Sunne. The Sunne, in some sort, is the life of the world. It maketh proud growth, and ripens kindly, and speedily, according to the golden tearme: Annus fructificat, non tellus. Therefore in the countries, neerer approching the Zodiake, the Sunnes habitation, they haue better, and sooner ripe fruite, then we that dwell in these frozen parts.
Trees against a wall. This prouoketh most of our great Arborists, to plant Apricockes, Cherries and Peaches, by a wall, and with tackes, and other meanes to spread them vpon, and fasten them to a wall, to haue the benefit of the immoderate reflexe of the Sunne, which is commendable, for the hauing of faire, good & soone ripe fruit. But let them know it is more hurtfull to their trees then the benefit they reape therby: as not suffering a tree to liue the tenth part of his age. It helpes Gardners to worke, for first the wall hinders the roots, because into a dry and hard wall of earth or stone a tree will not, nor cannot put any root to profit, but especially it stops the passage of sap, whereby the barke is wounded, & the wood, & diseases grow, so that the tree becomes short of life. For as in the body of a man, the leaning or lying on some member, wherby the course of bloud is stopt, makes that member as it were dead for the time, till the bloud returne to his course, and I thinke, if that stopping should continue any time, the member would perish for want of bloud (for the life is in the bloud) and so endanger the body: so the sap is the life of the tree, as the bloud is to mans body: neither doth the tree in winter (as is supposed) want his sap, no more then mans body his bloud, which in winter, and time of sleep draws inward. So that the dead time of winter, to a tree, is but a night of rest: for the tree at all times, euen in winter is nourished with sap, & groweth as well as mans body. The chilling cold may well some little time stay, or hinder the proud course of the sap, but so little & so short a time, that in calme & mild season, euen in the depth of winter, if you marke it, you may easily perceiue, the sap to put out, and your trees to increase their buds, which were formed in the summer before, & may easily be discerned: for leaues fall not off, til they be thrust off, with the knots or buds, wherupon it comes to passe that trees cannot beare fruit plentifully two yeares together, and make themselues ready to blossome against the seasonablenesse of the next Spring.
And if any frost be so extreme, that it stay the sap too much, or too long, then it kils the forward fruit in the bud, and sometimes the tender leaues and twigs, but not the tree. Wherefore, to returne, it is perillous to stop the sap. And where, or when, did you euer see a great tree packt on a wall? Nay, who did euer know a tree so vnkindly splat, come to age? I haue heard of some, that out of their imaginary cunning, haue planted such trees, on the North side of the wall, to auoide drought, but the heate of the Sunne is as comfortable (which they should haue regarded) as the drought is hurtfull. And although water is a soueraigne remedy against drought, ye want of Sun is no way to be helped. Wherefore to conclude this Chapter, let your ground lie so, that it may haue the benefit of the South, and West Sun, and so low and close, that it may haue moysture, and increase his fatnesse (for trees are the greatest suckers & pillers of [earth)] and (as much as may be) free from great winds.
Chap. 4.
Of the quantity.
It would be remembred what a benefit riseth, not onely to euery particular owner of an Orchard, but also to the common wealth, by fruit, as shall be shewed in the [16. Chapter] (God willing) whereupon must needes follow: the greater the Orchard is (being good and well kept) the better it is, for of good things, being equally good, the biggest is the best. Orchard as good as a corn-field. And if it shall appeare, that no ground a man occupieth (no, not the corne field) yeeldeth more gaine to the purse, and house keeping (not to speake of the vnspeakeable pleasure) quantity for quantity, than a good Orchard (besides the cost in planting, and dressing an orchard, is not so much by farre, as the labour and feeding of your corne fields, nor for durance of time, comparable, besides the certainty of the on before the other) I see not how any labour, or cost in this kind, can be idly or wastfully bestowed, or thought too much. Compared with a vinyard. And what other things is a vineyard, in those countries where vines doe thriue, than a large Orchard of trees bearing fruit? Or what difference is there in the iuice of the Grape, and our Cyder & Perry, but the goodnes of the soile & clime where they grow? which maketh the one more ripe, & so more pleasant then the other. What soeuer can be said for the benefit rising from an orchard, that makes for the largenesse of the Orchards bounds. Compared with a garden. And (me thinkes) they do preposterously, that bestow more cost and labours, and more ground in and vpon a garden than vpon an orchard, whence they reape and may reape both more pleasure and more profit, by infinite degrees. And further, that a Garden neuer so fresh, and faire, and well kept, cannot continue without both renewing of the earth and the hearbs often, in the short and ordinary age of a man: whereas your Orchard well kept shall dure diuers hundred yeares, as shall be shewed [chap. 14]. In a large orchard there is much labour saued, in fencing, and otherwise: for three little orchards, or few trees, being, in a manner, all out-sides, are so blasted and dangered, and commonly in keeping neglected, and require a great fence; whereas in a great Orchard, trees are a mutuall fence one to another, and the keeping is regarded, and lesse fencing serues sixe acres together, than three in seuerall inclosures.
What quantity of ground. Now what quantity of ground is meetest for an Orchard can no man prescribe, but that must be left to euery mans seuerall iudgement, to be measured according to his ability and will, for other necessaries besides fruite must be had, and some are more delighted with orchard then others.
Want is no hinderance. Let no man hauing a fit plot plead pouerty in this case, for an orchard once planted will maintaine it selfe, and yeeld infinite profit besides. And I am perswaded, that if men did know the right and best way of planting, dressing, and keeping trees, and felt the profit and pleasure thereof, both they that haue no orchards would haue them, & they that haue orchards, would haue them larger, yea fruit-trees in their hedges, as in Worcester-shire, &c. How Land-lords by their Tenants may make flourishing Orchards in England. And I think, that the want of planting, is a great losse to our common-wealth, & in particular, to the owners of Lord-ships, which Land lords themselues might easily amend, by granting longer terme, and better assurance to their tenants, who haue taken vp this Prouerbe Botch and sit, Build and flit: for who will build or plant for an other mans profit? Or the Parliament mighte ioyne euery occupier of grounds to plant and mainetaine for so many acres of fruitfull ground, so many seuerall trees or kinds of trees for fruit. Thus much for quantity.
Chap. 5.
Of the forme.
The goodnesse of the soile, and site, are necessary to the wel being of an orchard simply, but the forme is so farre necessary, as the owner shall thinke meete, for that kind of forme wherewith euery particular man is delighted, we leaue it to himselfe, Suum cuique pulchrum. The vsuall forme is a square. The forme that men like in generall is a square, for although roundnesse be forma perfectissima, yet that principle is good where necessity by art doth not force some other forme. If within one large square the Gardner shall make one round Labyrinth or Maze with some kind of Berries, it will grace your forme, so there be sufficient roomth left for walkes, so will foure or more round knots do. For it is to be noted, that the eye must be pleased with the forme. I haue seene squares rising by degrees with stayes from your house-ward, according to this forme which I haue, Crassa quod aiunt Minerua, with an vnsteady hand, rough hewen, for in forming the country gardens, the better sort may vse better formes, and more costly worke. What is needefull more to be sayd, I referre that all (concerning the Forme,) to the [Chapter 17] of the ornaments of an Orchard.