it in charge especially at the last Parliament that some course might be taken for the planting and preseruing of woods which assuredly as I haue heard was intended at the last sitting in Parliament the which cannot be vnknowne to such as daily stocke and stubbe vp woods neither respecting the displeasure of his Maiesty nor the breach of the Lawes in that case prouided In euery countrey wood is daily stubbed vp especially within twenty miles of London where wood is pretious and too deare for the poorer sort by meanes thereof they are constrained to breake hedges to the great decaying of wood and to the grieuance of euery man that hath woods hedges and to their great charge which I finde generally complained of and daily more and more wil be complained of for say the poore Though they want victualls that is too deare for them to get by their honest labour yet will they not perish for want of fire so long as it is to be gotten The best remedy for the same is a generall Plantation whereby no one man may feele the losse that some few do that plant for as they plant the one day the poore plucke or cut them vp the next day if not the same night Which if all men should be constrained to plant it would be as it is in Worcester shire with fruit where the plentie is so great as the stealing of some few is neuer missed Euen so would it be by the generall planting of wood and in time be growne so cheape as the poore would rather choose to buy then steale it Also the making of yron and glasse hath beene and is the greatest decay of wood notwithstanding yron was neuer so ill nor neuer so deare as it is at this instant by the halfe before so great store was made in this kingdome by all likelihood is likely to grow dearer the reasons why it is so deare are especially two the one in respect that wood is so worne out as many are constrained to giue ouer the making therof which want may be supplied by the meanes following namely out of hedges by lop-wood which will approuedly make as good char-cole for all vses as any other wood which may be continued so long as it shall please GOD the Kingdome shall endure the other is in respect that before so great store of yron was made in this Kingdome the Merchants bought Cloth of the Clothiers which beyond the Seas they exchanged for yron which was better yron and better cheap then the English yron the want of which exchange together with the transporting of Wooll beyond the Seas the worthy trade of clothing is so decayed as many poore people that were set on worke by the abler sort of Clothiers are constrained to beg that before liued well by their labour Also there are millions of people that liue in great feare that they in a short time may fall into the like necessity which are the Carpenters the Shippe-wrights the Plough and Cart-makers the Ioyners the Cowpers and the Coach-maker Whereupon it is generally conceiued by all men of iudgement that enter into consideration of the premisses that without a speedie generall Planting and Preseruing both of Timber and Fire-wood be the Kingdome by no meanes can be maintained another Age which with small cost and labour to willing mindes in good time may be preserued and maintained as plentifully as euer heeretofore as shall be proued to the glorie of God content of his Maiestie their owne selues posteritie and Common-wealth Concerning the Planting and Preseruing of Timber all men with whom I haue conuersed are of one minde that a better direction then herein is set downe cannot bee deuised which is by planting groues of a Roode or halfe a Roode of ground in a Groue in pasture grounds or as followeth especially in Rowes whereby much more timber may be raised in lesse ground as shall appeare which being performed there will be timber enough for al purposes with the surplusses of Timber that may be planted and preserued in Forrests Chases Parks Commons or common Pasture and much the better it will continue if it be so prouided that none shall fell or other-waies make away any tree or trees but to be enioyned to plant and preserue so many as shall be felld or otherwaies made away Thus may Timber be raised two seuerall waies the one in Groues the other in Rowes for Groues such as haue but one hundred acres and so for such as haue more to inclose for euery hundred acres one seuerall Rood in some corner of a Close which is already inclosed for the ing of chrsauages where halfe of the Fence is already made and is to be maintained notwithstanding this deuice or rather in the middest of a Close although the charge be something the more where the cattell may not onely haue shadow in Summer but also shelter in Winter euery way the better To improue the close and cattell the plot of ground for this purpose of one roode would be in length tenne pole in breadth foure in which length there is contained fifty fiue yards and in breadth twenty two yards In which plot of ground there may be planted fiue rowes of trees for Timber and in euery rowe there must bee digged vppe foureteene plots of a yard square which should be digged vp two seuerall times betweene Midsummer and Michaelmasse and againe when the meanes following are to be set according to the nature of the soyle and the directions following euery plot to be foure yards distant euery way one from an other so there may be contained in a Rood of ground threescore and tenne trees And in euery of these plots so digged there may be set nine a foote one from another either Akornes Chessenuts Beech-maste Keyes of Ash Rootes or Chips of Elme being so set come vp the ground would be weeded twice or thrice the first and second yeare if occasion serue and after foure or fiue yeares when it may be discerned which of thē is likest to be the best trees there would be but foure left the other would be drawne vp and planted else-where at the Owners pleasure And after sixeteene or twenty yeares three of the other may be felld and made away for some vses and onely one being the very best to remaine from which all the leaues would be plucked off by hand within a foote of the top in the beginning of Iune so long as a man can reach them and afterwards cut off with a knife or light forrest bill made for that purpose The reason why I wish the planting of Groues to be in so many seueralls is that when a Groue is felld it should be all felld for the felling of trees in woods at seuerall times hath beene a great decay to wood And further by experience it may be proued that seldome good timber groweth of old stocks by reason whereof I could wish that trees should rather bee stocked vp then felld
a haire but rather cut part of the wood then leaue any of the barke This being done presently get good clay and let one worke it to the breadth and thicknesse of a tile and so long or longer as it may well lappe about the bough so pared then lay thereon some fatte earth two or three fingers thicke and lay the same clay and earth vpon the barke of the bough next to the plot so pared and with mosse and bands binde these same on like vnto a graffe and so let it rest and about Alhollontide then make holes in the ground where you would haue them to grow and presently saw off with a hand-saw the boughs so clayed betweene the clay and the plot so pared and so doe it as the earth be not shaken off carry them and set them halfe a yard deepe fill vp the holes with limed earth halfe a yard broade about the plant and treade it well if the ground be barren make the holes so much the wider and fill them Being so set stake them and binde them as other Sets and assuredly they will grow and prosper better then other Sets or transplanted trees If they be set betweene trees loppe the olde trees before you set them that they be not ouer-topped nor dropped by them these being either elme willow or sallow As for other wood I haue seene no experience but of some boughs of Apple and Peare-trees which being thus vsed haue borne fruit the same yeare they were set I can finde no reason to the contrary but that other woods may grow and prosper as well as these This is the most speedy way to beget woods All these Directions beeing obserued there may bee in good time more timber fire-wood corne and catell contained in this kingdome then hath beene at any time these three-score yeares and yet no woods at all so that the soile of all woods in time may be conuerted to tillage medow or pasture to the profite of the Kings maiesty all Posterity and the Common-wealth The kingdome thereby may bee the better defended from forren enemies by the Nauigation the bankes of the Seas and ebbing and flowing riuers defended staies maintained all which cannot bee maintained but by wood without which defence a great part of the kingdome is in danger to be ouer-flowen and ruinated some proofes thereof were to be seene this yeare one thousand six hundred and thirteene neare Blackewall where was a Breach that hath and will cost two thousand pounds to recouer it And this winter to the vtter vndoing of many an able man in many places of this kingdom the charge of staies and banks in many ebbing and flowing riuers is chargeable to many especially in the riuer of Owes where the maintaining of staies and bankes costeth the Bishop of Durham at the least a hundred markes a yeare and is very chargeable to sir Thomas Mettam and all that haue grounds there that are charged thereby according to the proportion of their grounds The decay of these bankes may in one tide drowne much land and many townes which the obseruing of these directions some other following will preuent The wood that may be raised about parkes and the hedges within this kingdome would raise many profites to the common-wealth as the making of yron and all other kinde of mettalls which the kingdome affoordeth together with the burning of lime for the manuring of land and buildings and burning of bricke and tile for building with many other profites to the kingdome For the increasing of wood in the Springs of wood VVHereas in springs I find many waste places growne ouer with grasse by reason whereof men couet to put in Calues and Horses which are great spoiles to woods The onely way to furnish such places especially in barren grounds which may best be spared for wood vntill such time that the other woods be growne vp is either when the Spring is fiue or sixe yeares growne or when it is felld to digge vp certaine square yards according to the spaciousnesse of the ground three yards betweene euery plot and therein to set or lay in trenches the aforesaide meanes as is before set downe and when they are growne vp fiue or sixe yeares to plash them close by the ground and lay them in Trenches euery way from the roote three fingers deepe and to couer them with earth and so of all other wood that groweth of olde rootes so as there may not be a waste place nor any thornes left to grow but proouing wood As for other grounds that are woorth twenty shillings an Acre yearely which is too good for wood to grow on but that the decay of wood is too great I could wish that it were stocked into rowes either for timber or to top and lop it for fire-wood And whereas it is required by the lawe that there should be a certaine number of trees preserued for timber which is by few men performed the reason is that the dropping and shadow of them will destroy the vnder-wood which is most true my aduice is that rather the number of timber-trees might be preserued in some corner of the Spring where they may be preserued from many dangers which they are subiect to as they are left in the Springs Concerning the planting of wood in hedges already made with thornes SOme do obiect that the planting of wood in them will so destroy the thornes by the dropping and ouershadowing of them as there will be no good fence kept To such I answer that if they would the next yeare after that they cause a hedge to be plashed the ditch thereunto belonging scoured and some small quantity of the earth cast vp to the roots of the hedge for too much earth so cast to the rootes of the hedge decay the hedge and that they would set in the same earth such meanes as is before set downe and so vse them they might at any time after twenty yeares haue both good store of wood and thorns and also haue a stronger fence then any thornes can make The charge of the setting and getting of the meanes in common reason can no way cost two shillings a furlong for two men will set at the least two furlongs a day the one man to make holes to set them in and the other to put in the meanes and couer it The profite that may arise thereby is before set downe for the profite of parkes Concerning such as hereafter may inclose IS to inclose with the aforesaid means and not with thorns whereby with lesse charge labour they may raise a fence stronger and longer lasting with greater profit by the setting of the aforesaide meanes on the top of the bankes as is set downe for Parkes which by experience will grow more speedily then thornes and make a better fence as is prooued that will with a good Gate Locke and Key keepe all Cattell safe from stealing and from breaking into any other grounds then the owner
the least why it doth not the one is no wood groweth so speedily by the halfe as these woods but the speciall reason is the Springs are not ordered they are fuller of hasell maple-bushes and other wood that riseth to small proofe and so thicke of vnderlings as the other can not generally prosper but some few that get vp and choake all the rest Neither is the sixt part of any springs that I see furnished with such proouing wood And for further proofe for timber one master Skipwith in Norffolke within three miles of Downane shewed mee a Groue planted by his father of foure and thirtie yeares growth of Oakes and Ashe growne so tall as Herons haue bred in them these three yeares past which trees grow not aboue two yards one from another some planted by akornes and Ashe-keyes and some by yong sets cut and vsed as quicke some difference there is of their growth the setts are the taller but little the bigger All these kindes of planting by common reason and experience cannot be denied nor the profite thereof by reason thereof it may appeare that whereas there is contained in this kingdome fiue and twentie millions of Acres whereupon wood will grow and prosper ouer and aboue the waste whereon wood will not prooue if it were planted as on stony hilles great moorish linggy moores and mosses waters and watery moorish fennes and high-wayes forth of which fiue and twenty millions take but one hundred thousand acres and diuide it into tenne thousand parts it will yeelde to euerie parish in this Kingdome if there were tenne thousand as there is not two thousand fiue hundred acres take foorth of the two thousand fiue hundred but one hundred and tenne Acres and plant tenne Acres thereof in rowes as before is directed and there may be raised in tenne Acres of the hundred and ten foure and twenty thousand two hundred trees for timber two yards betweene euery one of them one way and ten the other to furnish euery parish and the ground thereby much improued and within thirty yeares the fences of all grounds being made as before will yeeld such store of fire-wood as there will be no neede of the aforesaid plantation for firewood or any other springs but all may be stocked vp and conuerted to tillage and pasture For the better effecting of this businesse it is thought conuenient that an Act might passe that it may be lawfull for all men to inclose ground for this plantation in common fields and many townes may be furnished by their commons So as if coales should decay neare the coasts as they doe too fast in many places within the Land which as yet is no more feared then the want of wood was generally feared through the whole Kingdome specially in London Cambridge and Oxford forty yeares agoe when the porest sort scorned to eate a peece of meate roasted with sea-coles which now the best Magistrates are constrained to doe If a man in that time should haue fore-told this want of wood that now the whole Kingdome is come to it would haue been holden a thing vnpossible the plenty of wood was then so great and so good means to continue the same with much more reason may it now bee feared that in the like time coles may be more decayed considering the aboundance that is spent of them not onely in this Realme but in other Nations and no meanes to increase them for by experience it is generally knowne that after they be once got they neuer more grow or increase And briefly to shew the premisses first that one thousand two hundred and ten trees may be planted for timber in one acre and euery tree to haue foure yards of ground to grow on it is not to be doubted for there is to be seene in euery county some groues that haue beene planted by the plough and some by hand within three score yeares that grow as thicke both of Oake and Ash and naturally groues of Elme and Wich trees And that timber trees will grow and thriue well in rowes being two yards asunder one way and tenne the other it is also to be seene in euery county about many closes and on all soiles eyther Oake Ash Beech or Elme that do grow specially in towns by the high-wayes sides trees that are a hundred or two hundred yeares old planted or preserued when wood was not of the worth that it is in this instant which in this age is thought vnpossible to be so raised nay which is more strange as great husbands as we thinke our selues it is apparent in euery towne men choose rather to make dead hedges euery yeare then to plant as they may doe by wood and make a fence for hundreds of yeares as may appeare by the wood already growing in such fences which will yeelde yearely profite and preuent the great complaints that are daily made of the poore for the breaking of hedges And that all fences may be made of trees onely it is euident especially about woods where in the hedges there is want of thornes they plash wood which hath laine in common reason as it doth appeare by the greatnesse of the trees at the least a hundred yeares and growne so close as no man can see between the trees being plashed and for the most part laid so lowe as beasts browse off the tops much more will they last many more yeares being laid and not cut at the rootes to receiue water the toppes being laid so high as cattell cannot reach them or being vnlayed may grow vpright to stand as pales which may be lopped for fire-wood and browse for Deere or Cattell Thus much for fences of Parkes and other inclosed grounds and that this kinde of fire-wood may be planted so thicke and prooue so well it may appeare in all coppies or springs of wood that on Ash or Sallow rootes they grow thicker then I proportion and all men know that willow and sallow is inferiour to no wood in growth especially being planted so neare the ground The reason why all spring woods make not such proofe is that some springs stand for the most part of beech some with oake some with hornebeane and many with maple hasell and thornes all which are no proouing wood for fire I neuer met with any but they approoue that Ash Sallow or Willow doth grow more in one yeare then any of the aforesaid woods will grow in two and Elme and Wich is not much inferiour to the Ash in growth so it is apparent that if all men would furnish their springs with those kinds of wood and cut away all the vnderlings at 3 yeres growth when the wood will be worth the labor no man would stocke or grub vp woods as they doe except it were into rowes and that all those kindes of woods will grow and prosper being preserued and maintained no man will make doubt in regard that both reason experience makes proofe thereof and where those kinds of wood grow not so thicke approuedly some being plashed from the rootes of them that grow being shread and a little of the tops cut off and laide three fingers deepe in trenches and couered with earth will grow and prosper And that euery bush will breede a tree the meanes being set rather of a yong plant that may be raised by nurseries then by the other meanes before set downe in regard that I finde all kinde of maste subiect to mice and other vermine It is apparent in all forrests chases parkes and commons inclosed grounds hedges and high-wayes sides by the bushes that grow about many trees both old and yoong and many there be that confesse all this to be true by experience that little obserue their owne experience Thus by his Maiesties fauor and bounty together with the bountie and good instructions that I receiued from the worthie Common-wealths men I holde my selfe bound in conscience not onely to seeke all experience that may tend to this businesse but likewise to put all men in minde thereof to the end that if Sea-coles shall decay good take-heede come not too late The Premisses considered it is generally hoped that some good course will be taken to preuent so great an inconuenience Thus with an honest intention for the publique good of this kingdome the content of his Maiestie and all good men I conclude leauing the successe to GOD who is the director of mens harts to all good offices FINIS
NEW DIRECTIONS OF EXPERIENCE TO THE COMMONS COMPLAINT BY THE INcouragement of the Kings most excellent Maiesty as may appeare for the planting of Timber and Fire-wood WITH A NEERE ESTIMATION what millions of Acres the kingdome doth containe what Acres is waste ground whereon little profit for this purpose will arise WHAT MILLIONS HATH BIN Woods and Bushy grounds what Acres are Woods and in how many Acres so much Timber will be contained as will maintaine the Kingdome for all vses for euer AND HOW AS GREAT STORE OF Fire-wood may be raised as may plentifully mainetaine the Kingdome for all purposes without losse of ground so as within thirty yeares all Spring-woods may be conuerted to Tillage and Pasture Inuented by Arthur Standish Anno Domini MDCXIII I R HONI SOIT QVI MAL Y PENSE By the King To all Noblemen Gentlemen and other our louing Subiects to whom it may appertaine WHEREAS Arthur Standish Gentleman hath taken much paines and bene at great charges in composing and publishing in a book some proiects for the increasing of Woods the decay whereof in this Realme is vniuersally complained of And therefore We would be glad that any inuention might further the restoring thereof We haue therefore beene pleased to giue allowance to this Booke and to the Printing thereof And if the same shall be willingly receiued of the Gentlemen and others of ability who haue grounds fitting for his proiects it shall much content Vs doubting not but that such as shall thinke good to make vse of the Booke will deale worthily with him for his paines And We are also pleased for the better encouragement of the said Standish hereby to declare that Our pleasure is that no Person or Persons whatsoeuer shall Print any of the said Bookes but for and to the vse of the said Standish and none others Giuen vnder our Signet at Andeuer the first day of August in the ninth yeare of our raigne of England France and Ireland and of Scotland the fiue and fortieth God saue the King New Directions for the planting of Wood by Arthur Standish WHEREAS It pleased the Kings most Excellent Maiestie forth of his Princely respect for the better repairing of the ruine of this Kingdome for the good of euery particular person the publique good of the Common-wealth and the preseruing and maintaining of the same for all posteritie to giue alowance to the Printing and publishing of the Booke that I presented vnto his Maiestie principally concerning the planting and preseruing of wood as hath and doth appeare to all men whereby I am the better animated by his Maiestie and many other good men to perseuere in so needefull and more then necessary businesse and to apply my whole indeuour to seeke out all possible means that may be found to effect the same with the least charge losse of ground the better to incourage all his louing Subiects thereunto by meanes whereof together with the daily conference that I haue with many of the better sort and oft for this purpose with Husbandmen and workemen who for the most part haue best experience in this businesse being loath to write more then by mine owne eie-sight I know to be true Further seeking to know the opinions and experience of many vnderstanding and good Common-wealths men to seuerall ends and hauing conference with some skilfull Surueyors of Land and such as take vpon them to know the number of Acres that are contained in this Kingdome Thus obseruing what I heare or see tending to any publique good especially for this businesse I attaine to a neere estimation what Acres the Kingdome doth containe what acres wil plentifully supply all wants and maintaine the Kingdome for euer being planted and preserued as followeth and how as great store of Fire-wood may be raised being maintained as may plentifully maintaine the Kingdome for all purposes aswell for the making of yron and all other mettalls that the Kingdome doth affoord for euer so farre from the losse or hurt to land as it may rather greatly better and improue it First it is generally decreed by all Surueyours that the whole kingdome containeth nine and twenty millions fiue hundred sixty eight thousand acres or neere thereabouts whereof it is supposed that there is foure millions and al the odde thousands waste that yeeldeth little or no profite at all and that there hath been within a hundred years last past foure millions of woods and bushy grounds that yeelded little profit but wood and bushes ouer and aboue Parkes Forrests and Chases Forth of which twenty nine millions and the odde thousands the wastes being deducted which in effect is fiue millions the remainder is fiue and twenty millions whereon wood hath doth or would grow if it were planted and preserued First for this purpose take forth of euery thousand acres forty foure acres inclose and plant the same according to the directions following Wheresoeuer it lieth plant foure acres of euery forty foure in rowes so as there may be contained in a hundred thousand acres so much timber as will plentifully serue the Kingdome for all vses euery tree to be ten yards distant one from an other one way and three the other which can be no losse to such as shall plant neither for their owne vses nor for such as want ground to plant on in respect that such as want must be constrained to buy of such as haue to sell which is so farre from the losse of any as it will be for their greatest profite for after twenty yeares the forty acres will yeeld much more profite either in corne or grasse then the foure and forty did before ouer and aboue the benefite of the timber and in the meane time little or no losse The like planting for fire-wood might bee made in rowes as shall appeare but it is altogether needelesse for the very hedges being planted and made as after followeth will yeelde Fire-wood plentifully for all vses as by experience shall appeare so as within thirtie yeares it may be more then needefull to haue any Copies or Spring-woods at all but that all Wood-land may be conuerted to Tillage or Pasture to the particular good of the Owners and Common wealth Further shewing in particular what publique good may arise thereby In the meane time it were very conuenient that the stocking vp of woods were preuented except they were stocked vp into rowes for it is generally conceiued that within a very few yeares there will be little or no wood left for any vse the stocking stubbing is so great notwithstanding the Lawes prouided by the worthy King of famous memory Henry the eight for the preseruing of wood which laws haue beene from time to time continued and are still in force and haue beene most earnestly called vpon by the Kings Maiestie euer since his comming to this kingdome especially at euery high Court of Parliament where he hath not onely required the continuance thereof but also most earnestly giuen
or whins as some terme them or in hollinbushes and therein to set 3. of the mast of oake chessenuts beech keys of ash the roots or chips of elme or rather rootes or sykamore seeds which wil grow as fast as any other wood the body good for little but for to make trenchers or drinking-cups and for those vses better then any other wood growing in this kingdom as before is set down any of these according to the nature of the soile wherin these are to be planted out of which three it is not to be doubted but one of them at the least wil grow and prosper the bushes being preserued about them till the plants be past taking hurt by cattell This may be performed with a small charge for a man may set a hundred in a day at the least by experience I speake it which can not cost aboue twelue pence a thousand for ten shillings Many there are that like wel of this planting of wood and many doe obserue it that before were desirous to raise wood by taking vp of yong trees where they did grow and prosper which are weary of that kinde of planting by reason that for the most part halfe of them doe not grow which mooueth many to obserue these directions And some there are that say they like these directions well but say they it is against the nature of this Age to tarry so long for profite To which I answer That if the Ancestors of noblemen gentlemen and others had had so little respect to their posterity as we haue in this Age there are some noblemen and many others that would haue been constrained to haue sold a great part of the land their Ancestours left them to supply the wants which they haue supplied by their woods and it will fall so out ere it be long that such must sell land for wood their Ancestors will leaue them none to sell And to content such and all others I haue added by experience directions for this present Age as followeth towards the latter end of this Booke For the planting of Fire-wood about Parkes HOw all Parkes may be fenced by fire-wood so as after tenne or twelue yeares it will be stronger then any pale and after forty yeares stronger then any wall and longer lasting by many degrees and being once made neuer to be made againe with the charge and profit that may arise thereby Say for this purpose that there is a parke to be fenced of foure miles pale-walke which miles containe in length thirty two furlongs of Statute-measure euery furlong containeth forty poles euery pole fiue yards and a halfe Admit there were no ditch at all about the pale nor wood as commonly there is and that all were to be ditched and fenced anew with a ditch of fiue foote wide at the top a foote and a halfe broade in the bottome and three foot deepe and that this ditch with the getting and setting of the meanes aforesaid for the planting of timber should cost twelue pence a pole the totall of the charge three score and three pounds at the most for it is certaine that much of this may be saued for in many places the ditch cannot be so chargeable for about many parks in some places there need no ditch at all and in some places a lesse ditch will serue Neither can the hedging be chargeable in two respects the one by reason that about many Parkes there are many thornes growing which being felld to make the fence once will afterwards so grow vp as they will defend the wood so set without any further charge and about many parkes there is as much wood growing as will defray the charge so as to some the effecting of this busines will be little or no charge at all The earth of this new ditch must be cast to the pale-ward so as the banke may be a yard broad on the top fence there needeth none but long bushes so put betweene the pales aboue the railes as they may reach and hang ouer the banke into the ditch This being done for such soiles as by experience Maste and Seeds will best like of as may best appeare by the wood thereon growing the Maste would be gathered as it falleth from the tree and not beaten downe before it be ripe The Ash keyes may be gathered about Alhollontide being thus gotten and gathered in they would be kept neyther too wet nor too drie till they be set according to the directions following The rootes of Elme are to be gotten by baring olde Elmes at the roote betweene Alhollontide and Candlemasse when the sappe of trees is in the rootes from whence there may be taken without hurt to the Elme many yoong rootes of the bignesse of a little finger and a foot long And as of Elme so of Wiche being a wood as apt to grow speedily as any other which are to be cut from the olde rootes These yong roots would be set as a foot-set of thornes within a foote of the pale so as the thornes may hang ouer them set in the ground and one inch out of the ground so likewise in the sides of banks as quick-sets they are to be set in 2. rowes 3. fingers broad betweene the rowes and so set as they may not stand directly one against another The maste and seedes would also be so set in two rowes three fingers betweene euery rowe three fingers deepe and foure in a foot in either rowe The boughes of Elme Willows or Sallow would bee lopped from the trees betweene mid-March and the middest of Aprill when the sappe is in them and before the leaues put foorth they would be of three or foure yeares growth of the freshest sappiest and knottiew Thus being lopped from the trees they would be cut in length of a foote long colt-footed at either end the boughes and twigges being cut off close to the body they would bee laid in trenches in two rowes three fingers deepe with the knotty side vpward and three fingers betweene the rowes a hand breadth one from an other and couered with earth which is neither weedy nor grassie These boughs would be laid the same day that they are lopped or the next day after at the farthest or set in the ground as sets a foote deepe This being done they will within sixe or seuen yeares bee growne so high as the plants may be bended and laied as a plashed hedge but not cut at the rootes the reason is that being so yong the plants will easily bend which way a man will haue them and when they are to be laid the rowe that is to be laid would be shread close to the body and topped so high as when they are laid the toppe may lie seuen foote wide from the roote and so high as a beast may not reach the tops And when the rowe is in laying if they grow thicker then a foote asunder some may be cut vp for bindings to binde them downe that are laide
would haue them safe from trespassing to his neighbour or his neighbours to him whereby much corne may be saued trespassing preuented which too often raiseth enuy and suites in Lawe The browse of the wood in winter will greatly relieue cattell and saue fodder And being wood that will yeelde maste the maste will be very beneficiall to the particular Owner and Common-wealth Directions for such as are desirous to stocke vp woods for the improouing of the Soile BY conuerting of the same to corne medow or pasture to haue as much or rather more profite by the woods then they had before is first to leaue a yard in breadth round about the sides for the maintaining of the fence which may be made once for all by obseruing the aforesaid directions Then beginne at a side next to the wood so left and stocke vp all the wood whatsoeuer so as the ground may bee plowed tenne yards in breadth and in the eleuenth yard stocke vp all but fifty fiue of the best trees which trees would as neere as may be be so left that they may grow foure yards distant one from another from end to end as trees planted in an orchard and so stocke vp from side to side and from end to end leauing the like distance so as there may be ten yards distance one way and foure an other from tree to tree by which meanes in euery two rowes there may be left an hundred and tenne trees out of euery Acre how great or little soeuer the ground be which being topped and after twelue yeares lopped with many heads as they may be by the directions already set downe or rather for a greater profite left vnlopped till the wood be of twenty yeares growth the profite thereof by the greatnes of the wood and the barke with the profite of the wood that may arise about the fence being made as before is directed will farre exceed the profite of the vnder-wood growing of all the ground before But as the case standeth and as is more like to stand by the want of timber if all the trees were left for timber and neuer topped nor lopped would in time arise to the greater profite especially if they were euery third yeare shread in March when the sappe is rising vp and the wood worth the shreadding which sappe would so grow as it would couer the knottes by which meanes the trees will grow taper-like with so small tops as the ground betweene the rowes may be plowed three yeares and may be laide to grasse for nine yeares so may you haue from time to time three yeares good corne and nine yeares good grasse and neuer to decay the land but rather to improue it The trees beeing thus kept with small toppes can neither hurt corne or grasse by dropping or shadow Some doe obiect and say that if all Spring-woods were so stocked how should hurdles be gotten for the folding of sheepe To which I answer with experience where wood is not lopped too young some of the greatest boughes being lopped and barked and then laide in water a moneth they will be so rated and grow so hard as wormes can no way hurt them and beeing so vsed will make farre better and stronger hurdles then any young rods whatsoeuer as may appeare in many Countries of this kingdome where wood is so scant as they are of necessity constrained to vse willow boughs for spars and laths for many houses and to vse them about ploughs carts and harrowes Others do obiect that the grasse in such wooddy grounds will be so sowre as cattel wil not like of it To that I answer that if the rowes be planted East and Weast or so stocked as the ground betweene the rowes may haue the morning noon and euening Sunne the pasture will be as sweet as any other the corne will as well like of it as of any other ground and will as well drie when it is cut or if the cattell bee put into such grounds before they taste of a sweeter grasse they will like as well of that grasse as of any other And for the better proofe thereof Who euer saw grasse lost for the eating in any forrest chase or parke where trees grow thicke notwithstanding the cattell in such grounds if they be not eaten too bare like very well by reason of the shadow in Summer and shelter in Winter A further experience may be taken to incourage all men hereunto from about thousands of towns in this kingdome where are to be seene little closes of two three foure or fiue acres of ground as haue so much timber or fire-wood growing about them as if it were at this instant to be sold would giue more money then the fee-simple of the land Whereupon it followeth very fittingly for this purpose to shew what good may arise to the particular owners of ground by obseruing these directions set downe in sundry places for these purposes and how the kingdome may be improoued onelie by wood planted about Parkes and in Hedges made and heereafter to be made of wood so farre from the losse of any as it may be to the generall good of all men euen to the very poorest whose reliefe I greatly desire And for my further experience I sawe about Christmas last a close of sandie Land of foure Acres taken in the middest of a field belonging to Downam in Norffolke about forty yeares agoe and set round about when it was taken in with young sets as it was confessed to me by the Owner thereof of Ashe rootes of Elme and Thornes and the most part of the stakes of the Hedge were of Willow and Sallow which Stakes and Settes of Wood did so take roote as vpon my credite there is growing about the saide close fiue hundred fiftie and odde trees of the aforesaide wood whereof the Owner confessed vnto mee that hee did euery yeare loppe fiue and fiftie of tenne yeares growing the which wood hee could yearely sell for forty shillings and the foure Acres of ground hee could not let for aboue sixe and twentie shillings and eight pence yearely So that I doe find by experience that the most sure way to performe this planting is to make nurseries which may be kept from Mice by trappes And that the simplest may the better vnderstand it admit for this purpose that a man haue sixe score Acres of ground in his owne occupation and that it were equally diuided into twelue Closes and that but halfe the Fences about those twelue Closes did belong vnto them by reason that they are ioyning to other mens Closes as commonly all inclosed grounds are there remaineth to euerie of those Closes an end and a side at the least of the Fence which containe two furlongs which is foure-score poles to a Close all which hedges being planted according to the directions set downe for hedges there will arise about these twelue Closes foure and twenty furlongs whereby the Owner of those Closes may after thirty