The country-mans recreation, or The art of [brace] planting, graffing, and gardening, [brace] in three books. The first declaring divers waies of planting, and graffing, and the best times of the year, with divers commodities and secrets herein, how to set or plant with the root, and without the root; to sow or set pepins or curnels, with the ordering thereof, also to cleanse your grafts and cions, to help barren and sick trees, to kill worms and vermin, and to preserve and keep fruit; how to plant and proin your vines, and to gather and presse your grape; to cleanse and mosse your trees, to make your cider and perry, with many other secret practises which shall appear in the table following. The second treateth of the hop-garden, with necessary instructions for the making and maintenance thereof, ... with some directions for tabaco. Whereunto is added, The expert gardener, containing divers necessary and rare secrets belonging to that art, ... hereunto is likewise added the Art of angling.

To gather the Hop.

AT such time before Michaelmasse, as ye shall see your Hop wax brown or somewhat yellow, then he is best to be gathered in a dry day, in cutting your Hop by the ground, then pluck up your Pole therewish for shaking off your Hop; so carry them into some dry house, when ye have so pluckt them, lay them on boarded ••ofts, or on hurdl••s of cloaths, that the wind may dry them, and the air, but not in the Sun, for the same will take away the strength thereof, nor with fire, that will do the same, and ye must daily tosse and turn them till they be dry: to try them when they are dry, hold them in your hand a space, and if they cleave together when ye open your hand, they are not then dry; but if they shatter asunder in opening your hand, ye may be sure they are dry enough. If not, let them remain, and use them as is before said. Ye shall understand the drynesse of them is, to pre∣serve them long to last, but if need be, ye may occupy them well undryed, with lesse portion to sow.