As I haue done in the two former parts of this Treatise, so I meane to proceede in this; first to set downe the situation of an Orchard, and then other things in order: And first, I hold that an Orchard which is, or should bee of some reasonable large extent, should be so placed, that the house should haue the Garden of flowers iust before it open vpon the South, and the Kitchen Garden on the one side thereof, should also haue the Orchard on the other side of the Garden of Pleasure, for many good reasons: First, for that the fruit trees being grown great and tall, will be a great shelter from the North and East windes, which may offend your chiefest Garden, and although that your Orchard stand a little bleake vpon the windes, yet trees rather endure these strong bitter blasts, then other smaller and more tender shrubs and herbes can doe. Secondly, if your Orchard should stand behinde your Garden of flowers more Southward, it would shadow too much of the Garden, and besides, would so binde in the North and East, and North and West windes vpon the Garden, that it would spoile many tender things therein, and so much abate the edge of your pleasure thereof, that you would willingly wish to haue no Orchard, rather then that it should so much annoy you by the so ill standing thereof. Thirdly, the falling leaues being still blowne with the winde so aboundantly into the garden, would either spoile many things, or haue one daily and continuall attending thereon, to cleanse and sweepe them away. Or else to auoide these great inconueniences, appoint out an Orchard the farther off, and set a greater distance of ground betweene. For the ground or soile of the Orchard, what I haue spoken concerning the former Garden for the bettering of the seuerall grounds, may very well serue and be applyed to this purpose. But obserue this, that, whereas your Gardens before spoken of may be turned vp, manured, and bettered with soile if they growe out of heart, your Orchard is not so easily done, but must abide many yeares without altering; and therefore if the ground be barren, or not good, it had the more neede to bee amended, or wholly made good, before you make an Orchard of it; yet some there be that doe appoint, that where euery tree should bee set, you onely digge that place to make it good: but you must know, that the rootes of trees runne further after a little times standing, then the first compasse they are set in; and therefore a little compasse of ground can maintaine them but a little while, and that when the rootes are runne beyond that small compasse wherein they were first set, and that they are come to the barren or bad ground, they can thriue no better then if they had beene set in that ground at the first, and if you should afterwards digge beyond that compasse, intending to make the ground better further off, you should much hurt the spreading rootes, and put your trees in danger: the situation of hils in many places is grauelly or chalky, which is not good for trees, because they are both too stonie, and lacke mellow earth, wherein a tree doth most ioy and prosper, and want moisture also (which is the life of all trees) because of the quicke descent of raine to the lower grounds: and besides all these inconueniences there is one more; your trees planted either on hils or hill sides, are more subiect to the fury and force of windes to be ouerturned, then those that growe in the lower grounds; for the strongest and most forcible windes come not vsually out of the North East parts, where you prouide best defence, but from the South and West, whence you looke for the best comfort of the Sunne. To helpe therefore manie of the inconueniences of the hils sides, it were fit to cause manie leauels to bee made thereon, by raising the lower grounds with good earth, and sustaining them with bricke or stone wals, which although chargeable, will counteruaile your cost, beside the pleasure of the walkes, and prospect of so worthy a worke. The plaine or leuell grounds as they are the most frequent, so they are the most commendable for an Orchard, because the moulds or earths are more rich, or may better and sooner be made so; and therefore the profits are the more may be raised from them. A stiffe clay doth nourish trees well, by reason it containeth moisture; but in regard of the coldnesse thereof, it killeth for the most part all tender and early things therein: sea-cole ashes therefore, bucke ashes, streete soyle, chaulke after it hath lyen abroad and been broken with many yeares frosts and raine, and sheepes dung, are the most proper and fittest manure to helpe this kinde of soyle. The dry sandy soile, and grauelly ground are on the contrary side as bad, by reason of too much heate and lacke of moisture: the dung of kine or cattell in good quantity bestowed thereon, will much helpe them. The amending or bettering of other sorts of grounds is set down toward the end of the [first Chapter of the first part] of this worke, wherevnto I will referre you, not willing to repeate againe the same things there set downe. The best way to auoide and amend the inconueniences of high, boisterous, and cold windes, is to plant Walnut trees, Elmes, Oakes or Ashes, a good distance without the compasse of your Orchard, which after they are growne great, will bee a great safeguard thereunto, by breaking the violence of the windes from it. And if the soyle of your Orchard want moisture, the conueying of the sinke of the house, as also any other draine of water thereinto, if it may be, will much helpe it.

Chap. II.
The forme of an Orchard, both ordinary, and of more grace and rarity.

According to the situation of mens grounds, so must the plantation of them of necessitie be also; and if the ground be in forme, you shall haue a formall Orchard: if otherwise, it can haue little grace or forme. And indeed in the elder ages there was small care or heede taken for the formality; for euery tree for the most part was planted without order, euen where the master or keeper found a vacant place to plant them in, so that oftentimes the ill placing of trees without sufficient space betweene them, and negligence in not looking to vphold them, procured more waste and spoile of fruit, then any accident of winde or weather could doe. Orchards in most places haue not bricke or stone wals to secure them, because the extent thereof being larger then of a Garden, would require more cost, which euery one cannot vndergoe; and therefore mud wals, or at the best a quicke set hedge, is the ordinary and most vsuall defence it findeth almost in all places: but with those that are of ability to compasse it with bricke or stone wals, the gaining of ground, and profit of the fruit trees planted there against, will in short time recompense that charge. If you make a doubt how to be sure that your Orchard wall shall haue sufficient comfort of the Sunne to ripen the fruits, in regard the trees in the Orchard being so nigh thereunto, and so high withall, will so much shadow the wall, that nothing will ripen well, because it will want the comfort of the Sunne: you may follow this rule and aduice, to remedy those inconueniences. Hauing an Orchard containing one acre of ground, two, three, or more, or lesse, walled about, you may so order it, by leauing a broad and large walke betweene the wall and it, containing twenty or twenty foure foote (or yards if you will) that the wall shall not be hindered of the Sun, but haue sufficient comfort for your trees, notwithstanding the height of them, the distance betweene them and the wall being a sufficient space for their shadow to fall into: and by compassing your Orchard on the inside with a hedge (wherein may bee planted all sorts of low shrubs or bushes, as Roses, Cornellian, Cherry trees plashed lowe, Gooseberries, Curran trees, or the like) you may enclose your walke, and keepe both it and your Orchard in better forme and manner, then if it lay open. For the placing of your trees in this Orchard, first for the wals: Those sides that lye open to the South & Southwest Sunne, are fittest to bee planted with your tenderest and earliest fruits, as Apricockes, Peaches, Nectarius, and May or early Cherries: the East, North and West, for Plums and Quinces, as you shall like best to place them. And for the Orchard it selfe, the ordinary manner is to place them without regard of measure or difference, as Peares among Apples, and Plums among Cherries promiscuously; but some keepe both a distance and a diuision for euery sort, without intermingling: yet the most gracefull Orchard containeth them all, with some others, so as they be placed that one doe not hinder or spoile another; and therefore to describe you the modell of an Orchard, both rare for comelinesse in the proportion, and pleasing for the profitablenesse in the vse, and also durable for continuance, regard this figure is here placed for your direction, where you must obserue, that your trees are here set in such an equall distance one from another euery way, & as is fittest for them, that when they are grown great, the greater branches shall not gall or rubbe one against another; for which purpose twenty or sixteene foot is the least to be allowed for the distance euery way of your trees, & being set in rowes euery one in the middle distance, will be the most gracefull for the plantation, and besides, giue you way sufficient to passe through them, to pruine, loppe, or dresse them, as need shall require, and may also bee brought (if you please) to that gracefull delight, that euery alley or distance may be formed like an arch, the branches of either side meeting to be enterlaced together. Now for the seuerall sorts of fruit trees that you shall place in this modell, your best direction is to set Damsons, Bulleis, and your taler growing Plums on the outside, and your lower Plums, Cherries, and Apples on the inside, hauing regard, that you place no Peare tree to the Sunward, or any other tree, lest it ouershadow them: Let your Peare trees therefore be placed behinde, or on the one side of your lower trees, that they may be as it were a shelter or defence on the North & East side. Thus may you also plant Apples among Plums and Cherries, so as you suffer not one to ouer-growe or ouer-toppe another; for by pruning, lopping, and shredding those that growe too fast for their fellowes, you may still keepe your trees in such a conformity, as may be both most comely for the sight, and most profitable for the yeelding of greater and better store of fruit. Other sorts of fruit trees you may mixe among these, if you please, as Filberds, Cornellian Cherries in standerds, and Medlers: but Seruice trees, Baye trees, and others of that high sort, must be set to guard the rest. Thus haue I giuen you the fairest forme could as yet be deuised; and from this patterne, if you doe not follow it precisely, yet by it you may proportion your Orchard, be it large or little, be it walled or hedged.

Chap. III.
Of a noursery for trees, both from sowing the kernels, and planting fit stockes to graft vpon.

Although I know the greater sort (I meane the Nobility and better part of the Gentrie of this Land) doe not intend to keepe a Nursery, to raise vp those trees that they meane to plant their wals or Orchards withall, but to buy them already grafted to their hands of them that make their liuing of it: yet because many Gentlemen and others are much delighted to bestowe their paines in grafting themselues, and esteeme their owne labours and handie worke farre aboue other mens: for their incouragement and satisfaction, I will here set downe some conuenient directions, to enable them to raise an Orchard of all sorts of fruits quickly, both by sowing the kernels or stones of fruit, and by making choise of the best sorts of stockes to graft on: First therefore to begin with Cherries; If you will make a Nursery, wherein you may bee stored with plenty of stockes in a little space, take what quantitie you thinke good of ordinarie wilde blacke Cherrie stones, cleansed from the berries, and sowe them, or pricke them in one by one on a peece of ground well turned vp, and large enough for the quantitie of stones you will bestowe thereon, from the midst of August vnto the end of September, which when they are two or three yeares old, according to their growth, you may remoue them, and set them anew in some orderly rowes, hauing pruned their tops and their rootes, which at the next yeares growth after the new planting in any good ground, or at the second, will be of sufficient bignesse to graft vpon in the bud what sorts of Cherries you thinke best: and it is fittest to graft them thus young, that pruning your stockes to raise them high, you may graft them at fiue or six foote high, or higher, or lower, as you shall see good, and being thus grafted in the bud, will both more speedily and safely bring forward your grafts, and with lesse danger of losing your stockes, then by grafting them in the stocke: for if the bud take not by inoculating the first yeare, yet your tree is not lost, nor put in any hazzard of losse; but may be grafted anew the yeare following, if you will, in an other place thereof, whereas if you graft in the stocke, and it doe not take, it is a great chance if the stocke dye not wholly, or at least be not so weakened both in strength and height, that it will not bee fit to bee grafted a yeare or two after. In the same manner as you doe with the blacke, you may deale with the ordinary English red Cherrie stones, or kernels, but they are not so apt to growe so straight and high, nor in so short a time as the blacke Cherrie stones are, and besides are subiect in time to bring out suckers from the rootes, to the hinderance of the stockes and grafts, or at the least to the deformitie of your Orchard, and more trouble to the Gardiner, to pull or digge them away. Plumme stones may bee ordered in this manner likewise, but you must make choise of your Plums; for although euery Plumme is not so fit for this purpose, as the white Peare Plumme, because it groweth the goalest and freest, the barke being smooth and aptest to be raised, that they may be grafted vpon; yet diuers other Plummes may be taken, if they be not at hand, or to be had, as the blacke and red Peare Plumme, the white and red Wheate Plumme, because they are nearest in goodnesse vnto it. Peach stones will be soone raised vp to graft other sorts of Peaches or Nectorins vpon, but the nature of the Peach roote being spongie, is not to abide long. As for Almonds, they will be raised from their stones to be trees of themselues; but they will hardly abide the remouing, and lesse to bee grafted vpon. Apricocke stones are the worst to deale withall of any sort of stone fruit; for although the Apricocke branches are the fittest stockes to graft Nectorins of the best sorts vpon, yet those that are raised from the kernels or stones will neuer thriue to be brought on for this purpose; but will starue and dye, or hardly grow in a long time to be a straight and fit stocke to be grafted, if it be once remoued. Your Cornellian Cherrie trees are wholly, or for the most part raised from the stones or kernels; yet I know diuers doe increase them, by laying in their lowest branches to take roote: and thus much for stone fruits. Now for Apples and Peares, to be dealt withall in the same manner as aforesaid. They vse to take the pressing of Crabs whereas Veriuyce is made, as also of Cidar and Perry where they are made, and sowing them, doe raise vp great store of stockes; for although the beating of the fruit doth spoile many kernels, yet there will bee enough left that were neuer toucht, and that will spring: the Crabbe stockes some preferre for the fittest, but I am sure, that the better Apple and Peare kernels will growe fairer, straighter, quicklier, and better to be grafted on. You must remember, that after two or three yeares you take vp these stockes, and when you haue pruned both toppe and roote, to set them againe in a thinner and fitter order, to be afterwards grafted in the bud while they are young, as I shall shew you by and by, or in the stocke if you will suffer them to growe greater. Now likewise to know which are the fittest stockes of all sorts to choose, thereon to graft euery of these sorts of fruits, is a point of some skill indeede; and therefore obserue them as I doe here set them downe: for bee you assured, that they are certaine rules, and knowne experiences, whereunto you may trust without being deceiued. Your blacke Cherrie stockes (as I said before) are the fittest and best for all sorts of Cherries long to abide and prosper, and euen May or early Cherry will abide or liue longer, being grafted thereon, either in the budde or in the stocke, then on the ordinary red Cherry stocke; but the red Cherry stocke is in a manner the onely tree that most Nursery men doe take to graft May Cherries on in the stocke (for it is but a late experience of many, to graft May Cherries in the bud) many also doe graft May Cherries on Gascoigne Cherry stockes, which doe not onely thriue well, but endure longer then vpon any ordinary Cherry stocke: For indeede the May Cherries that are grafted vpon ordinary red Cherrie stockes, will hardly hold aboue a dozen yeares bearing well, although they come forwarder at the first, that is, doe beare sooner then those that are grafted on Gascoigne or blacke Cherry stockes; but as they are earlier in bearing, so they are sooner spent, and the Gascoigne and blacked Cherry stockes that are longer in comming forward, will last twice or thrice their time; but many more grafts will misse in grafting of these, then of those red Cherry stockes, and besides, the natures of the Gascoigne and blacke Cherry stockes are to rise higher, and make a goodlier tree then the ordinary red stocke will, which for the most part spreadeth wide, but riseth not very high. The English red Cherry stocke will serue very well to graft any other sort of Cherry vpon, and is vsed in most places of this Land, and I know no other greater inconuenience in it, then that it shooteth out many suckers from the roote, which yet by looking vnto may soone bee remoued from doing any harme, and that it will not last so long as the Gascoigne or blacke Cherry stocke will. May Cherries thus grafted lowe doe most vsually serue to be planted against a wall, to bring on the fruit the earlier; yet some graft them high vpon standards, although not many, and it is, I thinke, rather curiosity (if they that doe it haue any wals) then anie other matter that causeth them thus to doe: for the fruit is naturally small, though early, and the standard Cherries are alwaies later then the wall Cherries, so that if they can spare any roome for them at their wals, they will not plant many in standards. Now concerning Plummes (as I said before) for the sowing or setting of the stones, so I say here for their choise in grafting of them, either in the budde or stocke. The white Peare Plumme stocke, and the other there mentioned, but especially the white Peare Plumme is the goodliest, freest and fittest of all the rest, as well to graft all sort of Plummes vpon, as also to graft Apricockes, which can be handsomely, and to any good purpose grafted vpon no other Plum stocke, to rise to bee worth the labour and paine. All sorts of Plums may be grafted in the stocke, and so may they also in the bud; for I know none of them that will refuse to be grafted in the bud, if a cunning hand performe it well, that is, to take off your bud cleanely and well, when you haue made choice of a fit cyon: for, as I shal shew you anon, it is no small peece of cunning to chuse your cyon that it may yeeld fit buds to graft withall, for euery plum is not of a like aptnes to yeeld them: But Apricocks cannot be grafted in the stock for any thing that euer I could heare or learne, but only in the bud, and therefore let your Plum stocke bee of a reasonable size for Apricockes especially, and not too small, that the graft ouergrow not the stocke, and that the stocke bee large enough to nourish the graft. As your Plum stockes serue to graft both Apricockes and Plummes, so doe they serue also very well to graft Peaches of all sorts; and although Peach stockes will serue to be grafted with Peaches againe, yet the Peach stocke (as I said before) will not endure so long as the Plumme stocke, and therefore serueth but for necessity if Plum stocks be not ready, or at hand, or for the present time, or that they afterwards may graft that sort of Peach on a Plumme stocke: for many might lose a good fruit, if when they meete with it, and haue not Plumme stockes ready to graft it on, they could not be assured that it would take vpon another Peach stocke or branch, or on the branch of an Apricocke eyther. Plumme stockes will serue likewise very well for some sorts of Nectorins; I say, for some sorts, and not for all: the greene and the yellow Nectorin will best thriue to be grafted immediately on a Plumme stocke; but the other two sorts of red Nectorins must not be immediately grafted on the Plumme stocke, but vpon a branch of an Apricocke that hath beene formerly grafted on a Plumme stocke, the nature of these Nectorins being found by experience to be so contrary to the Plum stocke, that it will sterue it, and both dye within a yeare, two or three at the most: Diuers haue tryed to graft these red Nectorins vpon Peach stockes, and they haue endured well a while; but seeing the Peach stocke will not last long it selfe, being ouerweake, how can it hold so strong a nature as these red Nectorins, which will (as I said before) sterue a Plum stocke that is sufficient durable for any other Plumme?

Apricocke stockes from the stones are hardly nursed vp, and worse to be remoued, and if a red Nectorin should be grafted on an Apricock raysed from the stone, and not remoued, I doubt it might happen with it as it doth with many other trees raised from stones or kernels, and not remoued, that they would hardly beare fruit: for the nature of most trees raised from stones or kernels, and not remoued, is to send great downe-right rootes, and not to spread many forwards; so that if they be not cut away that others may spreade abroad, I haue seldome seene or known any of them to beare in any reasonable time; and therefore in remouing, these great downe-right rootes are alwayes shred away, and thereby made fit to shoote others forwards. Hereby you may perceiue, that these red Nectorins will not abide to bee grafted vpon any other stocke well, then vpon an Apricocke branch, although the green and the yellow (as I said before) will well endure and thriue vpon Plums. The suckers or shootes both of Plums and Cherries that rise from their rootes, eyther neare their stockes, or farther off, so that they bee taken with some small rootes to them, will serue to bee stockes, and will come forward quickly; but if the suckers haue no small roots whereby they may comprehend in the ground, it is almost impossible it should hold or abide. There is another way to rayse vp eyther stockes to graft on, or trees without grafting, which is, by circumcising a faire and fit branch in this manner: About Midsomer, when the sappe is thoroughly risen (or before if the yeare be forward) they vse to binde a good quantity of clay round about a faire and straight branch, of a reasonable good size or bignesse, with some conuenient bands, whether it be ropes of hey, or of any other thing, about an handfull aboue the ioynt, where the branch spreadeth from the tree, and cutting the barke thereof round about vnder the place where the clay is bound, the sap is hereby hindered from rising, or descending further then that place so circumcised, whereby it will shoote out small knubs and rootes into the clay, which they suffer so to abide vntill the beginning of winter, whenas with a fine Sawe they cut off that branch where it was circumcised, and afterwardes place it in the ground where they would haue it to grow, and stake it, and binde it fast, which will shoote forth rootes, and will become eyther a faire tree to beare fruite without grafting, or else a fit stocke to graft on according to the kinde: but oftentimes this kinde of propagation misseth, in that it sendeth not forth rootes sufficient to cause it to abide any long time. Let me yet before I leaue this narration of Plummes, giue you one admonition more, that vpon whatsoeuer Plumme stocke you doe graft, yet vpon a Damson stocke that you neuer striue to graft, for it (aboue all other sorts of Plumme stockes) will neuer giue you a tree worth your labour. It remaineth only of stone fruit, that I speake of Cornelles, which as yet I neuer saw grafted vpon any stocke, being as it should seeme vtterly repugnant to the nature thereof, to abide grafting, but is wholly raysed vp (as I said before) eyther from the stones, or from the suckers or layers. For Peares and Apples your vsuall stockes to graft on are (as I said before, speaking of the nursing vp of trees from the kernels) your Crabbe stockes, and they bee accepted in euery Countrey of this Land as they may conueniently be had, yet many doe take the stockes of better fruit, whether they bee suckers, or stockes raysed from the kernels (and the most common and knowne way of grafting, is in the stocke for all sorts of them, although some doe vse whipping, packing on, or incising, as euery one list to call it: but now we doe in many places begin to deale with Peares and Apples as with other stone fruit, that is, graft them all in the bud, which is found the most compendious and safest way both to preserue your stocke from perishing, and to bring them the sooner to couer the stock, as also to make the goodlier and straighter tree, being grafted at what height you please:) for those stockes that are raysed from the kernels of good fruit (which are for the most part easily knowne from others, in that they want those thornes or prickles the wilde kindes are armed withall:) I say for the most part; for I know that the kernels of some good fruite hath giuen stockes with prickles on them (which, as I thinke, was because that good fruite was taken from a wilde stocke that had not beene long enough grafted to alter his wilde nature; for the longer a tree is grafted, the more strength the fruite taketh from the graft, and the lesse still from the stocke) being smoother and fairer then the wilde kinds, must needes make a goodlier tree, and will not alter any whit the taste of your fruit that is grafted thereon, but rather adde some better rellish thereunto; for the Crabbe stockes yeelding harsh fruite, must giue part of their nature to the grafts are set thereon, and therefore the taste or rellish, as well as some other naturall properties of most fruits, are somewhat altered by the stocke. Another thing I would willingly giue you to vnderstand concerning your fruits and stockes, that whereas diuers for curiosity and to try experiments haue grafted Cherries vpon Plumme stockes, or Plums on Cherry stockes, Apples vpon Peare stockes, and Peares vpon Apple stockes, some of these haue held the graft a yeare, two or three peraduenture, but I neuer knew that euer they held long, or to beare fruite, much lesse to abide or doe well: bestow not therefore your paines and time on such contrary natures, vnlesse it be for curiositie, as others haue done: Yet I know that they that graft peares on a white thorne stocke haue had their grafts seeme to thriue well, and continue long, but I haue seldome seene the fruite thereof answerable to the naturall wilde Peare stocke; yet the Medlar is knowne to thriue best on a white thorne. And lastly, whereas diuers doe affirme that they may haue not only good stockes to graft vpon, but also faire trees to bear store of fruit from the kernels of Peares or Apples being prickt into the ground, and suffered to grow without remouing, and then eyther grafted or suffered to grow into great trees vngrafted; and for their bearing of fruite, assigne a dozen or twenty yeares from the first setting of the kernels, and abiding vngrafted, I haue not seene or heard that experience to hold certaine, or if it should be so, yet it is too long time lost, and too much fruit also, to waite twenty yeares for that profit may be gained in a great deale of lesse time, and with more certainty. Vnto these instructions let mee adde also one more, which is not much known and vsed, and that is, to haue fruit within foure or fiue years from the first sowing of your stones or kernels in this manner: After your stockes raysed from stones or kernels are two or three yeares old, take the fairest toppe or branch, and graft it as you would doe any other cyon taken from a bearing tree, and looke what rare fruite, eyther Peare or Apple, the kernell was of that you sowed, or Peach or Plum &c. the stone was set, such fruite shall you haue within two or three yeares at the most after the grafting, if it take, and the stocke be good. And thus may you see fruit in farre lesse time then to stay vntill the tree from a kernell or stone beareth fruit of it selfe.