The English improver improved, or, The svrvey of hvsbandry svrveyed discovering the improueableness of all lands some to be under a double and treble, others under a five or six fould, and many under a tenn fould, yea, some under a twenty fould improvement / by Walter Blith ... ; all clearely demonstrated from principles of reason, ingenuity, and late but most real experiences and held forth at an inconsiderable charge to the profits accrewing thereby, under six peeces of improvement ...

CHAP. XLIII.

Treates how our Lands may be advanced by planting them with Orchard-fruites.

ANd for making good the Improvement pro∣mised, I shall shew these two or three things. 1. That abundance of Land is planted in many parts of this Nation, and thus improved. 2. That there is land, and very much, in all other parts that may be improved. 3: The fruits especially, by which they come to such an im∣provement.

1. That there is such land alreadey improved,* 1.1 none dare deny; to that height as is affirmed, many will question: I therefore doe in briefe affirme for my president, that, VVor∣cestershire, part of Glocestershire, and part of Herefordshire will speake out this truth, some men having their Planta∣tions, both of Apples, Pears, and Cheries, and so ordered that they hinder no more the growth of grasse then the compasse of a tree that grows upon it, nay, some question whether with their shadinesse in Summer, and warmnesse in Winter, they better not the land farre more, and their very growing

upon it doth not inrich it, they having usually the ear∣liest grasse, and many times the greatest swath and bur∣then, and will keep more cattell too. And certainly where they are formerly planted, and grow not too thicke, I can∣not see reason to the contrary; as for the land, I know very much, if not most of it, was worth, not above tenne shillings, some lesse, or thirteen shillings foure pence an Acre at the first, now the grasse of most of them thus re∣gularly planted, and draw as they grow in bignesse (that so they may never grow to touch one another by a good space, when they come to the best age, for when they come to decay, plant new ones in their roome, and downe with them to the very grouud (I say the grasse of such Orchards or Pastures is worth thirty shillings, some forty shillings, some fifty shillings, and some more, and the fruit that groweth upon the Trees planted therein, may yeeld some three pound, some five pound, yea, some will come up to se∣ven or eight pound an Acre.

But come you up to Kent, Essex, Surry, Middlesex, and part of Suffolke, where naturally the land was worse then in those parts by farre; I dare affirme there are many Orchards planted there upon land, that was not naturally and really worth above six shillings,* 1.2 or eight shillings an Acre, when they began the work, and that some thousands of Acres too, and with some good soyle, and good husbandry, dividing, quicksetting, and laying dry and sound their land, and gar∣dening some, and planting others with kernels of all sorts of fruits, and all sorts of woods, and sets, and trees, have brought many plots, some containing five or six acres, some to ten, or twelve, and some to twenty or thirty acres, in one plot, to that improvement that they have made twenty pound an acre, yea, if I should say forty or fifty pound, I should finde sufficient testimony to the truth hereof, and all this while but in preparation for a plan∣tation too, their young trees being not come yet to beare, nor to shade the land, and then they lay it downe to grasse; but say the land was worth twenty shillings an acre, and some is, and very much worth more, which is so much

better it will prosper, and so much lesse cost need bee be∣stowed, and yet by all, will be made good the improvement promised. These Orchards many of them are worth to grasse forty, fifty, or three pound per acre, and so set; their fruite will seldome yeeld them so little as double or treble the worth of their grasse, many times five or six fold, yea, possibly ten fold, and what is this towards the making good my improvement promised.

If this land was not worth above six or ten shillings an acre, as very much was not,* 1.3 then it is fourfold doubled in the grazing, and if it treble in the fruit, then there is sixteenfold, and if it come up to sixfold in the fruit, then there is two and thirty fold. I will go no higher, but I might, and many doe and will, the cost bestowed, for the two, three, or four first yeares may be was three or foure pound an Acre, may be five pound, but then the Garden fruits which they raised upon them, the sets, the grafts, the trees, and fruite they raise upon it, may bee possibly worth as much more as it is worth, when it comes to be laid down to grasse, but then it costs no more then mowing their grasse, and gathering their fruit, and yet during the flourishing condition of this Orchard, it shall hold forth the improvement aforesaid.

Object. But some will say this may be true in some few Acres, and by some few excelling husbands, but in very few persons, and upon f••wer lands.

Answ. If any, why strive not others? after the same pitch,* 1.4 why runne not others to the same mark? if one Acre, why not two? if there be one so good a husband, why imi∣tate wee not him? wee know one man may have as good meanes to the same end, as another. If one Tradesman get an excellent commodity, or attain to an excellent mystery in his Trade, do not all men study it, thirst after it, and endea∣vour it, and may gain it?

Object. You will say our land is not so good, there is little such, and most lands in England are not for that use, and in some Countries little or none at all.

Answ. To which I answer; neither was theirs as good, or knowne to bee so good (and that is all one) untill they

made the experiment.* 1.5 It is but very few ages, since these Countries have been so famous; every age hath exceedingly improved, and this very last age as it were almost doubled what former ages came to; and truly when you have made the same experience, you will finde your Land as good, and by good husbandry with a strong resolution to the same end, will bring forth the accomplishment of the same fruit;* 1.6 and so I shall proceed to an answer of the second part of the objection, which is, there is little such land, or little fit land for this use in many Counties in England, which brings mee to my second particular,* 1.7 which is to shew that there is land as well in all Countries,* 1.8 and Counties, as those lands of Kent Essex, Surry, &c. and very much in many, where is no improvement at all made thereon; and that I thus de∣monstrate, by inquiring into the nature and qualifications of these lands, and these lands are many of them exceeding dry, sound, warme lands, some perfect sand, some gravelly, some of a very shallow mould, not above halfe a spades pitch before you come to hunger and barrennesse, some ex∣ceeding stony, some of them are upon a very rich soyle, as by the Marshes sides, some of them are upon a cold, spewing wet, clayey land, but made rich, and warme by soyle and husbandry, and some upon a perfect clay, cold and barren; and yet upon them all, you have exceeding great advances, as aforesaid.

And that there is some such natured lands in all Coun∣tries, and in some all these natured lands directly, no man will deny, and also meanes and soyles to inrich them, though not so much;* 1.9 but yet I am sure many times more then is improved to so good an advantage and more may be made,* 1.10 and gained to inrich them, if wee grow industrious. And now that I have proved there is such natured lands, what remaines to cleare the full demonstration, but that as great advancement may bee made in those Countries, as in these.* 1.11

Why this remaines, that they are not under so warme a Cli∣mate, as those Lands are, which is true, and this is all that can be said, to which I answer.

1. Ans. That the climate is much to the drawing forth these fruits,* 1.12 and especially to the drawing them forth so ear∣ly, but yet not sufficient excuse to hinder the work, for then why should Glocester-shire, Worcester-shire, and Hereford-stire be so famous; I am confident they are as natural and as fruit∣full this way, as these Countries are, only I beleive they are not so quick for sale, nor so early ripe, may be by a fort∣night of dayes, which is nothing.

And the climate is as cold in these Countries, as in almost any, except two or three of the Northern Countries, in which Countries are very much good fruits, and many good Or∣chards too, and why not more I know not, I doe confess Cherries grow upward, more rich, early, and more profi∣tably, then in other parts, yet Worcester-shire comes near them, but what if they come not up so high? they may come up high enough, and wee see they will grow well, and to good profit in other parts, as well as here. But say there was not a cherry growing in any of those parts: I should not much matter, they being only for delight and pleasure, yet if good Peares for Perry and Aples for Syder would prosper well,* 1.13 which I am confident they would, if indu∣striously experimented, which would be for the great supply of the poor, & the whole Countrie for every Town & House almost hath an Orchard bigger or lesser, that doe, and will bear both Apples and Peares of all sorts whatsoever, and all Countries have Lands naturall therefore, as well as these, where there is so great improvements made, and therefore I know neither nature nor reason against the same, nor no∣thing else but ignorance, sloth and prejudice, and so farre as I know, or I beleive any man else knows, there is Land e∣nough in every Country suitable hereunto, however to make a very substantiall and gallant improvement, if not altogether so great as these. And as for the sale of them, or Perry, or Syder, we need not much trouble our selves, nor hinder our improvements thereby, untill our selves, our Neighbours and the poor about us are supplyed, and then, when wee have it to spare, to sell it; it may bee transpor∣ted much by water, and many places by Cart to places of

vent, whereas some of it, & that most excellently made, (these dayes will teach us (may be sold for Wine, & in thousands of places now it is; & serves as well as that, for men to fox their neses, befool themselves, and wast their patrimony: And so I hope I have sufficiently proved the capacity of advancement of many thousand acres of Lands, upon this account; yea the great advance might be, if you planted but all your barren & empty hedges with good fruit Trees, and so I descend to my last particular which is.

Thirdly, the speciall fruits I intended and they were these five: 1 the Vine, 2 the Plumb, 3 the Cherry, 4 the Pear, and 5 the Apple.

First, As to the Vine & Plumb, I intended not them direct∣ly upon this account, as to the great advātage their plantati∣ons would raise Lands unto, because they would be confined to lesser quantities of Land, but chiefly to shew the advanta∣ges might be raised through their own plantations.

And for Vines in relation to thēselves,* 1.14 I did intend a large discourse, wherby to have presumed to have raised a publike experimenting of them to this effect, as thence to have raised good and usefull Wines which that it may feasibly be done (in this season of Wines dearth (I have these two grounds.

1 Because the South-west parts of England are within one degree South of the Northern parts of France, as Bramont; yea the very Latitude of Paris it self is not two degrees South of us: but,

Secondly, and chiefly, because it hath been made already in many parts, as in divers places in Kent and Surry, & many o∣ther parts, as old Chronicles report, & that frequently, & may unquestionably be raised, in case we fail not in the advance∣ment of the Plantation, but hit that right; But for a weighty reason hereafter discovered, I shall say no more.

But for the three last, the Cherry, Pear & Apple, I had abso∣lutly resolved to handle thē at large in the whole mystery of thē, both in Setting, Planting, preserving, pressing, barrelling & Merchandizing of them; to clear up the great advance Lands may be raised to by their Plantations; but that in this very in∣terim, whlist I was about the very work, Mr. Samuel Hartlib,

that publike spirit, sent me in this assurance, (with his desire that I would not publish it to the world) that an Oxford Gentleman, called Ra. Austen, an Artist both learned and experienced, had finished a Work fit for the Press, of approved experiments in Planting late Fruit, from better Rules than have hitherto yet been published, of which taking notice, I was most willing not onely to publish, but (to imbrace the tender, upon a double score.

First, my own, and secondly, the publike advantage.

1. My own advantage is great (being tyred out with journy∣ings & travels, to evidence my experiences the more candid∣ly to the world (to be ceased from the writing thereof, by one better able to hold it forth, having made it his Master∣piece, both of study and recreation: A brief discourse wherof would have made a considerable Book.

And Secondly, upon the publike advantage too, who her∣by are like to communicate in a more full and copious dis∣covery of the Art and Mystery therof, from him that hath in∣gaged singlely in this business rather than from my self, that could but confusedly, and not have been so large and full as he may bee: Besides, this pregoing piece of mine (though possibly of little worth) might have stifled a better & larger in the birth upon a discouragement, lest the free sale therof migh in some measure; have been retarded hereby. I there∣fore durst not neglect to receive the motion with most reall and candid imbracings.

Notes

• * 1.1

  What parts prove the im∣provements.
• * 1.2

  What Nurce∣ries of young Trees may improve.
• * 1.3

  How land is improved to twentyfold by Orcharding.
• * 1.4

  One land may improve as wel as another.
• * 1.5

  Very much land may im∣prove as well as that which is improved.
• * 1.6

  Object.
• * 1.7

  Answer. 2.
• * 1.8

  The natured lands upon which the chie∣festfruits doe grow.
• * 1.9

  Answ. 3.
• * 1.10

  Lands of the same nature may raise the same improve∣ment.
• * 1.11

  Object.
• * 1.12

  The climate but a very smal hindrance.
• * 1.13

  Sloth and ig∣norance the greatest hin∣drance of im∣provement.
• * 1.14

  That Wines may be made in England feasibly.