1. I say, it is dangerous to remoue when the sap is not quiet, for euery remoue giues a maine checke to the stirring sap, by staying the course therof in the body of your plant, as may appeare in trees remoued any time in summer, they commonly dye, nay hardly shall you saue the life of the most young and tender plant of any kinde of wood (scarcely herbes) if you remoue them in the pride of sap. For proud sap vniuersally staied by remoual, euer hinders; often taints and so presently, or in very short time kills. Sap is like bloud in mans body, in which is the life, [Cap. 3. p. 9.] If the blood vniuersally be cold, life is excluded; so is sap tainted by vntimely remouall. A stay by drought, or cold, is not so dangerous (though dangerous if it be extreme) because more naturall.
2. The sap neuer descends, as men suppose, but is consollidated & transubstantiated into the substance of the tree, and passeth (alwayes aboue the earth) vpward, not onely betwixt the barke and the wood, but also into and in both body & barke, though not so plentifully, as may appeare by a tree budding, nay fructifying two or three yeres, after he be circumcised at the very root, like a riuer that inlargeth his channel by a continual descent.
3. I cannot perceiue what time they would haue the sap to descend. At Midsommer in a biting drought it staies, but descends not, for immediatly vpon moisture it makes second shoots, at (or before rather) Michaeltide, when it shapens his buds for next yeares fruit. If at the fal of leafe, I grant, about that time is the greatest stand, but no descent, of sap, which begins somwhat before the leafe fall, but not long, therfore at that time must be the best remouing, not by reason of descent, but stay of sap.
4. The sap in this course hath his profitable and apparant effects, as the growth of the tree, couering of wounds, putting of buds, &c. Wherupon it follows, if the sap descend, it must needs haue some effect to shew it.
5. Lastly, boughs plasht and laid lower then the root, dye for want of sap descending, except where it is forced by the maine streame of the sap, as in top boughs hanging like water in pipes, or except the plasht bough lying on the ground put rootes of his owne, yea vnder boughs which we commonly call water boughs, can scarcely get sap to liue, yea in time dye, because the sap doth presse so violently vpward, and therefore the fairest shootes and fruits are alwayes in the top.
Remooue soone. Obiect. If you say that many so remoued thriue, I say that somewhat before the fall of the leafe (but not much) is the stand, for the fall & the stand are not at one instant, before the stand is dangerous. But to returne.
The sooner in winter you remoue your sets, the better; the latter the worse: For it is very perillous if a strong drought take your Sets before they haue made good their rooting. A Plant set at the fall, shall gaine (in a a manner) a whole yeeres growth of that which is set in the Spring after.
The manner of setting. I vse in the setting to be sure, that the earth be mouldy, (and somewhat moist) that it may runne among the small tangles without straining or bruising: and as I fill in earth to his root, I shake the Set easily to and fro, to make the earth settle the better to his roots: and withall easily with my foot I put in the earth close; for ayre is noysome, and will follow concauities. Some prescribe Oates to be put in with the earth. I could like it, if I could know any reason thereof: and they vse to set their Plant with the same side toward the Sunne: but this conceit is like the other. For first I would haue euery tree to stand so free from shade, that not onely the root (which therefore you must keepe bare from graffe) but body, boughes, and branches, and euery spray, may haue the benefit of Sunne. And what hurt, if that part of the tree, that before was shadowed, be now made partaker of the heat of the Sunne? In turning of Bees, I know it is hurtfull, because it changeth their entrance, passage, and whole worke: But not so in Trees.
Set in the crust. Set as deepe as you can, so that in any wise you goe not beneath the crust. Looke [Chap. 2].
Moysture good. We speake in the [second Chapter] of moysture in generall: but now especially hauing put your remoued plant into the earth, powre on water (of a puddle were good) by distilling presently, and so euery weeke twice in strong drought, so long as the earth will drinke, and refuse by ouerflowing. For moisture mollifies, and both giues leaue to the roots to spread, and makes the earth yeeld sap and nourishment with plenty & facility. Nurses (they say) giue most & best milke after warme drinks.