to the Nature of the Ground that the Tree Loves and the depth of the Soyl so doth the Tree increase in these Circles and growth in all parts Between these Annual Circles doth some Sap rise as is plain in a tree that is Barked round for that tree shall put forth Leaves and increase in Body but produce little or no shoot and the more porous the tree is between these Annual Circles the longer that tree will Live as accidentally I have had it Experimented on Walnut-trees Ashes c. And they have continued sometimes two years and sometimes near three before they have dyed when they have been barked quite round the stemme a Foot or more and by way of Experiment I cut off the Bark from a Holly-tree and a Box-tree about half a Foot clean quite round the stemme or body of each tree and the tops of both did die in less than one years time which informed my Reason as much as though I had Learned it out of the most Learned Author that the Sap of those trees that shed their Leaves doth in a small quantity ascend between the Annual Circles in that pory place for trees that hold their leaves their Wood is close and Compact between the Annual Circles and that is the Reason that they die soon being barked round Also their Sap being of a Turpentine and Clammy Substance is the Reason they hold their Leaves all Winter being as it were glued on by that Substance and the Sap of such Trees as hold their Leaves being once set by cold requires a pretty deal of heat to make it thin and set it on Motion As Comparatively a little Cold will set or make stiff Pitch or Turpentine but it must be Frost that sets or stays the Motion of Water Also those Trees which hold their Leaves will grow much better under the dropping of other great Trees than those that shed their Leaves for their Turpentine-sap shoots off the drops so that they have little or no harm by such a Scituation But in case you should have a Tree Barked round by Accident and would willingly preserve it your best way is to get a shoot below the wounded place and if your Tree be Young you shall then have several break out a little above the Root if you find they shoot strong preserve two of the strongest and see that the Barked place be near the Ground but if your Tree be Barked high from the Ground or that it shoot up slowly then leave but one shoot keeping all other that shoot out clean taken off as soon as ever you see them break out so Nourish up the two shoots or shoot till you have got them higher than the wounded place then cut a long slit in the Bark above the wound and joyn in that shoot exactly making it fit the slit the in-side of one bark right against the in-side of the other tie it close in and Loom it over with good and well tempered Loom to keep the Air and wet out or better with soft Wax The Spring is the best Season but if you fear your Tree to decay defer not but do it as soon as your shoots be shot long enough If you would be further satisfied concerning the Largeness and Usefulness of this Royal Tree see Esquire Evelyn's Discourse of Forest-trees who hath writ very well of this and others but before I bid adieu I must Plant these few unpruned Verses and so leave the most Useful Oak O Stately Tree Who right can speak thy Praise Doth well deserve the Lawrel or the Bays Ask but our Thames what Burdens thou hast bore Of Gold and Silver fine and in their ore Of Rubies Diamonds and Pearls most rare With others which past valuation are Of Silk and Sattins fine to Cloath the Back Of Wines Italian French and Spanish Sack Of Spices Fruits and many a Rich Dye To Satisfie and Feast the Curious Eye Of Mastick Myrrh and many a Rich Gum Alloes and Druggs which from the Indies come He who Loves this thy Burthen and not Thee He deserves never to be worth one Tree 'T was Faithful Oak preserv'd our King that we Might thence Learn Lessons of true Loyalty Kings Lords and Earls and Men of Low Degree Transported are by this our Royal Tree Oak-Walls our Seas and Island do inclose Our Best Defence against our Forreign Foes No thing on Earth but Oak can Time Redeem No Wood deserving of so high Esteem When in Salt Seas Sir Francis Drake did stear Sailing in Oak he sav'd one day i' th' Year His Oak which the Terrestrial Globe did Measure Through Dangers led him t' Honour Profit Pleasure No Wood like Oak that grows upon the Ground To make our House and Ships last long and sound No Oak like Ours By Love to Oaks let 's then Appear true Subjects and right English-men CHAP. XI Of raising and Ordering the Elm. THere are several sorts of Elm but the best sort because it produceth the greatest Trees and soonest comes to perfection is that which hath its Leaves not much less than Line or Lime-tree leaves and shoots with a shoot not much less than a Sallow when it is lopped it is called by some the Trench-Elm by others the Marsh-Elm Some other sorts there are that are not much inferiour to this for producing high and good Timber One sort there is that hath on the young shoots great pieces like Cork subject to spread in head much and grow crooked this is not very good to make high Trees but makes good Pollards Another sort there is which I see in Essex the sides are subject to have Wenns thick on them which makes the Body hard to cleave this is not very good to make a high Tree but good Pollards All sorts of Elms doe increase from the roots much of themselves and the more you take the more they will give provided you keep them from being taken from you that is from being spoyled by Cattel and though they be so kind of themselves yet there are several wayes to increase them but the way to have of the best Kinds and to make the finest Trees is by raising them of seeds Therefore about the beginning of March or about the tenth you shall find the broad things like Hops begin to fall which have the seed in them when you find these begin to fall in a dry day if conveniently you can gather what quantity you please to sow then lay them thin in some place where they may drye four or five dayes and then having prepared a Bed in bigness according to the quantity of your Seeds of fresh light Brick-earth sow the seeds and their Vessels all over then sift some of the same Mould all over the bed for they will not well rake in let them be covered about half an Inch thick if the Summer prove drye water them sometimes and keep them clean from Weeds let not weeds stand on your bed till they be great lest in pulling
THE Manner of Raising Ordering AND IMPROVING Forrest-Trees ALSO How to Plant Make and Keep WOODS WALKS AVENUES LAWNS HEDGES c. WITH Several FIGURES proper for Avenues and Walks to End in and convenient Figures for Lawns Also RULES and TABLES shewing how the Ingenious Planter may measure Superficial Figures with Rules how to divide Woods or Land and how to measure Timber and other Solid Bodies either by Arithmetick or Geometry shewing the Use of that most Excellent Line the Line of Numbers by several New Examples with many other Rules usefull for most Men. By M. COOK LONDON Printed for Peter Parker at the Leg and Star over against the Royal Exchange in Cornhill 1676. TO HIS EXCELLENCY Arthur Capell Lord Lieutenant and General Governour of the Kingdom of IRELAND Earl of Essex Vicount Maldon Lord Capell Baron of Hadham Lord Lieutenant of Hartfordshire and one of the King 's most Honourable Privy Council c. May it please your Excellency DID I not very well know your great Understanding in and Love to the Subject of the ensuing Discourse I durst not assume the Boldness to implore your Honours Patronage of it But being well assured that you have not been onely a Spectator but an Actor in most of what is treated of in the ensuing Lines for to your Eternal Prayse be it spoken there is many a fine Tree which you have Nursed up from Seeds sown by your own hands and many thousands more which you have commanded me to raise Therefore my Lord I humbly crave your Pardon for the Presumption and Imperfection of the Pen-man and though your Excellency knows full well how to prune young Trees yet I hope you will pass by the impertinent and superfluous Lines in this my Plantation which though I have endeavoured to keep as well pruned from Errors and as clean from Weeds as I could yet 't is possible there may be some things in it which some may term as ill But to You all things in it are so well known that I hope both it and I shall find such shelter and support by your favourable Aspect as that we need not to fear the Storms of the ignorant or negligent Planters And my Lord since the Art of Raising and Improving of Trees hath ever been esteemed amongst the truly Noble Wise Ingenious and most refined Spirits of the World from Age to Age and chiefly maintained and practised by them and since this Property is Naturally inherent in You you being not onely a great Lover of this Art but also most skilfull in it I humbly presume to Dedicate these my Observations to your Lordship not being ignorant that he who is most knowing in any thing is the best able to judge of the same and that this my Opinion of your Honours Ability and Promptitude in promoting the Planting and Improving of Forrest-trees is surely grounded the Large Plantation you have made will abundantly testifie But I humbly beg your Lordships Pardon for this Presumption not without hopes that my good Meaning may obtain it and since my good Wishes and the best of my Services is all I can contribute to You these shall never be wanting from My LORD Your Excellencies most Humble and most Obedient Servant to serve You whilest I bear the Name of Moses Cook TO The Courteous READER AMongst the many Books that are sent into the world in this Age I have adventured to increase the Number by this one I know there be many Pamphlets prodigious Histories and Romances invented by mens Fancies which abuse many Noble Spirits in reading of which they spend their time in vain and dull their Wits Which Books are more fit for Women than Men. For they will furnish them with strange Stories and a few fine words Also there be many Books of Disputes in Divinity which tend more to make our Differences the greater than any wayes to edifie or unite us therefore if your Genius leads you to read such Books this is not for your Fancy But if you take delight in Planting or Gardening or to raise and improve Forrest-trees or to make Walks Avenues or Lawns to plant or improve your Woods Hedges c. or to measure most sorts of superficial or solid Figures either by Arithmetick or Geometry with several other Rules of the same Nature as the Titles of each Chapter but especially the Chapters themselves will more fully inform you then I hope this Book will be of good use to you For here are several Rules approved of by several Noble and Ingenious Men which are as faithfully delivered as they are really intended for the good of this Nation and all those that will put them in practice which if you please to doe you will employ your time so well that you will never have cause to say it is ill spent and if once you do but step forward one step and see but any success of your Labours you will need then no Logicians Arguments nor no Rhetoricians Eloquence to perswade you to proceed And for your better Encouragement know that it hath been and is the Delight and Practice of Kings Princes Philosophers and all Noble spirited and wise Men For have not many of them quitted their great Employs and taken upon them this pleasing Art of Planting and Gardening as is proved by several See the Prefaces of Perkinson's Gerard's the Curate of Henonville's and several others For Almighty God hath Imprinted in the Hearts of most wise men such a Love to Plants in part as their Father Adam had in his state of Innocency that those noble and usefull Works which the Almighty made for the use of Man and his Glory should be the more common for their excellent use to the Sons of Men and that they should take care of those which are tender and want the more care lest they should be lost and also that both their Vertues and their Beauties should be known in several parts of the World that he might be the more Admired and Glorified For I do believe that the Blessing of God is much Assisting to those who Love and endeavour to Improve and Preserve his Works for God's Works and his Word are no such different things and also it hath been and is observed that those that are Wasters and wilfull Spoylers of Trees and Plants without just Reason so to doe have seldom prospered in this World See this confirmed by Esquire Evelyn in his Preface to his Discourse of Forrest-trees Therefore you that are Lovers of Trees and Plants if once you have them let your Love be shewed in the Care you take of them to keep them from Cattel and other Inconveniencies then will you not onely have Pleasure and Profit of them but others by being defended from the malignant and sharp Air by their Heads and Bodies and also shaded from the violent Heats and their sweet Flowers and their refreshing Fruit will be usefull to several men Also Planting and Gardening addes much to the Health and
is broken Bricks and Stones and Lime is very good for the Roots of Trees in a stiffe cold Ground the Reason is told you Chalk broken small into pieces is a very good Compost for stiffe cold grounds There is much difference in Chalk but that which is soft fat Chalk is good for such Ground as aforesaid and for ground that is not very stiffe Let your Reason instruct you further Lime is a very rare Compost for cold Grounds and stiffe Clayes for its heat causeth a fume and its tenderness makes way for the Roots to fetch home their Nourishment and its heat is great at first therefore lay not on too much on no ground and let that be slacked If your dry ground be it your Tree delight to grow in and you are forced to set them on wet then adde some of this Lime among your Earth Clay especially that sort which is a light Brick-Earth is very good for such Land that is a light shovey Gravel or hath too much sand in it Such grounds as these they do not retain the spirit of Plants for when Nature hath by the two Lovers Star-Fire and VVater generated their Babe such ground as this doth drink down too fast and again doth drye too hastily so that the water cannot have time to leave nor to prepare its slime which is the Mercury that makes that fume which feeds all Plants and their seeds But this Clay must not be digged too deep for then it wanteth of that which feedeth Plants c. I have taken the green Slime that is common in standing waters I do not mean the Frogs Spawn which is cast many times into this and have dryed it and beat it into fine dust and then have mixed it with good fresh Earth and have found very good success in raising several sorts of Flower-seeds and others Though I have Notes of them yet it is out of my Road to speak of them now being I am Writing of the stately Forrest-trees However I may its possible write somewhat of them if the Lord permits and according as I find these few Lines Accepted of by some of the Royal Oaks of this our Age. For I do suppose that there is not one thing in Gardening yet well known For as a Learned Author hath it he that knows a thing well must know what it was is and shall be Therefore all humane Knowledge is but a shadow of superficial Learning reflecting upon mans Imagination but not the least thing comprehended substantially But to the business in hand take Clay or Loom and lay it on your Ground not too thick the beginning of Winter and there let it be till the Frost hath made it fall into Mould then in some dry open time harrow it all over and if it be Ground you plow then plow it in a drye time but if it be Ground you trench for Forrest or Fruit-trees observe to order it so for by thus doing the Clay will mix with the Sand or Gravel much the better The better that any man cheweth his Meat it is certainly the easier to digest and the dryer you put it into your ground provided it hath but time to water it self well before your trees be set 't is the better for then it draws the Mercury and stores it up till the Roots have occasion for it for 't is quickly exhaled out of sand but the Clay holds his store till a time of Necessity and then contributes to the Roots that is in drye weather and the smaller you make it to mix with your ground the likelier the small Roots as well as the great are to meet with it Note further that the smaller your Plants be the finer must your Earth be made by skreening fifting beating turning c. I know by good success this to be true for the Right Honourable my Lord and the more to be honoured because a great Planter and as great a Lover thereof gave me order to make three Walks of Line-trees from the New Garden to the New Bowling-green and withall to make them descend towards the House as neer as we could which to doe I was forced to cut through one Hill thirty Rod most of the Hill two foot-deep into a sharp Gravel and the greatest part of all the length of the Walks was the same they being Trees that I raised of Seeds most of them and the rest of Layers at Hadham-Hail they being with my Lord ever since their Minority and he many times their Barber engaged him to have the more particular Kindness for them therefore he ordered me to doe what I thought good in preparing the ground for them which I did as followeth First I levelled the Hill and when I had brought the Ground neer to the Level concluded on I staked out my ground where every Tree should stand and then ordered my holes to be made for my Trees each hole three foot-deep and four foot-wide being the ground was so bad This I did neer a Year before I set my Trees and having the convenience of Brick-Earth near I got near a Load to every hole and mixed this with the Earth digged out of the Holes turning it over twice and in dry weather throwing out the greatest Stones but the Turf I did throw into each Hole the grass-side downward as soon as they were made but the Hill of Gravel I trenched that with Loom Cow-dung and the Litter under the Cow-racks two Spade deep and five foot on each side every row of Trees Thus having prepared my ground and the season of the year come about the beginning of November 1672. I had the Trees taken up with good help as carefully as I could and carried to Cashiobury the place of their now Abode and then having good store of help and good Mould prepared of the smallest and finest I set the Trees with the upper part of the Roots of each Tree level with the top of the Ground making a round hill half a foot high about every tree and the Compass of the Hole Having prun'd the heads of each Tree and cut off the bruised Roots and the Ends of such roots as were broken I sorted the Trees and observed this Method in placing them namely I set the highest next the Bowling-green and so shorter and shorter till the lowest were next to the Garden which I did for these Reasons Next the Green was the worst Ground and the Trees more in danger of being spoyled by reason of a Market-path that goeth cross that end of the VValks to Watford Thus having set my Trees streight in their Rows and trod the Earth close to their Roots and made my Hills I then laid round every Tree upon those Hills wet Litter taken off from the Dung-hill a good Barrow-full to every Tree and covered that with a little Mould leaving them to take their rest for a time but early in the Spring I found them to begin their Progress and that Summer they had such Heads
from it till the next Year or rather longer then take it up at a fit Season and you will find it will at those ends where the Roots were cut off have drawn many tender young Roots apt to take and sufficient for the Tree wheresoever you shall transplant him further to facilitate the Removal of such great Trees or small ones that are ticklish to Remove for the Adornment of some particular place or the rarity of the Plant there is this Expedient A little before the hard Frosts surprise you make a Trench about your Tree at such distance from the stemme as you judge sufficient for the Roots dig this so deep till you come lower than the side-roots if your Ground be a dry Ground water the Hill of Earth the Frosts will lay hold on it the more but commonly in Winter before Frosts we have showers saves you that Labour then lay some Litter in the bottom of your Trench which will keep that part from freezing in case you have Occasion to undermine it more to loosen it when you take it up as is very likely you will Thus let it stand till some hard Frost do bind the Earth firmly to the Roots and then convey it to the Pit or Hole prepared for its new station having before covered the Earth by with some Horse-Litter to keep that Earth from freezing which Mould will then be ready to cover that clod round the Root of the Tree and the ends of the Roots and so secure it the better and that Litter will do well to lay round the Tree on the top of the Ground But in case the Tree be very great and the Mould about the Roots be so ponderous as not to be removed by an ordinary force you must then have a Gin or Crane such a one as they have to Load Timber with and by that you may weigh it out of its place and place the whole upon a Trundle or Sledge to convey it to the place you desire and by the afore-said Engine you may take it off from the Trundle and set it in its hole at your pleasure By this Address you may transplant trees of a great stature without the least Disorder and by taking off the less of their Heads which is of great Importance where this is practised to supply a Defect or remove a Curiosity I do suppose that one of these small Cranes or Gins would be very useful to those that have a great many pretty big trees to take up in their Nurseries especially such as have strong and tough Roots for if the Ground were but well loosened round the Roots and a Rope well fastened a little above the Ground to the stemme of the tree I dare engage that this way one Man with a Lever shall draw up more than ten Men And besides this will draw upright which is better than drawing on one side as many are forced to do You must have on the lower end of the three Legs pieces of Plank to keep it from sinking too far into the loose Ground I have now one a making and hereafter I shall be able to give you a better Account of it than now the onely Inconvenience I think of at present is in fastening the Rope about the Tree so that it may not slide or gall the tree but a piece of good Leather about four or five Inches broad with three or four Straps to come through so many holes when it is fastened to the Rope they may all be strained alike this I suppose will do your work The afore-said Learned Author Adviseth you before you take up trees to mark them all on one side the better to place that side to point to the same Aspect it did before For Oaks growing on the North side of an Hill are more Mossie than those that grow on the South-side this I grant because that side is Colder and Wetter for it is Cold and Wet Ground that breeds Moss most and that gets from the Ground upon the Trees Also he says that Apple-trees standing in a Hedge-row after the Hedge was taken away the Apple-trees did not thrive so well as they did before for want of the shelter of the Hedge I say that if the Hedge-row had drawn up the Apple-trees so as to make them top-heavy they might not thrive so well but if they were not the shelter being taken away they would thrive the better unless by thriving he means growing in height See Lord Bacon's Natural History p. 113. For a tree pent up cannot spread But as for placing the South-side of a tree South again this is not to the purpose for the greatest time that Trees grow in is from the Suns entring into Aries to his entring into Libra and all that time that is half a Year the Tree hath the Sun on the North-side both Morning and Evening and the North side hath the benefit of warming it self later in the Evening and earlier in the Morning having two hours time earlier and two later in the height of Summer more than the South-side Again you shall have the Cold be as much on the South-side of a Wall or Tree in the Night as on the North if the Wind blow on the South-side therefore I do Judge that to place a Tree the South-side South again signifieth little though the same Author saith p. 88. and the Author of the Book Called Mathematical Recreations p. 75. saith That a Tree groweth more on the South-side than on the North I have oft Observed the Annual Circles and have found as many nay more to the contrary for thus I have always found on a Tree near the Ground the Annual Circles have been the greatest on that side from which most of the great Roots came As if a Tree grow on the South-side of a Bank you shall find the Circles on that Tree to be greatest on the North-side c. but higher on a Tree the Circles are ever greatest on that side the Tree where there is a great Bough breaks out for the Sap has great recourse thither many times by sudden cold some is stayed by the way and so increaseth that side of the Tree most For I take the Sap of a Tree if the Weather be open that is of those Trees that shed their Leaves to be still ascending into the Head though it be Mid-winter though there do not rise enough to keep the Leaves on nor to make it bud forth yet it is plain that it keeps the buds full and fresh and increaseth the growth of the Tree for that same pory substance of the Tree which is between every Annual Circle that is made by the Winter-sap and the milder the Winter is the greater you shall find this to be as is visible in Ash Oak Elm c. The other which is more hard and clear is increased by the Sap in Summer and the more feeding the Summer is by showers the more shall the Circles increase on dry Ground and according