A treatise of fruit-trees shewing the manner of grafting, setting, pruning, and ordering of them in all respects: according to divers new and easy rules of experience; gathered in ye space of twenty yeares. Whereby the value of lands may be much improued, in a shorttime [sic], by small cost, and little labour. Also discovering some dangerous errors, both in ye theory and practise of ye art of planting fruit-trees. With the alimentall and physicall vse of fruits. Togeather with the spirituall vse of an orchard: held-forth [sic] in divers similitudes betweene naturall & spirituall fruit-trees: according to Scripture & experie[n]ce. By Ra: Austen. Practiser in ye art of planting

First concerning the use of Apples.

When Apples are ready they may be Disposed of Divers wayes, some for Syder, others for Sale, others for daily Dishes to the Ta∣ble.

Syder is usually made of such Apples as are moist sommer fruits, some are fit to make Syder so soone as they are gathered, others may lye a certaine time to mellow, as they use in some places, whereof most excellent Syder is made if the Apples are ta∣ken when they are just ready, and fit to eate, being the crude, or raw spirit is then digested.

The Apples being ripe, gather them, & being cleane picked from Stalks and leaves, grind them in the Mill, or pownd them small in Trows of wood, or stone, then straine them, & tunne up the Liquor, immediately, & let it not stand as some do, it looseth spi∣rits: And having filled a Vessell great, or small, take Clay, and lay it round about the Tunne hole, not to stop it up, but make it hollow round about, to containe so much Syder, as that (when it hath done working) the Vessell may yet be full, put in a small quantity of Mustard, to make it worke the better, and when it hath done working then stop it up presently, very close, and it will keep better then if the Vessell were not full.

In drawing of it, give it no more Aire then needs must.

If you hang divers kinds of Spices (bruised) in the middle of the Vessell, in a thin Linnen Bag, they give the Liquor an excellent relish: put it not in, till the Syder have done working.

If you boyle Syder (with spices) newly strayned, such will be cordiall; you may colour it with juyce of Mulberies or Rasberies, or of the Great-bearing-Cherry, and make it like Clarret-wine.

Syder may be kept perfect good many yeares if (being setled)

it be drawn out into Bottles, and well stopt with Corks and hard wax melted thereon, and bound down with a Packthred, & then sunk down into a Well or Poole, or buried in the ground, or sand laid in a Cellar.

Before you gather Apples to keep, let them be ripe, which may be known by the colour, and by the seed, cut some of them, and if the seed be turn'd browne, or somewhat blacke, such may be ga∣thered; gather them in a dry day, pull them one by one, and put them into Baskets lined with woollen cloath, that they bruise not. Carry them into a Loft or upper Chamber, and lay them on Mats or Boords, not on Plaister, or Clay Flowers. Lay them thin, not on heapes, as some doe, let the windows, and holes on the South side be all shut up, but open especially upon the North side, in dry daies, that the ayre, and winds may dry up their superflu∣ous moisture. Lay every kind by themselves, and pick out all the Leaves, and such as rot, from time to time. Turne them some∣times, and in Frost cover them with Mats, Straw, or the like.

If Apples offend any through winde, eat with them Ginger, or other Hot spices, or Carroway seeds, Fennell seeds, or the like. So Dodonaeus: Quorum malignitas vel aromatis, vel aliis corrigi potest.

Apples are prepared for the Table, all the yeare long many waies (I shall not need to speak of particulars) and are pleasant and healthfull to the body.

Dulcia poma minus frigida sunt, ac humida alimentum conferunt amplius quam caetera poma. He saies, Pleasant Apples are lesse cold and moist, and afford more nourishment then others.

Notes

• Of Apples.
• How to make Syder.
• How to keepe Syder.
• How to keepe Apples.
• Hist: stirp. l. 3. pag. 777.
• Dod on hist. & l. 3. p. ibid.