Husbandry anatomized, or, An enquiry into the present manner of teiling and manuring the ground in Scotland for most part and several rules and measures laid down for the better improvement thereof, in so much that one third part more increase may be had, and yet more than a third part of the expence of the present way of labouring thereof saved / by Ja. Donaldson.

CHAP. VI. Something Concerning Planting.

I Shall be as brief as possible in in speaking to this Head; Both because I have insisted beyond my Expectation in the foregoing Chap∣ter; And also, because abundance have been already written on this Subject, better than I can pretend to do.

What I intend here, is only to give Husband-men (who have not occs••ion to see such books as treat on this sub∣ject) a short hint of what may concern them, in this kind of Labour.

You may remember I recommend∣ed planting as a great mean to help to enrich your Ground, and Fruit∣trees, as very beneficial, in respect of their Fruit. The expence of pur∣chassing or upbringing of them, is in a manner nothing at all, a dayes la∣bour or two of one Man once in the year, may bring up a greater Nur∣sary than you will need; Take Seed of any kind of Trees you desire to have brought up, and dress a little bit of your Garden, and sow or plant them there. Be sure not to suffer any Weeds to grow amongst them, when you sow Seed of Trees, and they rise closser than they can well grow toge∣ther, transplant them to another place of your Garden, a foot or eight inch∣es distance is enough, while they re∣main in the Plant Bed; Plant but one hundered, yea, half that number every year, will soon plant all your hedges. When they are about six

or eight years old, replant them a∣bout the borders of your Fields.

Fruit-t••ees may as easily be brought up as those which are barren, only they need to be ingraffed, which is done thus; When they are full inch thick, or tho they be bigger, they may be ingraffed also, either by cut∣ting of the Branches, and ••puting a Graff in the stump of each Branch, or yet in the principal Stock, which (if it be thick) must have four or five Graffs, the manner of performing is thus, either with a Saw, or sharp Knife, cut your Stock about a foot and a half from the Ground, and af∣ter you have made it very smooth, take and slit it down a pretty bit, that it may receive the Graff; Your Graff must be Twigs of the handsomest Fruit-trees you can get, of one years growth, only let an inch and a half, or thereby, of that which is under

the upermost Knot remain with the Twig, and that peece which is under the Knot, make in form a wedge, but let the bark or reind remain upon the edges of it, then put it into the Stock, joyning the reind of the Graff, ex∣actly with the reind of the Stock, then put a peece of Clay upon the top of your Stock, to defend it from Rain, till the wound close, and fore∣get not to cut the top off your Graff, i•• it be long, the length thereof ought not to exceed six inches.

As to the manner of planting your Fruit-trees, observe to plant them at thirty foot distance at least, and if the Ground be cold on which they are planted, you must digg a hole two or three foot deep, and six or eight b••oad, where you intend to plant every Tree, and if you put not dung in the bottom thereof, you must at least fill it with good Earth; Some

put Coals under their Trees) and then plant your Tree when it is filled up so far, that your Tree hath little enough deepth to root in, then set your Trees upon the fine Earth that you have laid in the bott••m of this pit or holl; so must y•• do with all your Barren Trees and Hedges, where the ground is very cold, for when the roots of a Tree, is placed upon cold tile or Clay, it cannot thrive: Where∣fore in the planting of your Hedges, let the ground be dunged where it is first planted; And if the Ground be not naturally good, you must ga∣ther as much of the Crust of other Ground thereabout, as serve to plant your Hedge in. So much con∣cerning Planting.