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YE ought to Transplant or set your Trees from Alhal∣lontide unto March, and the sooner the better, for as soon as the Leaves are fallen from the Trees, they be meet for to be Planted, if it be not in a very cold or
moist place, the which then it were best for to tarry untill Ja∣nuary, or February, to plant in the Frost is not good.
A Fore you do pluck up your trees for to plant them, if ye will mark the South-side of each trees, that when ye shall replant them, ye may set them again as they stood before, which is the best way as some do say. And if ye keep them a certain time, after they be taken out of the Earth, before ye replant them again, they will rather recover there in the earth, so they be not wet with Rain, nor otherwise, for that shall be more contrary to them than the great Heat or Drought.
WHensoever ye shall set or replant your Trees, first ye must cut off the boughes, and specially those which are great branches, in such sort that ye shall leave the small twigs or sprigs, on the stocks of your branch, which must be but a shaftment long, or somewhat more, or lesse according as the Tree shall require, which ye do set.
ANd chiefly the Apple Trees, being Graffed or not Graf∣fed, doe require to be disbranched before they be set a∣gain, for they shall prosper thereby much the better: the o∣ther sorts of Trees may well passe unbranched, if they have not too great or large branches, and therefore it shall be good to transplant or set, as soon after as the graffes are clo∣sed, on the head of the wild Stock, as for small Trees which have but one Cion or twig, it needs not to cut them above, when they be replanted or removed.
ALL wild trees or stocks, which ye think for to graffe on, ye must first cut off all their Branches before ye set them again: also it shall be good, alwayes to take heed in replan∣ting your Trees, that ye do set them again, in as good or bet∣ter Earth, than they were in before, and so every Tree, accor∣ding as his nature doth require.
COmmonly the most part of Trees, do love the Sunne at Noon, and yet the South Wind (or vent d'aval) is very contrary against their nature, and specially the Almond-tree, the Apricock, the Mulberry-tree, the Fig-tree, and the Pom∣granade-tree. Certain other Trees there be which love cold Ayre, as these: the Chesnut-tree, the wild and eager Cherry-tree, the Quince-tree, and the Damson or Plum▪tree, the Wal∣nut loveth cold Ayre, and a stony white ground. Pear-trees love not greatly plain places, they prosper well enough in places closed with walls, or high Hedges, and specially the Pear called bon Christien.
THe Damson or Plum tree doth love a cold fat earth, and clay withall, the (Healm) great Cherry doth love to be set or planted upon Clay. The Pine-tree loveth light earth, stony and sandy. The Medlar commeth well enough in all kinde of grounds, and doth not hinder his fruit, to be in the shadow and moist places. Hasel nut trees love the place to be cold, lean, moist and sandy. Ye shall understand, that every kind of fruitful Tree doth love, and is more fruitfull in one place, than another, as according unto their nature. Never∣theless, yet we ought to nourish them (all that we may) in the place where we set them in, in taking them from the place &
ground they were in. And ye must also consider when one doth plant them of the great and largest kind of Trees, that every kind of Tree may prosper and grow, and it is to be considered also if the Trees have commonly grown afore so large in the ground or not, for in good earth the Trees may well prosper and grow, having a good space one from ano∣ther, more than if the ground were lean or naught.
IN this thing ye shall consider, ye must give a competent space from one Tree to another, when as you make the holes to set them in, not nigh, nor the one tree to touch ano∣ther. For a good Tree planted or set well at large, it profit∣eth ofttimes more of fruit than three or four Trees set too nigh together. The greatest and largest Trees commonly are Wallnuts and Chesnuts, if ye plant them severally in ranks, as they do commonly grow upon high-ways, besides hedges and fields, set them xxxv foot asunder, one from another or thereabout, but if ye will plant many ranks in one place together, ye must set them the space of xlv foot one from a∣nother, or thereabout, and so far you must set your ranks one from another. For the Pear-trees and Apple-trees, and of other sort of Trees, which may be set of this largenesse one from the other, if ye plant onely in ranks by hedges in the fields or otherwise, it shall be sufficient of xx foot from one another. But if you will set two ranks upon the sides of your great allies in gardens, which be ten or twelve foot broad, it shall be then best to give them more space, the one from the other in each rank, as about xxv foot, also ye must not set your Trees right one against another, but entermed∣ling, or between every space, as they may best grow at large, that if need be, ye mae plant other small Trees between, but see that ye set them not to thick. If ye list to set or plant all your Trees of one bignesse, as of young Trees like rods, be∣ing Peare-trees or Apple-trees, they must be set a good distance one from another, as of twenty or thirty foot in
square, as to say one rank to another. But to plant or set of smaller Trees, as Plum-trees and Apple-trees, of the like bignesse, it shall be sufficient for them fourteene or fifteene foot space in quarters. But if ye will plant or set two ranks in your Allies in gardens, ye must devise for to proportion it after the largenesse of your said Allies. For to plant eager or lower Cherrie-trees, this space shall be sufficient enough the one from the other, that is of x or xii foot, and therefore if you make of great or large Allyes in your Garden, as of x foot wide or thereabouts, they shall come well to passe, and shall be sufficient to plant your Trees of nine or ten foote space, and for the other lesser sorts of Trees, as of Quince-trees, Fig-trees, Nut-trees, and such like, which be not com∣monly planted, but in one rank together.
WHen that ye plant or set ranks, or every kind of trees together, ye shall set or plant the smallest to∣wards the Sun, and the greatest in the shade, that they may not annoy or hurt the small, nor the small the great. Also whensoever ye will plant or set Pear-trees, and Plum-trees, in any place the one with another, better it were to set the Plum-trees next the Sun, for the Peares will dure better in the shade. Also ye must understand when you set or plant a∣ny ranks of Trees together, ye must have more space betwixt your ranks and Trees than when you set but one rank, that they may have roome sufficient on every side.
Ye shall also scarcely set or plant Peare-trees, or Apple-trees, or other great Trees upon dead or mossie barren ground unstirred; for they increase thereon to no purpose. But other lesser Trees very well may grow, as Plum-trees, and such like: now when all the aforesaid things above be considered, ye shall make your holes according to the space that shall be required of every tree ye shall plant or set, and also the place fit for the same, so much as ye may convenient, ye shall make your holes large enough, for ye must suppose
the tree you doe set, hath not the half of his roots he shall have hereafter; therefore ye must help him and give of good fat earth (or dung) all about the roots, when as ye plant him. And if any of the same roots be too long, and bruised or hurt, ye shall cut them clean off aslope wise, so that the upper side of each root so cut may be longest in setting, and for the small roots which come forth all about thereof, ye may not cut them off as the great roots.
FOr when ye set the Trees in the holes, ye must then en∣large the roots in placing them, and see that they take all downwards, without turning any roots the ends up∣ward, and you must not plant or set them too deep in the earth, but as ye shall see cause. It shall be sufficient for them to be planted or set half a foot or thereabouts in the earth, so that the earth be above all the roots half a foot or more, if the place be not very burning and stony.
ANd as ye would replant or set, you must have of good fat earth or dung, well mingled with a part of the same earth, out of which you took your plant,, with all the up∣per crusts of the earth, as thick as you can have it: the said earth which ye shall put about the roots, must not be put too nigh the roots, least the dung being laid too nigh, the roots should be put into a heat: but let it be well mingled with the other earth, and well tempered in the holes, and the smallest and slenderest Cions that turnes up among those roots ye may plant very well.
IF there be wormes in the fat Earth or Dung, that ye put about your roots, ye must also well mingle it with the
dung of Oxen or Kine, or slak'd Sope-ashes about the root, which will destroy those worms which would have destroy∣ed the Roots.
ALso ye must dig well the earth, principally all round o∣ver the roots, and oftner if they be dry, than if they be wet: ye must not plant or set Trees when it raineth, nor the earth to be very moist about the roots. The Trees that be planted or set in Vallies, commonly prosper well by drought: and when it raineth, they that be on the Hills are better by watering with drops than others: and if the ground be moist by nature, you must plant or set your trees not so deep therein.
ON high and dry places, ye must plant and set your Trees a little deeper than in the Vallies, and ye must not fill the holes in high places so full as the other, to the end that the rain may better moisten them.
VNderstand also that of good earth commonly cometh good fruit, but in certain places (if they might be suf∣fered to grow) they would season the tree the better; other∣wise they shall not come to proof, or have a good tast.
VVHensoever your Trees shall be replanted or set, ye must knock by the root a stake, and bind your trees thereto for feare of the wind, and when they doe spring, ye shall dresse them and bind them with bands that will not break, you may make them of strong soft hearbs, as Bulrush or such like, or of old linnen clouts, if the other be not strong enough, or else ye may bind them with Oziars, or such like, least you hurt or fret your Trees.