The country-mans recreation, or the art of planting, graffing, and gardening in three bookes. The first declaring divers wayes of planting, and graffing ... also how to cleanse your grafts and cions, how to helpe barren and sicke trees, how to kill wormes and vermin and to preserve and keepe fruit, how to plant and proyne your vines, and to gather and presse your grape ... how to make your cider and perry ... The second treateth of the hop-garden, with necessary instructions for the making and the maintenance thereof ... Whereunto is added, the expert gardener, containing divers necessary and rare secrets belonging to that art ...

How trees ought to be kept when they wax old.

WHen trees lose their strength and vertue for age, & the branches break off for the weight of the fruit, or when they wax barren for lack of moi∣sture, that they beare not fruit every yeare, but scant every other or third yeare, you must cut some of his heavy branches, which he can little nourish, which is done to the end hee might keep some moistnesse to himselfe for his nourishment, for else the moist∣nesse would go all into his branches.

Wheteby you may mark whether you must give them, or take away from them branches, according to their nourishment, and as the earth where shee standeth can abide, that is, you must leave them so much as will nourish them, and no more, which if you doe not, the trees will bring so little fruit; that your labour will not be recompensed.

Which cutting of trees may be done from the be∣ginning of November till to the end of March, in warme countries. But it is more naturall to be done from the time that the leaves fall, till the time that they begin to grow greene againe, except where the frost is very great and sharp.