A booke of the arte and maner, howe to plant and graffe all sortes of trees howe to set stones, and sowe pepines to make wylde trees to graffe on, as also remedies and mediicnes [sic]. VVith diuers other newe practise, by one of the Abbey of Saint Vincent in Fraunce, practised with his owne handes, deuided into seauen chapters, as hereafter more plainely shall appeare, with an addition in the ende of this booke, of certaine Dutch practises, set forth and Englished, by Leonard Mascall.

¶To gather your cions.

ALso such cions or graffs which ye do get on other trées the yong trées of thrée or foure yeares, or .v. or .vj. yea∣res are best to haue graffs. Take them of no vnder bo∣wes, but in the top vpon the East side, if ye can, and of the fayrest and greatest. Ye shall cut them .ij. inches long of the olde wood, beneth the ioynt. And whensoeuer ye will graffe, cut or pare your graffes taperwise from the ioynt two yn∣ches or more of length, which ye shall sette into the stocke: and before ye set it in, ye shall open your stocke wyth a wedge of yron, or harde wood, fayre and softly: then if the sides of your clefts be ragged, ye shall pare them with the poynt of a sharpe knife on both sides within and aboue, then set in your graffes close on the out sides and also aboue: but let your stocke be as little while open as ye can, and when your graffes be well set in, plucke forth your wedge: and if your stocke doe pinch your graffes much, then ye must put in a wedge of the same woodde for to helpe your graf∣fes: Then ye shall lay a thicke barke or pill ouer the cleft from the one graft to the other, to kéepe out the claye and rayne, and so clay them two fingers thicke rounde aboute the cliffes, and then lay on Mosse, but Wooll is better next to your clay, or else to temper your clay with Wooll or haire, for it shall make it byde closer and also stronger on the stocke heade. Some take Wooll next the clay and wrap∣peth it all ouer with linnen clowtes: for the Wooll béeing once moyste, will kéepe the clay so a long tyme. And other some doe take Woollen clowtes that haue béene layd in the iuyce of Wormewood, or such lyke bitter thing, to kéepe créeping Wormes from comming, vnder to the Graffes.

If ye graffe in winter put your clay vppermost, for sōmer your mosse. For in Winter the mosse is warme, and your clay will not cleaue. In Sommer your claye is colde, and your mosse kepes him from cleauing or chapping. To bind them, take of willow pilles, of clouen briers, of Oziers, or such like. To gather your graffe•• on the East part of the trée is counted best: if ye gather them belowe on the vnder boughes, they will grow flaggie and spreading abrode: if ye take them in the top of the trée, they will grow vpright. Yet some do gather their cions or graffes on the sides of y^e trées and so graffe them againe on the like sides of the stocks, the which is of some men not counted so good for fruite. It is not good to graffe a great stocke, for they will be long ere they couer the heade thereof.