Some for this purpose dig the soile of their Orchard to receiue moisture, which I cannot approue: for the roots with digging are oftentimes hurt, and especially being digged by some vnskilfull seruant: For the Gardiner cannot doe all himselfe. And moreouer, the roots of Apples & Peares being laid neere day, with the heate of the Sun, will [put] forth suckers, which are a great hinderance, and sometimes with euill guiding, the destruction of trees, vnlesse the deluing be very shallow, and the ground laid very leuell againe. Cherries and Plummes without deluing, will hardly or neuer (after twenty yeares) be kept from such suckers, nor aspes.
Grasse. Grasse also is thought needfull for moisture, so you let it not touch the roots of your trees: for it will breed mosse, and the boall of your tree neere the earth would haue the comfort of the Sunne and Ayre.
Some take their ground to be too moist when it is not so, by reason of waters standing thereon, for except in soure marshes, springs, and continuall ouerflowings, no earth can be too moyst. Sandy & fat earth will auoid all water falling by receit. Indeed a stiffe clay will not receiue the water, and therefore if it be grassie or plaine, especially hollow, the water will abide, and it wil seeme waterish, when the fault is in the want of manuring, and other good dressing.
Naturally plaine. This plainnesse which we require, had need be naturall, because to force an vneuen ground will destroy the fatnesse. For euery soile hath his crust next day wherein trees and herbes put their roots, and whence they draw their sap, which is the best of the soile, and made fertile with heat and cold, moisture and drought, and vnder which by reason of the want of the said temperature, by the said foure qualities, no tree nor herbe (in a manner) will or can put root. As may be seene if in digging your ground, you take the weeds of most growth: as grasse or docks, (which will grow though they lie vpon the earth bare) yet bury them vnder the crust, and they will surely dye and perish, & become manure to your [ground.] This crust is not past 15. or [18.] inches deepe in good ground, in other grounds lesse. Crust of the earth. Hereby appeares the fault of forced plaines, viz. your crust in the lower parts, is couered with the crust of the higher parts, and both with worse earth: your heights hauing the crust taken away, are become meerely barren: so that either you must force a new crust, or haue an euill soile. And be sure you leuell, before you plant, lest you be forced to remoue, or hurt your plants by digging, and casting amongst their roots. Your ground must be cleered as much as you may of stones, and grauell, walls, hedges, bushes, & other weeds.
Chap. 3.
Of the Site.
There is no difference, that I find betwixt the necessity of a good soile, and a good site of an Orchard. For a good soile (as is before [described)] cannot want a good site, and if it do, the fruit cannot be good, and a good site will much mend an euill soile. Low and neere a Riuer. The best site is in low grounds, (and if you can) neere vnto a Riuer. High grounds are not naturally fat.
And if they haue any fatnesse by mans hand, the very descent in time doth wash it away. It is with grounds in this case as it is with men in a common wealth. Much will haue more: and once poore, seldome or neuer rich. The raine will scind, and wash, and the wind will blow fatnesse from the heights to the hollowes, where it will abide, and fatten the earth though it were barren before.
Hence it is, that we haue seldome any plaine grounds, and low, barren: and as seldome any heights naturally fertill. It is vnspeakeable, what fatnesse is brought to low grounds by inundations of waters. Neither did I euer know any barren ground in a low plaine by a Riuer side. The goodnesse of the soile in Howle or Hollowdernes, in York-shire, is well knowne to all that know the Riuer Humber, and the huge bulkes of their Cattell there. By estimation of them that haue seene the low grounds in Holland [and] Zealand they farre surpasse the most Countries in Europe for fruitfulnesse, and only because they lie so low. Psal. 1. 3.
Ezek. 17. 8.
Eccl. 39. 17. The world cannot compare with Ægypt, for fertility, so farre as Nilus doth ouer flow his bankes. So that a fitter place cannot be chosen for an Orchard, then a low plaine by a riuer side. For besides the fatnesse which the water brings, if any cloudy mist or raine be stirring, it commonly falls downe to, and followes the course of the Riuer. And where see we greater trees of bulke and bough, then standing on or neere the waters side? If you aske why the plaines in Holderns, and such countries are destitute of woods? I answer that men and cattell (that haue put trees thence, from out of Plaines to void corners) are better then trees. Neither are those places without trees. Mr. Markham. Our old fathers can [tel vs], how woods are decaied, & people in the roomth of trees multiplied. I haue stood somwhat long in this poynt, because some do condemne a moist soile for fruit-trees.
Winds.
[Chap. 13.] A low ground is good to auoide the danger of winds, both for shaking downe your vnripe fruite. Trees the most (that I know) being loaden with wood, for want of proyning, and growing high, by the vnskilfulnesse of the Arborist, must needes be in continuall danger of the South-west, West, and North west winds, especially in September and March, when the aire is most temperate from extreme heat, and cold, which are deadly enemies to great winds. Wherefore chuse your ground [low:] Or if you be forced to plant in a higher ground, let high and strong wals, houses, and trees, as wall-nuts, plane trees, Okes, and Ashes, placed in good order, be your fence for winds.
The sucken of your dwelling house, descending into your orchard, if it be cleanly conueyed, is good.