors of this businesse could with that indifferencie manage these affaires accordingly as you haue spoken I sée no cause to the contrarie but that it might be generally desired of all Commoners But yet Master Surueyor there is one One obiection more against Inclosures obstacle more concerning this businesse of inclosing Commons which in my opinion is vnanswerable and that is when the King or any priuate Lord haue graunted Leases to their Tenants who dwell and haue Common sans number in such decayed Forests and Wasts how can this Common be iustly taken in and inclosed Or how can you giue them satisfaction but that their Common sans number shal be abridged and drawne into a stinted number and so their libertie contracted and diminished to their great losse for betwixt finite and infinite there is no proportion What proportion then will you in your Diuision and Inclosures make to him or them who being sans number are sans proportion and who also haue good Leases and the Kings broad Seale for many yeares so to enioy the same Sur. Master Woodward you haue put me to the narrowest pinch that yet I was driuen vnto and I maruaile you did not speake of this difficultie before but suffered me quietly to runne on as though you had béene well satisfied and yet now suddainely doe pull me backe as men doe wilde Colts giuing them a little libertie and with a suddaine ierke giues them a twitch readie to ouerthrow when thinking themselues frée they little expected such a checke Wood. Sir it is true I was content of purpose to let you runne on in your owne conceits vntill I saw you in a manner fully to determine it But for that I sée it concerneth
my poore neighbors so much and generally most Commoners I then thought it fitting to put you to your greatest plunge by this my last refuge and greatest difficultie which if you can deuise to solue or make any probable or satisfactorie answer I will then say you haue brought the matter to an excellent conclusion Sur. Well Sir although this your inâ—ricate point which you haue now moued be of most difficultie yet you shall now perceiue I will easily resolue you of it For it was my An answer to the former obiection chance of late to conferre with a Councellor at law of good vnderstanding and iudgement about this very subiect of graunting Communage by Lease amongst other landes whose opinion was That Tenants who haue such graunts either from the King or any priuat Lord that they must not so farre extend their chalenge of Common sans number in putting on so many Cattell that they must eat vp the whole profit thereof whereby the poorer sort of Commoners should liue in penurie and want But the Law said he doth intend that his Farme considered that is what Cattell is necessarie for Tillage what for manuring his land what for a conuenient number of bréeders of all sorts of Cattell to supply his stocke and what for him to spend in his owne house and other necessaries he shall not be debarred or limited And so you sée that although he shall not be stinted in putting on of Cattell in that order and as aforesaid yet if hee doe excéede that proportion of a reasonable number the rest of the Commoners who haue also Common there sans number as well as he may very iustly endeuour to depresse his oppressions and draw him to a kind of meane and orderly proportion which yet shall liberally serue with respectiue regard as well of his Farme as Rent Wood. Sir I must confesse you haue giyen me very good satisâ—action and most effectually haue you deliuered your opinion herein And truly if euery Tenant might the inferies or contents of his Farme considered with an indifferent or rather liberall allowance beset out Inclosures of decayed Forests Commons and Wast grounds as wee haue spoken of that as well for his Milcâ— Kine young Cattell Oxen and Shéepe as with any pr 〈…〉 ion or reason the rest of his fellow Communers considered might suffice and agrée with the quantitie of his Farme and Rent there were then great probabilitie and hope of effecting what you speake of But alas the sinne of Couetousnesse doth so much possesse these kind of people as they thinke the libertie of their whole Common sans number too little for them and therefore can hardly endure to heare of any abridgement or withdrawing any part thereof when yet vpon proportions cast allowed and ratified at a very easie rate and that for many yeares with a dayly and more encrease of profit together with a liberall proportion allotted them for all the sorts of their Cattell which their Farmes are able to maintaine and beare or that they can any way desire of the Lord and that they also sée a resulting Surplage remaining then happily they may séeme more tractable and willing that any who haue right to such Wast grounds should dispose of them as they please to which I thinke our honest Farmer will agrée Ien. Most willingly for you haue spoken to good purpose And if the Law doe intend that men shall be stinted as I could wish it might be so to put on no more Cattell into a Common than what conueniently their Farmes or Fréehold can beare and maintaine all the yeare many rich Fréeholders in our parish will giue you little thankes for this Item because indéed they greatly ouerlay the Common to the preiudice of the rest of their poore neighbours and they will most assuredly spurne although it be against the pricke Sur. The more are they in danger to offend and hurt themselues for if the Commoners doe combine in an honest and lawfull manner against such abuses they may easily force these rich Fréeholders to a more neighbourly course of Commoning Wood. You say true but leauing this matter of inclosing Wast grounds to men more eminent in the State let vs make an end hereof and proceede in our Discourse of Timber trées Sur. Most willingly and doe submit my opinion herein to all honest and discréet Husbandmen THE THIRD PART Shewing the difference of diuers kinds of Trees for Timber and Fuell and such as are most apt to grow and prosper in our Climate And also a discourse concerning some new law to be made for the encrease and preseruation of Wood. Woodward MAster Surueyor wee lest as I remember about the differences of some seuerall Trées for Timber and what ground is most apt for them to prosper in and also some Rules concerning how to take the content of any Timber trée standing or growing vpon the ground which is a thing that will be much pleasing and helping to vs Woodwards who are none of the ingeniousest men in that facultie but we are onely content to obserue the ordinarie custome of looking to the Wood by presenting at the next Court day or Swanimote Court those who offend by purloyning of Trées hacking of Boughes and Standils and carrying them away But when wee are demaunded how many Tunne Load or square féet of Timber is contained in such a Timber trée which I thinke fit that euerie Woodward should know we must then answere with silence or make some sléeuelesse reply and so passe it ouer to other talke Sur. In déeds I thinke many of you are so skilfull therein as many be who are Surueyours of Counties by Patent for which they haue more fée then knowledge to discharge that Office But it is fit that Woodwards should haue some skill and vnderstanding in the measuring of these Sollid bodies or else how can they sufficiently discharge that trust and credit which is reposed in them when a Warrant is directed to them for the felling and deliuerie of a hundred Tunnes or Loades more or lesse of Timber for repaire of Bridges Parke-pales Houses c. And when perhaps they neuer know how many square féete make a Tunne or Load of Timber nor yet how many Trées they must cause to bee felled to haue as néere as may be the number of Tunnes or Loades specified in their Warrant but cuts downe at an aduenture perhaps ten or twelue Tunne or Load more or lesse then they had Warrant for which is a grosse errour Wood. In déede most of vs haue little or no skill in measuring of Timber trées but as you say we must take them at all aduentures as néere the number specified in our Warrant as we can But I pray Sir are there not men of your profession who passe ouer as grosse and witting errours in Surueying which iustly a man may terme abuses partly as I conceiue out of ignorance and partly out of dishonestie Sur. No doubt there are some such indéede yet
former but only his bad condition in growing neere vnto other trées and commonly it killeth any thing The Pine tree which groweth vnder it which yet the Pine tree doth not but is of a contrarie and more pleasing nature and euery thing doth prosper very well which groweth vnder the shadow thereof which is neither so combersome or thicke but that the Sunne Raine Ayre may sufficiently come to any thing which so groweth Wood. But doe you thinke that Pine trees will grow and prosper in our climate Sur. I must néedes thinke so because I haue seene some grow in England though yet but rarely and the reason perhaps may be of the not well husbanding them at the first in which great care must be vsed yet when they are growne to be trées they are then sufficiently able to endure all hardnesse but being set either of the plant or séed they are then most choice and tender Wood. But I pray what course doe you vse in planting them and in what kind of ground Sur. The soile that chiefly these trées delight in is a sandie light and stonie ground and will thriue very well vpon mountaines and in open ayrie places and they will grow sooner better of the kernell then of a young plant And you must lay the kernels in stéepe thrée or foure daies before you set or sow them and let the ground where you intend to sow them be as carefully husbanded tilled as you would doe if you would sow wheat thereon then put 6 or 7 of them into the earth in one hole together 4 or 5 fingers déep couer thē lightly with loose earth And the best time to sow them is in October or Nouember in warm hot or drie places in cold and wet grounds in February or March and when they are growne vp to be young trees you must be very carefull in remouing any of them because it is long before they will settle and take roote and they will hardly endure to be transplanted without hurt and hinderance to their grouth but yet when you doe remoue of them beware you do not bruze or breake any of the roots espcially the master-roote And it is thought this tree will continue the longer if the barke be now and then taken from it because that vnder the barke wormes doe breed which doe fret and destroy the tree And though you may thinke this disdourse of mine to be more curious then necessarie because there be excellent good lawes alreadie inacted for preseruing the wood yet in respect there do want peculiar officers that should carefully looke thereunto those lawes as many other be are little respected therefore if you please before we end our conference Some new law fit to be thoght of for preseruing of wood let vs a little consider of some points fit to be thought of by our graue and discreete Parliament meant to that ende Per. M. Surueyor you haue made a good motion I pray let vs heare your conceit concerning this point Sur. Sir with all willingnesse I will discouer to you my poore opinion therein which is that euerie Fréeholder or Copiholder of Inheritance holding twentie Acres or vpward of land should be enioyned by a speciall act to be made in that behalfe to plant or sow one Acre of those twentie with Oake Elme Ash Béech or Chesnut c. in Counties that are not wooddie or where little or no wood is growing and to ditch and hedge the same defensably from Cattle and Swine or other destruction Per. You say well but that law would as little be respected as any the rest except it might also be enacted that there should be officers appointed for the due surueying and yearely view of euerie mans performance thereof Sur. That is my meaning for after this little nurcery thus Officers appointed to looke to the preseruation of these little groues made and planted according to the proportion abouesaid that is from twenty Acres to one thousand c. I would then haue the high Constable of euerie Hundred Wapentake or Libertie appointed an officer to looke to the preseruation of these little groues and that twice in the yeare which should be about the Spring and Fall viz. Our Ladie day and Martinmas that the fences be wel maintained the grounds clensed from wéeds all manner of cattle be kept out from annoying and spoiling the tender sprigs for which he should yearely haue fiue pounds to be with equall proportion leuied A yearely allowance to this new Officer through his whole Diuision or Hundred according to their vsuall course and proportion of rates and cessements there vsed in other seruices for the Countie Pereg. But what then should these high Constables do when they find offenders in any point of this planting or preseruing law Sur. I would haue them to kéepe note bookes of al their doings therein and that once in the yeare and at the next Quarter Sessions extract these defaults to the Iustices of The defaults extracted to the Iustices of Peace A fine and penaltie Peace and if they find any offence to impose a fine for that default past and a penaltie for the amendment thereof before a certain day as to their discretions should séem méete and that the same chiefe Constable may haue the leuying of their fines or amercements the profit whereof to be thus diuided into foure equall parts viz. to the Iustices of the Peace one part to the Clerke of the Peace for entring distreating the same another part to the chiefe Constables for collecting them one other part and to the poore of the parish respectiuely the fourth part And that also Articles to be giuē in charge to the Iurie by the same act the Iustices at euery their Sessions may haue power to giue in their charge to the Iurie these following Cautions as parcell of their charge First such who haue not planted or sowed such grounds according to the proportion of Acre or Acres aforesaid with such plants and séeds as the nature and condition of the soile will best agrée withall Secondly such who haue not after their planting or sowing comming vp carefully looked vnto them for their better prospering Thirdly that where such Plants and Trées haue bin set and sowne that vpon their planting or new comming vp of them many or most of them haue miscarried and not prospered and that such haue not againe made a reparation in due season to be about or a little after Michaelmas with other yong Plants of like kind c. And where that many fences bee weake and bad Cattell and Swine breake in and croppe the yong sprigges and roote vp the ground bee strengthened and carefully mended That by these and such like Inquiries presentments may at our Lady day and Martinmas be made by the Iurie of the defaults that they may bee compared with the presentments of the said chiefe Constables who are the Surueyors of these
al waies béene accounted 50 cubicall féete Ie. I had thought there had béene no difference betwéene a tunne and a load of timber and that a load of Timber was as much as sixe or seuen good cart-horses could well draw being laid in a cart were it more or lesse then 40 or 50 square féete But I trust now vpon some practise and consideration of this businesse to doe my selfe and friends good héerein for as I would be loath to abuse any one eyther by selling of more loads or tuns of timber then are in 20 or 30 trees more or lesse so I would willingly haue my due of what I pay for Sur. I am glad that all of you doe so vnderstandingly apprehend what I haue said for which I desire no other recompence but that I may see you willingly to practise as well some part of our yesterdaies discourse of planting and sowing for increase of timber and fuell as also for your owne respects to be perfect in measuring of board and timber of which you haue daily occasion to vse And so if you please let vs now returne about our owne particular affaires Per. Most willingly and we do all thanke you for your great paines héerein A Table of Sines Radius 1000. D 0 10 20 30 40 50 0 0 3 6 9 12 15 1 17 20 23 26 29 32 2 35 38 41 44 47 49 3 52 55 58 61 64 67 4 70 73 76 78 81 84 5 87 90 93 96 99 102 6 105 107 110 113 116 119 7 122 125 128 131 133 136 8 139 142 145 148 151 154 9 156 159 169 165 168 171 10 174 177 179 182 185 188 11 191 194 197 199 202 205 12 208 211 214 216 219 222 13 225 228 231 233 236 230 14 242 248 248 250 253 256 15 259 262 264 267 270 273 16 276 278 281 284 287 290 17 292 295 298 301 303 306 18 309 312 315 317 320 323 19 326 328 331 334 337 339 20 342 345 347 350 353 356 21 358 361 364 367 369 372 22 375 377 380 383 385 388 23 391 393 396 399 401 404 24 407 409 412 415 417 420 25 423 425 428 431 433 436 26 438 441 444 446 449 451 27 454 457 459 462 464 467 28 469 472 475 477 480 482 29 485 487 490 492 495 497 30 500 503 505 508 510 513 31 516 518 520 522 525 527 32 530 532 535 537 540 542 33 545 547 550 552 554 557 34 559 562 564 566 569 571 35 574 576 578 581 582 585 36 588 590 592 595 597 599 37 602 604 606 609 611 613 38 616 618 620 622 625 627 39 629 632 634 636 638 641 40 643 645 647 640 652 654 41 656 658 660 663 665 667 42 669 671 673 676 678 680 43 682 684 686 688 690 692 44 692 697 699 701 70â— 705 45 707 709 711 713 715 717 46 719 721 723 725 727 729 47 731 733 735 737 739 741 48 743 745 747 749 751 753 49 755 757 759 760 762 764 50 766 768 770 772 773 775 51 777 779 781 783 784 786 52 788 790 792 793 795 797 53 799 800 802 804 806 807 54 809 811 812 814 816 817 55 819 821 822 824 826 827 56 829 831 832 834 835 837 57 839 840 842 843 845 847 58 848 850 851 853 854 856 59 857 859 860 863 863 865 D 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 866 867 869 870 872 873 61 875 876 877 878 880 882 62 883 884 886 887 888 890 63 891 892 894 895 896 898 64 899 900 901 903 904 905 65 906 908 909 910 911 912 66 914 915 916 917 918 919 67 921 922 923 924 925 926 68 927 928 929 930 931 933 69 934 935 936 937 938 939 70 940 941 942 943 944 945 71 946 946 947 948 949 950 72 951 952 953 954 955 955 73 956 957 958 959 960 960 74 961 962 963 964 965 965 75 966 967 967 968 969 970 76 970 971 972 972 973 974 77 974 975 976 976 977 978 78 978 979 980 980 981 981 79 982 982 983 983 984 984 80 985 985 986 986 987 987 81 988 988 989 989 989 990 82 990 991 991 991 992 992 83 993 993 993 994 994 994 84 995 995 995 995 996 996 85 996 996 997 997 997 997 86 998 998 998 998 998 998 87 999 999 999 999 999 999 88 999 999 999 1000 1000 1000 89 1000 1000 1000 1000 1000 1000 90 1000     A Table of the Contents of the first Part. FEe-tres vniustly challenged Fol. 4 The abuses of Woodwards ibid The question bid The qualitie of the ground must be considered of for the planting of trees or sowing of their seed 6 Foure sorts of Timber trees growing in England ibid. Oake Elme Ash Beech tree ibid. Chesnut tree 7 Firre tree ibid. Pine tree 8 Ditch and Quickset 9 Ground digged for ridges 10 The best time of planting ibid. The choise and vsing of the plant 11 The ground twice tilled ibid. Tenants are most their owne enemies 13 What belongeth to a skilfull surueyor ibid. Dressing and husbanding of young plants 14 Weeding is necessary for the spring ibid. Trees set by art do grow sooner and better then wilde trees 16 Two things to be considered of in planting 17 Romouing of trees from a barren soile to a fat soile and so of the contrarie ibid. Pruning of yong Plants ibid. Lopping of timber trees doe quite spoile them 18 What is a doted tree 19 The time to prune young trees or plants 21 A secret 22 Preparing of ground for sowing of Acornes 24 Trees growing vpon rockie grounds 25 The best time to remoue young plants 26 Weeding 27 The ground fenced ibid. Seed or plants may also be set in void places or in woddy grouÌ„ds 28 Pleasures of the Spring 29 Commoditie of the Spring ibid. The number of standils to be left vpon euery acre of wood land 30 Wood ground as profitable as corne ground ibid. Note 31 A Table of the contents of the second part TAking in of decayed forrests commons and wast grounds 32 By inclosing of commons is both benfite and conscience 33 What is intended by inclosing decayed Forrests Commons and waste grounds 3â— The benefit of inclosing waste grounds ibid. The discommodities of inclosing wast ground ibid. The discommodities of inclosing wast ground answered and a further benefit thereof expressed 35 Ingrossement and resumption the Gangreene of Inclosures 39 One obiection more against inclosures 40 An answere to the former obiection 41 A Table of the contents of the third part VVHo are most fittest and likely to aduertise any Lord the true estate of his land true estate of his land 47 Two sorts of trees 48 Watery trees land trees ibid. Water trees ibid. Aller trees 49 Planting of Aller trees ibid. Withie trees of which are foure kinds ibid. To plant Withies 50 Note ibid. Biâ—ch tree ibid. Poplar or Aspe tree ibid. Ash tree 51 To set or sow Ashen keyes 52 To plant young Ashen trees ibid. At what time and for what vses it is best to fell Ashen wood 53 The Oke tree of which there are three sorts ibid. The first sort ibid. The second sort ibid. The third sort ibid The time of felling Oake timber trees as well for building as for barke 54 Landlords who let farmes from fiue yeares to fiue yeares are none of the best husbands 55 The Elme tree of which are three sorts 58 Beech tree 59 Hornebeame tree ibid. Maple tree ibid. Crab tree 60 Seruice tree ibid. Ewe tree ibid. Chesnut tree ibid. Chesnuts sowen 61 Chesnuts planted ibid. The best time of planting Chesnuts ibid. Chesnuts steeped in water or milke ibid. The keeping of Chesnuts 62 The Mulberie tree 63 Two sorts of Mulberie trees the one white the other red ibid. Note 64 Wood leaues and fruit of this tree ibid. Walnut tree ibid. Three manner of waies to haue this tree grow 65 To set the Nut to set the plant grafting of it ibid. The profit of the Walnut 66 The Pine tree 67 Some new law fit to be thought for preseruing of wood 68 Officers appointed to looke to the preseruation of these groues ibid. A yearely allowance to this new officer 69 The defaults extracted to the Iustices of peace ibid. A fine and penaltie ibid. Articles to be giuen in charge to the Iurie ibid. Another fine to be imposed 70 A Table of the contents of the fourth part THe description of the Instrument 75 Vpper side lower side outward edge inward edge ibid Lower side 76 Outward edge 77 Inward edge ibid. The vse of the vpper side ibid. What an Angle is 78 To finde the quantitie of an Angle by the Scale 79 To take the height of a tree 80 What a complement is 81 To take a height that is vnaccessable 83 To diuide a circle into any equall parts 86 The vse of the lower side ibid. To diuide a line into any equall parts 87 To measure board 88 To measure board that is tapering 89 To measure square timber 91 To measure timber thâ—â— is tapering 94 To measure round timber 98 To measure round timber that is tapering 100 A Table to shew how many feet inches and parts of inches in length will make a foot of timber the circumference being knowne 101 To know the circumference of a tree at the top and neuer to clime or measure it 104 Number of square feete of timber to a tunne or load of timber 105 A Table of Sines 106. 107. 108. FINIS Place this in Folio 74. and 75.