Chap. VII.
Obseruations for the dressing and well keeping of Trees and an Orchard in good order.
There are two manner of waies to dresse and keepe trees in good order, that they may bee both gracefull and fruitfull; the one is for wall-trees, the other is for standards: for as their formes are different, so is their keeping or ordering. Wall trees, because they are grafted lowe, and that their branches must be plasht or tackt vnto the wall to fasten them, are to be so kept, that all their branches may be suffered to growe, that shoote forth on either side of the bodie, and led either along the wall, or vpright, and one to lappe ouer or vnder another as is conuenient, and still with peeces of lists, parings of felt, peeces of soft leather, or other such like soft thing compassing the armes or branches, fastened with small or great nailes, as neede requireth, to the wals, onely those buds or branches are to be nipped or cut off, that shoot forward, and will not so handsomely be brought into conformity, as is fitting; yet if the branches growe too thicke, to hinder the good of the rest, or too high for the wall, they may, nay they must be cut away or lopped off: and if anie dead branches also happen to be on the trees, they must be cut away, that the rest may haue the more libertie to thriue. Diuers also by carefully nipping away the waste and superfluous buds, doe keepe their trees in conformity, without much cutting. The time to pruine or plash, or tye vp wall trees, is vsually from the fall of the leafe, to the beginning of the yeare, when they begin to blossome, and most especially a little before or after Christmas: but in any case not too late, for feare of rubbing off their buds. Some I know doe plash and tye vp their wall trees after bearing time, while the leaues are greene, and their reason is, the buds are not so easie or apt to bee rubbed from the branches at that time, as at Christmas, when they are more growne: but the leaues must needes be very cumbersome, to hinder much both the orderly placing, and close fastening of them to the wall. This labour you must performe euery yeare in its due time; for if you shall neglect and ouerslip it, you shall haue much more trouble, to bring them into a fit order againe, then at the first. The standard trees in an Orchard must be kept in another order; for whereas the former are suffered to spread at large, these must be pruined both from superfluous branches that ouerload the trees, & make them lesse fruitfull, as well as lesse sightly, and the vnder or water boughes likewise, that drawe much nourishment from the trees and yet themselues little the better for it, I meane to giue fruit. If therefore your Orchard consist of young trees, with a little care and paines it may bee kept in that comely order and proportion it was first defined vnto; but if it consist of old growne trees, they will not without a great deale of care and paines be brought into such conformitie, as is befitting good, and comely trees: for the marke of those boughes or branches that are cut off from young trees, will quickly be healed againe, the barke growing quickly ouer them, whereby they are not worse for the cutting, but an old tree if you cut off a bough, you must cut it close and cleanly, and lay a searcloth of tallow, waxe, and a little pitch melted together vpon the place, to keepe off both the winde, sunne, and raine, untill the barke haue couered it ouer againe: and in this manner you must deale with all such short stumps of branches, as are either broken short off with the winde, or by carelesnesse or want of skill, or else such armes or branches as are broken off close, or sliued from the body of the tree: for the raine beating and falling into such a place, will in short time rotte your tree, or put it in danger, besides the deformity. Some vse to fill vp such an hole with well tempered clay, and tacke a cloth or a peece of leather ouer it vntill it be recouered, and this is also not amisse. Your young trees, if they stand in anie good ground, will bee plentifull enough in shooting forth branches; bee carefull therefore if they growe too thicke, that you pruine away such as growe too close (and will, if they be suffered, spoile one another) as they may be best spared, that so the sunne, ayre, and raine may haue free accesse to all your branches, which will make them beare the more plentifully, and ripen them the sooner and the more kindly. If anie boughes growe at the toppe too high, cut them also away, that your trees may rather spread then growe too high. And so likewise for the vnder boughes, or anie other that by the weight of fruit fall or hang downe, cut them off at the halfe, and they will afterwards rise and shoote vpwards. You shall obserue, that at all those places where anie branches haue been cut away, the sappe will euer bee readie to put forth: if therefore you would haue no more branches rise from that place, rubbe off or nippe off such buddes as are not to your minde when they are new shot: and thus you may keep your trees in good order with a little paines, after you haue thus pruined and dressed them. One other thing I would aduertise you of, and that is how to preserue a fainting or decaying tree which is readie to perish, if it be not gone too farre or past cure, take a good quantitie of oxe or horse bloud, mixe therewith a reasonable quantitie of sheepe or pigeons dung, which being laid to the roote, will by the often raines and much watering recouer it selfe, if there bee anie possibilitie; but this must bee done in Ianuarie or Februarie at the furthest.
Chap. VIII.
Diuers other obseruations to be remembred in the well keeping of an Orchard.
There be diuers other things to be mentioned, whereof care must be had, either to doe or auoide, which I thinke fit in this Chapter promiscuously to set down, that there may be nothing wanting to furnish you with sufficient knowledge of the care, paines, and casualties that befall an Orchard: for it hath many enemies, and euery one laboureth as much as in them lye, to spoile you of your pleasure, or profit, or both, which must bee both speedily and carefully preuented and helped; and they are these: Mosse, Caterpillars, Ants, Earwigs, Snailes, Moales, and Birds. If Mosse begin to ouergrowe your trees, looke to it betimes, lest it make your trees barren: Some vse to hacke, and crossehacke, or cut the barke of the bodies of their trees, to cause it fall away; but I feare it may endanger your trees. Others do either rubbe it off with a haire cloth, or with a long peece of wood formed like a knife, at the end of a long sticke or pole, which if it bee vsed cauteiously without hurting the buds, I like better. Caterpillars, some smoake them with burning wet strawe or hay, or such like stuffe vnder the trees; but I doe not greatly like of that way: others cut off the boughes whereon they breed, and tread them vnder their feete, but that will spoile too manie branches; and some kill them with their hands, but some doe vse a new deuised way, that is, a pompe made of lattin or tin, spout-fashion, which being set in a tubbe of water vnder or neare your trees, they will cause the water to rise through it with such a force, and through the branches, that it will wash them off quickly. To destroy Ants, that eate your fruit before and when it is ripe, some vse to annoint the bodies of their trees with tarre, that they may not creepe vp on the branches; but if that doe not helpe, or you will not vse it, you must be careful to finde out their hill, and turne it vp, pouring in scalding water, either in Summer, but especially if you can in Winter, and that will surely destroy them. I haue spoken of Earwigs in the first part of this worke, entreating of the annoyances of Gilloflowers, and therefore I referre you thereunto: yet one way more I will here relate which some doe vse, and that is with hollow canes of halfe a yard long or more, open at both ends for them to creepe in, and stucke or laid among the branches of your trees, will soone drawe into them many Earwigs, which you may soone kill, by knocking the cane a little vpon the ground, and treading on them with your foote. Snailes must be taken with your hands, and that euerie day, especially in the morning when they will be creeping abroad. Moales by running vnder your trees make them lesse fruitfull, and also put them in danger to be blowne downe, by leauing the ground hollow, that thereby the rootes haue not that strength in the ground, both to shoote and to hold, that otherwise they might haue. Some haue vsed to put Garlicke, and other such like things into their holes, thinking thereby to driue them away, but to no purpose: others haue tryed manie other waies; but no way doth auaile anie thing, but killing them either with a Moale spade, or a trappe made for the purpose as manie doe know: and they must bee watched at their principall hill, and trenched round, and so to be caught. Birds are another enemie both to your trees and fruit; for the Bullfinch will destroy all your stone fruit in the budde, before they flower, if you suffer them, and Crowes, &c. when your Cherries are ripe: for the smaller birds, Lime twigs set either neare your trees, or at the next water where they drinke, will helpe to catch them and destroy them. And for the greater birds, a stone bowe, a birding or fowling peece will helpe to lessen their number, and make the rest more quiet: or a mill with a clacke to scarre them away, vntill your fruit be gathered. Some other annoyances there are, as suckers that rise from the rootes of your trees, which must be taken away euerie yeare, and not suffered to growe anie thing great, for feare of robbing your trees of their liuelihood. Barke bound, is when a tree doth not shoote and increase, by reason the barke is as it were drie, and will not suffer the sappe to passe vnto the branches: take a knife therefore, and slit the barke downe almost all the length of the tree in two or three places, and it will remedy that euill, and the tree will thriue and come forward the better after. Barke pilled is another euill that happeneth to some trees, as well young as old, either by reason of casuall hurts, or by the gnawing of beasts, howsoeuer it bee, if it bee anie great hurt, lay a plaister thereon made of tallow, tarre, and a little pitch, and binde it thereto, letting it so abide vntill the wound bee healed: yet some doe only apply a little clay or loame bound on with ropes of hay. The Canker is a shrewd disease when it happeneth to a tree; for it will eate the barke round, and so kill the very heart in a little space. It must be looked vnto in time before it hath runne too farre; most men doe wholly cut away as much as is fretted with the Canker, and then dresse it, or wet it with vinegar or Cowes pisse, or Cowes dung and vrine, &c. vntill it be destroyed, and after healed againe with your salue before appointed. There are yet some other enemies to an Orchard: for if your fence be not of bricke or stone, but either a mudde wall, or a quicke set or dead hedge, then looke to it the more carefully, and preuent the comming in of either horse, or kine, sheepe, goates, or deere, hare, or conie; for some of them will breake through or ouer to barke your trees, and the least hole almost in the hedge will giue admittance to hares and conies to doe the like. To preuent all which, your care must be continuall to watch them or auoide them, and to stoppe vp their entrance. A dogge is a good seruant for many such purposes, and so is a stone bowe, and a peece to make vse of as occasion shall serue. But if you will take that medicine for a Canker spoken of before, which is Cowes dung and vrine mixed together, and with a brush wash your trees often to a reasonable height, will keepe hares and conies from eating or barking your trees. Great and cold windes doe often make a great spoile in an Orchard, but great trees planted without the compasse thereof, as Wall-nuts, Oakes, Elmes, Ashes, and the like, will stand it in great stead, to defend it both early and late. Thus haue I shewed you most of the euils that may happen to an Orchard, and the meanes to helpe them, and because the number is great and daily growing, the care and paines must be continuall, the more earnest and diligent, lest you lose that in a moment that hath been growing many yeares, or at the least the profit or beauty of some yeares fruit.
Chap. IX.
The manner and way how to plant, order, and keepe other trees that beare greene leaues continually.
The way to order those trees that beare their leaues greene continually, is differing from all others that doe not so: for neyther are they to bee planted or remoued at the time that all other trees are set, nor doe they require that manner of dressing, pruining and keeping, that others doe. And although many ignorant persons and Gardiners doe remoue Bay trees, and are so likewise perswaded that all other trees of that nature, that is, that carry their greene leaues continually, may bee remoued in Autumne or Winter, as well as all other trees may bee, yet it is certaine it is a great chance if they doe thriue and prosper that are set at that time, or rather it is found by experience, that scarce one of ten prospereth well that are so ordered. Now in regard that there be diuers trees and shrubs mentioned here in this booke that beare euer greene leaues, wherein there is very great beauty, and many take pleasure in them; as the ordinary Bay, the Rose Bay, and the Cherry Bay trees, the Indian Figge, the Cypresse, the Pine tree, the Mirtle and dwarfe Boxe, and many others; I will here shew you how to plant and order them, as is fittest for them. For in that they doe not shed their greene leaues in winter as other trees doe, you may in reason be perswaded that they are of another nature; and so they are indeede: for seeing they all grow naturally in warme Countries, and are from thence brought vnto vs, we must both plant them in a warmer place, and transplant them in a warmer time then other trees be, or else it is a great hazzard if they doe not perish and dye, the cold and frosts in the winter being able to pierce them through, if they should bee transplanted in winter, before they haue taken roote. You must obserue and take this therefore for a certaine rule, that you alwaies remoue such trees or shrubbes as are euer greene in the spring of the yeare, and at no time else if you will doe well, that is, from the end of March, or beginning of Aprill, vnto the middle or end of May, especially your more dainty and tender plants, shadowing them also for a while from the heate of the Sun, and giuing them a little water vpon their planting or transplanting; but such water as hath not perfectly been drawn from a Well or Pumpe, for that will go neer to kill any plant, but such water as hath stood in the open ayre for a day at the least, if not two or three. Yet for dwarfe Boxe I confesse it may endure one moneth to be earlier planted then the rest, because it is both a more hardy and lowe plant, and thereby not so much subiect to the extremitie of the colde: but if you should plant it before winter, the frosts would raise it out of the ground, because it cannot so soone at that time of the yeare take roote, and thereby put it in danger to be lost. Moreouer all of them will not abide the extremitie of our winter frosts, and therefore you must of necessity house some of them, as the Rose Bay, Mirtle, and some others, but the other sorts being set where they may bee somewhat defended from the cold windes, frostes, and snow in winter, with some couering or shelter for the time, will reasonably well endure and beare their fruit, or the most of them. If any be desirous to be furnished with store of these kinds of trees that will be noursed vp in our Country, he may by sowing the seed of them in square or long woodden boxes or chests made for that purpose, gaine plenty of them: but hee must be carefull to couer them in winter with some straw or fearne, or beane hame, or such like thing layd vpon crosse sticks to beare it vp from the plants, and after two or three yeares that they are growne somewhat great and strong, they may bee transplanted into such places you meane they shall abide: yet it is not amisse to defend them the first yeare after they are transplanted, for their more securitie: the seedes that are most vsually sowen with vs, are, the Cypresse tree, the Pine tree, the Baye, the Pyracantha or prickly Corall tree, and the Mirtle: the Rose Bay I haue had also risen from the seede that was fresh, and brought me from Spaine. But as for Orenge trees, because they are so hardly preserued in this our cold climate (vnlesse it bee with some that doe bestow the housing of them, besides a great deale more of care and respect vnto them) from the bitternesse of our cold long winter weather (although their kernels being put into the ground in the Spring or Summer, and if care bee had of them and conuenient keeping, will abide, and by grafting the good fruite on the crab stocke they may bee in time nursed vp) I doe not make any other especiall account of them, nor giue you any further relation of their ordering. Now for the ordering of these trees after they are eyther planted of young sets, or transplanted from the seede, it is thus: First for Bay trees, the most vsuall way is to let them grow vp high to bee trees, and many plant them on the North or East side of their houses that they may not bee scorched with the Sunne; but the bitter winters which we often haue, doe pinch them shrewdly, insomuch that it killeth euen well growne trees sometimes downe to the roote: but some doe make a hedge of them being planted in order, and keep them low by lopping of them continually, which will make them bush and spread. The Cypresse tree is neuer lopped, but suffered to grow with all the branches from a foote aboue the ground, if it may be, straight vpright; for that is his natiue grace and greatest beautie, and therefore the more branches doe dye that they must bee cut away, the more you deforme his propertie. The Pine tree may be vsed in the same manner, but yet it wil better endure to sustaine pruining then the Cypresse, without any such deformitie. The Laurocerasus or Cherry Bay may be diuersly formed, that is, it may be either made to grow into a tall tree by shredding still away the vnder branches, or else by suffering all the branches to grow to be a low or hedge bush, and both by the suckers and by laying downe the lower branches into the earth, you may soone haue much increase; but this way will cause it to bee the longer before it beare anie fruit. The Rose Baye will verie hardlie bee encreased either by suckers or by layers, but must bee suffered to grow without lopping, topping or cutting. The Pyracantha or Prickly Corall tree may bee made to grow into a reasonable tall tree by shredding away the lower branches, or it may be suffered to grow lowe into an hedge bush, by suffering all the branches to grow continually, you may also propagate it by the suckers, or by laying downe the lower branches. The Myrtle of all sorts abideth a low bush spreading his branches full of sweete leaues and flowers, without anie great encrease of it selfe, yet sometimes it giueth suckers or shootes from the rootes: but for the more speedie propagating of them, some doe put the cuttings of them into the earth, and thereby increase them. There are some other trees that are not of any great respect, as the Yew tree, and the Savine bush, both which may be encreased by the cuttings, and therefore I need not make any further relation or amplification of them, and to say thus much of them all, is (I thinke) sufficient for this Worke.