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:
Faults are fiue, and their remedies. 1. An vnprofitable boale.
2. Water-boughes.
3. Fretters.
4. Suckers: And,
5. One principall top.
1. Long boale. A long boale asketh much feeding, and the more he hath the more he desires, and gets (as a drunken man drinke, or a couetuous man wealth) and the lesse remaines for the fruit, he puts his boughes into the aire, and makes them, the fruit, and it selfe more dangered with windes: for this I know no remedy, after that the tree is come to growth, once euill, neuer good.No remedy.
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.
Fretters. Fretters are, when as by the negligence of the Gardner, two or moe parts of the tree, or of diuers trees, as armes, boughes, branches, or twigs, grow to neere and close together, that one of them by rubbing, doth wound another. Touching. This fault of all other shewes the want of skill or care (at least) in the Arborist: for here the hurt is apparant, and the remedy easie, seene to betime: galls and wounds incurable, but by taking away those members: Remedy. for let them grow, and they will be worse and worse, & so kill themselues with ciuill strife for roomth, and danger the whole tree. Auoide them betime therefore, as a common wealth doth bosome enemies.
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.