If all timber trees were such (will some say) how should we haue crooked wood for wheeles, courbs, &c.

Answ. Dresse all you can, and there will be enough crooked for those vses.

More than this, in most places, they grow so thicke, that neither themselues, nor earth, nor any thing vnder or neere them can thriue, nor Sunne, nor raine, nor aire can doe them, nor any thing neere or vnder them any profit or comfort.

Trees will take any forme. Neither let any man euer so much as thinke, that it vnprobable, much lesse vnpossible, to reforme any tree of what kind soeuer. For (beleeue me) I haue tried it, I can bring any tree (beginning by time) to any forme. The peare and holly may be made to spread, and the Oke to close.

But why do I wander out of the compasse of mine Orchard, into the Forrests and Woods? Neither yet am I from my purpose, if boales of timber trees stand in need of all the sap, to make them great and straight (for strong growth and dressing makes strong trees) then it must needes be profitable for fruit (a thing more immediately seruing a mans need) to haue all the sap his roote can yeeld: The end of Trees. for as timber sound, great and long, is the good of timber trees, and therefore they beare no fruite of worth: so fruit, good, sound, pleasant, great and much, is the end of fruit-trees. That gardner therefore shall performe his duty skilfully and faithfully, which shall so dresse his trees, that they may beare such and such store of fruit, which he shall neuer do (dare vndertake) vnlesse he keepe this order in dressing his trees.

Benefits of good dressing. 1. Thus you shall haue well liking, cleane skind, healthfull great, and long-lasting trees.

2. Thus shall your tree grow low, and safe from winds, for his top will be great, broad and weighty.

4. Thus shall your boale being little (not small but low) by reason of his shortnesse, take little, and yeeld much sap to the fruit.

5. Thus your trees by reason of strength in time of setting shall put forth more blossomes, and more fruite, being free from taints; for strength is a great helpe to bring forth much and safely, whereas weakenesse failes in setting though the season be calme.

Some vse to bare trees rootes in Winter, to stay the setting til hotter seasons, which I discommend, because,

1. They hurt the rootes.

If any thinke a tree cannot well be brought to this forme: Experto crede Roberto, I can shew diuers of them vnder twenty yeeres of age.

Time best for proining. The fittest time of the Moone for proyning is as of grafting, when the sap is ready to stirre (not proudly stirring) and so to couer the wound, and of the yeere, a moneth before (or at least when) you graffe. Dresse Peares, Apricocks, Peaches, Cherries, and Bullys sooner. And old trees before young plants, you may dresse at any time betwixt Leafe and Leafe. And note, where you take any thing away, the sap the next Summer will be putting: be sure therefore when he puts a bud in any place where you would not haue him, rub it off with your finger.

Beginne betime with trees, and do what you list: but if you let them grow great and stubborne, you must do as the trees list. They will not bend but breake, nor bee wound without danger. A small branch will become a bough, and a bough an arme in bignesse. Then if you cut him, his wound will fester, and hardly, without good skill, recouer: therefore, Obsta principys. Faults of euill drest trees, and the remedy. Of such wounds, and lesser, of any bough cut off a handfull or more from the body, comes hollownesse, and vntimely death. And therefore when you cut, strik close, and cleane, and vpward, and leaue no bunch.

The forme altered. This forme in some cases sometimes may be altered: If your tree, or trees, stand neere your Walkes, if it please your fancy more, let him not breake, till his boale be aboue you head: so may you walke vnder your trees at your pleasure. Or if you set your fruit-trees for your shades in your Groues, then I expect not the forme of the tree, but the comelinesse of the walke.

Dressing of old trees. All this hitherto spoken of dressing, must be vnderstood of young plants, to be formed: it is meete somewhat be sayd for the instruction of them that haue olde trees already formed, or rather deformed: for, Malum non vitatur nisi cognitum. The faults therefore of the disordered tree, I find to be fiue:

2. Water boughs. Water boughes, or vndergrowth, are such boughes as grow low vnder others and are by them ouergrowne, ouershadowed, dropped on, and pinde for want of plenty of sap, and by that meanes in time die: For the sap presseth vpward; and it is like water in her course, where it findeth most issue, thither it floweth, leauing the other lesser floes dry: euen as wealth to wealth, and much to more. These so long as they beare, they beare lesse, worse, and fewer fruit, and waterish.

Remedy. The remedy is easie if they be not growne greater then your arme. Lop them close and cleane, and couer the midel of the wound, the next Summer when he is dry, with a salue made of tallow, tarre, and a very little pitch, good for the couering of any such wound of a great tree: Barke-pild, and the remedy. vnlesse it be barke-pild, and then sear-cloath of fresh Butter, Hony, and Waxe, presently (while the wound is greene) applyed, is a soueraigne remedy in Summer especially. Some bind such wounds with a thumbe rope of Hay, moist, and rub it with dung.

Suckers. A Sucker is a long, proud, and disorderly Cyon, growing straight vp (for pride of sap makes proud, long, and straight growth) cut of any lower parts of the tree, receiuing a great part of the sap, and bearing no fruit, till it haue tyrannized ouer the whole tree. These are like idle and great Drones amongst Bees; and proud and idle members in a common wealth.

Remedy. The remedy of this is, as of water-boughes, vnlesse he be growne greater then all the rest of the boughs, and then your Gardner (at your discretion) may leaue him for his boale, and take away all, or the most of the rest. If he be little, slip him, and set him, perhaps he will take: my fairest Apple-tree was such a Slip.

One principall top or bough, and remedy. One or two principall top boughes are as euill, in a manner, as Suckers, they rise of the same cause, and receiue the same remedy; yet these are more tolerable, because these beare fruit, yea the best: but Suckers of long doe not beare.

I know not how your tree should be faulty, if you reforme all your vices timely, and orderly. As these rules serue for dressing young trees and sets in the first planting: so may they well serue to helpe old trees, though not exactly to recouer them.

Necessity of foiling. There is one thing yet very necessary for make your Orchard both better, and more lasting: Yea, so necessary, that without it your Orchard cannot last, nor prosper long, which is neglected generally both in precepts and in practice, viz. manuring with Foile: whereby it hapneth that when trees (amongst other euils) through want of fatnesse to feed them, become mossie, and in their growth are euill (or not) thriuing, it is either attributed to some wrong cause, as age (when indeed they are but young) or euill standing (stand they neuer so well) or such like, or else the cause is altogether vnknowne, and so not amended.

A Chiefe helpe to make euery thing good, is to auoid the euils thereof: you shall neuer attaine to that good of your Orchard you looke for, vnlesse you haue a Gardner, that can discerne the diseases of your trees, and other annoyances of your Orchard, and find out the causes thereof, and know & apply fit remedies for the same. For be your ground, site, plants, and trees as you would wish, if they be wasted with hurtfull things, what haue you gained but your labour for your trauell? It is with an Orchard and euery tree, as with mans body, The best part of physicke for preseruation of health, is to foresee and cure diseases.

Two kinds of euils in an Orchard. All the diseases of an Orchard are of two sorts, either internall or externall. I call those inward hurts which breed on and in particular trees.

Galls. Galles, Canker, Mosse, weaknes, though they be diuers diseases: yet (howsoeuer Authors thinke otherwise) they rise all out of the same cause.

Since I first wrote this Treatise, I haue changed my mind concerning the disease called the worme, because I read in the History of the West-Indians, that their trees are not troubled with the disease called the worme or canker, which ariseth of a raw and euill concocted humor or sap, Witnesse Pliny, by reason their Country is more hot then ours, whereof I thinke the best remedy is (not disallowing the former, considering that the worme may breed by such an humor) warme standing, sound lopping and good dressing.

Externall wilfull euils are these.
1 Walls.
2 Trenches.
3 Other works noisome done in or neere your Orchard.
4 Euill Neighbours.
5 A carelesse Master.
6 An vndiscreet, negligent or no keeper.

See you here an whole Army of mischeifes banded in troupes against the most fruitfull trees the earth beares? assailing your good labours. Good things haue most enemies.

Remedy. A skilfull Fructerer must put so his helping hand, and disband and put them to flight.

Deere, &c. For the first ranke of beasts, besides your out strong fence, you must haue a faire and swift Greyhound, a stone-bow, gun, and if need require, an Apple with an hooke for a Deere, and an Hare-pipe for an Hare.

Birds. Your Cherries and other Berris when they be ripe, will draw all the Black-birds, Thrushes, and Maw Pies to your Orchard. The Bul-finch is a deuourer of your Fruit in the bud, I haue had whole trees shald out with them in Winter-time.

Remedy. The best remedy here is a Stone bow, a Piece, especially if you haue a Musket or Spar-hawke in Winter to make the Black bird stoope into a bush or hedge.

Winds. And although we admit without the fence of Wall-nuts in most plaine places, Trees middle-most, and ashes or Okes, or Elmes vtmost, set in comely rowes equally distant with faire Allies twixt row and row to auoide the boisterous blasts of winds, and within them also others for Bees; yet wee admit none of these into your Orchard-plat: other remedy then this haue wee none against the nipping frosts. Frosts.

Weeds. Weeds in a fertile soile (because the generall curse is so) till your Trees grow great, will be noysome, and deforme your allies, walkes, beds, and squares, your vnder Gardners must labour to keepe all cleanly & handsome from them and all other filth with a Spade, weeding kniues, rake with iron teeth: a skrapple of Iron thus formed.

For Nettles and ground-Iuy after a showre.

Remedy. When weeds, straw, stickes and all other scrapings are gathered together, burne them not, but bury them vnder your crust in any place of your Orchard, and they will dye and fatten your ground.

Wormes.
Moales. Wormes and Moales open the earth, and let in aire to the roots of your trees, and deforme your squares and walkes, and feeding in the earth, being in number infinite, draw on barrennesse.

Moales will anger you, if your Gardner or some skilful Moale-catcher ease you not, especially hauing made their fortresses among the roots of your trees: you must watch her wel with a Moal spare, at morne, noon, and night, when you see her vtmost hill, cast a Trench betwixt her and her home (for she hath a principall mansion to dwell and breed in about Aprill, which you may discerne by a principall hill, wherein you may catch her, if you trench it round and sure, and watch well) or wheresoeuer you can discerne a single passage (for such she hath) there trench, and watch, and haue her.

Wilfull annoyances. Wilfull annoyances must be preuented and auoided by the loue of the Master and Fruterer, which they beare to their Orchard.

Remedy. Iustice and liberality will put away euill neighbours or euill neighbour-hood. And then if (God blesse and giue successe to your labours) I see not what hurt your Orchard can sustaine.

Gathered by reason out of experience. Let no man thinke this to be strange, but peruse and consider the reason. I haue Apple trees standing in my little Orchard, which I haue knowne these forty yeeres, whose age before my time I cannot learne, it is beyond memory, tho I haue enquired of diuers aged men of 80. yeeres and vpwards: these trees although come into my possession very euill ordered, mishapen, and one of them wounded to his heart, and that deadly (for I know it will be his death) with a wound, wherein I might haue put my foot in the heart of his bulke (now it is lesse) notwithstanding, with that small regard they haue had since, they so like, that I assure my selfe they are not come to their growth by more then 2. parts of 3. which I discerne not onely by their owne growth, but also by comparing them with the bulke of other trees. And I find them short (at least) by so many parts in bignesse, although I know those other fruit-trees to haue beene much hindred in their stature by euill guiding. Herehence I gather thus.

Now if a man, whose body is nothing (in a manner) but tender rottennesse, whose course of life cannot by any meanes, by counsell, restraint of Lawes, or punishment, nor hope of praise, profet, or eturnall glory, be kept within any bounds, who is degenerate cleane from his naturall feeding, to effeminate nicenesse, and cloying his body with excesse of meate, drinke, sleepe &c. and to whom nothing is so pleasant and so much desired as the causes of his owne death, as idlenesse, lust, &c. may liue to that age: I see not but a tree of a solide substance, not damnified by heate or cold, capable of, and subiect to any kinde of ordering or dressing that a man shall apply vnto him, feeding naturally, as from the beginning disburdened of all superfluities, eased of, and of his owne accord auoiding the causes that may annoy him, should double the life of a man, more then twice told; and yet naturall phylosophy, and the vniuersall consent of all Histories tell vs, that many other liuing creatures farre exceed man in the length of yeeres: As the Hart and the Rauen. Thus reporteth that famous Roterodam out of Hesiodus, and many other Historiographers. The testimony of Cicero in his booke De Senectute, is weighty to this purpose: that we must in posteras ætates ferere arbores, which can haue none other fence: but that our fruit-trees whereof he speakes, can endure for many ages.

Age of trees discerned. It is good for some purposes to regard the age of your fruit trees, which you may easily know, till they come to accomplish twenty yeeres, by his knots: Reckon from his root vp an arme and so to hys top-twig, and euery yeeres growth is distinguished from other by a knot, except lopping or remouing doe hinder.

Generall Rule. Although it be an easie matter, when God shall send it, to gather and keepe fruit, yet are they certaine things worthy your regard. You must gather your fruit when it is ripe, and not before, else will it wither and be tough and sowre. All fruit generally are ripe, when they beginne to fall. For Trees doe as all other bearers doe, when their yong ones are ripe, they will waine them. The Doue her Pigeons, the Cony her Rabbets, and women their children. Some fruit tree sometimes getting a taint in the setting with a frost or euill wind, will cast his fruit vntimely, but not before he leaue giuing them sap, or they leaue growing. Cherries, &c. Except from this foresaid rule, Cherries, Damsons and Bullies. The Cherry is ripe when he is sweld wholy red, and sweet: Damsons and Bulies not before the first frost.

Apples. Apples are knowne to be ripe, partly by their colour, growing towards a yellow, except the Leather-coat and some Peares and Greening.

When. Timely Summer fruit will be ready, some at Midsummer, most at Lammus for present vse; but generally noe keeping fruit before Michal-tide. Hard Winter fruit and Wardens longer.

Gather the stalkes with all: for a little wound in fruit, is deadly: but not the stumpe, that must beare the next fruit, nor leaues, for moisture putrifies.

Seuerally. Gather euery kind seuerally by it selfe, for all will not keepe alike, and it is hard to discerne them, when they are mingled.

Ouerladen trees. If your trees be ouer-laden (as they will be, being ordered, as is before taught you) I like better of pulling some off (tho they be not ripe) neere the top end of the bough, then of propping by much, the rest shall be better fed. Propping puts the bough in danger, and frets it at least.

Now pause with your selfe, and view the end of all your labours in an Orchard: vnspeakable pleasure, and infinite commodity. The pleasure of an Orchard I referre to the last Chapter for the conclusion: and in this Chapter, a word or two of the profit, which thorowly to declare is past my skill: and I count it as if a man should attempt to adde light to the Sunne with a Candle, or number the Starres. No man that hath but a meane Orchard or iudgement but knowes, that the commodity of an Orchard is great: Neither would I speake of this, being a thing so manifest to all; but that I see, that through the carelesse lazinesse of men, it is a thing generally neglected. But let them know, that they lose hereby the chiefest good which belongs to house-keeping.

Fruit. The benefit of your Fruit, Roots and Hearbs, though it were but to eate and sell, is much.

Waters. Waters distilled of Roses, Woodbind, Angelica, are both profitable and wondrous pleasant, and comfortable.

Conserue. Saffron and Licoras will yeeld you much Conserues and Preserues, are ornaments to your Feasts, health in your sicknesse, and a good helpe to your friend, and to your purse.

He that will not be moued with such vnspeakable profits, is well worthy to want, when others abound in plenty of good things.

Me thinks hitherto we haue but a bare Orchard for fruit, and but halfe good, so long as it wants those comely Ornaments, that should giue beauty to all our labours, and make much for the honest delight of the owner and his friends.

This delights all the senses. For whereas euery other pleasure commonly filles some one of our senses, and that onely, with delight, this makes all our sences swimme in pleasure, and that with infinite variety, ioyned with no lesse commodity.

Delighteth old age. That famous Philosopher, and matchlesse Orator, M.T.C. prescribeth nothing more fit, to take away the tediousnesse and heauy load of three or foure score yeeres, then the pleasure of an Orchard.

Causes of delight in an Orchard. What can your eye desire to see, your eares to hear, your mouth to tast, or your nose to smell, that is not to be had in an Orchard, with abundance and variety? What more delightsome then an infinite variety of sweet smelling flowers? decking with sundry colours, the greene mantle of the Earth, the vniuersall Mother of vs all, so by them bespotted, so dyed, that all the world cannot sample them, and wherein it is more fit to admire the Dyer, then imitate his workemanship. Colouring not onely the earth, but decking the ayre, and sweetning euery breath and spirit.

Walkes.
Seates. Large Walkes, broad and long, close and open, like the Tempe groues in Thessalie, raised with grauell and sand, hauing seats and bankes of Cammomile, all this delights the minde, and brings health to the body.

Order of trees. View now with delight the workes of your owne hands, your fruit-trees of all sorts, loaden with sweet blossomes, and fruit of all tasts, operations, and colours: your trees standing in comely order which way soeuer you looke.

Your borders on euery side hanging and drooping with Feberries, Raspberries, Barberries, Currens, and the rootes of your trees powdred with Strawberries, red, white, and greene, what a pleasure is this? Shape of men and beasts. Your Gardner can frame your lesser wood to the shape of men armed in the field, ready to giue battell: or swift running Greyhounds: or of well sented and true running Hounds, to chase the Deere, or hunt the Hare. This kind of hunting shall not waste your corne, nor much your coyne.

Mazes. Mazes well framed a mans height, may perhaps make your friend wander in gathering of berries, till he cannot recouer himselfe without your helpe.

Hearbes. Rosemary and sweete Eglantine are seemely ornaments about a Doore or Window, and so is Woodbinde.

Vine. A Vine ouer-shadowing a seate, is very comely, though her Grapes with vs ripe slowly.

Birds.
Nightingale. One chiefe grace that adornes an Orchard, I cannot let slip: A brood of Nightingales, who with their seuerall notes and tunes, with a strong delightsome voyce, out of a weake body, will beare you company night and day. She loues (and liues in) hots of woods in her hart. She will helpe you to cleanse your trees of Caterpillers, and all noysome wormes and flyes. Robin-red-brest.
Wren. The gentle Robin-red-brest will helpe her, and in winter in the coldest stormes will keepe a part. Neither will the silly Wren be behind in Summer, with her distinct whistle (like a sweete Recorder) to cheere your spirits.

Black-bird.
Thrush. The Black-bird and Threstle (for I take it the Thrush sings not, but deuoures) sing loudly in a May morning and delights the eare much (and you neede not want their company, if you haue ripe Cherries or Berries, and would as gladly as the rest do you pleasure:) But I had rather want their company than my fruit.

What shall I say? A thousand of pleasant delightes are attendant in an Orchard: and sooner shall I be weary, then I can recken the least part of that pleasure, which one that hath and loues an Orchard, may find therein.

What is there of all these few that I haue reckoned, which doth not please the eye, the eare, the smell, and taste? And by these sences as Organes, Pipes, and windowes, these delights are carried to refresh the gentle, generous, and noble mind.