Euerie plant will haue foure things.

FIrst moistnesse, so that the seedes or stumpe be moist and greene.

Secondly a conuenient place, which hath such earth as will lightly be rubbed to pouder, and that the sunne may come to it: for where there is filthy lome▪ a leane ground, or fandie, or drie burnd, or salt ground, there is nothing good to be planted, to haue anie continuance: Neuerthelesse where the [Page 2]ground is leane, there you must giue him more dung. In a fat ground not so much. You must take heede, that the ground be not too moist nor to drie. You must not mucke the trees with hogs dung.

Thirdly, A mediate water or nourishing moyst­nes, therfore be those orchards best which are scitu­ated between two waters, for those that are placed by a waterside, remaine still yoong and fruitfull, and haue commonly the barke smoother and thin­ner than the others. And those trees are more fruit­full than others which are planted in a valley, or in the lower part of a deepe hill: for from those hiis may come to them nourishment and moistnesse, and the ground which is so scituated, is much fruitfull: but he that can not get for his trees such a ground, must with all diligence seeke, if he may bring to his trees a little spring or pond, of which the trees may sometimes finde some reuiuing, and if you may not haue any of those, and haue a garden, who by it self is naught: the trees will grow with thicke rootes, which hindereth the growing of them, and drieth them at length.

Fourthly, The aire is required, which must be agreeable to them, and of complexion to beare, for there be some trees that doe prosper in all aires: to wit, apple and peare, cherrie and plumtrees. Some will haue a cold aire, to wit chesse-nut trees: and some a very warme aire, as the palme and peper­trees: therefore they be rare with vs. That plant which hath these foure things shall prosper: and if they want one or more of these foure thinges, they will decay and their prospering perish.

At what time trees ought to be planted and set.

ALl kind of trees may be planted, transported, and cut in March, but it is better they be tur­ned in October, for then the frost hurteth them not so much as at other times: for learned men say, that in drie townes and warme countries they plant in October or Nouember, and that in moist townes and cold vallies they plan in Februarie or March: in none other time may you plant or graffe. When you will plant or set againe wild stumps, if there be anie thing broken at the roote, cut it off. E­uerie plant must be set two foot one from another, or at the least one foote, especially when they should beare strong fruits: likewise when thou wilt set strong seeds, as nuts, almonds, and peathes. When a man will plant two stumpes, so must they be of two yeare old, except the vine.

These thinges you must vnderstand of those plants or stumps which are planted with rootes.

How the stumps and plantes must be prepared and dressed, which you will plant.

THe plant or sprout you must cut round about, so that you leaue the verie end of it, and put it then into a hole: but if the stumpe be great, cut it cleane off, and then put onely the vndermost part into a hole, long or short as you will: but if you find two stumps growen togither, you may cut the lesser a­way. And aboue all thinges you must take heede that the sprout growe vpright, and if it will not, [Page 4]you must constraine it, and tie it to a sticke.

Here follow certaine instructions how the trees must be kept, and how you must labour them.

SOme trees wil haue a fat ground, as figge trees and mulberrie trees; and some leane ground, but all trees be in that point equall, that they will haue in the top drie ground, and in the bottome moist earth.

2 In haruest you must vncouer the rootes of the trees so deep, that they may partlie be seen, and lay dung vpon them, which dung must be dissolued of raine in the ground, that it may come to the rootes, which mucking giueth good encrease to the rootes.

3 If the ground wherin the trees stand be too sandie, then mixe among it faire and new lome: and if it be too lomie then mixe amongst it sand in place of mucke, the which you must not onely do hard by the tree, but also foure or fiue foote off from it round about the tree, according as the tree is in bignes, or that the rootes are large and great.

Such diligence giueth to the trees great helpe, for their nourishment and strength is therby renew­ed. Hereafter you shall vnderstand, wherby to know the fruitfull soile.

4 In the fat ground the stumpes wherupon you will graffe, must bee left long, but in leane ground short.

5 The plants of trees from their youth, till three years must not be cut nor shred, but they may be transported, and if they be too wake you may [Page 5]prick sticks next vnto them.

6 Diligēt regard must be taken, that no sprouts spring out of the stumpe, which might take the nourishment from the tree sprouts, and those boughes which spring from the root of the tree, at the first planting.

7 When thou perceiuest the yoong trees to waxe weake, then vncouer the rootes and put o­ther fresh ground to them.

8 If the ground be neither too soft nor too hard, then may you choose al kind of stumps (in Februa­rie) for to plant, when the green iuice is dispersed in the bark, but when the ground is too hard, then the sweat holes or pores of the root do remain clo­sed & stopped, so that they cannot draw to them their nourishment: such hardnesse of the ground or earth, hindereth the aire, and moistnesse which commeth from beneath vpward, for it cannot be pearsed of the soft sprouts, with the small heat which is beneath, therfore you must come to helpe them with a spade, for with a plough you wil neuer come to an end, because of the root.

9 There is great diligence to be taken for pre­seruing of the trees, when they beginne to grow great, to scrape from the bark al rudenesse, which is done, when you take from them all superfluitie, and sprouts which come out of the tree. You may cut them in Februarie.

10 It is good for the trees to mucke them often, and moderatlie to water their roots.

Also to cleaue the roots, and lay stones into them, to the end they may reuine againe, of the dri­nesse which they haue suffered, or of the barrennes [Page 6]of the ground, or when the yong planted trees for the great heat will perish. Also when immoderate heat is, then you must helpe them with turning of the ground, and with watering, but the water wherwith you should water them, must not be al­together fresh, nor cold, or newlie drawen out of a spring: but out of a ditch, pond, or wel, or anie other foule ditch water, or with spring water, which hath stand long in the sunne, or put a little dung in the water, and stir it once or twice well about, and the water will be fat, wherewith water your Trees. You may also keepe them with shadows and straw from the heat: or els put (in great heat) fat greene hearbs at the stumpe, tempered with lome: some a­noint the stump (toward the South, or Mid-day) with chalke, some with oile, or with anie other ointment that cooleth.

11 When you would transpose a plant, or haue wild stumps digged out to plant again, then marke the part which standeth towardes the South or Mid-day, and put it so againe when you graffe it.

How to keepe plants, stumps, or trees, from the wild beastes, that they hurt them not.

VVHere the path of the beasts is free and reme­dilesse, there must be put poles, and with thornes the same yong trees must be inclosed.

The the Deares spoyle them not.

TAke the pisse of a Deare and annoint the Tree therewith.

The the Hares doe not hurt them.

SPit in thy hand, and annoint the sprouts there­with, and no Hare will hurt them.

Heere follow some instructions of graffing.

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FIrst you must know that imping, graf­fing, and setting, is all one thing.

The imping sprouts must be yong and new with great bodies, and ma­nie eies: for where many and great buddes be, that is a token, that is of a strong fruit.

2 The imping sprouts must be broken off at the sunne rising, although that those of the other side broken off grow likewise: yet those of the other side [Page 8]are most naturall and temperate of heate: Some countrie clownes beleeue, that if you in cutting of the sprouts turne them vpside downe, that they wil neuer grow right, but be crooked.

3 All grafting and imping is done by putting one into another by a fast binding, that the little sprout may spread his boughes to the stumpe or tree, wherein it is graffed, that so it may become one tree.

4 Ouer-yong impes (which are so weake that they will breake before they be put into the earth, or into the stumpe) are naught, and therefore they may not be imped or set.

5 When you impe vpon a house, or fruit tree, the fruit will be far better: But if you cut off a Garden tree a branche, and impe into it one of his owne sprouts, it will bring forth fruite of another tast, forme and bignesse: for imping maketh all the di­uersities in peares, apples, and other fruits.

6 It is farre better to impe low in the stumpe than in the top in the high branches: yet neuerthe­lesse if you will make of wilde apple trees garden trees, you may impe them vpon the top.

7 In great trees which haue a great barke, it is not so good to impe: for they take not to them so ea­sily the vaines of the rootes which grow out of the yong sprouts, because of her hardnesse, and espe­cially when the imping sproutes are too weake. Wherefore they which graffe trees must seeke small and yong stumps, wherin they find much liquor and little hardnesse, & which may endure the binding.

8 It is best imping or graffing when the liquor is in the barke, if you haue a great tree vpon the [Page 9]which you would impe, and hath manie branches, you may cut them all off, and impe into the stumps all kind of boughes, such as you please: but if the tree be ouer old, so that her boughs be ronkeled, and her moistnes consumed, then cut the tree cleane off, and let the stumpe stand a whole yeare: after­ward take the sprouts which are sprong out of that stumpe, and graffe them, and cast the others away. Such a stumpe is like to beare, and therefore nou­rish as manie sprouts as you please: but if it be a wild stumpe graffe garden sprouts vpon it.

9 If you graffe a sprout or bough vpon a Haw­thorne tree, that same bough will grow great, and the stumpe wil remaine small, therefore he that wil impe vpon such a tree, see he cut it est by the roote, then will the imped sprout and the stumpe grow al of one thicknesse: but you must haue still regard that you impe kind vpon kind, as apples vpon apples, peares vpon peares: for he that graffeth strange vpon strange; as peares vpon apples, and apples on peares, and such like, although it be done often for pleasures sake, yet will it not last: for the natu­rall nourishment is so that it will hardlie nourish a strange kind of fruit.

10 The tree which is graffed in Februarie, in his fruits grow no wormes nor maggets.

11 When the imping sprouts begin to prosper, and wil not grow straight and leuell, then you must constraine them perforce, that they may grow or­derly. Furthermore you must haue a care to keepe the prospering sprouts well with stickes from the wind, if they stand anie thing high, and especiallie when they haue stoode a yeare or two, and where [Page 10]they are pricked in the stumpe, it is most needfull as shall after appeare. And because there be manie and diuerse waies to graffe and know howe wild stumps and trees are to be made garden trees: we thought it good to set some of them here downe.

Diuerse fashions and waies of graffing there be.

HE that will extraordinarily graffe all manner of trees, he must know that the more one tree is liker another, the better it will prosper.

The first sort of graffing is, when the sprout is pricked betweene the barke and the wood of the stumpe, which must be done in May, or Aprill, when the barke may easily be loosed from the tree, and is done after this sort.

First take a stumpe or tree, and cut him off with a sharpe Saw, knife, or such like instrument, where he is smoothest and cleerest, and full of iuice, and po­lish the place with the barke of the same tree which was cut off. Afterward tie the stumpe with a peece of barke, and then pricke a hole betweene the barke of the tree with a pricke of bone, elder wood, or iron, so that it cleaue not, and then put in the place of the pricke, the sprout, which you must haue broken off a plaine and euen tree, of a good kinde, and one yeare old, which you shall know by this: eurie branch haue runckled knots like the ioynt of a mans finger, cut it at one side vnder the knot, so that you touch not the heart of the Tree: and at the other side, you must softly lose the barke that the sprout may ioyne verie close to the [Page 11]stumpe, then pul out the pricke, and take the sprout and turne the green barke to the bark of the stump, so that it may stand streight.

The sprout may be foure or fiue fingers, or eight at the most, high aboue the stumpe.

Of this sort of imping, you may set two, three, or more, according to the bignesse of the stump, or as he can beare, prouided alwaies that they stand at the least the length of a finger one from another.

Afterward tie it fast (with barke) togither, and put ouer it good mucke, and tie oeur it a cloth, that no raine, or aire, may come between it and hurt it. This sort of imping is commonly vsed in stumps, which are great and old trees, whose barke is thick and strong, as apple trees, pear trees, cherrie trees, and willow trees, on which are imped often times apples, also on figge-trees, and chestnut trees.

Such grafting is also done in high stumps, and braunches, which be great, but they must be well kept from the wind, that it do not breake them.

After this sort you may graft manie sortes and kindes of peares vpon one tree, but if you bring peares vpon apples, or apples vpon peares stumps, it will not last long, as afore is said.

The first way of grafting prospereth best, and hath a good continuance, there be many other sorts of grafting, as followeth.

An other way of grafting is, when the stumps are clouen, and the sprouts afterwards are put in, the which doe as followeth.

Take a young tree which is scant of the big­nesse of a finger, and cut it smooth and euen, and cleaue it in the midst, then take the sprout which you will impe, and cut it three square, and at the one side leaue the bark vncut, and then turne the same bark outward at the slumpe, and tie it fast as I haue taught, that the wind nor raigne hurt him not.

Otherwise.

When the slumpe is vncoured & cleane burnisht at the soft place, then tie him fast, that he cleaue no further than to the length of your sprout, which you must graffe vpon him, and then leaue the prick in it, then make your sprout pointed like a prick, so that the middle be not touched, then put it into the cleft hauing clensed the hole first with the point of a knife, so that one bark may touch the other, and outward one wood another, to the end the moisture may haue the more easier his course, then pull out the prick, and that which remaines open and bare between the cleft and the sprout, that binde well e­uery where with the barke of the tree, or with hard pressing with a little sād, or with dung of an oxe, or with waxe, or with a linnen cloth washed in waxe, that no raine, wind or woormes may hurt it. This helpeth much to keep the moistnesse in, which com­meth from the roote, that it cannot break out, but nourisheth the better the new plant: but when the slumps are great they be cleaued after two waies. The first is, that you cut or cleaue the tree with a knife at one side onelie, til vnto the heart, & that you [Page 13]graft into it, but one sprout. The other is, that you cleaue it all ouer, and that you prick or graft on euerie side one sprout, or one alone, and leaue the other side without.

When the stump is but a little bigger, then the sprout must necessarilie be clouen in two, and you must graft but one sprout into it, as is said in the beginning.

This cleauing may be doone in Februarie, March, and April, then it is good to cut them be­fore they be greene, for to keepe them the better, vn­der the ground, in cold or moist places.

The third way of grafting.

This sort of grafting is verie subtil, wittie, and readie, and is done as followeth.

Go to a smooth apple or peare tree, in Aprill, when the trees get liquor, and seeke a braunche which hath greene eies, and see that the same be lesse than your little finger, and teare it from the tree, and where you see that the green sprouts will come off, there cut them off wholie, and clense the middle therof, that the little red at the wood may turne about, and draw it not off, vntill you come vn­to another good peare or apple tree, and seeke there another branch of the same bignesse that the other was, and cut it off, and take from it likewise the red, as farre as you will put them againe, & looke where the braunches ioyne, that they may well fit togither vpon the toppe, and tie the same place gent­lie and well with a litle barke, behind and before, that the water may not hurte them, and in the first [Page 14]yeare it bringeth foorth leaues and braunches, in the second, flowers, which you may breake off, for the sprout is yet too tender, so that it may beare no fruit, and in the third yeare it bringeth flowers and fruit, and by this means you may graft diuers kindes of peares and apples vpon one tree. I haue likewise set such sprouts vpon wilde stumpes, and they haue prospered.

The fourth way of grafting is.

HOw buddes are transported and bound vpon another tree, like as a plaister is tied to a mans bodie, this sort of grafting is called in Latin Em­plastrum. We read of such a sort of grafting which is called in latin Abducellum, and it is much like vnto this sort, wherfore we will onelie speak of it, and is done after this sort.

When you see vpon a great fruitfull bough, a bud which will prosper without doubt, and woul­dest faine plant it vpon another tree, take a sharpe knife and lift the bark vp two fingers breadth, that the bud be not hurt, then go to another tree, vpon the which you will graft, and cut into a conuenient place, a like hole into the bark, & put the same bud with the barke into it, and tie it with dung or with a clout which hath lien in a dunghill ouer the cut, that it may be kept from the outward domage of weather, & for an especiall nourishment and kee­ping of the inner iuice: then cut off the braunches round about it, that the mother may the better nourish the new son: within twenty dais after take away the band, so that you see that the strange bud [Page 15]hath prospered and ioined himselfe with the tree. This may be done in March when the bark com­meth easily from the tree. Also in Aprill. May, and Iune, and yet she prospereth both before and after a time, when you may conueniently find such buds.

This sort of planting prospereth best in a wil­low tree or such like, which is pierced through, and is done after this sort.

The fifth way.

VVHen you pierce a willow stick with a sharp piercer, see that between euery hole be left the space of one foot, and pricke therein branches a a litle scraped, and put the sticke into a ditch, so that the branches stand vpright, and one part of the stick must remaine ouer the earth; and within a yeare af­ter take it out of the ditch, and cut the sticke asun­der, so find you the branches full of roots, and put euerie one into a hole in the ground, and it would not be hurtfull that the holes were stopped with lome, or with waxe.

Some doe take in March a fresh beech-tree, which is of a mans thicknesse, and pearce him o­uerthwart with maine and great holes and small holes til vnto the lowermost bark, or quite through: then take sprouts or boughes, which be as big and small, that they may fit into the holes: and when you will put them into the Beech stumpe, you must scrape the vppermost barke off, vntil the greene and no further: then the bough must remaine into the beech, the sprouts must stand a foot or somewhat lesse asunder; then keepe your beech stump with the [Page 16]sprouts in a fresh ground, and skant a foote deepe, you must first maime the sprouts, that they may not flourish, then the next March ensuing, dig it out with the sprouts, and cut it asunder with a Saw, and euery blocke which is cut off with his branch, you must set in a fresh ground, and so they wil bring forth the fruit the same yeare.

The sixt way.

THis way teacheth how to graffe, that they may bring forth fruit the first yeare, the which do as followeth.

Pare an old stumpe of what kind soeuer it be, the vppermost bark til to the lower green barke, a span long or somewhat lesse, which doe in haruest in the wane of the moone, and annoint it with Or-dung and earth, and tie it with bark, and after in March when trees are transposed from one place to ano­ther, then cut the same branch from the tree, and put it into the ground, and it will bring fruit the same yeare. I haue seene that one hath prickt stickes on Alhallow eue, in the earth, and hath pulled them out againe vpon Christmas eue, and put boughes in the holes, and they haue prospered and come out.

The seuenth.

PIerce the top of a stump, which is not ouer small, and draw a bark through it, and maime it with a knife as far as it standeth on the top, and in eight daies after poure water vpon it, that the top of the stumpe may close. This must be done in haruest, [Page 17]and in the March following cut it off from the tree, and bruse the top, and put it with the same earth in another ground.

The eight way.

VVIl you graffe a tree, that the fruit be with­out stones. Take a sprout and graffe it in­to a great stumpe, with the thicker and lower part of the sprout, then take the vpper or thinner end of the sprout, and cut it also fit to be graffed, and turn it downward and graffe it into the said stumpe; and when the sprout of both sides prospereth, cut it in the midst asunder, so that which is growen right vpward with the tree, the fruit of it hath stones, but that which was the top of the sprout that groweth contrarie, bringeth forth fruit without stones. And if so be the turned sprout prosper, you must breake off the other, to the end that the furned sprout doe not perish, which you may trie after this sort: for of­tentimes it commeth and prospereth, and manie times it is perished and spoyled.

How Cherries are to be graffed, that they may come without stones.

WIll you make that Cherries growe without stones? pare a litle Cherrie tree of one yeare old at the stumpe, and cleaue it asunder from the top to the roote, which doe in May, and make an Iron fit to draw the heart or marrow from both sides of the tree; then tie it fast togither and annoint it with Oxe dung or lome, and within a yeare after, when [Page 18]it is growne and healed go to another little tree which is of the same kinde, and which hath not yet brought fruite, and graffe that same on the little tree, so shall that same tree bring his fruit without stones.

How a Vine is to be planted vpon a cherry-tree.

PLant a Vine tree next vnto a Cherrie tree, and when it groweth high, then pierce a hole into the Cherrie tree right aboue it, that the hole be no big­ger than the Vine is thicke, & pare the vpper barke of the vine branch till vnto the greene, so farre as it must go through the tree, and looke well to it that the branch of the Vine be not brused and well an­nointed. You must not suffer any sprouts to come out of the Vine frō the ground vp, but vnto the tree onely, that which cōmeth out of y^e other side, let that same grow and bring fruit. Then the next March following, if the vine prosper and grow fast into the tree, then cut the Vine from the tree off, and annoint the place with diligence, and it will bring fruit.

How a grape of a Vine may be brought in­to a glasse.

WIll you make that a grape grow into a nar­row glasse? take the glasse before the grape cast her bloud, or while she is little, and put her into the glasse, and she will ripen in the glasse.

To graffe Medlers on a Peare-tree.

IF you graffe a branche of a Medler vpon a Peare tree, the Medlers will besweete and du­rable, [Page 19]so that you may keep them longer than o­therwise.

How apples or other fruits may be made red.

IF you will graft vpon a wild stump; put the sprouts in pikes blood, and then graft them and the fruite will be red.

Otherwise.

TAke an apple braunch and graft it vpon an alder stumpe, and the apples wilbe red. Likewise if you graft them vpon cherry trees.

Of the Quince tree.

THe Quince tree cōmeth not of any grafting, but you must pluck him out by the roots, and plant him again into a good ground or earth.

Otherwise.

THe Quince tree requireth a drie & sweet ground; and he prospereth therin.

HOw to make that Quinces be­come great

TAke a braunch of a Quince tree when it hath cast his blood where a Quince groweth at, and put it into a pot, and set it into the ground, and let [Page 20]the quince grow in it, and it will be verie great.

And if you wil shew some cūning therwith, cause to be made a pot, which hath a mans face in the bottome of it, or anie other picture whatsoeuer, and when the quinces haue blossomed, then bow the branch, and put the quince into the pot, and she wil grow very bigge, in the shape of a man, which may also be done pompous, mellons, cucumbers, and other earthly fruits.

The conclusion of grafting.

OUt of all the forewritten causes (gentle reader) is euidentlie showen that although euery plan­ting or grafting, be better from like to like, & from kinde to kinde, yet neuerthelesse it agreeth also with contrarie kindes, as now is said, wherfore he that will excercise and vse the same, and trie diuers kinds, he may see and make manie woonders.

What ioy and fruit commeth of trees.
The first.

THe first is, that you plant diuers and manie kindes: for euerie housholder who hath care to his nourishment, with all dilligence causeth often times, such trees to be brought from forraigne countries.

The second.

THe second is, when the trees be planted and set orderlie and pleasantlic, they giue no small plea­sure [Page 21]to a man, therfore euerie one should cut his trees orderlie, and he that can not, should procure other men to doe it, which know how to do it.

The third is of well smelling and spiced fruit.

CLeaue a tree asunder, or a braunch of a fruitfull tree, to the heart or pith, and cut a piece out of it, and put therin poudered spices, or what spice soeuer you will, or what colour you will desire, and tie a bark hard about it, and annoint it with lome and oxe dung, and the fruit will get both the sauour and colour according to the spice you haue put in it.

How sower fruits be made sweet.

VVHich tree beareth sower fruits, in the same pearce a hole a foote or somewhat lesse a­boue the root, and fill that with honie, and stop the hole with a haw thorne braunch, and the fruit will be sweet.

How trees ought to be kept when they waxe old.

WHen trees loose their strength and vertue for age, & the braunches break off for the weight of the fruit, or when they waxe barren for lacke of moisture, that they beare not fruit euerie yeare, but frant euerie other or third yeare, you must cut some of his heauie braunches, which he can little nou­rish, [Page 22]which is done to the end that he might keepe some moistnesse to himselfe for his nourishment, for els the moistnesse would go all into his branches.

Wherby you may marke whether you must giue them or take away from them, branches, according to their nourishment, and as the earth where shee standeth can abide, that is, you must leaue them so much as will nourish them, and no more, which if you do not, the trees will bring so little fruit, that your labour will not be recompensed.

Which cutting of trees may be done from the be­ginning of nouember till to the end of march, in warme countries. But it is more naturall to be done, from the time that the leaues fall, till the time that they beginne to grow greene againe, except where the frost is verie great and sharp.

How trees must be kept from diuerse sicknesses, and first how to keep them from the Canker.

VVHen the Canker commeth in any tree, hee becommeth barren and drie, for it moun­teth from the stumps, into the top, and when it ta­keth a peare or apple tree, the bark wilbe blacke and barren thereabouts, which must be cut off with a knife, to the fresh wood, and then the place must be annointed with oxe dung, and tie it with barke, so that neither wind nor raine may hurt it.

Against woormes which must be driuen out of the tree.

IT hapneth oftentimes, that the superfluities of moistnesse in the trees breaketh out like as some­times [Page 23]to a man or beast betweene the flesh and skin: and when that beginneth to rot, wormes grow out of it, which taketh his strength away, wherefore marke.

When the barke of a tree at any time swelleth, cut it presently open that the poyson may runne out, and if you finde alreadie wormes in it, draw them out with a little iron hooke.

How the wormes are to be killed if they be alreadie growne into the tree:

IF you will kill the wormes which growe in the tree, take pepper, lawrell, and incense, and mingle all well togither with good wine, and pierce a hole into the tree downward, till to the pith or heart of the tree, and poure this mixture into it, and stop it with a hawthorne, and the wormes will die.

Otherwise,

TAke ashes or dust and mingle it with sallet oile, annoint the trees therewith, and the wormes will die.

Otherwise,

TAke poudered incence when you graffe, and bring it between the barke of the stump, which you will graffe, and no wormes will eat the fruit.

When a tree in many places becommeth change­able because of wormes, or superfluous humours, Cleaue the tree at some end from the top of the [Page 24]stumpe to the earth, that all the foule liquors may come out and drie. Also when a tree becommmeth sicke because of euill humours or fault of ground, so that he becōmeth worm-eaten or bringeth no fruit, take the earth away from the root, and put other sweeter in the place, and pierce a great hole in the stumpe, and put therein a pinne of oake, and it hel­peth.

A remedie against Caterpillers.

ALl kinde of Caterpillers which eat the greene, and blossomes of the tree, doe hurt them verie much, so that thereafter may come no fruit.

Therefore their egges which lie hidden, as it were in a cobwebbe, must diligently be searched, and burned from the boughes, before they bring forth o­ther caterpillers, which do in December, January, and Februarie.

Some were wont to breake them off, and tread them with their feete, but therewith they be not wholly killed. The fire consumeth all things, and therefore it is best to burne them.

Against the Pismires or Ants, when they will hurt the yong trees.

CUt the leaues off which are eaten or poysoned of the Ants or Pismires, and where there is a­ny thing made vncleane in the top of the tree of those little wormes, that rub in peeres with your hands, that it may not staine the other leaues, and that the yong sprouts may grow vp without any hinderance.

How to keepe the Pismires from the Trees.

FIrst make a iuice of an herbe called Portabaca, and mixe it with vineger, and sprinckle the stump therewith, or annoint the stumpe with wine dregs. Some take a little weake pitch, but verie thinne, that it may not hurt the tree.

Another instruction.

TAke a little bundle of cotten, wooll, flaxe, or towe, and lay it about the stumpe, and tie like­wise a bundle aboue, about the stumpe, and draw it out a little, and the Pismires can do no hurt, or put about the stumpe bird-lime.

In what time of the haruest the fruit must be gathered.

THe fruits are not altogither at one time gathe­red, for they are not ripe all at once, as some Peares which shewe the ripenesse by the colour, those should be gathered in sommer, and if you let them stand too long, they will not last long.

Peares which are ripe in haruest, those may be gathered in October, when the weather is cleare and drie; in haruest in the increase of the moone, fruits may be gathered.