180

A DISCOURSE

gOOfl timber, fruit itlUCf) anti

£moet not&mg a gooQ foim:

goon, anti pleafure

physical

jftettfret let anp man ener go nuicfj as tbinfe, that it is ttnpjo*fita&Ie, much lefs unpofstble, to reform anp tree of tobat kinosococr: jfot, belieue me, 3f babe trieb it: 31 can bring a tip ^ee(beginning betime) to anp fo?m* Cbe Pear ana Holly map bematJe tO spread, ann tbe Oak to close.

Thus far the good man out of his eight and forty years experienceconcerning timber trees: lie descends then to the orchards; which,becaufe it may likewife be acceptable to our industrious planter, I thuscontraft.

<c Such as stand for fruits should be parted from within two feet, orthereabouts, of the earth ; so high, as to give liberty to drefs the root, andno higher; because of exhausting the sap that should feed his fruit; forthe bole will be first, and best served and fed, being next to the root,and of greatest substance. These should be parted in two, three, or fourarms, as your grafts yield" twigs;: and every arm into two or morebranches, every branch into his several cyons; still spreading by equaldegrees, so as his lowest spray be hardly without the reach of a man’shand, and his' highest not past two yards higher: That no twig,(especially iri the midst) touch his fellow ; let him spread as far as hislist, without any master-bough, or top, equally; and when any fall lowerthan his fellows, (as they will with weight of fruit) ease him the nextspring of his superfluous twigs, and he will rise: When any mountabove the rest, top him with a nip between your fingers, or with a knife :Thus reform any cyon; and as your tree grows in stature and strength,so let' him rise with his tops but slowly and easily, especially in the midst,and equally in breadth also, following him upward, with lopping hisunder-growth, and water-boughs, keeping the same distance of twoyards, not above three in any wise, betwixt the lowest and highesttwigs.

cc Thus {hall you have handsome, clear, healthful, great, and lastingtrees.