The English Husbandman Part 8

For as much as the nature, temperature, and clymate, of our soyle is not so truely proper and agreeing with the Vine as that of Fraunce, Italy, Spaine, and such like, and sith wee haue it more for delight, pleasure, and prospect, then for any peculyar profit, I will not vndertake _Monsiuer Lybaults_ painefull labour, in discribing euery curious perfection or defect that belongs thereunto, as if it were the onely iewell and commoditie of our kingdome, but onely write so much as is fitting for our knowledge touching the maintaynance, increase, and preseruation thereof, in our Orchards, Gardens, and other places of recreation.

{SN: Of planting or setting the Vine.} First then to speake of the planting or setting of the Vine, your greatest diligence must be to seeke out the best plants, and if that which is most strange, rare, great and pleasant be the best, then is that grape which is called the Muskadine, or Sacke grape, the best, and haue their beginning either from Spaine, the Canary Ilands, or such like places: next to them is the French grape, of which there be many kindes, the best whereof is the grape of Orleance, the next the grape of Gascoynie, the next of Burdeaux, and the worst of Roch.e.l.l, and not any of these but by industry will prosper in our English gardens: when therefore you chuse your plants, you shall chuse such of the young cyons as springing from the olde woode, you may in the cutting cut at least a ioynt or two of olde woode with the young: for the olde will take soonest, and this olde woode must be at least seauen or eight inches long, and the young cyon almost a yard, and the thicker and closer the ioynts of the young cyon are, so much the better they are: and the fit time for cutting and gathering these sets are in midde-Ianuary, then hauing prepared, digged, and dunged your earth the winter before, you shall at the latter end of Ianuary take two of these sets, or plants, placing them according to this figure:

{Ill.u.s.tration}

And lay them in the earth slope-wise, at least a foote deepe, leauing out of the earth, vncouered, not aboue foure or fiue ioynts, at the most, and then couer them with good earth firmely, closely, and strongly, hauing regard to raise those cyons which are without the earth directly vpward, obseruing after they be set, once in a month to weede them, and keepe them as cleane as is possible: for nothing is more noysome vnto them then the suffocating of weeds: also you shall not suffer the mould to grow hard or bind about the rootes, but with a small spade once in a fortnight to loosen and breake the earth, because there rootes are so tender that the least straytning doth strangle and confound them. If the season doe grow dry, you may vse to water them, but not in such sort as you water other plants, which is to sprinckle water round about the earth of the rootes, but you shall with a round Iron made for the purpose somewhat bigger then a mans fingar, make certaine holes into the earth, close vpon the roote of the Vine, and powre therein either water, the dregges of strong-Ale, or the lees of Wine, or if you will you may mixe with the lees of Wine either Goats-milke, or Cowes-milke, and power it into the holes and it will nourish the Vine exceedingly, and not the Vine onely, but all sorts of dainty grafted Plumbes, especially Peaches.

{SN: Of proyning the Vine.} Now for proyning the Vine, you shall vnderstand that it is euer to be done after the fall of the leafe, when the sappe is desended downeward, for if you shall proyne, or cut him, either in the spring, or when the sappe is aloft, it will bleede so exceedingly, that with great difficulty you shall saue the body of the tree from dying: and, in proyning of the Vine you shall obserue two things, the first, that you cut away all superfluous cyons and branches, both aboue and below, which either grow disorderly aboue, or fruitlessely below, and in cutting them you shall obserue, neither to cut the olde woode with the young cyon, nor to leaue aboue one head or leader vpon one branch: secondly, you shall in proyning, plash and spread the VINE thinnely against the wall, giuing euery seuerall branch and cyon his place, and pa.s.sage, and not suffer it to grow loosely, rudely, or like a wilde thorne, out of all decency and proportion: for you must vnderstand that your Grapes doe grow euer vpon the youngest cyons, and if of them you shall preserue too many, questionlesse for want of nourishment they will lose their vertue, and you your profit. Now if your Vine be a very olde Vine, and that his fruit doth decay, either in quant.i.tie or proportion; if then you finde he haue any young cyons which spring from his roote, then when you proyne him you shall cut away all the olde stocke, within lesse then an handfull of the young cyons, and make them the leaders, who will prosper and continue in perfection a long time after, especially if you trimme the rootes with fresh earth, and fresh dunge. Againe, if you be carefull to looke vnto your Vine, you shall perceiue close by euery bunch of grapes certaine small thridde-like cyons, which resemble twound wyars, curling and turning in many rings, these also take from the grapes very much nutriment, so that it shall be a labour very well imployd to cut them away as you perceiue them.

{SN: Experiments of the Vine.} Now from the Vine there is gathered sundry experiments, as to haue it tast more pleasant then the true nature of the grape, and to smell in the mouth odoriferously, or as if it were perfumed, which may be done in this sort: Take damaske-Rose-water and boyle therein the powder of Cloaues, Cynamon, three graines of Amber, and one of Muske, and when it is come to be somewhat thicke, take a round goudge and make a hole in the maine stocke of the Vine, full as deepe as the hart thereof, and then put therein this medicine, then stopping the hole with Cypresse, or Iuniper, lay greene-waxe thereupon, and binde a linnen cloath about it, and the next grapes which shall spring from that Vine will tast as if they were preserued or perfumed.

If you will haue grapes without stones, you shall take your plants and plant the small ends downeward and be a.s.sured your desire is attained.

The Vine naturally of himselfe doth not bring forth fruit till it haue beene three yeeres planted: but if euening and morning for the first month you will bath his roote with Goats-milke or Cowes-milke, it will beare fruit the first yeere of his planting. Lastly, you may if you please graft one Vine vpon another, as the sweet vpon the sower, as the Muskadine grape, or greeke, vpon the Roch.e.l.l or Burdeaux, the Spanish, or Iland grape, on the Gascoyne, and the Orleance vpon any at all: and these compositions are the best, and bring forth both the greatest and pleasantest grapes: therefore whensoeuer you will graft one grape vpon another, you shall doe it in the beginning of Ianuary, in this sort: first, after you haue chosen and trimmed your grafts, which in all sorts must be like the grafts of other fruits, then with a sharpe knife, you shall cleaue the head of the Vine, as you doe other stockes and then put in your graft, or cyon, being made as thinne as may be and see that the barkes and sappes ioyne euen and close together, then clay it, mosse it, and couer it, as hath beene before declared.

{SN: The medicining of the Vine.} If your Vine grow too ranke and thicke of leaues, so that the sappe doth wast it selfe in them, and you thereby lose the profit of the fruit, you shall then bare all the rootes of the Vine, and cast away the earth, filling vp the place againe with sand & ashes mingled together: but if the Vine be naturally of it selfe barraine, then with a goudge you shall make a hole halfe way through the maine body of the Vine, and driue into the hole a round pible stone, which although it goe straitly in, yet it may not fill vp the hole, but that the sicke humour of the Vine may pa.s.se thorrow thereat: then couer the roote with rich earth, and Oxe dunge mixt together, and once a day for a month water it with olde p.i.s.se, or vrine of a man, and it will make the tree fruitfull: if the Vine be troubled with Wormes, Snailes, Ants, Earewigges, or such like, you shall morning and euening sprinckle it ouer with cowes-p.i.s.se and vinegar mixt together & it will helpe it: & thus much for ordering the Vine.

CHAP. IX.

_The office of the Fruiterrer, or the Gatherer, and keeper, of Fruit._

After you haue planted euery seuerall quarter, allye, and border within your Orchard, with euery seuerall fruit proper vnto his place, and that you haue placed them in that orderly and comely equipage which may giue most delight to the eye, profit to the tree, and commendations to the workeman, (according to the forme and order prescribed in the first Chapter) and that now the blessing of the highest, time, and your indeuours hath brought forth the haruest and recompence of your trauell, so that you behould the long-expected fruit hang vpon the trees, as it were in their ripenesse, wooing you to plucke, tast, and to deliuer them from the wombes of their parents, it is necessary then that you learne the true office of the Fruiterer, who is in due season and time to gather those fruits which G.o.d hath sent him: for as in the husbanding of our grayne if the Husbandman be neuer so carefull, or skilfull, in ploughing, dungging, sowing, weeding and preseruing his crop, yet in the time of haruest be negligent, neither regarding the strength or ripnesse thereof, or in the leading and mowing respects not whether it be wet or dry, doth in that moments s.p.a.ce loose the wages of his whole yeeres trauell, getting but durt from durt, and losse from his negligence: so in like case houlds it with all other fruits, if a man with neuer so great care and cost procure, yet if he be inrespectiue in the gathering, all his former businesse is vaine and to no purpose; and therefore I hould nothing more necessary then the relation of this office of the Fruiterer, which is the consummation and onely hope of our cost, and diligence, teaching vs to gather wisely what wee haue planted wearily, and to eate with contentment what we haue preserued with care.

{SN: Of gathering and preseruing Cherries.} Know then, that of all fruits (for the most part) the Cherry is the soonest ripe, as being one of the oldest children of the summer, and therefore first of all to be spoken of in this place, yet are not all Cherries ripe at one instant, but some sooner then other some, according to the benefit of the Sunne, the warmth of the ayre, and the strength of sappe in the branch on which the Cherry hangeth: they are a fruit tender and pleasant, and therefore much subiect to be deuoured and consumed with Byrds of the smallest kindes, as Sparrowes, Robins, Starlings, and such like, especially the Iay, and the Bull-finch, who deuoure them stones and all, euen so fast as they rypen: for preuention whereof; if you haue great abundance of Cherry trees, as maine holts that be either one or many akers in compa.s.se, you shall then in diuers places of your holts, as well in the midst, as out-corners, cause to be errected vp certaine long poales of Fyrre, or other woode, which may mount somewhat aboue the toppes of the trees, and one the toppes of those poales you shall place certaine clappe-milles made of broken trenchers ioyned together like sayles, which being moued and carryed about with the smallest ayre, may haue vnderneath the sayles a certaine loose little board, against which euery sayle may clap and make a great noyse, which will afright and scare the Byrds from your trees: these milles you shall commonly see in Husbandmens yards placed on their stackes or houells of Corne, which doth preserue them from fowle and vermine: but for want of these clap-milles you must haue some boy or young fellow that must euery morning from the dawning of the day till the Sunne be more then an houre high, and euery euening from fiue of the clocke till nine, runne vp and downe your ground, whooping, showtying, and making of a great noyse, or now and then shooting of some Harquebush, or other Peece: but by no meanes to vse slings or throwing of stones, least by the miscarriage of his hand hee either beate downe the fruit or bruise the trees. In this sort hauing preserued your Cherries from destruction, you shall then know there ripenesse by their colours, for euer those which are most red, are most ripe, and when you see any that are ripe, you shall take a light ladder, made either of fyrre or sallow, and setting it carefully against the branches, so as you neither bruise them nor the fruit, you shall gather those you finde ripe, not taking the fruit from the stalke, but nipping the stalke and fruit both together from the tree: also you shall be carefull in gathering to handle or touch the Cherry so little as may be, but the stalke onely, especially if your hands be hot, or sweaty, for that will change the colour of your Cherries, and make them looke blacke: if there be any ripe Cherries which hang out of the reach of your hands, then you shall haue a fine small gathering hooke of woode, whose bout shall be made round, and smooth, for nipping the barke of the branches, and with it you shall gently pull vnto you those branches you cannot reach: you shall also haue a little round basket of almost a foote deepe, made with a siue bottome, hauing a handle thwarte the toppe, to which a small hooke being fastned, you shall with that hooke hang the basket by you on some conuenient cyon, and as you gather the Cherries, gently lay them downe into the same, and when you haue filled your basket you shall descend and empty it into larger great baskets made of the same fashion, with siue bottomes, and hauing vnderneath two broad lathes or splinters, at least three fingers broad a peece, within foure inches one of the other, and going both one way crosse ouerthwart the basket, that if either man or woman shall carry them vpon their heads, which is the best manner of cariage, then the splinters may defend the bottome of the basket from the head of the party, and keepe the Cherries from hurt or bruising, and if you haue occasion to carry your Cherries farre, and that the quant.i.tie grow beyond the support of a man, then you shall packe them in hampers or panniers made with false bottoms like siues, and finely lyned on the out side with white straw, and so being closely trust on each side a Horses-backe, to carry them whether you please. You shall by no meanes suffer your Cherries to lye in any great or thicke heapes one vpon another, but vntill you sell them, or vse them, lay them as thinne as may be, because they are apt of themselues to sweat and catch heate, and that heate doth soone depriue them of the glory of their colour. When you gather any Cherries to preserue, you shall gather those which are the greatest, the ripest, you shall pull them from their stalkes one by one, and vse them at furthest within xxiiij. howers after the time they are gotten.

{SN: The gathering of stone Fruit.} {SN: Of gathering hard Plumbes.} {SN: Of keeping of Plumbes.} For the gathering of Plumbes in generall, it is in the same manner as you did gather your Cherries, both with such a like ladder, such a like hooke, and such like vessels, onely some more speciall obseruations are to be obserued in gathering your dainty grafted Plumbes, then of the others, which are of a more hard and induring nature. You shall know then that for gathering of Abricots, Peaches, Date-Plumbes, and such like grafted Plumbes, you shall duely consider when they are perfectly ripe, which you shall not iudge by their dropping from the tree, which is a signe of ouer-much ripnesse, tending to rottennesse, but by the true mixture of their colour, and perfect change from their first complexion: for when you shall perceiue that there is no greenenesse nor hardnesse in their out-sides, no, not so much as at the setting on of the stalke, you may then iudge that they are ready to be gathered, and for a perfecter tryall thereof you may if you please, take one which you thinke ripest from the tree, and opening it if you see the stone comes cleane and dry away and not any of the in-part of the fruit cleauing vnto it, then you may a.s.sure your selfe that the fruit is ready to be gathered, which you shall with great deligence and care gather, not by any meanes laying one Plumbe vpon another, but each seuerally by another, for these dainty Plumbes are naturally so tender that the least touch, though of themselues, doth bruise them, and occasion rottennesse. Now when you haue gathered them, if either you haue desire to send them any iourney, as in gratulation to your friends, or for other priuate commoditie, you shall take some close, smooth, boxe, answerable to the store of fruit you are to send, and first line it within all ouer with white paper, then lay your Plumbes one by one all ouer the bottome of the boxe, then couering them all ouer with white paper, lay as many moe vpon the toppe of them, and couer them likewise with paper, as before, and so lay row vpon row with papers betweene them, vntill the boxe be sufficiently filled, and then closing it vp sende it whether you please, and they will take the least hurt, whereas if you should line the boxe either with hay or straw, the very skinnes are so tender that the straw would print into them and bruise them exceedingly, and to lay any other soft thing about them, as either wooll or b.u.mbast, is exceeding euill, because it heateth the Plumbes, and maketh them sweat, through which they both loose their colour and rot speedily. As touching the gathering of Plumbes when they are hard, and to ripen them afterward by laying them vpon nettles, to which consenteth the most of our London-Fruiterrers, I am vtterly against the opinion, because I both know Nature to be the perfectest worke-Mistris, and where she is abridged of her power there euer to follow disorders and imperfections, as also that when such things are done, as it were through an ouer-hasty constraint, there cannot proceede any thing but abortiuenesse, and a distastfull rellish: from whence I thinke it comes to pa.s.se that in London a man shall very seldome tast a delicate or well rellisht Plumbe, vnlesse it be from such as hauing fruit of their owne, make no commoditie thereof more then their owne pleasures: yet thus much I would perswade euery one, that if they haue moe Plumbes ripe at once then they can vse, or spend, that then after they are gathered, to spread them thinnely vpon Nettles or Vine-tree leaues, and it will preserue them sound and well coloured a long time together, but if your store be so superabundant that in no reasonable time you can spend them, then what you doe not preserue, or make G.o.diniake, or Maruulade of, the rest you shall take and sprinkling them ouer with sweet-worte, or growt, and then laying them one by one (yet so as they may not touch one another) vpon hurdles or fleakes made of wands, or twigges, and put them into an Ouen after bread or Pyes haue beene taine thereout, and so leasurely dry them, and they will not onely last, but tast pleasantly all the yeere after: and in this sort you may vse all kindes of Plumbes, or Peares, whatsoeuer. Now for the gathering of the other ordinary sorts of vngrafted Plumbes, which haue both much stronger rindes, and are lesse subiect to rotting, you shall gather them, carry, or transport them, in the same manner that you did your Cherries, onely in these, as in all other sorts of fruit whatsoeuer, you shall not omit neuer to gather, or pull them from the tree, till the dewe be dryed cleane both from the gra.s.se and from the trees, and that the day be dry, faire, and full of sunne-shine: for the least wet or moisture doth canker and rot the fruit.

{SN: Of the gathering of Peares.} As touching the gathering of Peares, though sundry Fruiterrers obserue sundry wayes in gathering them, as some making more hast then good-speed, as either to haue the first tast, or the first profit, some vsing more negligence, thincking their store so great it will neuer be consumed, and some so curious that they will not gather till the Peares fall into their bosomes, all which are dispraiseable fashions, yet I for my part would euer aduise all diligent husbands to obserue a mediocritie, and take the fittest season for the gathering of his fruit: as thus for example. If because you are vnexperienced or vnacquainted with the fruit you doe not know the due time of his ripening, you shall obserue the colour of the Peare, and if you see it doe alter, either in part, or in all, you shall be a.s.sured the fruit is neare ripening, for Peares doe neuer change their colours, but when they doe desire to be taken from the tree: and of all fruit the Peare may be gathered the hardest, because both his owne naturall heate and peculiar quallittie will ripen him best with lying: yet to be more strongly fortefied in the knowledge of the ripenesse of your fruit, and because it is better to get a day too late, then an hower to earely, you shall before you gather your Peares, whether they be Summer fruit or Winter fruit, or whether you meane to spend them soone or preserue them long, take one of them from the tree, which is neither the ripest nor the greenest, but betwixt both, and cut it through the midst with your knife, not longwise, but ouerthwart, and then looke into the coare where the kirnells lye, and if it be hollow so as the kirnells lye as it were hollow therein, the neather ends thereof being turned either blacke, or blackish, albeit the complexion of the Peare be little, or not at all altered, yet the Peares haue their full growth, and may very well be gathered: then laying them either vpon a bedde of ferne, or straw, one vpon another, in great thicknesse, their owne naturall heate will in short s.p.a.ce ripen them, which you shall perceiue both by the speedy changing of their colour, & the strength of their smell, which will be exceeding suffocating, which as soone as you perceiue, you shall then spread them thinner and thinner, vntill they be all ripe, and then lay them one by one, in such sort as they may not touch one another, and then they will last much the longer, you shall also after they be ripe, neither suffer them to haue straw nor ferne vnder them, but lay them either vpon some smooth table, boards or fleakes of wands, and they will last the longer.

{SN: Of transporting, or carrying of Peares farre.} If you be to carry or transport Peares farre, you shall then gather them so much the sooner, and not suffer any ripe one to be amongst them, and then lyning great wicker baskets (such as will hould at least quarters a peece) finely within with white-straw, fill them vp with Peares, and then couer them with straw, and corde them aboue, and you may either transport them by land or Sea, whether you please, for they will ripen in their cariage: but when you come to your place of residence, then you must needs vnpacke them and spread them thinner, or else they will rot and consume in a sodaine.

{SN: Of gathering diuersly.} There be sundry wayes of gathering Peares, or other fruit, as namely, to climbe into the tree and to haue a basket with a line fastned thereto, and so when it is filled to let it downe, and cause it to be emptied, which labour though some of our southerne Fruiterers doe not much commend, yet for mine owne part I doe not see much errour therein, but that it is both allowable and conuenient, both because it neither bruiseth the fruit, nor putteth the gatherer to any extraordinary labour, onely the imaginary euill is, that by climbing vp into the tree, hee that gathereth the fruit may indanger the breaking, slipping, and disbranching of many of the young cyons, which breedeth much hurt and damage to the tree, but iudgement, and care, which ought to be apropriate to men of this quallitie, is a certaine preuenter of all such mischeifes. Now for such as in gathering of their fruit doe euery time that the basket is full bring it downe themselues from the tree, and empty it by powring the fruit rudely, and boystrously forth, or for beating of fruit downe with long poales, loggets, or such like, they are both most vilde and preposterous courses, the first being full of too much foolish and carelesse trouble, the latter of too much disorder, & cruelty, ruyning in a moment what hath beene many yeeres in building: as for the climbing the tree with a ladder, albeit it be a very good way for the gathering of fruit, yet if it be neuer so little indiscreetly handled, it as much hazardeth the breaking and bruising both of the fruit and the small cyons, as either climbing the tree, or any other way whatsoeuer.

{SN: The gathering of Apples.} Now for the gathering of your Apples: you shall vnderstand that your summer fruit, as your Ieniting, Wibourne, and such like, are first to be gathered, whose ripenesse, you may partly know by the change of colour, partly by the pecking of Birds, but cheifely by the course formerly discribed for your knowledge of the ripenesse of the Peare, which is the hollownesse of coare, and liberty of the kirnell onely, and when you doe perceiue they are ripe, you shall gather them in such wise as hath beene declared for the gathering of your Peares, without respecting the state of the Moone, or any such like obseruation, but when you come to gather your Winter-fruit, which is the Pippin, Peare-maine, Russetting, Blacke-annat, and such like, you shall in any wise gather them in the wane of the Moone, and, as before I said, in the dryest season that may be, and if it be so that your store be so great that you cannot gather all in that season, yet you shall get so much of your princ.i.p.all fruit, the youngest and fairest, as is possible to be gotten, and preserue it for the last which you intend either to spend, or vtter. Now for the manner of gathering your Apples I doe not thinke you can amend or approue a better way then that which hath beene discribed for the gathering of Peares, yet some of our late pract.i.tioners (who thinke themselues not cunning if they be not curious) dislike that way, and will onely haue a gathering ap.r.o.n, into which hauing gathered their fruit, they doe empty it into larger vessells: this gathering ap.r.o.n is a strong peece of Canuas at least an ell euery way, which hauing the vpper end made fast about a mans necke, & the neather end with three loopes, that is, one at each corner, & one in the midst, through which you shall put a string, and binde it about your waste, in so much that both the sides of your ap.r.o.n being open you may put your fruit therein with which hand you please: this manner of gathering Apples is not amisse, yet in my conceit the ap.r.o.n is so small a defence for the Apples, that if it doe but knocke against the boughes as you doe moue your selfe, it cannot chuse but bruise the fruit very much, which ought euer to be auoyded: therefore still I am of this opinion, there is no better way, safer, nor more easie, then gathering them into a small basket, with a long line thereat, as hath beene before declared in the gathering of Peares. Now you shall carefully obserue in empting one basket into another, that you doe it so gently as may be, least in powring them out too rudely the stalkes of the fruit doe p.r.i.c.ke one another, which although it doe appeare little or nothing at the first, yet it is the first ground, cause, and beginning of rottennesse, and therefore you shall to your vttermost power gather your Apples with as small stalkes as may be, so they haue any at all, which they must needes haue, because that as too bigge stalkes doth p.r.i.c.ke and bruise the fruit, so to haue none at all makes the fruit rot first in the place where the stalke should be: you shall also keepe your fruit cleane from leaues, for they being greene and full of moisture, when by reason of their lying close together they beginne to wither they strike such an heate into the Apples, that they mil-dew and rot instantly.

{SN: Of Fallings.} {SN: Of carriage and keeping Fruit.} As touching your Fallings, which are those Apples which fall from your trees, either through too much ripenesse, or else through the violence of winde, or tempests, you shall by no meanes match them, or mixe them, with your gathered fruit, for they can by no meanes last or indure so long, for the latter which falleth by force of winde, wanting the true nourishment of the earth and the kindly ripening vpon the tree, must necessarily shrinke wither, and grow riuelled, so that your best course is to spend them presently, with all speede possible: for the other which hath too much ripenesse from the earth, and the tree, though it be much better then the other, yet it cannot be long lasting, both because it is in the falling bruised, and also hath too much ripenesse, which is the first steppe to rottennesse, so that they must likewise be spent with all expedition. For the carriage of your Apples, if the place be not farre whether you should carry them, you shall then in those large baskets into which you last emptied them, carry them vpon cole-staues, or stangs, betwixt two men, and hauing brought them carefully into your Apple-loft, power them downe gently vpon bedds of ferne or straw, and lay them in reasonable large heapes, euery sort of Apples seuerall by themselues, without mixture, or any confusion: and for such Apples as you would haue to ripen soone, you shall couer them all ouer with ferne also, but for such as you would haue take all possible leasure in ripening, those you shall lay neither vpon ferne, nor straw, but vpon the bare boards, nay, if you lay them vpon a plaster floare (which is of all floares the coldest) till Saint Andrewes tide, it is not amisse, but very profitable, and the thinner you lay them so much the better. Now if you haue any farre iourney to carry your Apples, either by land, or by water, then tr.i.m.m.i.n.g and lyning the insides of your baskets with ferne, or wheat-straw wouen as it were cleane through the basket, you shall packe, couer, and cord vp your Apples, in such sort as you did your Peares, and there is no danger in the transportation of them, be it by shippe, cart, waggon, or horse-backe. If you be inforced to packe sundry sorts of Apples in one basket, see that betwixt euery sort you lay a diuision of straw, or ferne, that when they are vnpackt, you may lay them againe seuerally: but if when they are vnpackt, for want of roome you are compeld to lay some sorts together, in any wise obserue to mixe those sorts together which are nearest of taste, likest of colour, and all of one continuance in lasting: as for the packing vp of fruit in hogsheads, or shooting them vnder hatches when you transport them by Sea, I like neither of the courses, for the first is too close, and nothing more then the want of ayre doth rot fruit, the other is subiect to much wet, when the breach of euery Sea indangereth the washing of the Apples, and nothing doth more certainely spoyle them. The times most vnseasonable for the transporting of fruit, is either in the month of March, or generally in any frosty weather, for if the sharpe coldenesse of those ayres doe touch the fruit, it presently makes them looke blacke, and riuelled, so that there is no hope of their continuance.

The place where you shall lay your fruit must neither be too open, nor too close, yet rather close then open, it must by no meanes be low vpon the ground, nor in any place of moistnesse: for moisture breedes fustinesse, and such naughty smells easily enter into the fruit, and taint the rellish thereof, yet if you haue no other place but some low cellar to lay your fruit in, then you shall raise shelues round about, the nearest not within two foote of the ground, and lay your Apples thereupon, hauing them first lyned, either with sweet Rye-straw, Wheate-straw, or dry ferne: as these vndermost roomes are not the best, so are the vppermost, if they be vnseeld, the worst of all other, because both the sunne, winde, and weather, peircing through the tiles, doth annoy and hurt the fruit: the best roome then is a well seeld chamber, whose windowes may be shut and made close at pleasure, euer obseruing with straw to defend the fruit from any moist stone wall, or dusty mudde wall, both which are dangerous annoyances.

{SN: The seperating of Fruit.} Now for the seperating of your fruit, you shall lay those nearest hand, which are first to be spent, as those which will last but till Alhallontide, as the Cisling, Wibourne, and such like, by themselues: those which will last till Christmas, as the Costard, Pome-water, Queene-Apple, and such like: those which will last till Candlemas, as the Pome-de-roy, Goose-Apple, and such like, and those which will last all the yeere, as the Pippin, Duzin, Russetting, Peare-maine, and such like, euery one in his seuerall place, & in such order that you may pa.s.se from bed to bed to clense or cast forth those which be rotten or putrefied at your pleasure, which with all diligence you must doe, because those which are tainted will soone poyson the other, and therefore it is necessary as soone as you see any of them tainted, not onely to cull them out, but also to looke vpon all the rest, and deuide them into three parts, laying the soundest by themselues, those which are least tainted by themselues, and those which are most tainted by themselues, and so to vse them all to your best benefit.

Now for the turning of your longest lasting fruit, you shall know that about the latter end of December is the best time to beginne, if you haue both got and kept them in such sort as is before sayd, and not mixt fruit of more earely ripening amongst them: the second time you shall turne them, shall be about the end of February, and so consequently once euery month, till Penticost, for as the yeere time increaseth in heate so fruit growes more apt to rot: after Whitsontide you shall turne them once euery fortnight, alwayes in your turning making your heapes thinner and thinner; but if the weather be frosty then stirre not your fruit at all, neither when the thaw is, for then the fruit being moist may by no meanes be touched: also in wet weather fruit will be a little dankish, so that then it must be forborne also, and therefore when any such moistnesse hapneth, it is good to open your windowes and let the ayre dry your fruit before it be turned: you may open your windowe any time of the yeere in open weather, as long as the sunne is vpon the skye, but not after, except in March onely, at what time the ayre and winde is so sharpe that it tainteth and riuelleth all sorts of fruits whatsoeuer.

{SN: To keepe Fruit in frost.} If the frost be very extreame, and you feare the indangering your fruit, it is good to couer them somewhat thicke with fine hay, or else to lay them couered all ouer either in Barley-chaffe, or dry Salte: as for the laying them in chests of Iuniper, or Cipresse, it is but a toy, and not worth the practise: if you hang Apples in nettes within the ayre of the fire it will keepe them long, but they will be dry and withered, and will loose their best rellish.

{SN: Of Wardens.} Now for the gathering, keeping, ordering, and preseruing of Wardens, they are in all sorts and in all respects to be vsed as you doe vse your Peares, onely you are to consider that they are a fruit of a much stronger const.i.tution, haue a much thicker skinne, and will endure much harder season: neither ought you to seeke to ripen them in hast, or before the ordinary time of their owne nature, and therefore to them you shall vse neither straw, ferne, nor hay, but onely dry boards to lay them vpon, and no otherwise.

{SN: Of Medlars and Seruices.} For your Medlars, you shall gather them about the midst of October, after such time as the frost hath nipt and bitten them, for before they will not be ready, or loosen from the stalke, and then they will be nothing ripe, but as hard as stones, for they neuer ripen vpon the tree, therefore as soone as you haue gathered them, you shall packe them into some close vessell, and couer them all ouer, and round about, with thicke woollen cloathes, and about the cloathes good store of hay, and some other waight of boards, or such like vpon them, all which must bring them into an extreame heate, without which they will neuer ripen kindely, because their ripenesse is indeed perfect rottennesse: and after they haue layne thus, at least a fornight, you shall then looke vpon them, and turning them ouer, such as you finde ripe you shall take away, the rest you shall let remaine still, for they will not ripen all at once, and those which are halfe ripe you shall also remoue into a third place, least if you should keepe them together, they should beginne to grow mouldy before the other were ready; and in the selfe same manner as you vse your Medlars, so you shall vse your Seruices, and they will ripen most kindely: or if you please to sticke them betwixt large clouen stickes, and to sprinckle a little olde beare vpon them, and so set them in a close roome, they will ripen as kindely as any other way whatsoeuer.

{SN: Of Quinces.} Now for Quinces, they are a fruit which by no meanes you may place neare any other kinde of fruit, because their sent is so strong and peircing, that it will enter into any fruit, and cleane take way his naturall rellish: the time of their gathering is euer in October, and the meetest place to lay them in is where they may haue most ayre, so they may lye dry (for wet they can by no meanes indure,) also they must not lye close, because the smell of them is both strong & vnwholsome: the beds whereon they must lye must be of sweet straw, and you must both turne them and shift them very often, or else they will rot speedily: for the transporting or carying them any long iourney, you must vse them in all things as you vse your Peares, & the carriage will be safe.

{SN: Of Nuts.} For Nuts, of what sort soeuer they be, you shall know they are ripe as soone as you perceiue them a little browne within the huske, or as it were ready to fall out of the same, the skill therefore in preseruing of them long from drynesse, is all that can be desired at the Fruiterers hands: for as touching the gathering of them, there is no scruple to be obserued, more then to gather them cleane from the tree, with the helpe of hookes and such like, for as touching the bruising of them, the sh.e.l.l is defence sufficient. After they be gathered, you shall shale them, and take them cleane out of their huskes, and then for preseruing them from either Wormes or drynesse, it shall be good to lay them in some low cellar, where you may couer them with sand, being first put into great bagges or bladders: some french-men are of opinion that if you put them into vessels made of Wal-nut-tree, and mixe Iuy-berries amongst them, it will preserue them moist a long time: others thinke, but I haue found it vncertaine, that to preserue Nuts in Honey will keepe them all the yeere as greene, moist, and pleasant, as when they hung vpon the tree: The Dutch-men vse (and it is an excellent practise) to take the crusht Crabbes (after your verdiuyce is strained out of them) and to mixe it with their Nuts, and so to lay them in heapes, and it will preserue them long: or otherwise if they be to be transported, to put them into barrells and to lay one layre of crusht Crabbes, and another of Nuts, vntill the barrell be filled, and then to close them vp, and set them where they may stand coole. But aboue all these foresayd experiments, the best way for the preseruing of Nuts is to put them into cleane earthen pots, and to mixe with them good store of salt and then closing the pots close, to set them in some coole cellar, and couer them all ouer with sand, and there is no doubt but they will keepe coole, pleasant, and moist, vntill new come againe, which is a time fully conuenient.

{SN: Of Grapes.} Now to conclude, for the keeping of Grapes, you shall first vnderstand that the best time for their gathering is in the wane of the Moone, and about the midst of October, as for the knowledge of his ripenesse it is euer at such time as his first colour is cleane altered, for all Grapes before they be ripe are of a deepe, thicke, greene, colour, but after they be ripe, they are either of a blewish redde, or of a bright shining pale greene. Now for the preseruing them for our english vse, which is but onely for a fruit-dish at our Tables, for neither our store, nor our soyle, affords vs any for the wine-presse, some thinke it good, after they are gotten, to lay them in fine dry sand, or to gla.s.se them vp in close gla.s.ses, where the ayre cannot peirce, will keepe them long, both full, plumpe, and sweet, but in my conceit the best course is after they are gotten to hang them vpon strings bunch by bunch, in such places of your house as they may take the ayre of the fire, and they will last longest, and keepe the sweetest.

CHAP. X.

_Of the making of Cyder, or Perry._

Cyder is a certaine liquor or drinke made of the iuyce of Apples, and Perrye the like, made of Peares, they are of great vse in France, and very wholsome for mans body, especially at the Sea, and in hot Countries: for they are coole and purgatiue, and doe preuent burning agues: with vs here in England Cyder is most made in the West parts, as about Deuon-shire & Cornwaile, & Perry in Worcester-shire, Glocester-shire, & such like, where indeede the greatest store of those kindes of fruits are to be found: the manner of making them is, after your fruit is gotten, you shall take euery Apple, or Peare, by it selfe, and looking vpon them, picke them cleane from all manner of filthinesse, as bruisings, rottennesse, worme-eating, and such like, neither leaue vpon them any stalkes, or the blacke buddes which are and grow vpon the tops of the fruit, which done you shall put them in to some very cleane vessell, or trough, and with beetells, made for the purpose, bruise or crush the Apples or Peares in peeces, & so remoue them into other cleane vessells, till all the fruit be bruised: then take a bagge of hayre-cloath, made at least a yard, or three quarters, square, and filling it full of the crusht fruit, put it in a presse of woode, made for the purpose, and presse out all the iuyce and moisture out of the fruit, turning and tossing the bagge vp and downe, vntill there be no more moisture to runne forth, and so baggefull after baggefull cease not vntill you haue prest all: wherein you are especially to obserue, that your vessells into which you straine your fruit be exceeding neate, sweet, and cleane, and there be no place of ill fauour, or annoyance neare them, for the liquour is most apt, especially Cyder, to take any infection. As soone as your liquor is prest forth and hath stoode to settle, about twelue houres, you shall then turne it vp into sweet hogsheads, as those which haue had in them last, either White-wine or Clarret, as for the Sacke vessell it is tollerable, but not excellent: you may also if you please make a small long bagge of fine linnen cloath, and filling it full of the powder of Cloues, Mace, Cynamon, Ginger, and the dry pils of Lemons, and hang it with a string at the bung-hole into the vessell, and it will make either the Cyder, or Perry, to tast as pleasantly as if it were Renish-wine, and this being done you shall clay vp the bung-hole with clay and salt mixt together, so close as is possible. And thus much for the making of Perry or Cyder.

CHAP. XI.

_Of the Hoppe-garden, and first of the ground and situation thereof._

{SN: Fit ground for Hoppes.} That the Hoppe is of great vse and commoditie in this kingdome, both the Beare, which is the generall and perfect drinke of our Nation, and our dayly traffique, both with France, the low-Countries, and other nations, for this commoditie, is a continuall testimony, wherefore the first thing to be considered of in this worke, is the goodnesse and aptnesse of the ground for the bringing forth of the fruit thereof, wherein I thus farre consent with Maister _Scot_, that I doe not so much respect the writings, opinions, and demonstrations, of the Greeke, Latine, or French authors, who neuer were acquainted with our soyles, as I doe the dayly practise and experience which I collect, both from my owne knowledge, and the labours of others my Countrymen, best seene and approued in this Art: therefore to come to my purpose, you shal vnderstand that the light sand, whether it be redde or white, being simple and vnmixed is most vnfit for the planting of Hoppes, because that through the barrainenesse, it neither hath comfort for the roote, nor through his seperate lightnesse, any strong hould to maintaine and keepe vp the poales: likewise the most fertill rich, blacke clay, which of all soyles is the best and most fruitfull, is not to be allowed for a Hoppe garden, because his fatnesse and iuyce is so strong that the roote being as it were ouer-fedde, doth make the branches bring forth leaues in such infinite abundance that they leaue neither strength nor place for the fruit, either to knit, or put forth his treasure, as I haue seene by experience in many places: as for the earth which is of a morish, blacke, wet nature, and lyeth low, although I haue often times seene good Hoppes to grow thereupon, being well trencht, and the hils cast high to the best aduantage, yet it is not the princ.i.p.all ground of all others, because it is neuer long lasting, but apt to decay and grow past his strength of bearing. The grounds then which I haue generally seene to beare the best Hoppes, and whose natures doe the longest continue with such fruit, are those mixt earthes which are clayes with clayes, as blacke with white, or clayes and sands of any sorts, wherein the soyle is so corrected as neither too much fatnesse doth suffocate, nor too much leannesse doth pine: for I had euer rather haue my Hoppe-garden desire increase, then continually labour in abatement. And although some doe exceedingly condemne the chauke-ground for this vse, yet I haue not at any time seene better Hoppes, or in more plenty, then in such places, as at this day may be seene in many places about Hartford-shire. To conclude, though your best mixt earths bring forth the best Hoppes, yet there is no soyle, or earth, of what nature soeuer it be (if it lye free from inundation) but will bring forth good Hoppes, if it be put into the hands of an experienced workman.

{SN: Of the Situation.} Now, for the situation or site of your Hoppe-garden: you shall so neare as you can place it neare some couer or shelter, as either of hils, houses, high-walles, woodes or trees, so those woodes or trees be not so neare that they may drop vpon your Hoppe hils, for that will kill them: also the nearer it is planted to your dwelling house it is somuch the better, both because the vigilance of your owne eye is a good guarde thereunto, and also the labours of your work-Maister will be more carefull and diligent. A Hop-garden as it delighteth much in the pleasantnesse of the sunne, so it cannot endure by any meanes, the sharpenesse of the windes, frosts, or Winter weather, and therefore your onely care is your defence and shelter. For the bignesse of your ground, it must be ordered according to your abillitie or place of trade for that commoditie, for if you shall haue them but for your owne vse, then a roode or two roodes will be inough, albeit your house keeping match with n.o.billitie: but if you haue them for a more particuler profit, then you may take an Aker, two or three, according to your owne discretion; wherein you shall euer keepe these obseruations: that one mans labour cannot attend aboue two thousand fiue hundred hils, that euery roode will beare two hundred and fiftie hils, euery hill beare at least two pounds and an halfe of Hoppes, (which is the iust quant.i.tie that will serue to brew one quarter of Malt) and that euery hundred waight of Hoppes, is at the least, in a reasonable yeere, worth foure-n.o.bles the hundred: so that euery roode of ground thus imployed, cannot be lesse worth, at the meanest reckoning, then sixe pounds by the yeere: for if the ground be princ.i.p.all good for the purpose, and well ordered, the profit will be much greater, in as much as the bells of the Hoppes will be much greater, full, and more waighty: And thus much for the ground and situation.

CHAP. XII.

_Of the ordering of the Garden, and placing of the Hils._

As soone as you haue chosen out your platforme of ground, you shal either by ploughing, or digging, or by both, make it as flat & leuell as is possible, vnlesse it be any thing subiect vnto water, and then you shall giue it some small desent, and with little trenches conuaye the water from annoying it: you shall also the yeere before you either make hill or plant it with Hoppe-rootes, sowe it all ouer with hempe, which will not onely kill, and stifle all sorts of weeds, but also rot the greene-swarth, and make the mould mellow, and apt to receiue the rootes when they come to be planted.

Now, as soone as your ground is thus prepared, you shall then take a line, and with it measure your ground ouerthwart, and to euery hill allow at least three foote of ground euery way, and betwixt hill and hill, at the least sixe foote distance: and when you haue marked thus the number of thirty or forty places, where your hils shall be placed, intending euer that the time of yeere for this worke must be about the beginning of Aprill, you shall then in the center, or midde part of these places made for the site of your hils, digge small square holes of a foote square each way, and a full foote deepe, and in these holes you shall set your Hoppe-rootes, that is to say, in euery hole at least three rootes, and these three rootes you shall ioyne together in such wise that the toppes of them may be of one equall height, and agreeing with the face or vpper part of the earth, you shall set them straight and vpright, and not seperating them, as many doe, and setting at each corner of the hole a roote, neither shall you twist them, and set both ends vpward, nor lay them flat or crosse-wise in the earth, neither shall you make the hils first and set the rootes after, nor immediately vpon the setting cast great hils vpon them, all which are very vilde wayes for the setting of Hoppes, but, as before I sayd, hauing ioyned your rootes together, you shall place them straight and vpright, and so holding them in one hand, with the other put the moulds close, firme, and perfectly about them, especially to each corner of the hole, which done you shall likewise couer the sets themselues all ouer with fine moulds, at least two fingers thicke, and in this sort you shall plant all your garden quite ouer, making the sites for your hill to stand in rowes and rankes, in such order that you may haue euery way betweene the hils small alleyes and pa.s.sages, wherein you may goe at pleasure from hill to hill, without any trouble or annoyance, according to that forme which I haue before prescribed touching the placing of your Apple-trees in each seuerall quarter in your Orchard: and herein you are to vnderstand, that in this first yeere of planting your Hoppe-garden you shall by no meanes fashion or make any great hils, but onely raise that part of the earth where your plants are set, some two or three fingers higher then the ordinary ground.

{SN: The choise of Rootes.} Now, before I proceede any further, I thinke it not amisse to speake some thing touching the choise, gathering and tr.i.m.m.i.n.g of Hoppe-rootes: wherefore you shall vnderstand that about the latter end of March is the best gathering of Hoppe-rootes, which so neare as you can you shall select out of some garden of good reputation, which is both carefully kept, and by a man of good knowledge, for there euery thing being preserued in his best perfection, the rootes will be the greatest and most apt to take: and in the choise of your rootes you shall euer chuse those which are the greatest, as namely, such as are at the least three or foure inches about, & ten inches long, let euery roote containe about three ioynts, and no more, and in any case let them be the cyons of the last yeeres growth: if they be perfectly good they haue a great greene stalke with redde streakes, and a hard, broad, long, greene, bell; if they be otherwise, as namely, wilde-Hoppes, then they are small and slender, like thriddes, their colour is all redde, euen when it is at least three yards high, whereas the best Hoppe carieth his reddish colour not three foote from the earth. Now hauing gotten such rootes as are good and fit for your purpose, if the season of the weather, or other necessitie hinder you from presently setting them, you shall then either lay them in some puddle, neare to your garden, or else bury them in the ground, vntill fit time for their planting: and of the two it is better to bury them then lay them in puddle, because if you so let them lye aboue xxiiij. houres, the rootes will be spoyled.

Now after you haue in manner aforeshewed, planted your garden with rootes, it shall not be amisse, if the place be apt to such annoyance, to p.r.i.c.ke vpon the site of euery hill a few sharpe Thornes to defend them from the scratching of poultry, or such like, which euer are busie to doe mischeife: yet of all house-fowle Geese be the worst, but if your fence be as it ought, high, strong, and close, it will both preuent their harme and this labour.