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. II. Of Stocks.

THe former thus establish'd, after all humours and varieties have been sufficiently wearied, we shall find the Wilding to be the hardiest and most proper Stock for the most delicate Fruit: This confirm'd by Varro, lib. 1. cap. 40. In quamcun{que} arborem in∣seras, &c. and 'tis with reason: However they do in Hereford-shire, both in practice, and opinion, limit this Rule; and to pre∣serve the gust of any delicate Apple (as of the Pear-main, Quince-Apple, Stockin, &c.) rather graff upon a Gennet-Moyle or Cydod∣din-Stock, (as there call'd) than a Crab-stock; but then indeed they conclude the Tree lasts not so long; and 'tis observ'd, That Apples are better tasted from a clean, light land, &c. than from stiffer clay, or the more pinguid and luxurious soil, whence we may expect some assistance from the civility of the Stock, which is a kind of prepared Soil, or foundation to the Graff; even as our very Transplantations into better ground is likewise a kind of Graffing.

Thus in like manner our Master Varro, loco citato concerning Pears; Si in Pyrum Sylvaticam, &c. The Wild-stock does enliven the dull and phlegmatic Apple, and the Stock of a Gennet-Moyle sweeten and improve an Apple that seems over-tart, as the Pome-roy, or some Greening, &c. or may rather seem to abate at least some Apple over-tart and severe.

Your Crab-stock would be planted about October, at thirty two Foot distance, and not graffed till the third Spring after, or at least not before the second.

But if your design be for Orchard only, and where they are to abide, an interval of sixteen Foot shall suffice for the Dwarfish kind, or in the Grounds where the Red-strake, or other Fruit-trees are of small bulk, provided the ground be yearly turn'd up with the Spade, and the distance quadrupled where the Plough has pri∣viledge; this being the most expedite for such as have no Nursery ground.