Thus when you haue made an end of cutting downe your sale, and that the wood is cleansed and carried away, and all the loose and scattered stickes raked vp into seuerall heapes, and caried away also; for it is the part of euerie good husband and Woodward, not to sée any wood lye and rot vpon the ground; you shall then with the vnder-wood preserued in the Plash-pole, deuide by a strong hedge this new cut downe sale from the other elder growne wood, and for tenne yéeres, as before is spoken, not suffer any foure-footed beast to come within the same; The Woodwards duty. from which rule you shall learne this lesson, that it is the Woodwards duty euery day to looke ouer all his young Springs, and if by any mischance or negligence cattell shall happen to breake into them (as many times they doe) then shall he not onely driue forth or impound such Cattell, but also suruay how farre and which Plants they haue cropt, and hauing spied them, with his wood Bill, presently cut the Plants so brouzed close by the bottomes of the last shuts, and then they will newly put forth againe, as well as if they had neuer béene hindred: which done, he shall finde out where the cattell brake in; and then mend the same, so well and sufficiently, that it may preuent the like mischiefe. Also if these young springs shall stand néere vnto Forrests or elder Woods, which are full of wilde Deare, and be no purlewes belonging vnto the same, the Woodward then shall neuer walke without a little dogge following him, with which he shall chase such Deare out of his young springs, because it is to be vnderstood, that the brouzing of Deare is as hurtfull to young wood, as that of any other cattell whatsoeuer. And thus much touching the ordering and gouernment of vnder-woods, with their sales, and the nourishing vp of greater Timber.
Chap. III.
Of High Woods, and their Plantation.
What high Woods are.
High Woods are those which containe onely Trées for Timber, and are not pestred or imbraced with the vnder growth of small brush wood, such as Hazels, White-thorne, Sallowes and Poplar are; these for the most part consist of Oakes, Ash, Elme, Béech, Maple, and such like, growing so remote and seperate one from another, that although their tops and branches méete, and as it were infolde one within another, yet at the rootes a man may walke or ride about them without trouble. The beginning of high Woods. These high Woods had their first beginnings from the séeds, as was before declared, and nourisht from age to age amongst the vnder-woods, which, when men began to want foode for their bréede-Cattell, and that from the super-abundance of young Woods, they found some might conueniently be spared, they forth-with in stead of cutting downe their young wood aboue the earth, began to digge it vp by the rootes, and with stubbe Axes to teare the meane sinewes from the ground, so that it might not renew or encrease againe, and then leuelling the earth, and laying it smooth and plaine, to leaue nothing standing but the tall Timber trées, betwéene which the grasse had more libertie to growe, and Cattell more abundance to féede on, and all be not so long and well able to fill the mouth, as that which growes in the thicke springs, yet much more swéet and better able to nourish any thing that shall graze vpon the same, by reason that the Sunne and Frosts hauing more frée power to enter into the ground, the earth is so much the better seasoned, and bringeth forth her encrease with more swéetnesse.
The Plantation of high Woods.
Some are of opinion, that these high Woods may as well be planted as sowne, and that many of them from the first beginning haue béene so, to which opinion I consent in part: for doubtlesse I am perswaded, that many small Groues of Ash, Elme, Béech and Poplar haue béene planted, for we sée in our daily experience, and the new walkes in More-fields by London, are a perfect testimonie, that such Plantations may be without trouble or danger: but for the Oake to be taken vp and replanted, is very hard, and very seldome in vse, neither shall a man in an whole Age sée any Oake remoued come to perfection or goodnesse, but growe crooked, knottie, and at the best, but for the vse of fewell onely: but for the other before rehearsed, you may remoue them when they are a dozen yeares of age, and plant them where you please: and if the earth haue in it any goodnesse at all, they will take root and grow both spéedily, and plentifully. And since I am thus farre entred into the plantation of Woods, I will shew you how you shall plant and remoue euery Trée in his due manner and season.
Of Planting the Elme.
And first for the planting of the Elme, which is an excellent Trée for shadow, and the adorning of walkes or dwelling houses, you shall make choise of those Plants which are straightest, soundest, the barke euen and vntwound, and at least eightéene or twenty inches in compasse: these you shall digge out of the ground, roote and all, then at the top of the head, about thrée fingers vnder the knot, where the maine armes seuerally issue forth, you shall a little slope-wise cut the head cleane off them, and mixing clay and a little horse-dung, or fine ashes together, couer the head round about there-with, then ouer the same wrap Mosse, or fine Hay, and binde it about with soft clouen Oziers, or some such like bands, then with a sharpe pruning Bill cut euery seuerall branch of the roote within a finger or two of the stocke; which done, and the roote pickt cleane, you shall make a hole to be digged in the place, where you meane to plant the Elme iust of that depth, the hole was from whence you digged out the Elme, that so much and no more of the Elme may be hidden in the earth, then was formerly at his remouing; and this hole you shall make spacious and easie; and that the mould be soft and loose both vnderneath and round about the roote of the Elme, which done, you shall place your Elme in the same, straight and vpright, without either swaruing one way or other, which for your better certaintie, you may proue either with plumbe, leuell, or other instrument, which being perfected, you shall with rich fresh mould well mixt with olde meanure, couer and ram the same fast in the earth, in such sort, that no reasonable strength may moue or shake it: and all this worke must be done in the encrease of the Moone, either in the moneth of October, or at the latter end of Ianuary: but the latter end of Ianuarie is euer helde the best and safest, for there is no question but you shall sée flourishing Trées the next Summer after: and in this sort you may likewise remoue either Béech, Witcher, or Popler, bestowing them either in Groues, Walkes, Hedge-rowes, or other places of shadow, as shall séeme best to your contentment: for their natures being alike, their growthes and flourishings haue little difference.