Sylva, or, A discourse of forest-trees, and the propagation of timber in His Majesties dominions as it was deliver'd in the Royal Society the XVth of October, MDCLXII upon occasion of certain quæries propounded to that illustrious assembly, by the Honourable the Principal Officers, and Commissioners of the Navy : to which is annexed Pomona, or, An appendix concerning fruit-trees in relation to cider, the making, and severall wayes of ordering it published by expresse order of the Royal Society : also Kalendarivm hortense, or, the Gard'ners almanac, directing what he is to do monthly throughout the year / by John Evelyn ...

CHAP. I. Of the Soile, and of Seed.

1. HEre, for Methods sake, something it were expedient to pre∣mise concerning the Soile; and indeed I do acknowledge to have observ'd so vast a difference in the Improvement of Woods, by that of the Ground, that it is at no hand to be neglected: But this being more than Transitorily touch'd in each Chapter of the ensuing Discourse, I shall not need to assign it any apart, when I have affirm'd in General, that most Timber-Trees grow and prosper well in any tollerable Land which will produce Corn or Rye, and which is not in excesse Stony; in which neverthelesse there are some Trees delight; or altogether Clay, which few, or none do naturally affect; And yet the Oak is seen to prosper in it, for its toughnesse preferr'd before any other by many Work∣men, though of all Soyls the Cow-pasture do certainly exceed, be it for what purpose soever of planting Wood. Rather therefore we should take notice how many great Witts and ingenious Persons, who have leasure and faculty are in pain for Improvements of their Heaths and barren Hills, cold and starving places, which causes them to be neglected and despair'd of; whilest they flatter their hopes and vain expectations with fructifying liquors, Chymical Menstrues and such vast conceptions; in the mean time that one may shew them as Heathy and Hope-less grounds, and barren Hills as any in England, that do now bear, or lately have born Woods, Groves and Copses which yield the Owners more wealth, than the richest and most opulent Wheat-Lands: And if it be objected that 'tis so long a day before these Plantations can afford that gain; The Brabant Nurseries, and divers home-plantations of Industrious Persons are sufficient to convince the gain-sayer. And when by this Husbandry a few Acorns shall have peopl'd the Neighboring Regions with young Stocks and Trees; the residue will become Groves and Copses of infinite delight and satisfaction to the Planters. Besides, we daily see what Course Lands will bear these Stocks (suppose them Oaks, Wall-nutts, Chess-nutts, Pines, Firr, Ash, Wild-Pears, Crabbs, &c.) and some of them, as for instance the Peare and the Firr or Pine, strike their Roots through the roughest and most impenetrable Rocks and clefts of Stone it self; and others require not any rich or pingued, but very moderate Soile; especi∣ally, if committed to it in Seeds, which allyes them to their Mo∣ther and Nurse without renitency or regrett: And then considering what assistances a little Care in easing and stirring of the ground about them for a few years does afford them: What cannot a

strong Plow, a Winter mellowing, and summer heats, incorporated with the pregnant Turfe, or a slight assistance of Lime performe e∣ven in the most unnatural and obstinate Soile? And in such places where anciently Woods have grown, but are now unkind to them, the fault is to be reformed by this Care; and chiefly, by a Sedu∣lous extirpation of the old remainders of Roots, and latent Stumps, which by their mustiness, and other pernicious qualities, sowre the ground, and poyson the Conception; And herewith let me put in this note, that even the Soile it self does frequently discover and point best to the particular Species, though some are for all places alike: but I shall say no more of these particulars at this time, because, the rest is sprinkl'd over this whole Work in their due places; Wherefore we hasten to the following Title, namely, the choyce and ordering of the Seeds.

2. Chuse your Seed of that which is perfectly mature, ponderous and sound; commonly that which is easily shaken from the boughs, or gathered about November, immediately upon its spontaneous fall, or taken from the tops and summities of the fairest and soundest Trees, is best, and does (for the most part) direct to the proper season of interring, &c. According to Institution. For,

Nature her self who all created first, Invented sowing, and the wild Plants nurs't: When Mast and Berries from the Trees did drop, Succeeded under by a numerous Crop.

Nam specimen sationis, & insitionis origo Ipsa fuit rerum primum natura creatrix: Arboribus quoniam baccae, glandesque caducae Tempestiva dabant pullorum examina subter, &c. Lucret. l. 5.

Yet this is to be consider'd, that if the place you sow in be too cold for an Autumnal semination, your Acorns, Mast, and other Seeds may be prepared for the Vernal by being barrel'd, or potted up in moist Sand or Earth stratum S.S. during the Winter; at the ex∣piration whereof you will find them sprouted; and being commit∣ted to the Earth, with a tender hand, as apt to take as if they had been sown with the most early, nay with great advantage: by this means, too, they have escaped the Vermine (which are prodigious devourers of Winter fowing) and will not be much concern'd with the increasing heat of the Season, as such as being crude, and unfermented are newly sown in the beginning of the Spring; especially in hot and loose Grounds; being already in so fair a pro∣gress by this artificial preparation; and which (if the provision to be made be very great) may be thus manag'd. Chuse a fit piece of Ground, and with boards (if it have not that position of it self) design it three foot high; lay the first foot in fine Earth, another of Seeds, Acorns, Mast, Keys, Nuts, Haws, Holly-beries, &c. Promiscuously, or separate, with (now, and then) a little Mould sprinkled amongst them: The third foot wholly Earth: Of these preparatory Maga∣zines make as many, and as much larger-ones as will serve your turn, continuing it from time to time as your store is brought in. The same for ruder handlings, may you also do by burying your Seeds in dry Sand, or pulveriz'd Earth, Barrelling them (as I said) in Tubs, or laid in heaps in some deep Cellar where the rigour of the Winter may least prejudice them; and I have fill'd old Ham∣pers,

Bee-hives, and Boxes with them, and found the like advan∣tage, which is to have them ready for your Seminary, as before hath been shew'd, and exceedingly prevent the season. There be also who affirm, that the carefull cracking and opening of Stones which include the Kernels, as soon as ripe, precipitate Growth and gain a years advance.

3. But to pursue this to some farther Advantage; as to what concerns the election of your Seed, It is to be consider'd, that there is vast difference, (what if I should affirm more than an hundred years) in Trees even of the same growth and Bed, which I judge to proceed from the variety and quality of the Seed: This, for in∣stance, is evidently seen in the heart, procerity and stature of Tim∣ber; and therefore chuse not your Seeds alwaies from the most Fruitful-trees, which are commonly the most Aged, and decayed; but from such as are found most solid and fair: Nor, for this reason, covet the largest Acorns, &c. (but as Husband men do their Wheat) the most weighty, clean and bright: This Observation we deduce from Fruit-trees, which we seldom find to bear so kindly, and plen∣tifully, from a sound stock, smooth Rind, and firm Wood, as from a rough, lax, and untoward Tree, which is rather prone to spend it self in Fruit, (the ultimate effort, and final endeavour of its most delicate Sap,) than in solid and close substance to encrease the Tim∣ber. And this shall suffice, though some haply might here recom∣mend to us a more accurate Microscopical examen, to interpret their most secret Schematismes, which were an over nicity for these great Plantations.

4. As concerning the medicating, and insuccation of Seeds, or enforcing the Earth by rich and generous Composts, &c. for Trees of these kinds, I am no great favourer of it; not only, because the charge would much discourage the Work; but for that we find it unnecessary, and for most of our Forest-trees, noxious; since even where the ground is too fertile, they thrive not so well; and if a Mould be not proper for one sort it may be fit for another: Yet I would not (by this) hinder any from the trial, what advance such Experiments will produce: In the mean time, for the simple Imbibi∣tion of some Seeds and Kernels, when they prove extraordinary dry, and, as the Season may fall out, it might not be amiss to macerate them in Milk, or Water only, a little impregnated with Cow-dung, &c. during the space of twenty four hours, to give them a spirit to sprout, and chet the sooner; especially, if you have been retarded in your sowing without our former preparation.

5. Being thus provided with Seeds of all kinds, I would advise to raise Woods by sowing them apart, in several places destin'd for their growth, where the Mould being prepar'd (as I shall shew hereafter) and so qualified (if election be made) as best to suit with the nature of the Species, they may be sown promiscuously, which is the most natural and Rural; or in streight and even lines, for Hedg-rows, Avenues, and Walks, which is the more Ornamental: But, because some may chuse rather to draw them out of Nurseries;

that the Culture is not much different, nor the hinderance conside∣rable (provided they be early, and carefully Removed) I will finish what I have to say concerning these Trees in the Seminary, and shew how they are there to be Raised, Transplanted, and Govern'd till they can shift for themselves.

Notes

• Soile.
• Seed.