The manner of raising, ordering, and improving forrest-trees also, how to plant, make and keep woods, walks, avenues, lawns, hedges, &c. : with several figures proper for avenues and walks to end in, and convenient figures for lawns : also rules by M. Cook.

CHAP. IV. (Book 4)

Observations of all sorts of Keyes and Seeds. (Book 4)

LEt your Keyes be through-ripe, or when you find them to be∣gin to fall much, which is a sure sign of any Fruit or seeds Ripe∣ness, (unless by accident) gather them off some young, straight, thriving tree: My reason of gathering them from off a young thriving tree, is▪ then will your Keyes or seed be the larger and solider; there∣fore by consequence they be the abler and likelier to shoot the stronger, and to maintain themselves the better: And I know by Experience, that the seeds gathered of old Plants or Trees, or old seeds, so the seeds be perfect, will come up somewhat sooner than the seed of young Trees: my aforesaid Reason doth this somewhat demonstrate; or take it thus, Nature finding her self weak in these Seeds, doth (like a provident Mo∣ther) seek the sooner to provide for her weak Children; as a great Phi∣losopher and Naturalist saith, That Nature is one in divers things, and various in one thing. See Parad. pag. 90. of the Tree of Life.

And to gather them off a straight and thriving tree, 'tis likelier they will run more up, and grow straighter than those which be gathered of Pollards. This I know, that Nature doth delight very much in Imitati∣on, and in Plants and Trees like doth endeavour to produce its like: though I know, that by the scituation, or ground, or grafting of some sort of Stocks, that by any of these the trees may and will alter something, both in growth and largeness of Fruit, and earlyer, or the contrary, but the species will be still the same. To which I adde, good keeping or dres∣sing of any tree, doth much improve its growth, and largeness of Fruit or Seeds.

Now the Seed being that part of the Plant which is endowed with a Vi∣tal Faculty to bring forth its like, it contains potentially the whole Plant in it, therefore it may and is the more to be observed: Or as a learned Physitian hath it, speaking of Man and the World; The Chaos or first Matter was made a World, and of this World was made Man: so a Tree groweth from the Seed, the Seed is the beginning of the Tree, and in every grain or seed of a Tree there lies hid another three. See Philoso∣phy Reformed, page 58.

The Industrious Farmer or Yeoman will take care that the Grain which he soweth be of the best Kind for Largeness and Goodness in every particular, and hath oft found by Experience to his loss, that the Corn which is taken to sowe from that which was your smooted or mill dew'd, doth oft produce smooted or black Corn again; he knowing also that this black Corn which is like dust within, will not grow: Then what should be the Reason that that which growes in the same Ear will oft-times produce black smooted Corn, that hath nothing but a little black dust in it, or a black flinty Kernel of little or no use, but harmfull to the rest, though that which you sowe seem sound, and a very likely berryed Corn? When I have found by Experience, that Wheat which hath not been so likely to the Eye as that which was freer from smooted Corn, hath brought or produced clearer Corn by much than the others. Now I have dis∣coursed with some which would not spare to say positively, that your smooted or black Wheat would grow, and so produce black Wheat again, which is a great Mistake: But this I know, that your Wheat which is like black dust within, will not grow at all; nor some of your black flinty Wheat, but some of it will produce blades, some stalks, with ears, but no sound grain; some with good and bad in one ear, and so the nearer it is to perfect sound grain, the nearer it produceth its like: Yet though this may and will produce some good and some bad, as I say, yet no black smooted grain (unless meeting with some accidental Cause, if the Grain be perfect sound) but according to its defect so may be the success of your Crop.

Now this which I call the Accidental Cause, is the Mildew, which may well be so called, because of its Malignity, especially to Wheat and Hops, because in them most perfected though many other Plants suffer as much: This Maldew or Mildew, is a Dew which is drawn from the Earth and Herbs in a drye and calm time, and when Herbs are in their prime, by the Sun; and wanting wind to fan off their grosness, and also being drawn from Herbs, which make it thick and sweet, and not so active to aspire: 'tis most in your inclosed Grounds and Valleys: and to those grounds which lie tending to the Oriental part of the Heavens, as all Blast∣ing winds are.

Now I suppose these may be the Reasons your Valleyes do afford more moysture than your Hills, as is oft seen by your Mists which are more frequent in them than on Hills: this being drawn up by the Sun in the Day-time, and wanting wind to assist its Motion (as I said before) doth hang in the lower Region, and when the Sun sets, it falls upon your Plants with its thick clammy substance; and in those whose bark is tender and young, and pores open with the heat of the season, hinders the sap of the Plant or Tree to ascend to nourish his flowers or shoot. 'Tis observed, that when your Wheat doth shoot up to Ear and flower, it doth it suddenly, and likewise your Hops, and then this Clammy or Mildew coming upon it before the Air hath hard∣ned it, to resist it; For the Air being warm, Nature doth not so much as dream of this unkind Enemy: And if it falls on Wheat when the Ear is new formed, then there is the black smooty Wheat; but if the Ear hath blown even when or before it comes, or that the whole stalk be not surrounded with it, then you shall have some of your grains good, and some bad, according as they were in setting, or find Nourish∣ment.

I have oft observed in your black Heart, white Heart, and other great-leaved Cherries, this Dew to fall upon them at the top, just at the be∣ginning of Midsommer shoot, and hath so stopped the shoot, that it hath shot forth in other places below; and on the top of the shoots you may see many little Flies feeding on this Dew; and on the Leaves of Oak and Maple, 'tis plainly to be seen and tasted; and though destructive to Corn, &c. yet it is mighty Relief to the industrious Bees.

The Reason why those grounds which hang from the Horizon to the East, are most subject to this Dew, and to Blasting, as it is termed, may be (as I judge) the Suns drawing these vapours towards it; just as a great Fire draweth the Air in a Room to it so the Sun having set these in Motion, yet not having strength enough to draw them into the middle Region, to form them into a Cloud, doth yet draw them till he is below our Horizon, then these Dews tend to the Earth from whence they were ta∣ken, and in motion to the West do as it were fall upon that Ground which hangs Eastward at right Angles, therefore offensive to them most.

But since I am speaking of this usefull Grain Wheat, I shall take no∣tice of that which I know is used with good success: They take their Seed-wheat, and steep it twenty or twenty four hours in water and Salt, which is found by experience to do good to the Wheat against the black∣ness, and helps it in its growth; the Reasons I conceive are these: The steeping it prepares it for its spearing, and makes it take root the sooner;

therefore if late in sowing, steep the longer; if early, not so long: And if there be any Grain that is not perfect sound, this will either kill or cure it. And I suppose that Brine to Wheat, is as Sack to a young Child, a little doth a great deal of good; but have a care you do not let it lie too long in a strong Brine, lest you stupifie it, or kill it with too much Kindness. I do advise my Countrey-men, if late in sowing any of their Grains, to steep especially Barley, as well as Wheat; if your Grain be spear'd, it is never the worse, provided you sow it before the spear be chill'd or dryed; therefore commit it to the Ground, and cover it as you can. Your Wheat, Oats, and Barley differ much in their growth from other seeds; for they put forth their roots at the great end, and then one blade or long leaf at the small end, which comes between the skin and the body of the seed. Your Beans and Pease put forth their Root at the side, and then the same sort of Leaf, at the same place where the Root came out, that grows on the stalks.

So doth your Walnut, Chesnut, Horse-Chesnut, Peaches, Almonds, Apricocks, Plumbs, &c. and the onely difference from Beans and Pease, is, that these Stone-fruits put forth at the small ends, and the other al∣wayes at the sides.

In like manner there be several sorts of Trees, and most sorts of Plants that be small, which put forth Root at the small end; and as soon as that Root hath laid hold of the ground, they then send out two false Leaves, nothing like those that grow on the Tree or Plant, which two false Leaves are the seed, which divides into two parts, and so stand some small time on the top of the ground: and then between these two false Leaves comes forth a Shoot, which produceth leaves like those of the Tree or Plant from whence it came. Of this way of growth, there be an infinite number both of Trees and Plants, as the Elm, Ash, Sycamore, Maple, Pear, Apple, Quince, and the most sorts of the seeds of Trees which are not environed by Stones or Shells: of seeds, the Melon, Parsnip, Carrot, Carduus, Angelica, and indeed most sorts of seeds.