Systema agriculturæ, the mystery of husbandry discovered treating of the several new and most advantagious ways of tilling, planting, sowing, manuring, ordering, improving of all sorts of gardens, orchards, meadows, pastures, corn-lands, woods & coppices, as also of fruits, corn, grain, pulse, new-hays, cattle, fowl, beasts, bees, silk-worms, &c. : with an account of the several instruments and engines used in this profession : to which is added Kalendarium rusticum, or, The husbandmans monthly directions, also the prognosticks of dearth, scarcity, plenty, sickness, heat, cold, frost, snow, winds, rain, hail, thunder, &c. and Dictionarium rusticum, or, The interpretation of rustick terms, the whole work being of great use and advantage to all that delight in that most noble practice.

SECT. V. Of other Trees usually planted for Ornament, or adorn∣ing Gardens, Avenues, Parks, and other places adjoyning to your Mansion-house, and conver∣tible also to several uses.

This Tree is a kind of Maple, and delights in a good light Gar∣den-mould, and will also thrive in any indifferent Land, but ra∣ther in moist than dry. It's propagated of the Keys, which being sown when they are ripe, and falling from the Trees, come up plentifully the next Spring, and is a Tree of speedy growth. Sets also cut from the Tree will grow set in moist ground, or watered well in the Summer; they afford a curious dark and pleasant sha∣dow, yield a good Fewel, and the Timber fit for several Mecha∣nick uses.

The Lime-tree delights in a good rich Garden-Soil, and thrives not in a dry hungry cold Land. It is raised from Suckers as the Elm, or from Seeds, or Berries, which in the Autumn drop from the Trees.

We have a sort of Tilia that grows wild here in England, which almost equals those brought out of Holland, where there are Nur∣series to raise them streight and comely.

This Tree is of all other the most proper and beautiful for [Use.] Walks, as producing an upright Body, smooth and even Bark, ample Leaf, sweet Blossom, and a goodly shade at the distance of

eighteen or twenty foot, their heads topped at about six or eight foot high: but if they are suffered to mount without check, they become a very streight and tall Tree in a little time, espe∣cially if they grow near together, they afford a very pleasant dark shade, and perfume the Air in the months of June and July with their fragrant blossom, and entertain a mellifluous Army of Bees, from the top of the morning, till the cool and dark evening compels their return. No Tree more uniform both in its height and spreading breadth.

I have known excellent Ladders made of Lime-tree-Poles of a very great length; the Wood may also serve for several Mecha∣nick uses, like unto the other soft and Aquatick Woods.

This most excellent Tree delights in a rich Garden-mould, or other light mould not too dry, and is easily propagated by Layers: It's a quick-growing Tree, most pleasant to the eye at the Spring, when its clammy Turpentine buds break forth into curious divi∣ded hanging Leaves; it bears a cluster of beautiful Flowers, and prospers well in our cold Country, and therefore worthy to be ta∣ken into our most pleasant Gardens, Avenues, Parks, and other places of delight and pleasure.

They delight in cold, high, and rocky Mountains, where they naturally grow in great abundance, yet will they grow in better and warmer, but not in over-rich and pinguid; if you plant them you must be careful at first to preserve them moist; therefore Land over-hot, Sandy, or Gravelly, is not so good.

They are all raised of the Kernels taken out of the Clogs, which being laid in Water some days, and then exposed to some gen∣tle warmth of the fire, will open, that you get the Seeds out with much facility, which may be sown in your Nursery, or rather where you intend they should grow, especially the Pine, which will hardly bear a remove unless very young; the Firs will very easily, and may also be propagared of slips, as I have been credibly in∣formed.

The Fir grows tall, streight, and neatly tapering, therefore more [Use.] uniform for Walks, &c. but the Pinaster bears the proudest and stateliest branches, with a fairer and more beautiful Leaf: these two excel the rest for any Ornamental use, and are sooner moun∣ted, growing in a few years to a very great height. Mr. Evelin gives you the relation of one that shot no less than sixty foot in height in little more than twenty years: I have seen Presidents of the like nature. For the first half dozen years they make no considerable advance, but afterwards they come away miracu∣lously.

The use of this Timber is so well known to our Ship-wrights, Carpenters, and other Mechanicks inhabiting near the Maritime Coasts, that nothing here need be said.

Out of these Trees are made Turpentine, Rosin, Tar, and Pitch.

These Trees are not much in use, yet deserve to be propagated for their rarity, excellent shade, and durable Timber.

This curious Tree delights in a warm and dry Land, not so much desiring a rich as a warm place.

It is propagated from the seed sown in March, and easily abides transplantation.

It is one of the most Ornamental Plants nature affords, and may either stand single, Pyramid-like, or set in Hedges, and clipped to any form you please: we have so little of its Timber here, that we only refer you to the joyner and Cabinet-maker for its use.

This Tree grows in all extremes; in the moist Barbado's, the hot Bermudas, the cold New-England, in the Bogs of America, in the Mountains of Asia.

It is propagated of the Seeds; is a beautiful Tree: its Timber incomparable, and almost perpetual.

The Alaternus thrives very well in England, as if it were na∣tural; is raised from Seeds, is swift of growth, and one of the most beautiful and useful of Hedges and Verdure in the world, and yields an early honey-breathing Blossom.

This Tree delights in a warm fertile Soil, and is propagated of the Berries or Seeds sown in the Spring, and also of the slips set like the slips of Box.

It is a most beautiful Plant, and one of the quickest growth of any, for the raising of Espalier Hedges, and covering of Arbors, being always of incomparable Verdure.

This Tree greatly loves the shade, yet thrives well in our hot∣test Gravel.

They are raised of their Suckers, and their Seeds gathered when they are through ripe, in the midst of Winter, and sown in March.

The beauty and use of this Tree is commonly known.

This Tree preserves its Verdure best in the shade, but grows any where, is propagated like the Bay, and is one of the most proper and Ornamental Trees for Walks and Avenues, of any growing.

It grows generally in the barrennest grounds, and coldest of our Mountains, is easily produced of the Seeds, washed and cleansed from their Mucilage, and buried in the ground like Haws: it will be the second year ere they peep, and then they rise with their caps on their heads; at three years old you may transplant them: they are also propagated by Plants or Suckers, but they are diffi∣cult of growth.

The Timber is a very hard wood, and very useful to most Me∣chanicks that work in Wood; they are also a beautiful Orna∣ment, and a sure defence against impetuous Winds, and nipping Cold.

Privet is a Plant that hath been in great request for adorning Walks and Arbors, till of late other new and more acceptable Plants by degrees begin to extirpate it out of the most modish Plantations, nevertheless it may yet claim a corner in ours.

Notes

• The Sycamore.
• Its propagation and use.
• The Lime-tree. Propagation.
• Sylva.
• The Horse Chesnut-tree.
• Its propagation and use.
• The Fir, Pine, Pinaster, and Pitch-tree.
• Propagation.
• The Larch, Pla∣tanus, and Lo∣tus.
• The Cypress.
• Propagation and use.
• Cedar.
• The Alaternus.
• The Phillyrea.
• The Bay-tree.
• The Laurel.
• The Eugh-tree.
• Privet.