Maison rustique, or The countrey farme· Compyled in the French tongue by Charles Steuens, and Iohn Liebault, Doctors of Physicke. And translated into English by Richard Surflet, practitioner in physicke. Now newly reuiewed, corrected, and augmented, with diuers large additions, out of the works of Serres his Agriculture, Vinet his Maison champestre, French. Albyterio in Spanish, Grilli in Italian; and other authors. And the husbandrie of France, Italie, and Spaine, reconciled and made to agree with ours here in England: by Geruase Markham. The whole contents are in the page following

CHAP. XIII.

Of the pleasure that commeth of the planting of wilde woods, as also of the profit comming of the same.

AMongst the things required for the making of a place of perfect beautie, Cato in his booke of Husbandrie saith, That it is needfull to haue nine principall things: The first, is a Vine, yeelding great quantitie of vvine: the second, a Garden, full of little riuers: the third, a Willow groue, and Oziar plot: the fourth, a great Riuer: the fifth, a Medow: the sixth, a great champi∣on ground: the seuenth, Coppies of vnderwood: the eight, plentie of Bushes, and a Warren: and the ninth, a forrest of great Trees or Oakes to beare Acornes. Now a∣mongst all these seuerall points of perfect beautie, we may see, that the principall is vvater and vvood: because that hauing vvater, one may easily make Medowes, Gar∣den plots, Oziar yards, and Willow plots all along the vvaters and riuers: and ha∣uing vvoods, one may make Vnderwoods, Warrens, Bushes, and high great trees al∣so, if it be lopt and pruned vnderneath to make it shoot vp and grow on high. And he must not leaue aboue three or foure branches at the most, and then they will be∣come tall and high by and by, because that the root is disburdened of all, the rest of his boughes▪ by hauing them cut downe: in like sort, the ground sendeth all such nourishment vnto these three or foure branches, as it had imployed in the nourish∣ment of many branches of small vvood, and affoordeth growth vnto the straightest and fairest branches, which are left behind to come to perfection: thus in a small time they become tall and great trees, and beare acornes. So, in like manner, there is not that vvood of high and great growth cut downe in good and seasonable time, vvhich putteth not forth small vvood and bushes, if cattell and beasts be carefully, kept out.

Whereupon I will conclude that in planting of woods, there are three things prin∣cipally requisite to the making of a beautifull place, that is to say, little wood, great wood, bushes and a warren: for it is the like reason to plant the one and the other; for of the one the other is made: wherefore in respect of the pleasure, profit, and beauty of the place, it is meet and conuenient to plant woods.

But the chiefe pleasure and pastime which commeth by wild woods, is, that being ioined to your house and champion habitation, (which is the place, where it must be seated or planted) it is pleasant to the sight: for by its diuersity of greenenesse, it maruellously delighteth, and with great contentment recreateth the sight.

The second pleasure or pastime is, that the woods (being neere vnto your lodging) are alwaies full of all sorts of pretie birds, which sing Sommer and Winter all the day long, and most part of the night, as nightingales, and such other like, whereby their songs become ioyfull and delightsome to the eare, and so there is a pleasure and great contentment to the eare euen to them in the house if it be neere vnto.

Another pleasure is, that in the said woods there are alwaies great store of wood coists, popingaies, stares, cranes, and other sorts of birds, which make you pastime to see them flie: and there may also pleasure be reaped in taking of them with little en∣gines, as, with a call, nets, the tonnell, or other such like.

The fourth is, that in the woods there are to bee had conies, hares, squirrels, and other sorts of small beastes pleasant to behold, and of great seruice for prouision of vitaile.

The fifth is, that in hot seasons you may purchase a coole aire within the said woods, as those which will couer and defend you from the iniurie and vexation of the

Sunne, and contrariwise, cooling you, vvhether the heat will or no: and therein you haue also to behold a comfortable greenenesse, both vpon the boughes and ground, vvhich keepeth his grasse greene through the coolenesse and shadow of the trees.

The sixth is, that in Winter being in the said vvoods, you are out of the iniurie and force of the vvinds and great cold, because they breake them off: and further, in these vvoods you are solitarie, and may vse your leasure, in reading, writing or medi∣tating vpon your affaires, vvithout being disquieted or distracted, or drawne to cast your sight abroad ouer any farre distant place or countrey, in as much as the sight can∣not pierce through the boughes or bushes.

Besides the said pleasures, there commeth much profit thereof, as well for the fee∣ding of cattell, and that in the shadow, and with store of grasse at commandement at all times, as also in respect of the Oake mast, Beech mast, Chesnuts, and other fruits vvhich the trees beare, vvhich serue for the fatting of hogges, and are very necessarie for other beasts: and for that also you may, vpon certaine yeares, make fall of your vvoods, to make faggots, fire vvood, stakes to hedge in garden plots, and other in∣closures, as also rods for Vines to runne vpon: and if there be cut downe any Ches∣nut-trees, or Hasels, you may (besides the things alreadie named) make your profit of hoopes and boords for vvine-vessels, in such sort, as that these your vvoods shall not onely doe you pleasure, but profit also, if so be you be so disposed to make your vse of it.

By this meanes you may coniecture, that the ground which is imploied in bearing of vvood, is not any thing inferior in profit vnto others which are imployed in bea∣ring of Corne and Vines.

It is very true, that the commaundement, or vse and profit of it, are longer time in purchasing, and more hardly come by, than that of Corne and Vines, but it recom∣penceth it with the double in the end: for the first charges once defrayed, nature bringeth forth both the greater and the smaller vvood vvithout the helpe of man, and vvithout any labour: vvhich happeneth not in Corne-grounds and Vineyards, seeing they beare not, except they be continually husbanded and tilled. Wherefore, the ground imploied in Beech mast, and vvood, yeeldeth as much profit as any other, and will stand the house in as great stead, seeing it cannot be any way held or inhabi∣ted without vvood.

I haue heere beene the more vvilling to declare and lay downe in briefe the pleasure and profit that commeth of vvoods, to the end, that they which take paines in those courses, may not thinke that they haue lost their time and cost bestowed thereupon, and that they may not be ashamed at the first blow of their trauaile and long attendance, seeing that afterward both the pleasure and the profit doth abide and continue vvithout any further cost, and that vnto them and their po∣steritie.

Wherefore, my counsell and aduise vnto the good husband and master of the fami∣lie, is, that he apply himselfe to such planting of vvoods betimes, that so he may the sooner enioy the pleasures thereof: and that in so doing, he cast them so, as that they may grow as neere vnto his lodging and house where he meaneth to dwell, as possi∣bly may be, for his further both profit and pleasure: for if no good else should come thereof, yet they would serue to breake the raging and blustering vvindes annoying the house, if they be well placed, and so conueniently, as a man may be able to dis∣pose them.

Notes

• Nine things re∣qu••site for the ma••ing of a beautifull place
• Woods haue in t••••m three commodities.
• The pleasures and past••mes that the wild woods a••••ord.
• The profit of woods.
• The profit of ground imploi∣ed about the bearing of wood.