THE FIRST PART,

MAster Woodward you are well met, I hope you haue now sufficiently digested those doubts concerning woods and wooddie grounds, which at our last méeting I was desirous to satisfie you of.

Sir, I must con­fesse, that since my last conference with you I haue better apprehen­ded that subiect then I did at the first: for to tell you true, though by Patent I am his Maiesties Woodward in these parts, and according to the opinion and vnderstanding of euery man, I should not be ignorant in the particulars concerning my office, yet so ambitious we are of prefer­ment [Page 2] and gaines, as if we can deuise to make a secret commoditie to our selues, we thinke we haue vnderstan­ding sufficient for the executing of the place.

It séemeth then you little respect either diligence or art, in planting and well husbanding of woods and wooddie grounds within your office, but all séemeth to be well done by you, if it be done with profit to your selfe.

Not so M. Surueyor, you tax me too farre: for though I am content, partly by custome, and partly (I must confesse) out of a desire of gaines to make some ho­nest thrift of my office, yet notwithstanding (though I doe not plant or set young trées) I haue a speciall care that none of his Maiesties Timber or Dottard trées be taken or felled, but by speciall authoritie: and as for vnderwood and Coppies, they are so carefully preserued, as not any cattell commeth in them vntill fiue or sixe yeares after the fall.

If you doe so, you doe reasonable well, though yet to be blamed: for by Statute, Copies of diuers growthes newly felled, should bee preserued according to their growthes. For the Statute sayth, Woods felled at or vnder 14 yeares growth, shall be preserued 6 yeares: Woods felled aboue 14 yeares growth, and vnder 24, shall be preserued 8 yeares: Common Woods inclosed shall be kept in seuerall 9 yeares following. And also the Statute further sayth,35. H. 8. 13. Eliz. It shall not be lawfull for any person to put any manner of cattell into Copies wood, to be preserued from the time of the sale thereof, vntill the end of fiue yeares, nor from the end of fiue yeares any other cattell, but Calues and yeareling Colts onely vnto the end of six yeares, if the wood was vn­der the age of 14 yeares at the last fall, or vntill the age of 8 yeares, if the wood was aboue the age of 14 yeares at the last fall. But indéed the best way for pr [...]seruing of Spring wood, is not to put any cattell into such Copies at all: and the best time to fell them is in Ianuarie & Februarie, at the first quarter of the Moone. But yet there be some [Page 3] Woodwards, Baylifes, and Tenants of Woods, who are not so carefull in their office as you are, yet will they for fashion sake preserue the Spring reasonably well for one yeare or two after the fall and hagging of them, but after­wards they grow couetous and carelesse, and will make it as common for their cattell as any the rest of their grounds. And truely though the Statute of 35. of H. 8. doth séeme a little to helpe the imperfections of the former Statutes, for seueraltie in common soyles, where replan­tation is to be made, yet God knowes it commeth farre too short to cure the spoyles and deu [...]stations that since hath been made in Woods. For my selfe haue knowne certaine grounds, vpon which within this twentie or thir­tie yeares was growing great store of Vnderwood and Timber, and did yearely pay to the late Quéene a rent, but now the wood is all gone, the soyle turned to a Com­mon, and the rent quite lost, and not any paid: and truely more is like to follow in this kind, if the headie and head­long clamour of the vulgar sort be not (by some aduised course of superiour officers) moderated in the balance of equitie. There be also other officers of Woods, who, as they doe accidentally trauaile by such Woods that are within their office (pretending a speciall care of preser­uing the Wood) will before they depart commonly claime some Timber trées (and those not of the worst) for their sée trées as they call them.

It is true, that where woods haue béen spoiled, and that the inhabitants do find a benefit by the herbage of the soyle, they will neuer endure (by their good wils) to heare of any replantation or inclosure, méet for it, but with a generall clamor they crie for their [...]ommon, their Com­mon, forgetting altogether by whom the Woods haue bin so spoiled and destroied, and as though the Common were their owne inheritance. Well, leauing these matters to those that chiefely manage such and the like affaires, and to answere you concerning those Fée trées you speake of, [Page 4] which indéed is a custome (but by what authoritie I know not) that many of vs commonly chalenge such Fee trees: and also when his Maiestie maketh any sale of Timber orFee trees vn­iustly chalen­ged. Dottard trees, we likewise claime (and are our owne caruers, for who may controll vs) one tree in euery score.

It is true, it is both a custome and an abuse among diuers others, by some maintained, by not being complai­ned of, especially by some officers, whose names I will conceale: for one of them hauing a few yeares past a war­rant directed to him for the felling of an hundred Timber trees, for the repayre of a Parke-pale of the Kings, and which was at that instant in repairing, by wood growing in the said Parke, this honest officer did cause to be felled, and marked to be felled 140. which was 40. more then he had warrant for. The same officer did also, by vertue of his office, or else by warrant (at two seuerall times for the repaire of another Parke-pale of his Maiesties, which had a sufficient stone wall about it, and which was about 30. miles distant from the said Wood) caused to be deliuered about 30. Timber trees, which, as it was said, were sold vnto townes not farre from the said Wood, and the money pursed vp, and not any bestowed about the said Parke, be­cause ind [...]ed it needed no paling, but stone to make and mend the wall, of which was great store hard by.

If this be true, this officer doth ill deserue his place, much lesse any allowance of his fees.

You would say so, if you knew all: but leauing these abuses of such officers of Woods. not much im­pertinentThe abuses of Woodden offi­cers. to the subiect in hand (for to speake the truth, many of them haue beene speciall instruments, that by their conniuencie, neglect, and couetousnesse, great spoyle hath been made in the Kings Woods) let vs, if you please, proceed to the reuiewing of the question con­cerningThe question. Woods and wooddie grounds, as well for pre­seruing of Timber trees of diuers kinds, as also of plan­ting, sowing, and replenishing of wooddie grounds, as [Page 5] well for encrease of Timber as Fuell.

Sir, your question is most excellent and profi­table for the Commonwealth, therefore I pray procéed as distinctly as you may, for as well my selfe, as many other such ignorant Woodwards as I am, yea and who not, shall greatly be benefited hereby.

But stay, what two are those who come yonder?

Marry it is M. Peregrine, one who holdeth di­uers Copies of the Kings in Lease, and the other is also a Farmer, called Ienings.

Ienings, doest know the gentleman that is yonder with the Woodward?

Know him, I God knowes; doe not you Sir?

Oh▪ I perceiue it is the Surueyor: gentleman God saue you.

M. Peregrine, you are welcome, and happily now arriued, for this honest Woodward and I were beginning a discourse, concerning the preseruing and encreasing of Wood, which subiect (if you please) will not be altogether vnprofitable for you to heare.

Your discourse will séeme very necessarie and pleasing, considering how forward euerie man is in these dayes to fell downe Timber, and grub vp Copies, & none endeuours to plant any, whereby in time must néedes fol­low a generall wast of all.

It is true, that it is many mens humors so to doe, and the reason thereof as I conceiue is, first, they desire to make profit of the trée by felling it: secondly, that in plan­ting young trées, or sowing of their séedes, they thinke not to liue to reape any profit thereby during their liues, be­cause it séemeth a long time before they come to any growth: and thirdly, because not any of late haue as yet written of this subiect, whereby they want rules and in­structions how to begin, and procéed: in all which I hope to giue them good satisfaction, and so farre to encourage them herein, as where now euerie one séemeth to draw by [Page 6] the plough tayle, they will I doubt not, after more diuul­ging of this subiect, and duly considering hereof, vniforme­ly apply their minds and labours to this generall and pro­fitable businesse. Omitting then all circumstances, and to satisfie your desires, you shall vnderstand, that to plant wood, or sow their séedes, you must consider the fatnesse orThe qualitie of the ground must be consi­dered for the planting of trees, or sow­ing of their seedes. leannesse of the soyle, as whether it be of a good depth of earth, grauelly, sandie, or of a watrie soyle, and so accor­ding to the nature of the ground you must plant trées or sow their séedes: as, the Oake commonly will prosper well in all kind of grounds, but in a watrie and moorish place; the Aller, Aspe, and Willow trées doe best like of a low and watrie ground; and so of euery sort of trées, you must according to their nature and qualitie of the soyle, ap­plie your selfe to fit it with such plants and séed, as shall be most profit and pleasure to you.

You begin well. I perceiue then that all man­ner of trées are not to be planted in all sorts of grounds, but the nature of the trée considered, it must so be suited with such a ground, that the plant and séed may the better come vp and prosper, be it Timber, Fruit trées, or any o­ther kind of wood.

It is so, for if you plant an Oake in a wet moorish ground, a Willow vpon a grauellie, drie, and barren hill, or an Appletrée in an open, cold, and bleake field, they may well grow, but so poorely, as neither their fruit or trées themselues, in manie yeares, will counteruaile the first yeares charge of planting them; therefore the nature of the plant and seed must wel be considered of, to correspond with the qualitie and condition of the ground. And nowFoure sorts of Timber trees growing in England. Oaketree.ElmeAshBeech to procéed concerning▪ Timber▪ trées, it is well knowne, that there grow in England foure sorts of speciall Tim­ber trées, and they also excéeding one another in goodnesse, and these are the Oake, the Elme, the Ash, and Béech trée, and they are all excellent in their kinds; but the chiefest of them for durable building of houses and shipping, is the [Page 7] Oake: next to that is the Elms which serueth to like good vses: the third is the Ash; which sometime also is vsed for building, but most commonly for Coupers, Whéele­wrights, and Ploughwrights: and the fourth, which is the Beech trée, is the worst, yet often employed for Timber, and much vsed among Ioyners, and also for manie other good purposes. There is also a fift kind of Timber trée, of which few grow in England, and which is little inferiour to any the rest, and that is the Chesnut trée, which bearethChesnut tree. good fruit, that poore people in time of dearth may with a small quantitie of Oa [...]s or Barley make bread of, and the bole thereof is large and excellent good Timber: and this trée when you begin first to plant it, wil grow more in one yeare (if you husband it well at the first) than an Oake will doe in two; as those of some part of Fraunce, who haue great store of wooddie grounds of this kind, doe find it t [...]e by experience. There may also a sixt trée be equali­zed with any the best formerly [...]amed, and that is a FirreFirre tree. trée; and though they are rarely found to grow in Eng­land, yet I haue séene them grow and prosper well here in diuers places; as namely at Sion, within seuen myles of London (but now they are cut downe) and at Newhall in Essex, and in diuers other places. How necessarie these kinds of trées are, I report me to all Seamen; and now of late, for want of other Timber, we begin to vse them for building of houses: and I sée no reason to the contra­rie, but that in time we might haue as goodly trées and whole Woods of this kind growing in our owne countrey, (if men would endeuour to get them, as easily they may) as is in that famous Wood of Hyrcania Silua, which enui­roneth that fertile kingdome of Bohemia, where the pe­sants of that countrey, in their trauaile there, doe often chop fliues or chips of those trées with their hatchets, (which vsually they do walke withall, as we do here with staues) and bring them home and vse them in stead of can­dles to do their businesse about the house in the night time, [Page 8] which by reason of the abundance of gumme that is in them, they will burne excéeding well and cléere: and these kinds of trées might well be had and made to grow and prosper here in England, if men would with a frée desire apply themselues to be ingenious and carefull herein. And the rather am I confirmed in this opinion, because (as I haue credibly heard) the Marquesse of Huntley, and many other, haue diuers Woods of this kind growing in the Countie of Aberdéene in Scotland. And also one Master Thomas Bowen of Trefloine in the County of Pembroke, a Gentleman of good worth, had about fiftéene or sixtéene yeares past manie young and small plants of this kind brought him home by Saylers from the Newfound land, with some of the earth wherein they did formerly grow, and planted them together with the said earth in conueni­ent places about his house, where they haue since so well prospered, that many of them at this present are about foure foot in circuit, and also very high and tapering. And they will grow vpon mountaines, grauellie soyles, or in good earth, either by planting the young trée, or sowing of the séed.

These Firre trées, as I haue heard trauaylers report, will also grow verie well in a heath or lingie soyle, which if they would, what a benefit might we haue there­by in planting the young trées, or sowing of the séedes in such grounds, from whence ensueth (as it is) scarce a thought of any profit.

It is true, and I haue séene them grow vpon such land as you speake of, and that excéeding large and tall; and if some industrious man would apply himself to make triall thereof in Windsor Forest, or some such like heathie barren ground, his endeauour were worthily to be respec­ted, and no doubt would proue very acceptable to the Commonwealth.

I like your discourse so well, that if you would here make an end, I thinke you haue said ynough to make [Page 9] me an excellent husband in my owne Woods, for I now per­ceiue that better skill and husbandrie is vsed about woods and wooddie grounds than vsually is knowne.

I am glad you conceiue so well of my spéeches, I trust before we end our discourse, to make it plainely appeare to you the excellencie and great commoditie of this new kind of industrie, or rather an old thrift newly reuiued. But what saith goodman Ienings to this conference? it séemeth nothing pleasing to him, because he hath béene so long silent.

It may be you hit the nayle vpon the head: for these are matters beyond my capacitie or profit, and there­fore I intend not to trouble my selfe with them.

And why so? is it not better for you to haue your Co­pies and Hedgrowes well set and growne with trées, wher­by you may at ease & with little cost haue Houseboote, Fire­boote, &c. more then sufficient to supply your wants, rather than that for want of them you perhaps doe send two or thrée myles, yea it may be tenne or twelue myles, or more, to fur­nish your selfe therewith.

I Sir, I graunt all that to be true; but if wee poore Farmers take paines to plant young trées and sow Acornes, these great Landlords will be sure to haue the crop thereof: so that we haue nothing but our labours for our hire, which indéed doth greatly discourage all honest men in that kind.

Herein you say but iust and reason: for if by your good meanes & industrie you enrich your Landlords ground with any commoditie, there is also iust cause why the Lord should by déed shew himselfe thankfull to you for it. But to procéede, the nature of the plant and qualitie of the ground considered, you are then to enclose this circuit of ground, which you intend to plant or sow, with a good ditch & quick­setDitch and quickset. of White thorne, Crabtrée, or Hollin mixed together, or else any one of them (and by no meanes, if you can chuse, set any Blacke thorne amongst it, for that it will grow into the fields ward, and spoyle pasture, and teare the wooll of the Shéepes backe, though otherwise the Sloes of that bush are excellent for many diseases, as also it will make a reasonable [Page 10] good kind of drinke for poore people, by depressing the iuice out of them) which done, let no cattell come thereinto: and when you begin to set your plants, set them six or eight foot distant the one from the other, and that also by a liue, which distance is sufficient for them to prosper well▪ and also they being set in that regular manner, it will be much pleasing to the eye, especially when they grow & begin to beare leaues: and then to plant them well, you must haue the ground well digged or ploughed, and cast vp like vnto the ridges of a corneGround dig­ged for ridges. field, about six or seuen foot wide, and about one foot high, and make furrowes betwéene euerie row of plants of two yards wide: which so done, the ayre, raine, and snow will much battell and mellow it, to the great comfort and prospering of the plant, especially if at the first you cast into the place where the plant shall be set good earth, whereby the root may nou­rish and féed it selfe therein, without raunging to fasten it selfe vpon other bad mould, which may cause the trée to pros­per ill.

This séemeth an infinite labour and charge, the gaines had néed be great.

It is true, that vpon the first view or apprehension thereof the labour and charge séemeth somewhat great, but with patience, and vpon some few yeares expectancie, the gaines will greatly ouertop the charge, as hereafter shall be further declared.

But I pray Sir at what time of the yeare is it best to plant in?

It is a good time for planting, from about the fiftéenth of Februarie to the beginning of Aprill; or generally, as some rather thinke it best, about the later end of SeptemberThe best time of planting. vntill the beginning of Ianuarie following, for then the chie­fest nourishment is in the root of the trée, and towards the spring it ascendeth to the vpper part of the plant▪ and at such time must you plant it, when the wind is neither in the East or North, and fréeseth not, but calme and warme, and in the encrease of the Moone, when the is in Taurus, Virgo, or Ca­pricorne.

And I pray in what sort should we make choice of our plants to be planted?

You shall vnderstand, there is no man who either in­tendeth or maintaineth a bréed of Horses, but desireth to fur­nish himselfe with faire proportionable Stallions, and an­swerable Mares, by which he expecteth like foales. And so in planting, I would wish euery man that planteth trées toThe choice and vsing of the plant. haue a speciall care that the plant be taken vp with as many roots as may be, and if any be broken, let them be cut off, and those not broken, cut the ends also of some little quantitie, as you thinke good, whereby they wit be the better refreshed: and also make choise of your plant, to haue a smooth & cleane barke, not rough or mossie, and that the stemme be strai [...]ht and long, without galles or frets, and then set it in the earth as plum as you can, and couer the rootes with good mould, and presse it downe easily with your hand and foot, that the root may not lie hollow from the mould, and haue no ayre at all, whereby it will be the better nourished, to take root in this good earth; which otherwise, the earth lying hollow from the root, it would bee in danger to die, or else like to search the firme and bad ground, which it should not do: and if it wanteth good nourishment, it would proue but a runtish or shrubbie trée. After all this is done, make vp your ridge sloping, that the raine and wet weather may not too much ann [...]y it, yet so, that you make a little gutter at the foot of the plant, for receiuing of the water in drie weather, to nourish the root thereof. You must also cut off the top of the stemme, and leaue it to be about fiue or six foot long out of the earth, and care must be taken, that they be planted the same day, or the next day after they are taken vp, i [...] it may be. And beforeThe ground twice tille [...]. you begin to make these digged ridges, or plant your trées, the ground must be twice tilled, once in Aprill, and then a­gaine in the later end of Iuly, after some great raine; and also you must bee carefull to cleare them from Caterpillers, if any fall vpon them when they are planted, and begin to spring.

Though I hate your profession, because you pry into [Page 12] our liuings, yet I begin to conceiue well of your spéeches: but you Surueyors are shroade and terrible men to deale withall, when you come among vs poore Farmers, and therefore I dare not approue your conceit herein too much.

I pray my friend wherein are we shroade and terri­ble men to deale withall▪ for if we be employed in a Suruey of land, and doe according to truth and equitie make an ex­act and iust certificat to the Lord of the Manor of all the par­ticulars incident in the said Suruey, what shroade or terri­ble dealing is this? Againe, if other men, and those perhaps your neighbours, should out of malice (as many do) informe your Lord, that your Farme were better worth by twentie pounds the yeare than it is, whereby the Lord perhaps, somewhat too couetous to aduance his own thrift, is drawne by their reports to prize it accordingly: and hereupon he em­ployeth a man of good sufficiencie, both in skill and honestie, to suruey it: this man vpon the surueying of euerie parti­cular hereof, certifieth the Lord in an vpright conscience, that this your neighbours information was false, and groun­ded altogether vpon malice and spléene: if this then be so, as commonly it is, it cannot be called terrible dealing in the Surueyor, but good and vpright iustice; and who then may be iustly said to be a shroade and terrible man, this your ma­litious neighbour, or the honest Surueyor? And this haue I certainely knowne by experience, that vpon surueying of a Manor, wherein I haue had power and authoritie from the Lord both to set and sell lands; during which time, diuers men haue come to me to deale for them by way of hiring and buying, wherein I haue found such apparant malice, as they would not onely in priuat importune me to outbid each other, but also euen publikely, and that with great earnest­nesse affirme the same; and what then should I doe, but ac­cording to the trust reposed in me, informe the Lord thereof, and why also should not the Lord, without any imputation of racking his T [...]nants, take what willingly is offered him. And truly I must néedes say this of most Tenants, that by [...]eason of this gréedinesse and spléene one against the other of [Page 13] hyring and buying land, they are more their owne enemiesTenants are most their own enemies. than is either the Surueyor or their Landlord; so that hither vnto I sée no shroade or terrible dealing in the Surueyor: yet I will not denie but that there may be some such offici­ous men as you speake of, who account themselues skilfull Surueyors, and who also to win a reputation in the world, will séeme to estimate land so immeasurably déere, as there is no possibilitie the Lord should euer get that rate for it. O­thers there may also bee, who doe value land at so meane a price, as the Lord is greatly preiudiced thereby: which is a lamentable thing, and much detriment commeth to the buy­er as seller thereof, and great pitie it is, that there is no re­dresse therefore. Neither is it possible for a Surueyor to va­lueWhat belon­geth to a▪ skil­full Surueyor. lands truly, except he know the Tenure, Rents, Cu­stomes, Seruices, Reprises, and haue some vnderstanding in the law; and also he must be very iudicious in the qualitie and quantitie of the land, or else his error must néedes bee great: Therefore I would wish all Surueyors to bee verie carefull in this important matter of Suruey, which should with great iudgement & indifferencie be managed betwéene the Lord and Tenant. And now I trust I haue well satisfied you in these few words.

Well Sir, I am content for this present to take your spéeches for payment, but I trust before we depart, to make you confesse your owne shroade and terrible doings.

If you can doe that iustly, let me then be proclaimed, not onely shroade and terrible, but also dishonest and trea­ [...]herous.

Master Peregrine, our Farmer here is too conten­tious and cholericke, I pray let this idle controuersie be en­ded vntill some other time, and let vs proceede in our former discourse of planting wood. Therefore Sir we must entreat you to beare with this honest Farmers imperfection: for it is likely hee speaketh according as hee hath found by some such officious men you spake of euen now, who haue certified the value and goodnesse of his Farme to be much better than the rent he now payeth; and therefore I pray [Page 14] haue patience, and let vs continue our subiect of Plan­ting.

Most willingly, if it will please this angrie Farmer to haue patience, and not to interrupt me, I will willingly frame my selfe to a peaceable discourse, and would be glad to satisfie him in any thing I can, and therefore speake fréely, if you conceiue any doubt. And now to our planting againe. Next after you haue thus planted your trées, and that they are well and firmely setled in the ground the whole Sum­mer and Winter, then towards the Spring you must begin to trimme and husband them, which is a speciall helpe andDressing and husbanding of young trees. comfort to young trées for their better prospering, if it bee done in conuenient and due time: for the more they are trim­med and dressed, the more will they prosper and grow, and especially the first thrée or foure yeares they must bee most carefully, and that twice in the yeare dressed and trimmed, somewhat like vnto your Hoppe grounds (I meane for the wel husbanding of the mould, and howghing vp of the wéeds, the not doing whereof would endanger their destruction) and that about the middest of Aprill, when they begin to put forth their buds, and then againe towards the end of Iune; and this must be done as néere as you can after some raynie weather, and not in hot or drie weather, because the earth being then drie and turned downeward towards the rootes, it must néeds be, that those clods of earth will lye hollow, and not close vpon the root, so that for want of earth and moisture the plants must of force die: which to the contrarie being digged in moist weather, the earth will then lye more néer [...] and firme to the root, and the water that falleth will the ra­ther more easily enter vnto it; which nourishment plants greatly desire. And the chiefest labour about young trées that are newly planted, is to kéepe the ground cleane from wéedes; which if they be suffered to grow, they will in suchWeeding is necessarie for the Spring. sort take away the sappe and heart of the ground from the plants, as it will much hinder them from growing to that handsome and full forme, as otherwise they would be, and perhaps proue to be wind shaken and galled trées, by reason [Page 15] they want that good nourishment as they expect: and as is daily séene in Hoppe grounds, which except they be well and orderly husbanded in opening the hils, putting good moul [...] vpon the roots, and cleane kept from wéedes, you are like to haue but bad Hoppes. And so will it proue in these plants, that being orderly husbanded, as aforesaid, in due and seaso­nable times, you shall find the profit double by the encrease of the stemme and branches; so that then one of the greatest cares is (after their planting, especially if they be very young and small plants) to kéepe them cleane from wéeds for foure or fiue yeares: for if they be choaked or smothered by them, how possibly can they prosper?

This must néedes be a most excellent course and manner of planting, onely that the charge thereof will some­what dismay men from entring thereinto, which if it should, then we are still like to haue all manner of wood goe downe, which at last must néedes make an end of all.

I tell you againe, the charge is little to be respected in regard of the profit, which within thrée or foure yeres men shall apparantly sée come on▪ which short time ended, the charge and labour is then past for euer: for after the plants be growne to a sufficient height & steadinesse in the ground, that wéedes & bushes cannot ouertop or sway them downe, then to the contrarie, the young trées so growne, the shadow of them will kéepe the Sunne and ayre from the wéedes, that they cannot get vp, or at least very poorely: and if this were but once put in practise by some industrious men, and a diligent care had therein, as is aforesaid, I doe not thinke the contrarie, but that the vndertakers thereof would grow more ambitious and iealous in concealing the profit therein than the Marchant, who aduentureth great summes of mo­ney vpon vncertaine and desperate hazards.

Why, I pray M. Surueyor, is it not daily séene, that young trees grow vp and prosper well without such paines and charge, and that onely by the naturall nourishment and fruitfulnesse of the ground or climate? And if so, what then néedes all this paines & cost: and therefore I should thinke [Page 16] (if men will néedes be at cost and charges) that sowing of A­cornes, and other such Timber séedes, is much better, lesse charge, and will grow vp as timely.

It is true, many plants or young siences or springs grow vp naturally to goodly tall & straight trées, but where one doth come vp so well without art, there doe an hundred perish for it, being either ouergrowne by wéedes or bushes, orTrees set by art doe grow sooner and better than wild trees. eaten and bitten by cattell while they are young and tender, or else by some other casuall mischance they miscarrie in this their infancie. And for that you thinke sowing of Acornes and other Timber séeds more profitable, because lesse charge­able, I will presently speake somewhat in approuing your o­pinion, the more fully to satisfie and encourage you & others therein: for there is no doubt, but that they will grow and prosper excellent well, and the trée that commeth vp of such séedes, doe grow to their full height and top, which the plant doth not: but yet I hold planting to be more sure, and as pro­fitable: yet would I not haue men so farre to insist vpon planting, as that they should expect, that not any should die: but this I say, that if the ground be well and orderly husban­ded, and the plant carefully chosen, and set in the ground as aforesaid, that then in ordinarie vnderstanding, not one in a hundred of them will die, as experience sheweth it true in many places, and particularly in Moorefields at London: and to that end I would wish ingenious and willing mindes to make tryall both of the plant set thus by art, and the wild trée growing of his owne accord, and I make no doubt, but that they will confesse with me, that the plant thus orderly set, will grow more in one yeare, and that also more comely than the wild trée will doe in two yeares.

Your discourse is verie pleasing, and probably may effect well, if it were put in practise: and of this you said sufficiently, and therefore I thinke there néedeth not any thing else to be done concerning the setting and husbanding of plants.

Yes, there is yet more to be said and done concerning this practise, which I shall now speake of. Before then you [Page 17] goe in hand to plant any young trées, you are first to consider of two things; namely, the soyle where you intend to plant,Two things to be considered of in planting. and the soyle where the plant did formerly grow: for if you intend to plant vpon a barren soile, and take your plant from a fat soyle, that trée will hardly prosper at all: but contrari­wise, if you take your plant from a barren soyle, and plant it in a fertile soyle, that trée by all likelyhood will in time proueRemouing of trees from a barren soyle to a fat soyle, and so of the con­trarie. large and beautifull: for the firtler the ground is, the better will the trée thriue and beautifie, as well in his verdure, as bole and boughes, if it be well ordered at the first, as is to be séene in euery place where great trées are, which sheweth they haue béene well and carefully husbanded. And there­fore I would aduise, that before any doe plant young trées, or sow their séedes, well to obserue the qualitie and species of the soyle, as whether the production or vesture thereof, either which now is, or formerly hath béene of a comely and large proportion; namely bigge bodies, large spreading branches and armes, smoothly growing, and high tapering trées; for in such layers one may with excéeding pleasure and comfort aduenture to plant or sow, because it is to be expected (order­ly obseruing the foresaid prescriptions) that the habitude or fertilitie of the ground will againe in time produce like growthes. And it were also good, that at the taking vp of the plant you made a marke vpon it, to know which side stood to­wards the South Sunne, because you may also so set it a­gaine, and it will prosper so much the better. Being thus planted, during the first two or thrée yeares, their boughes or small sprigges newly shooting out (as some are of opinion) would gently and better be taken away with the hand (be­causePruning of young Plants. those superfluous twigges doe hinder the growth of the trée) rather then to cut them with a knife, or any edged toole: and in this sort they must be vsed vntill the fourth yere, & af­ter they are come to that growth, then vse altogether an ed­ged toole to prune them withall, if you perceiue they spring too thicke, and that they hinder each others growth, and leaue onely some few of the principall branches in the top: and this pruning must be done in March, the Moone [Page 18] being in Taurus, Virgo, or Capricorne.

Indéed I like well of this pruning or shredding of trées, especially when they grow to some good bignesse of Timber, for then the Déere haue their fill of brousing, the trée much prospereth, and we poore officers make some lit­tle commoditie of the remnant of such brouse wood: and al­so now and then for want of sufficient brouse for our fuell, we take a poore old doted trée or two to supply our wants.

M. Woodward, I beléeue you without swearing: for vnder the colour for brouse for the Déere, you make hauocke of loppes, and manie times fell branches or armes of Tim­ber trées, wherein my selfe haue séene sixtéene or twentie foot of good Timber in many such loppings, wherein indéed you should fell boughes for brousing no bigger than the Déere may well turne ouer with his hornes. And further, where you thinke it causeth the Timber trée to grow tall and large, therein you greatly deceiue your selfe, for the boughes once cut from such a Timber trée, in that manner as you speake of, be it either cut néere the bodie, or farre off, the wet and rainie weather doth then straight begin to enter in, and euen from the highest of euerie such bough so cut off, to the foot of the trée, the water will slide and soke downe betwéene theLopping of Timber trees do quite spoile them. barke and the bole of the trée, and the longer that trée stan­deth, the worse it will be, and within twelue or sixtéene yeres after that Timber trée will grow to bee little better than a very Dottard: yet it is good euerie twelue or fourtéene yeres to lop and crop Dottard or Pollard trées, because it will not hurt those kind of trées, but be a meanes for them to beare more boughes; but yet lop not any trée in sap time, least that trée be in danger to perish within a short time after. But I persuade my selfe the chiefest cause why you make such large loppes, is neither for brouse for the Déere, nor yet that the trée should the better prosper, but it is indéed out of a desire of gaines to sell the loppes. And as for the taking of trées, which you are content to estéeme Dottard trées, I imagine many of you are as lauish therein, as you are in cropping of Timber trées.

Why, I pray what is a Dottard trée? may we not call those doted trées which are dead in the top?

Now good God, what an age is this! how pleasingly men doe assume to themselues any thing which sauoureth of profit, how vniust soeuer! But Sir, you shall vnderstand, that all trées decaied in the top are not accounted Dottards, though it be apparant that they are in declining, for in such trées happily there may be thrée or foure loades of very good Timber. But a Dottard trée, as I conceiue, is any old tréeWhat is a do­ted tree. that beareth little or no verte, nor in which is scarce any tim­ber, nor yet good for little else but for the fire: and therefore you must be carefull what manner of trées you take, least that afterward, vpon complaint, you be called in question to answer your offence: and if those fées and allowances were prohibited as well from taking as felling, and to be allowed no more than should sufficiently serue for your owne fuell, the Kings Timber would be much the better preserued.

What Master Surueyor, haue we all this while approued your spéeches for good and commendable, and will you now oppose your selfe against poore Woodwards, Kée­pers, and other officers of Woods, who now & then get some such poore fées? I had thought you had béen a man of a more charitable and friendly disposition.

Charitable! I: let men of his profession be but a lit­tle countenanced by some great man, and you will instantly sée how they will dominéere ouer such poore men as we be.

Indéed Master Surueyor, where lawfull fées haue béene of custome due to Officers, I sée no cause why they should be abridged of them, they clayming but the auncient and ordinarie fées, which for many yeares their predecessors haue had.

Why I pray what hurt haue I said? which though by way of discourse I spake of such an abuse; yet it lyeth not in me to determine it, neither are they the [...]urther from it, nor is it my meaning, that these officers should lo [...]e hereby, if it should be taken from them: but directly I say it is an abuse, and the Timber is much impayred thereby, and I could wish a [Page 20] reformation thereof, as also that such officers should haue competent fées or allowances in mony in stead of loppes and brouse wood, whereby the Kings Timber might be the bet­ter preserued.

You doe well to salue what you haue said: but how I pray, What competent fées can bee allowed them? What likelyhood is there in that?

Marry thus: where a Woodward or Kéeper perhaps doe make yearely of such brouse wood tenne pounds (either by selling the wood, or burning of it to ashes) I would haue them strictly prohibited from felling but so much, and such as will sufficiently serue the Déere for brousing, and that such loppings should not any way annoy or impayre the trée, and those so felled, that when the Déere haue done brou­sing of them, that the Keeper haue a competencie thereof for his fuell, and the remaine should be sold to the Kings vse by some other officer appointed for that purpose: and then, for that the Keeper is thus abridged of these fees, which he can­not in right chalenge, yet I would wish that hée might still haue the same proportion per annum in money, not because I hold it a thing due vnto him, but because it will encourage him to be more carefull in his office, as well in looking to the Game, that no idle persons range vp and downe with dogs, Crossebowes, or Gunnes; and also to the Wood, that no sticke-carriers or other p [...]rloyning people doe abuse them­selues therein by hacking and mangling of the trees: and though this may seeme a charge to the King, by paying yere­ly a certaine summe out of his cofers, where before he payed none, yet vpon good consideration (vnder correction) hee should greatly gaine hereby: for this tenne pounds the yeare which you get by selling this brouse wood, is perhaps richly worth twentie pounds (for you cannot possibly get the full price thereof, but you must needes sell it greatly vnder the value, as glad to haue it gone, for that you dare not approue the sale thereof) so that his Maiestie shall saue one way by the bargaine in not lopping of any trees, because the tree shall then still haue his full burthen, and he shall saue much [Page 21] more another way by the well preseruing his Timber treees, if no such Loppes bee felled at all: For as I said before, such loppings or shreddings doe vtterly spoile ma­ny good Timber trees. For if your tree at the Lopping or Shredding thereof were worth fortie sh [...]lings, that tree within twelue or sixteene yeares following will in­cline to be a Dottard tree, and worth perhaps not aboue fifteene or twentie shilings. I speake not this vpon coniec­ture, but vpon certaintie which I know to be true, part­ly vpon my owne obseruation, and partly vpon confe­rence which I haue had with diuers Woodwards and Baylifes in my late circuit Northward for Suruey and sale of some of his Maiesties Woods. And now I pray what hurt haue I said against Woodwards, Keepers, or other Officers belonging to Woods? Nay, haue I not to the contrarie, spoken with good indifferencie betweene the King and them?

Indeed you haue now made some amends, and I conceiue better of you for your plaine speeches, then I did at the first: For to tell you true, most of you Surueyors are odious to Farmers.

As I will not endeuour to approoue all Sur­neyors honest men, so I would not haue honest and dis­creete Surueyors condemned, but as they are so I leaue them. But now againe to our Planting, wherein wee haue somewhat (though not altogether vnnecessarily) digressed. I told you before, that it is fit to prune [...]ong Plants vntill three or foure yeares after they are Plan­ted, and also after, if you see cause and this pruning mustThe time to prune yong trees or plants. be about March, when the cold weather and Frosts are past, for if you should prune them in Winter time, it would greatly endanger the Plants: And you may thus continue pruning of them, till towards the middest of Aprill, at what time the B [...]d beginneth to put forth. And after they are come to the growth of thrée or foure yeares, they must be cut finely and neately with a sharpe hooke [Page 22] or Hatchet, in doing which you must vse great care from shaking or loosing the Roote of the Plant, and this course of pruning you may vse yearely for a long or short time, if need be, and many of those little sprigges, or boughes so cut off, may serue to Plant in other places, making choice of the straightest or handsomest among them, they may al­so in time proue faire tall trees. And some do write, that if you will haue an Oake, or any other trée to continueA secret. greene all the Summer and Winter, you must graft it vpon a Colewort stock: which kind of experiment I leaue to the ingenious to practise.

Now trust me your discourse of Planting is verie pleasing, and happily may proue very profitable; and I pray giue me leaue also to adde one other benefit thereun­to, which is, that by this manner of husbandry, poore men shall now and then helpe themselues by earning a peny.

It is true, and they may also, when Wood is growne to be more plentiful, keep better fires, with much lesse cost, and your Hedges are like to stand longer.

But I pray what circuite or quantitie would you haue this peece of ground to be which should be thus planted.

Because it should not séeme tedious or chargeable to y^• vndertakers of this good worke. I would wish it were not aboue eight or ten Acres more or lesse, according as the parties ability & desire is to haue it, & that either to be within one hedge, or else in seuerall, little, and conuenient places about the ground, for be it great or little, when they once begin this worke, they will haue as great desire and pleasure in séeing of it kindly to prosper and grow, as they haue in their Hoppe grounds, or rather much more. For though Hops do now & then yéeld a good commoditie, yet in respect of the continuall great charge of them, & vncer­taintie of the yéere, I haue known many a man, who haue giuen ouer planting of them; which is not so in this course of planting trees: for after the first thrée or foure yeares [Page 23] charge and labour, there is then no more to be done to them, or at least very little, but onely a diligent care to bee had in preseruing of what is already well done, and which will al­wayes remaine to posteriti [...].

I now begin to like your discourse well of Planting trées, according as you haue said: and I thinke it were also very fit to Plant in Hedgrowes, and so quickset euery ditch, where already are none, or perhaps but thinne Hedges of boughes, or bushes; for this once well done, they would sufficiently strengthen one another, hee a great sauing of Wood, and also be a Fence to the worlds end, and we frée from hauing our Hedges broken downe; the repayring of which, is daily a charge to vs, and many times bréedes much discontent and suite betwéene neighbours.

It is true, and therefore I maruaile at those Land­lords, who doe graunt many Estates either for liues or yéeres of their Land, doe not condition with such persons to Plant trées and Quickset ditches in connenient places of the Farme so graunted, and especially in Champian Countries where Wood is scarce. And also it were most necessarie that when the Lord felleth any Timber trées in his Farme or demeane Lands, that he doe for euery trée so felled, cause to be set thrée or foure yong Plants fit and likely to proue to be Timber, in stéede thereof, which course would not be s [...] chargeable as profitable. For by this meanes also we should haue Wood and Timber perpetually without want.

You say well, if Tenants would be carefull therein to sée them prosper: and for my part I intend to make triall thereof vpon the next Farme which falleth to me. But now Sir, that you haue thus probably spoken of Planting yong trées, I would desire you if you please, to begin to speake somewhat of sowing Acornes, Chesnuts, Béechmast, &c. For if you speake with that good likelyhood of the one, as you haue done of the other, I sée no reason to the contrarie, if men would apply themselues hereunto, and be industrious, but that we might in very few yéeres haue the whole Realm sufficiently furnished with Wood, to serue our selues and posteritie for euer.

No question but it would be so, if men would not al­together be so slacke in their owne profit of this nature, but that they would bee pleased to plant yearely one hundred or two hundred of young trées, more or lesse, and that for foure or fiue yeares together, in conuenient places about their grounds (the charge of which would not be so much, as the profit thereof would bee pleasing and commodious) they should then bee their owne Iudges to consider, whether it were profitable or no: to which I will leaue them, and will now, if you please, speake a little of sowing Acornes, Ches­nuts, Béechmaste, and Ashen keyes.

I pray doe; for hetherunto you haue spoken well of planting, and I long to heare an end of your opinion in this kind.

Sir, most willingly, and I will now begin to satisfie your desire. You must then first let your ground be of a good and fertile soyle, neither too wet, drie, or barren, and that it bePreparing of ground for sowing of Acornes. seated in a warme place, and towards the South Sunne, if it may be, and let it be wel digged or ploughed, as you would doe if it were to set or s [...]w Wheat in; and make choise of your Acornes to be ripe, but not ouerdrie, faultie, or corrup­ted. Then must you haue a Firre boord, which must haue six or eight reasonable big woodden pinnes fastened in it, a foot distant the one from the other, of fiue or six ynches long, and when you begin to set your séed, you must lay this boord vpon the ground, and presse it so downe, that euery of those pinnes make holes in the ground of that depth the pinnes are long; and then let another (for more expedition) goe along with you, to carrie and put the séed into those holes, and alwayes when hee hath so done, let him then couer those holes with a little loose earth: and you must set them euen and straight by a long line; and which must be done in Nouember, in the de­creasing of the Moone in moist grounds, and encreasing of the Moone in drie grounds, shee being then in Aries, Taurus, Cancer, Libra, Capricorne, Aquarius, or Pisces: and the best time to gather your Acornes for kéeping and sowing of them is in October. And after they are thus set in the ground▪ let [Page 25] them then be watered [...]uening and [...], it conueniently you can, and that there be [...] thereof. And also be carefull, that the Birds and Crowes be kept away from eating the seed or yong sprigges which grow vp: and these séedes when they are come vp and growne to be trées, will bee more high and tall (by reason they haue alwaies the full height of their tops) than your Plant, that is thus set as aforesaid, because his top at the setting or planting thereof, is cut [...]f. Some men also doe vse to sow Acornes, Chesnuts, &c. (as they ca [...] it) vnder [...]urrough with the hand, as you do ca [...]e, and which also is good: both which sorts of setting and s [...]wing the A­corne I will leaue to your practise.

But I ma [...]uaile why you would haue such good ground, charge, & paines bestowed thereon, for the planting of your Oake, considering that it is not vnknowne to you, that a [...] [...]ll in this, as many other Counties of England,Trees growing vpon rockie grounds. great and [...]ll Timber trées doe grow and prosper excellent well vpon Rockie grounds, and where such Rockes are, I would rather haue them employed for those purposes than our good land.

The reason why trées grow vpon Rockie grounds, as I conceiue, is this: Your Rockes or Mountaines that bring forth great trées, it is to be intended, that they are not firme or solide, but haue many veines in them, where the ve­rie heart and mother of the soyle lyeth, and where happily such trées doe chaunce to grow, by being either planted or [...]owne of Acornes, there with [...]t all doubt they will as well encrease and fructifie, as vpon any other [...]oyle whatsoeuer, because in th [...]se veines the whole nourishment of the soyle doth more abundantly ascend vp and féede the trée, th [...]n it doth in any open fertile grounds. And I can giue you an in­stance thereof by Vines growing along the Riuer of Rhine vpon the sides of Rockes, where those countrey people doe more estéeme such a Vine garden, both for quantitie & good­nesse of the grape, than they doe a garden planted in a large and battable ground: yet though we sée s [...]me rock [...]e grounds to beare large trées, I would not aduise any to bestow much [Page 26] cost in planting them vpon such hard and desperate aduen­tures, though yet not amisse to trie conclusions, how or whe­ther they will there prosper or no.

Sir, I commend your reasons why trées doe grow vpon Rockie grounds, but your opinion concerning the di­stance of setting Acornes I cannot approue, because you al­low but one foot distance betwéene euerie Acorne thus set, which I thinke too little by much: for considering that when they are growne vp to bee trées, the longer they grow, the greater they will be, so that in the end there will bee no legges to beare these bodies, I meane all the ground will be trées.

You say well: for if there were no larger distance al­lowed for the setting of them than one square foot, the ground indéed would not bee able to beare them: therefore as you leaue longstwayes but one foot distance, so also sidewayes you shall leaue fiue or six féet, which will be distance suffici­ent: and yet notwithstanding that distance, if all of them doe not prosper well, and grow straight and séemely when they are come vp (as perhaps many of them will not doe) you may then make a culling of the most vnhandsomest of them, from the other of finer and [...]eater growth, and then those re­maining, the greater they grow, the better they will prosper. And this Garden or Nurcerie thus made, you may, when they are growne to thrée foot high, remoue of them how ma­ny you please, and to what other conuenient place about your ground you thinke fit; and begin to remoue them from the change to the full, or in the last quarter of the Moone, sheThe best time to remoue young plants. being in Taurus or Capricorne, and let it be done in Septem­ber, October, or Nouember, before the rootes grow to be too strong, and then being planted, they will prosper much the better. And when you doe remoue and set these young plants anew, if you cut off the toppes and prune them, they will prosper the better to beare Maste; but if you intend to reserue them for Timber trées, then meddle not at all with the toppes of them, because they will be more straight, séeme­ly, and higher for that purpose.

This is spoken to great reason: for there is no que­stion but if you remoue your young plants to a firtler soyle, they will in short time [...]reatly aduance themselues in their growth: and if we did not in liue sort trium [...]e and dresse our Hoppes, by pulling away sprigges and rootes, which super­fluously grow out of them, and also put shéepe into our wheat grounds which grow too ranke, to eat it downe, wee should haue as bad Hoppes as Corne, and little profit should wee haue by either: so that this course of husbanding yong plants must néedes be very good.

You are likewise to consider, to set wéeders on worke, that the séedes be not smothered by wéedes, nor that the ayre,Weeding. Sunne, or heart of the earth be taken away by them, which especially in wet weather will grow apace among the séedes and plants: for if these nourishments and comforts doe not fréely come to the séed and tender plants, newly set or come vp, as I haue alreadie said, there is no doubt but that it will endanger the whole Croppe; which otherwise by this good meanes and labor of wéeding the [...], wist cause th [...]m to grow and prosper so well, as that within short time they will haue the greater power of the wéedes: and if there were no such labour in this kind, the wéedes would assuredly ouer grow, and spoile them, and cause them to come vp a [...] grow so abortiue and ill fauoured, as you would neither find plea­sure or profit therein.

You say true: for as I said before of Hoppes and Corne, if they be not in their kinds well pruned, husbanded, and wéeded, in faith we were like to haue poore Croppes, and therefore wéeding of these séedes and young sprigges newly come vp, must needes be most excellent for their better pros­pering.

These trees and seedes thus let, you must be care­full that the ground be well fenced, that no manner of cattellThe ground fenced. may come in for spoyling the Speing, and passengers would be kept out, because they should not touch or handle th [...]se tender sprigges. And this manner of setting Acornes, Ches­nuts, Béechmaste, or any other seed for trees, may [...] in voide [Page 28] places, wooddie grounds, or betwéene [...]re [...]s where there isSeed or plants may also be set in void places o [...] in wooddie grounds. any roo [...]re or scope sufficient, or in Hedgrowes, as well as in this appointed and husbanded place made of purpose, so that there bee a diligent care had in trimming the ground and well preseruing them afterward.

It is very true: for we were much better to employ vacant places and Ga [...]les in Springs and woodie grounds, and in Hedgrowes to some good profit, then to let them li [...] and be nurceries for weedes and trash without any conund­ditie. And surely this course of setting or sowing Acornes is very necessarie for those who dwell in Champian Coun­tries, and can hardly come by any Plants either for loue or money, and I doe much wonder that men of good woorth, and also Farmers & Husbandmen, where Wood is scarce, and also at excessiue prises, doe not take this course of setting Acornes, Ashen-keyes, Withies, &c.

Sir it is no wonder. For men of worth haue common­by a good Spring wheresoeuer they goe, I meane, their pur­ses are well and thickly set with Crownes, so that they may at all times kéepe good firing. And as for the poore Tenant, I haue giuen a sufficient reason before, why he is vnwilling to bestow that labour and cost: and M. Surueyour, I thanke him, d [...] approue my reason to be good and honest.

In deede you speake to good purpose, and I could wish that many Land-lords were better respectiue of their poore T [...]ants, aswell for the Land-lords owne profit and honour, as for the Tenants better reliefe of himselfe and family.

God I giue him thankes that I heare a man of your prefessi [...]s so charitably affected towards poore men, for I did surely agree with the common opinion, you all were great enemies to vs poore Farmers; but now vpon better consideration I sée it otherwise: But well, I pray proceede.

A [...] might likewise answere you, according to common opinion, that all Farmers desire to conceale th [...] quantitie, qualitie, and value of their Farmes from the knowledge of the Lord: yet I am not of that opinion, but [Page 29] thinke the contrarie, that all honest Farmers will truely certifie the Lord the truth of euery the former particulars. But lea [...]ing euery man to his own conscience▪ let vs againe returne to the subiect of our discourse. The place & ground thus fenced, and the Spring now growen to ten or twelue yeares of age, both pleasure and profit will now begin a­pace to come on. And first for the pleasure thereof, it great­lyPleasures of the Spring. delighteth the fight with the varietie of his greene and pleasant colours; the harmonie and Mu [...]de of the Birds i [...] pleasant to the eare; the Ha [...]e and Fore hunted with a ke­nell of good mouthed Dogges doth also greatly reioyce the spirits and minds of man with an excellent resounding crie; fine and pleasant cooling walkes in the heate of Summer are there to be had, as well to keepe t [...]m from the heate of the Sunne, as also to sol [...]ce themselues in priuate from be­ing distracted in their other affaires. With these pleasures and many more not here spoken of (which commeth by plan­ting or sowing of this Wood) there may by para [...]el [...] as ma­nyCommoditie of the Spring. profitable commodities: as namely by putting in of Cat­tle (for at these yeares the Spring is past all danger by be­ing annoyed with their féeding there) in the heate of Sum­mer, which by reason of the great store of shadow in this Spring, the Cattle will feede and like the better, and it is also in the Winter time, good [...] and shelter for them, and which also will greatly enrich and battle the ground: Then may you at fifte [...]ne or sixteene yeares growth, make a fell either of the whole or part of the Spring, which happe­ly you may f [...]ll for foure or fiue pounds the Acrs, or accor­ding as the valu [...] and vent for W [...]d is in that place whers it grow [...]th: and you are also like to haue store of Maste of as many kinds as you [...]ew, to fat your Swine withall, and for other good purposes.

The pleasure & profit no doubt of such a Spring, is very great, but I pray what number of Standils for Tim­ber trées are to be left vpon euery Acre at the time of f [...]lling the Spring?

As I intend not now to speake of the whole course [Page 30] of the Statutes concerning Wood, yet I would bee glad to satisfie you in any thing I can: therefore you shall vnder­stand that euery Spring so felled, the Owners or buyers thereof are bound by Statute, to leaue twelue yong Trees, commonly called Standils for Timber trees, vpon euery Acre, which Standils must not be afterward felled, vntill they are growen to bee ten ynches square within thrée footeThe number of Standils to be left vpon euery Acre of Wood-land. of the ground (except it bee for needfull vse of repaire) in which leauing of Standils, I would aduise the feller to haue a speciall care that he maketh choyse of the straightest and neatest growen Standils for that purpose.

Your aduise herein is good, for as the Plant is, so is the Tree like to proue: and I perceiue, the ground which beareth Wood, considering the great pleasure, pro­fit,Wood-ground as profitable as Corne ground. and little charge thereof, is little inferiour in commodi­tie to the ground which is employed in bearing of Corne or Hoppes.

You say well, but if any difference be in the profit of them, I thinke it rather in the Wood-ground, especially if it be husbanded and preserued accordingly as I haue said, and that the vent for Wood where it groweth be deare: For it is true, that though the profit of Woods be longer in com­ming to a mans purse, then Corne or Hops are, yet in the end it maketh a double recompence, because the first three or foure yeares charge once defrayed, nature then of it selfe, without further charge or labour, will abundantly bring forth the Crop: which is not so in Corne or Hop grounds, because they beare not without continuall charge of Til­lage, Hop-poles, digging and deluing, seruants, and good husbandrie. But now if you please I will begin to draw to an end, wherein I haue béene the more prolixe to set downe the course of Planting yong Trées, and sowing Acornes, as also in speaking somewhat of the pleasure and profit which commeth by Woods, to the end that those who are industri­ous, may hereby be the rather encouraged to begin and pro­céede in this profitable course; and let none euer thinke the [Page 31] time large in reaping profit hereby, but let them be sorie that they haue lost so much time, because they Planted and Sowed no sooner. And note, that all Timber trées which grow vpon high grounds, though they will not be so large,Note. tall, and tough, yet will they bee of a more beautifull, and pleasing graine, then those which grow in low Valleyes, and also it will last and endure longer. And as you sow Acorns, so must you d [...]e Béeth-mast, and Ashen-keyes; and as for the maner of sowing and setting of Chesnuts, I will hereaf­ter more at large speake of, and in the meane time I will onely acquaint you with the difference of some seuerall trées for Timber, and what grounds are most apt for them to pro­sper: And also set downe some briefe Rules to take the Sol­lid content of any Timber-trée standing, together with the height thereof, performed by a small portable Instrument which is both facill and pleasant, (and which may be caried in one pocket) fitting that purpose.

THE SECOND PART,

MAster Surueyor, you haue formerly spoken so well of planting and sowing in this kind, as I long to heare your opinion concerning the differences and qualities of Trées, that here­by we might compose of this our Discourse some ample introduction to this your new kind of Husbandrie. And the rather most abundantly to ad­uance this kind of thrift by planting of trées, and sowing of their séedes for encrease of Timber and Fuell, or rather to haue it linked with a benefit equalling, or farre excéeding it in a generall profit, I should thinke it not amisse, that decayedTaking in of decayed Fo­rests, Com­mons, and Wast grounds. Forests, Commons, and Wast grounds might bee taken in and diuided into seuerals, with good ditches, which should be set with Quickset, and also planted with young Trées, ac­cordingly as my neighbor Ienings did speake of euen now.

Sir, your memorie is good, and it is true that I spake of quicksetting and planting ditches about a Farme or De­meane grounds, but not to haue decaied Forests, Commons, or Wast grounds inclosed: for hereby the King should bee greatly scanted in his pleasure, euery man wronged, the poore generally be vndone▪ and all would be in an vprore.

That is but as you conceiue it: for it is not inten­ded that any Forests should bee inclosed where is store of Game, or néere to any place where vsually his Maiestie ma­keth any progresse for his pleasure, but I would haue onely such decayed Forests inclosed which haue few or no Déere in them, and which are farre remote from any such his High­nesse places of progresse or pleasure, and which also are a charge to his Maiestie, by paying officers their fées, and yet neither profit or pleasure commeth by them. And though this name of inclosing and taking in of Commons and wast grounds be odious to the Communaltie, and therefore may séeme dangerous, yet if they did rightly apprehend it, that as well the rich as the poore might reape a generall good hereby (as most assuredly they would) no doubt they would vni­formely importune, that all such decaied Forests, Commons, and Wast grounds might be taken in.

Yea, when there is any apparance of such a generall benefit, then it is likely they will yéeld thereunto, but in my opinion there is neither benefit or conscience to be expected hereby.

Nay there you speake somewhat too vnaduisedly: forBy inclosing of Commons is both benefit & conscience. by inclosing of Wast grounds there is both benefit and con­science. And first in generall for the benefit, it conuerteth all such bad and Wast grounds to be good and profitable to all those who haue any interest in such kind of grounds: and as for vsing a conscience in this businesse, when all thinges are done with indifferencie and conueniencie in allotting (with the approbation of the Commoners) an equall portion ac­cording to their Fréehold, Copyhold, and Cottage, and that at an easie rate, I hope then you will confesse there is good conscience vsed therein.

Yet by your fauor M. Surueyor this plaine Far­mer in my opinion hath spoken honestly: for if your Com­mon be taken away, how shall the poore Farmer and Cotta­ger liue? Or shall they not rather, by being thrust out of it, both themselues and whole familie liue in extreame penuri [...] and famine?

It is true, that the poore inhabitants of such a Com­mon would be much impou [...]rished, if they should be wholly abridged thereof, which God forbid. But by inclosing decay­edWhat is in­tended by in­closing decay­ed Forests, Commons, and wast grounds. Forests, Commons, and Wast grounds, as I vnderstand by M. Peregrine, is wholly intended such communitie, that both the rich and the poore should be allotted equall portions thereof, according to their Fréehold, Copyhold, and Cottage; the good whereof, in euery mans vnderstanding, would bee greatly beneficiall and pleasing to all.

It is so: for who doubteth, that if any such Forest, Common, or Wast ground were inclosed, but that they would plentifully yéeld a treble benefit: euery one shouldThe benefit of inclosing wast grounds. haue more certaine scope and fréedome to their Farmes, Co­pyholds, and Cottages than they had before, to sell, let, or vse them themselues; many idle persons would be oftner set on worke; and Church liuing [...] would bee excéedingly ad­uanced.

You haue spoken well and briefely in commendation of this vnpleasing worke, if euery one would applaud it. But Sir, because you néerely touch my poore liuing (a great profit whereof is in respect of the Common) you must giue me leaue as briefely as I can to answer you. And therefore1 The discom­modities of inclosing wast grounds. first for the treble profit you speake of, I thinke the charge considered about Surueying, Ditching, Quicksetting, and Planting this Inclosure, and other husbanding of it, before it co [...]th to yéeld any profit, and then the not any charge of the other, as it lyeth in common, and where is a daily profit, both compared together, I beléeue your treble profit will f [...]e be cast vp, scarce to make you a single sauer. 2 And then for the scope and [...]do [...] which they should haue to their Farmes, Copyholds, and Cottages by this Inclosure, that the Owners or Farmers thereof may fell, let, or vse them at pleasure, I [...] [...]one but the rich Fréeholders shall reape any benefit thereby: for as for the Copyholder, Far­mer, and C [...]r, they must still be vnder the protection or hazard of their Lord, either to continue the first rent, which is vnlikely, or else (after the expiration of their first taking of [Page 35] them) to improue their rents at an extreame rack▪ by which the losse of inclosing this wast ground is then most apparant, in pay­ing at the end of that expiration a racked rent for that which they were wont to haue gratis among their other grounds. 3 As for idle persons to be vsed in this busines, you do well to prouide some em­ployment for them, whom you would vndoe, by taking away their Commons, which when they are once gone, you must thē either set them on worke, or else they must be forced to beg or steale, and so be in danger of the law: so that indeed this is a necessary employment for them, meerely vpon necessitie. 4 And as for Church liuings those we see are alreadie sufficient: for whereas in our forefathers daies (as I haue heard old men say) the Church men then, with those li­uings as they had, kept good hospitalitie, and relieued the poore, but now ours forgetting such charitie (though their liuings be farre greater) keepe little hospitalitie, and relieue few poore people; and thinke themselues sufficiently charged to prouide for themselues, their wiues, children and familie.

How now Master Peregrine, I thinke our honest Far­mer hath reasonably well answered you: 5 to which I will adde one other especiall motiue for the not enclosing of Commons: and that is, that by this kind of depression it will mightily vrge the people to a tumult, as hath often been seene, and that namely by the late Le­uellers in Northampton shire.

Master Woodward, the Farmer hath spoken well accor­ding1 The discom­modities of inclosing waste▪ grounds an­swered, and a [...] further [...]ene [...] thereof ex­pressed. to his vnderstanding, yet in my opinion not very materiall, and your motiue of the peoples tumult is of as little validitie as his; and to answere you both, this I say, That the profit will bee treble by inclosing, as aforesaid, yea and much more, if the s [...]y [...]e be any thing good: for after the charge is past (which suppose it be great and chargeable) of inclosing this pe [...]c [...] of wast ground accor­dingly as the Farmer hath said: doth any man doubt to let it for not aboue, or make thereof three shillings the Acre, which before was not worth six pence the Acre? nay rather may the [...] not assure them▪ selues it will be worth eight shillings or ten shillings the Acre, or perhaps more, within one or two yeares after the inclosing there­of? And then for their scope and freedome: is any man so poorely conceited, but that he would be glad to enlarge his Farme by ta­king [Page 36] more ground, and especially when he may haue it at a verie easie rate, and for a good tearme, and according to the tenure of his estate, so may he either sell, let, or vse it himselfe, without any pre­iudice to himselfe, or wrong to his Lord? And where you thinke that none but rich Frée holders should get hereby, if you had said the contrarie, you had spoken with better iudgement: for where these Free-holders haue Common, there without all doubt they greatly oppresse poore Copy holders, Farmers, and Cottagers, by ouercharging the Common with Sheepe and other Cattell, which is more than they can iustifie by law or conscience: and yet who dare complaine, or what redresse thereof? whereas if this Common were inclosed as aforesaid, these rich Free-holders should then haue certainely their equall portions as other men haue, without wrong to any the poorest Cottager. And whereas I perceiue you are apt enough to put a buzze into poore mens heads, by telling them, their Lord may prooue hard to them in the end, by racking of what th [...]y haue formerly had gratis: which though he should doe so, what is that to the purpose? when as be­fore the enclosing of it, this poore man made not certainely of this Waste ground sixe pence the Acre (and yet also couertly doth pay for it) and liued most penuriously thereon, he shall now vpon the inclosing thereof, as I said before, if the soile be any thing good; make ten shillings or twelue shillings the Acre, or so much, that he may well and better liue, and pay the Lord his rent, than hee did before. And doe not all men know, where Common is, there the Lord doth let his Farmes and Tenements not according to their owne proper values, but according to their true values, by reason of the Common? so that then heere is an apparance, that euerie man payeth a portion of rent for his Common lying open. 3 And further, where you thinke it not a businesse but vpon necessitie, for idle persons to be set on worke, in my opinion you doe not well con­ceiue of the matter. For who doubteth but that by these inclosures of Pastures, arable, or medow, planting yong Trees, or sowing of their séedes, quick setting, and other labouring worke, will be a great meanes that poore men shall more often and daily bee set on worke to earne a penie, for the reliefe of themselues and familie, and also liue more plentifully (hauing also their portion of inclo­sure [Page 37] allowed them) than possibly they can doe vpon a miserable bare Common: and also they may with more ease, profit, and pleasure husband and manage fiue or sixe Acres, more or lesse, of such inclosure, by sowing it with some profitable graine, grazing, planting fruit-trees, Hoppes, rootes, or take a yearely rent for it, than to liue vpon a bare and hard Common in extreame want, where is neither pleasure nor certaintie of gaine, and where poore people doe daily encrease in number and pouertie vpon such waste grounds, and which may seeme rather to starue Sheepe and other Cattell grazing vpon them, than any way bee compared to inclo­sures, where they may daily haue their fill, and grow large and sound. 4 And for Church liuings it cannot be denied, but that they also will be exceedingly and most necessarily aduanced by these in­closures: and the better by this course of inclosing waste grounds. And now Sir to answere your obiection of the peoples tumult, 5 I assure my selfe, the matter being temperately and with discretion managed, in allotting euerie one his due, as aforesaid, all men would rather with an applaud desire it, than any take occasion to oppugne it: and the late Leuellers in Northampton-shire is no iust president against this: for it seemeth they were possessed with a confused feare, that all tillage (which they sought to maintaine) should bee conuerted to pasture, which indeed is against the law. But by this course of inclosing decayed Forests, Commons, and waste grounds, is intended nothing else, as I haue said, than con­uerting such waste grounds of little or no profit to bee made arable, pasture and medow, and that as well for the good and benefit of his Maiestie, as also for priuate Lords, Tenants, and poore Cot­tagers. And if the law doe punish men for depopulation: how much the rather should they bee commended and rewarded, who ende­uour to conuert such waste grounds to more profitable vses, for encrease of strong and able Subiects, whereby the Realme shall be much strengthened, his Maiestie enriched by many more Subsi­dies and other Taxes, and his people farre more wealthie and con­tented? And where such decayed Forests, Chases and Commons are, there the Inhabitants doe often take in and encroch vpon such grounds, and that without any leaue, perswasion, or enforcement, but onely vpon their owne accord and agreement, and neuer pay Rent to the King therefore: whereupon it may be inferred, that if [Page 38] they did not plentifully find both ease and profit [...]herein, they would neuer vndergoe that labour and charge of inclosing such Com­mons: wherefore if the Subiects in regard of this profit doe thus, and daily take in such Zi [...]crochments, which by law they cannot iustly; who doubteth but that the King may more freely make vse and profit of his owne by inclosing and diuiding, as aforesaid? Fur­ther more, Commons that lye open are much subiect to ill weather, so as Cattell which graze vpon them are not able to continue there about foure or fiue moneths in the yeare; but if once they be made into seueralties, they will then become warme, and the hedges and walles which do mound them, will mightily preserue and de­fend the Cattell both from wind and weather, and which will bat­ten the soile and make the Cattell grow more fat, to the great com­fort and profit of the owners. And would you not thinke it a good and pleasing sight to sée a large decayed Forest, or wild and ruinous piece of ground, which as it lieth is not worth perhaps sixe pence the Acre, to be now inclosed with ditches and quickset, and planted with many yong trées of diuers kinds, to proue worth eight shil­lings or ten shillings the Acre? What should I say more? the Sub­iects pouertie will be turned into wealth, his Royall Maiestie a­bundantly supported, without any burthen or charge to his Sub­iects, and such a flourishing estate will be, both to Prince and peo­ple, as the like will not be parallelled in all Christendome. If all this may probably be true which I haue said: what hurt or depres­sion is there offered herein to the poore man? or could I possibly haue spoken more for his greater benefit?

Indeed I must now confesse you haue satisfied mee with better reasons than I did euer heretofore dreame of. But yet Sir I pray giue mee leaue (a little by the way) after all your discourse of inclosing, now to fall to disclosing; I meane not leuelling or pulling downe of Ditches or Hedges, but somewhat more amply to disclose to you the true state and dislike of vs Husband-men and Farmers, concerning this point of taking in waste grounds. It is true, and cannot bee denied, that which you say, of the benefits of inclosed Counties, if they bee compared with cham­paine and open Counties, for which wee need no further proofes, than to compare Rent, Essex, Suffolke, Middlesex, Hartford-shire, Hereford-shire, and diuers other Counties and particular places▪ [Page 39] with those of Buckingham, Oxford, Northampton, Cam­bridge, Lincolne, Rutland, and sundrie others; what plentie of all thinges most necessarie for sustenance of life (farre a­boue other Counties) are in those inclosed Counties, is so in­fallible a truth, as it cannot be denied: and the reason is, the agilitie and industrie of man (concurring with Gods grace) from whence ensueth abundance and plentie of all thinges. But hence (alas) is our miserie, when inclosures once bee made, straight waies some, yea very many mercilesse Land­lords, that estéeme it best to liue Lordlike, doe péecemeale in­grosse and resume such Inclosures, and expell their poore te­nants, leauing them in wofull state, either to begge, steale, or starue. This in my opinion is not onely now, but still like to be, the very Gangrene of Inclosures. I must confesse thatIngrossement & Resumption the Gangrene of Inclosures. we poore Farmers (beating Iacke for Itlls fault) doe ex­claime against Inclosures, in which we (in my conscience) are rather led, because of the mischiefe of Resumption, which doth most commonly follow it, than by any euill that we can iustly find in the Inclosure it selfe. For I must fréely con­fesse, that if we could be assured from those two Cankers, Ingrossement and Resumption, and in equall distribution haue portions in such Inclosures, at easie rates and vpon good tearmes, as you haue before spoken of, neuer was there any thing more wealefully propounded, nor a better meanes to frée England from idle Rogues and wandring Beggers; of which kind of people some one champaine Countie hath a greater number resident therein, than I thinke can be found in any foure of the inclosed Counties. And now hauing something disclosed my opinion concerning the inclosing of decayed Forests, Commons, and Wast grounds, in which also great difficultie would be in managing of it, by diuiding the seuerals with indifferencie and conueniencie, as also to lay out high wayes and conuenient passages for the country, I pray if you please procéede in your Discourse where you left.

You haue spoken herein as much as possibly can bee said, to which alreadie sufficient is answered: and for the [Page 40] managing of this businesse, there is no difficultie in it at all, in giuing good satisfaction to euery one, both for conuenient and seuerall Closes, as also for commodious highwayes and passages for the good and ease of the countrey, as formerly hath béene discoursed of. But let vs now close vp this our inclosing Discourse, and happily expect by a generall consent and applaud of euery one the practising thereof, which in my opinion would be the greatest benefit that hath come to our countrey these many yeares, and let vs now againe returne to our Planting.

Sir, though you haue made a long discourse of inclosing Commons and wast grounds (to which argument this our good Farmer Ienings hath added, in his opinion, the true reasons why it is to be feared and hated of the Commu­naltie) yet it hath béene very pleasing, and you haue also con­ceiued good considerations to approue your opinion; and if the actors of this businesse could with that indifferencie ma­nage these affaires accordingly as you haue spoken, I sée no cause to the contrarie, but that it might be generally desired of all Commoners. But yet Master Surueyor there is oneOne obiection more against Inclosures. obstacle more concerning this businesse of inclosing Com­mons, which in my opinion is vnanswerable; and that is, when the King or any priuate Lord haue graunted Leases to their Tenants who dwell (and haue Common sans num­ber) in such decayed Forests and Wasts, how can this Com­mon be iustly taken in and inclosed? Or how can you giue them satisfaction, but that their Common sans number shal be abridged and drawne into a stinted number, and so their libertie contracted and diminished, to their great losse? for betwixt finite and infinite there is no proportion: What pro­portion then will you in your Diuision and Inclosures make to him or them, who being sans number, are sans proportion? and who also haue good Leases, and the Kings broad Seale for many yeares so to enioy the same.

Master Woodward, you haue put me to the narrow­est pinch that yet I was driuen vnto, and I maruaile you did not speake of this difficultie before, but suffered me qui­etly [Page 41] to runne on, as though you had béene well satisfied, and yet now suddainely doe pull me backe, as men doe wilde Colts, giuing them a little libertie, and with a suddaine ierke giues them a twitch readie to ouerthrow, when thin­king themselues frée, they little expected such a checke.

Sir it is true, I was content of purpose to let you runne on in your owne conceits, vntill I saw you, in a manner, fully to determine it. But for that I sée it concer­neth my poore neighbors so much, and generally most Com­moners, I then thought it fitting to put you to your greatest plunge by this my last refuge, and greatest difficultie: which if you can deuise to solue, or make any probable or satisfacto­rie answer, I will then say, you haue brought the matter to an excellent conclusion.

Well Sir, although this your in [...]ricate point, which you haue now moued, be of most difficultie, yet you shall now perceiue I will easily resolue you of it. For it was myAn answer to the former ob­iection. chance of late to conferre with a Councellor at law, of good vnderstanding and iudgement, about this very subiect of graunting Communage by Lease amongst other landes, whose opinion was, That Tenants who haue such graunts either from the King, or any priuat Lord, that they must not so farre extend their chalenge of Common, sans number, in putting on so many Cattell, that they must eat vp the whole profit thereof, whereby the poorer sort of Commoners should liue in penurie and want. But the Law (said he) doth intend, that his Farme considered (that is, what Cattell is necessa­rie for Tillage, what for manuring his land, what for a con­uenient number of bréeders of all sorts of Cattell, to supply his stocke, and what for him to spend in his owne house, and other necessaries) he shall not be debarred or limited. And so you sée, that although he shall not be stinted in putting on of Cattell in that order, and as aforesaid; yet if hee doe ex­céede that proportion of a reasonable number, the rest of the Commoners, who haue also Common there sans number as well as he, may very iustly endeuour to depresse his oppressi­ons, [Page 42] and draw him to a kind of meane and orderly proporti­on, which yet shall liberally serue, with respectiue regard as well of his Farme, as Rent.

Sir, I must confesse you haue giyen me very good satis [...]action, and most effectually haue you deliuered your o­pinion herein. And truly, if euery Tenant might (the infe­ries or contents of his Farme considered) with an indiffe­rent or rather liberall allowance, beset out Inclosures of decayed Forests, Commons, and Wast grounds, as wee haue spoken of, that as well for his Milc [...] Kine, young Cat­tell, Oxen and Shéepe; as with any pr [...]ion or reason (the rest of his fellow Communers considered) might suffice and agrée with the quantitie of his Farme and Rent there were then great probabilitie and hope of effecting what you speake of. But alas the sinne of Couetousnesse doth so much possesse these kind of people, as they thinke the libertie of their whole Common, sans number, too little for them, and therefore can hardly endure to heare of any abridgement, or withdrawing any part thereof; when yet vpon propor­tions cast, allowed, and ratified at a very easie rate, and that for many yeares, with a dayly and more encrease of profit, together with a liberall proportion allotted them for all the sorts of their Cattell which their Farmes are able to maintaine and beare, or that they can any way de­sire of the Lord, and that they also sée a resulting Surplage remaining, then happily they may séeme more tractable and willing, that any who haue right to such Wast grounds, should dispose of them as they please; to which I thinke our honest Farmer will agrée.

Most willingly: for you haue spoken to good pur­pose. And if the Law doe intend that men shall be stinted (as I could wish it might be so) to put on no more Cattell into a Common, than what conueniently their Farmes or Fréehold can beare and maintaine all the yeare, many rich Fréeholders in our parish will giue you little thankes for this Item, because indéed they greatly ouerlay the Common, [Page 43] to the preiudice of the rest of their poore neighbours, and they will most assuredly spurne, although it be against the pricke.

The more are they in danger to offend and hurt themselues: for if the Commoners doe combine in an ho­nest and lawfull manner against such abuses, they may easi­ly force these rich Fréeholders to a more neighbourly course of Commoning.

You say true: but leauing this matter of inclo­sing Wast grounds to men more eminent in the State, let vs make an end hereof, and proceede in our Discourse of Timber trées.

Most willingly, and doe submit my opinion herein to all honest and discréet Husbandmen.

THE THIRD PART,

MAster Surueyor, wee lest as I remember, a­bout the differences of some seuerall Trées for Timber, and what ground is most apt for them to prosper in: and also some Rules concerning how to take the content of any Timber trée, standing or growing vpon the ground, which is a thing that will be much pleasing and hel­ping to vs Woodwards, who are none of the ingeniousest men in that facultie, but we are onely content to obserue the ordinarie custome of looking to the Wood, by presenting at the next Court day or Swanimote Court those who offend by purloyning of Trées, hacking of Boughes and Standils, and carrying them away: But when wee are demaunded, how many Tunne, Load, or square féet of Timber is con­tained in such a Timber trée (which I thinke fit that euerie Woodward should know) we must then answere with si­lence, or make some sléeuelesse reply, and so passe it ouer to other talke.

In déeds I thinke many of you are so skilfull there­in, as many be who are Surueyours of Counties by Pa­tent, for which they haue more fée then knowledge to dis­charge that Office. But it is fit that Woodwards, should haue some skill and vnderstanding in the measuring of these Sollid bodies, or else how can they sufficiently discharge that trust and credit which is reposed in them; when a Warrant is directed to them for the felling and deliuerie of a hundred Tunnes or Loades more or lesse of Timber for repaire of Bridges, Parke-pales, Houses, &c. And when perhaps they neuer know how many square féete make a Tunne or Load of Timber, nor yet how many Trées, they must cause to bee felled to haue as néere as may be, the number of Tunnes or Loades specified in their Warrant, but cuts downe at an aduenture perhaps ten or twelue Tunne or Load, more or lesse, then they had Warrant for, which is a grosse er­rour.

In déede most of vs haue little or no skill in mea­suring of Timber trées, but as you say, we must take them at all aduentures, as néere the number specified in our Warrant as we can. But I pray Sir, are there not men of your profession, who passe ouer as grosse and witting er­rours in Surueying, which iustly a man may terme abuses, partly, as I conceiue, out of ignorance, and partly out of dishonestie?

No doubt there are some such indéede, yet we must not iustifie our owne errors by other mens misdemeanours, but those Surueyours would I haue giue ouer Surueying and séeke to bee entertained into the societie of those idl [...] Catchpoles you spake off euen now, and if I saw cause, I could instance such a one, but I will be sparing therein, and onely tell you, that the manner of his Surueyes were al­wayes vpon Tenants reports, and taking some notes out of their Leases and Coppies, and giuing of the Iurie cer­taine Articles in charge to be enquired of.

But did he not also by Instrument and Cheine, as commonly you doe, Suruey and measure the ground?

No, for indéede hee knew not the vse of any Sur­ueying Instrument.

But doe you thinke the Tenants would or could truely deliuer their knowledge herein, concerning the quali­tie, quantitie, and value of their Land, with the rest of the particulars?

Truely I thinke no, though euery man in honestie is bound vpon Oath to tell the truth of any thing, when he is lawfully demaunded thereof, as néere as he can, yet for that they conceiued these questions néerely concerued their estates, and for that also they law the Surueyour to bee vn­experienced, in that kind of measuring and duely Suruey­ing of lands, it is to be imagined that they would somewhat dissemble with him therein, and acquainte him with no more then ordinarie▪ and so altogether vpon the tenants reports, aswell for the quantitie and qualitie, as value of their land, he would conclude, and at his good leisure make vp his bookes.

This is the strangest kinde of Surueying that e­uer I heard of; but would he then vpon his credit giue vp this Suruey to the Lord of the Manor?

Yes that he would, according to the Tenants re­ports by oath: and diuers hath he done in this kinde.

But I pray if the Lord sell or let this Manor, do you not thinke, according to that Suruey, but that he should be a great looser thereby?

Yes, there is no doubt, but that he must loose much thereby: but I trow there is no man so vnaduised that will sell or let land in th [...]se daies after such a fashion, but will make a more precise course by admeasurement, performed by a skilfull man in that facultie.

And I pray, why may not one buy or sell land, as certainly by knowing what Cattle a Ferme or Demaines will kéepe, as also how many load of hay such a Meadow will yéeld vpon euery acre, as by all your nice tricks of mea­suring.

You say well, it is a good meanes in generall to [Page 47] know the value of any land, but yet how shall the Lord or buyer thereof who dwel farre remote from it, know certain­ly how many cattle it will kéepe? If you say by his Bay­life, commonly he being his Tenant, and dwelling in the same Lordship will for his owne good imbrace the true value of these demeasne, because the goodnesse of his owne farme shall the lesse be discerued: if you say by the report of the countrey, they commonly faile in their estimation, as well in the quantitie and qualitie of the ground, as also in the number of cattle, what it will kéepe▪ and neither shall the Lord (if he be a stranger to this Demeanes) receiue any better satisfaction, although he take paines to enquire there­ofWho are most fitt [...]est & likely to aduertise any Lord the true estate of his land. himselfe. So that there is no better way for this Lord, or purchaser to know the true value of this land, then onely to employ an honest and iudicious▪ Surueyor therein, who be­sides his art of platting the ground, and fairely setting forth in a Mappe, and knowing the quantitie of acres, will also vse his best iudgement and experience to discerne the qualitie as well for goodnesse as badnesse of the soyle, as whether it be fittest for arable, pasture, meadow, or woodland, toge­ther with buts and bounds, and euery thing else as it lieth in due proportion: all which compared together, with the reports and aduertisements, that he may learne in the time of his being there▪ I thinke he may then giue more full sa­tisfaction, as well to the eye, as iudgement of him who is owner thereof, or shall buy it.

You say true. For my selfe being of some small [...]eue­new in land, I haue two or three of my Manors surueyed, and the plots of them fairely set forth in colours vpon Vel­lem, distinctly sp [...]ifying which is meadow, pasture, arable, and woodland, with the quantitie, qualitie, and value thereof, with euerie other thing there fitting to be noted, which I finde to be a great satisfaction▪ pleasure, and [...]ase to me, espe­cially when I am to let any of those Farmes, or Tene­ments in any the said M [...]or [...] because they are farre remote from the place I dwell▪ But whether now do we range. You promised to speake somewhat of the difference of trées, and [Page 48] what grounds were most apt for them to prosper in, there­fore I pray leaue off these discourses vntill some other time, and begin now your promise.

Sir, most willingly: you remember then what I haue spoken concerning the manner and time to be obserued as well in planting of Trees for Timber, and husbanding the ground, as also in making special choice of the Plant, and the care of weeding and trimming them afterwards, vntill they are growne to the age of thrée or foure yeares: which remembred, I will now discharge my promise in declaring briefly to you the nature and sorts of certaine trees for fuell and building, which ordinarily do grow in England, and what ground & soyle euerie one delighteth most in, for their better and larger prospering, to the end that those who take pleasure in this practise, may not altogether be deluded, and frustrate of their paines and expectation, but may in the end reape some profit thereby. I told you then, that before you re­solue to plant, two things are to be considered of, namely the soyle where you intend to plant, and the soile where the plant hath formerly grown: for that trée which groweth vpon a drie ground and hot soyle, must not be planted in a moyst or cold go [...]ud & so contrariwise, that tree which groweth in a watry soile, be not planted vpon hils or drie barren groundes, least by planting them in a soyle contrarie to the nature and con­dition of the plant, all cost & profit be lost therby. First there­foreTwo sorts of Trees. you shal vnderstand, that there may be said to be in gene­ral two sortes of trees, that is, waterie trées, or trées deligh­tingWatery trees. [...]and in moist & waterie soyles, and land trees, or trées which grow vpon drie and firme land.

Indéed it is probable that trées will hardly pros­per, but in a ground well corresponding with their nature and propertie: but I pray what experience is there hereof?

I will first satisfie you by the experience of trees which commonly are called water trées; as namely Aller, Withi [...] Aspe, Birch, &c. which trées except they haue store of moi­sture,Water trees. will hardly grow to any goodnesse. And the chiefest of those trees that most desire to grow in water, or waterie [Page 49] grounds, is the Aller, for it will prosper very well, thoughAller tree. halfe the bodie thereof stand in the water; as is to be seene in diuers places of Holland and Zeland, where the greatest part of the bodies thereof, in the Winter time stand in wa­ter, or at least the rootes of those Trées alwaies stand in or lower then the water, or else they would prosper but poorely. Experience also is séene hereof in our owne countrey, that these Aller trées doe naturally grow vp in Bogges and Mée­rish places without any art or industrie at all, and neuer a­ny of them doe prosper or thriue vpon high or drie soyles: therefore the fittest ground for these trées to grow in, is your low waterie meadowes, or other moorish grounds néere vn­to brookes or riuers. This trée is plentifull in his grouth, and bringeth forth in short time store of boughes, which are verie profitable for firing and other necessarie vses.

Indéed these kinds of trées grow a pace without any great labour or charge, and the profit thereof forfuell is ve­rie great.

It is true, for if you eyther take branches from the Aller trée, or rootes digged out of the earth, and set them a­gainePlanting of Aller trees. in like moist places with some of the earth, if you can, from whence you had them, cutting of the branches and stem within foure or fiue inches of the roote, there will in short time put forth many more young shoots then were at the first▪ and within fiue or sixe yeares after, grow to be good brushie Fuell, or if you let them [...]and longer vntill they grow to be large bodied trees, they will then serue to many necessarie vses, especially for water works, eyther to lay in the water, or else to make pipes of to conuey water to any place, be­cause it will not [...]ot. The next waterie trée is the Withie, ofWithie tree [...] ▪ of which are foure kinds. which are said to be 4 kinds, that is, the white, withy, blacke Withie, and red Withie, oster Withie. Some thinke that white withie will grow rather in drie grounds, if it be set in the beginning of winter, then in moorish grounds: the black [...] withie wil grow better in moorish grounds, then on drie; and so will the Red and Osi [...]r withies do, and generally they all prosper best in low meadowes, and moyst places, the earth [Page 50] must be digged, and a little raised, wherin they must be plan­ted; and the best way to plant them, is either to cut branchesTo plant Wi­thies. from withie trées, or else withie poles of the bignesse of ones arme, cut from the stocke or bodie of the trée, and they must be but onely pricked downe in that digged place of a reaso­nable depth, but not in the water as the Aller is planted, and the top must be cut off about one foote or two, and then couerNote. that lower part with some good earth. And note, that when you cut these branches or poles from the tree to be planted, it must be in drie weather, and by no meanes when it rai­neth. And the best time to plant Withies, is about the midst of Februarie: or rather towards the latter end of Septem­ber, when the heart of the cold weather is past, or else before it commeth, which otherwise would endanger the plant, if it should either be cut in wet weather, or planted in the ex­tremest of winter: And you shall place euerie plant fiue or six féete each from other: And you must be very carefull for the well preseruing of them the first two or thrée yeares, and they must also be cropped euerie eight or nine yeares, or else they will be in danger to vade and die; yet crop them not in sap time.

Then I perceiue that the Withie doth not desire such moist grounds as the Aller tree.

No, for we see they grow and prosper better vpon bankes of ditches, and good low battable ground (if they haue water néere them) then those do which grow in low andSirch tree. watrie meadows. Next to the Withie may the Birch trée be accounted for a waterie tree, and which also desireth a cold and moist soile, but not altogether so waterie a ground as the Aller and Withie doth: for we daily see they naturally grow vp and prosper in cold springing grauely soiles, rather then in any other drie or waterie kind of ground: And this tree is verie profitable, and serueth well to make chercole, & also for Turners to make bowls, dishes, & other necessary things for the house. The fourth waterie tree is the Poplar or Aspe tree, which also disereth to grow rather in moist placesPopular or Aspe tree. then otherwise; and the best way to plant them, is of young [Page 51] roots, but where roots cannot be had, then take such like plants, as you doe of Withie, and this wood is also verie good to make Pipes of, for conueying of water, and o­ther vses.

But I pray will not these trees which you haue tearmed water trees, grow in any other place then in low waterie grounds?

Yes, I say not to the contrarie, but their nature be­ing to grow in low wet grounds, or néere vnto water, where they will more kindly prosper then in high and drie places which is farre from water, where perhaps with much adoe, and verie slow, they will put forth some few and small bran­ches: And where one so prospereth well, and continueth long in such a high place, there will fiue hundred prosper much better, and last longer, growing in low and waterie grounds. It is true, that by industrie they may be made to grow vpon the barrennest soile that is, but then the labour and charge must be verie great, which if once it be neglected, and not daily followed, and that with great care, all paines & charge is lost, and the tree will wither and die. The contra­rie wherof is found by planting them in a low soyle, or néere vnto water fitting their kind. And some do also hold it neces­sary after the first yeares planting of thē, to cut away all the twigs which then first put forth, whereby the roote may be the better fed, and also that the winds may haue lesse power to shake and loosen them in the earth; for trées often perish and die by such vntimely accidents: therefore it is necessa­rie as well to plant them well and orderly at the first; as to be carefull afterward in looking well to them, for a thing once well done at the first, is much better then when it nee­deth a second doing. And this shall suffice for these kinds of water trées, or for any other you intend to plant, and now to your land trées.

But I pray doe you not account Ash trées to bee inAsh tree▪ the number of the water trées.

No, though they doe naturally desire a low and moist soile, wherin they will grow and prosper much better, [Page 52] then in high drie grounds, yet the ground néed not be alto­gether so low and watrie, as that which is for Aller, Wi­thie, Birch, and Aspe: therefore the best ground which is most agréeable to their condition, and wherein they most delight, is in valleyes of an indifferent layre, neither too drie nor moist: for in such warme places they will grow tall and beautifull, and that also in short time. But howsoeuer, if conueniently they cannot bee set in Val­leyes, they will grow verie well in any fat and moist soyle; but by no meanes plant them in any drie or barren ground, nor yet in very low watrie places.

Yet I haue often séene Ash trées grow vpon high hils, and that very well.

I graunt that to be so, but then it is likely that those hils are somewhat replenished with Springs, or else the ground is verie good, and then there is no doubt of their pros­pering, though yet not to proue so firme and tough wood (by reason of the wind and stormes doe often shake them, and the full heat of the Sunne makes them more spault and brit­tle for vses (yet will they be better feathered, and longer en­dure for building) as those which grow secure and steadie in temperate and calme places. And you may either set Ashen­keyesTo set or sow Ashen keyes. to haue Plants of them▪ (the ground being well hus­banded as aforesaid) or else young Ashen Plants, to be dres­sed and ordered in like sort as the young Oaken Plants are.To plant yong Ashen trees. And when your Ashen-keyes are growne vp to bee little trées, you may then yearely for two or thrée yeares prune or cut away the superfluous boughes of them, but not the top, which will cause the trée to prosper excéeding well, and to grow high, round, smooth, and strong. And as for the Plant, within a yeare or two after it is thus set and firmely rooted in the earth, at the vsuall time of cutting downe Copies wood, you may then if you please also cut downe this Plant, or any other kind of Trée thus set, hard by the root, and it will prosper and put forth againe thrée or foure stemmes, which will grow in short time to be good wood for fuell, and very tall trées for Timber, because then it will haue his full [Page 53] height and top, if you let them stand and preserue them well, as formerly hath béene spoken. And you shall vnderstand,At what time, and for what vses it is best to fell Ashen wood. that the best time to fell Ash wood for the Cooper, is, when it is about fourtéene or sixtéene yeares growth: if you will let it grow vntill about thirtie yeares, it is then best for the Whéelewright and Ploughwright; and if you let it grow longer, it is then best for Timber to build withall: and fell it for the foresaid vses in or about Nouember. Of the vse ofThe Oake tree of which there are three sorts. this Trée I haue formerly spoken, therefore I will procéed to speake somewhat of the Oake, of which you shall vnderstand there be thrée sorts.

But I pray how are their differences knowne?

They are easily knowne: for the first of them hath aThe first sort. bodie very short, thicke, and large, being full of knots and knubs and great spreading roots, yet beareth a good quan­titie of boughes, which are thicke and long growne, but commonly not straight. The wood of this Oake is good for little else than for the fire, because of his short knubbie bole, therefore not worth your labour to plant any of this kind. The second sort hath a bodie of a reasonable thicknesse andThe second sort. height, of fiue or six fadome long▪ with some few boughes vp­on the bodie, and more towards the top, and those of no great breadth or spreading out: and of this kind you may well venture to sow Adornes, or plant young Trées, because they are reasonable [...]all, the bodie smooth, and without knots, and proueth good Timber for many vses of building. The thirdThe third sort. sort hath somewhat a more small and smooth bodie than the second, but very straight, comely, cleane, and neatly growne, and about eight or nine fadomes long or more, not hauing any boughes on the bodie at all, but onely towards the top; so that all or most of the nourishment of such a Trée, is in the bodie: and these sorts of Oakes are held the best for any building, and therefore fittest to plant of this kind. And also they grow more close and néere together than the others doe, nature teaching them (by reason of their slendernesse and height) y^e it is best so to grow, rather than to stand scattering [Page 54] and open to winds and stormes, and be endangered by them. All these thrée sorts of Oakes doe beare leaues and Acornes of seuerall bignesses and fashions: and it is said, that these Trées are of long continuance, namely one hundred yeres in growing, one hundred yeares to continue good and sound, and one hundred yeares in decaying: and therefore we must not expect, that in sowing of Acornes, or planting of young Oakes, they will in fortie or fiftie yeres come to be good and indifferent large Timber, as Elme, Ash, and Béech will doe, (which will grow and put forth more in eight yeares, than an Oake will doe in twelue, and which commonly are at their best at seuentie or eightie yeares growth) but we must with patience expect, that our posteritie may haue the profit of such long continuing Trées, as we plant and sow which in time they may reape both to their pleasure and profit. And all Oakes generally would be planted in a fat, good, and sea­sonable ground, as I haue alreadie said: for according to the nature and qualitie of the soyle, be it good, indifferent, or bar­ren, so will your Oake grow and prosper.

It is most probable to be so, but I pray at what time of the yeare is it best to fell Oake Timber trées, as well for the durablenesse of the Timber for building, as also to haue profit by the Barke? for as I haue heard they must be felled at two seuerall times in the yeare.

The best time to fell all manner of Timber trées for building, is in December and Ianuarie, from the full to the change of the Moone, and towards the last quarter, she being then in Aquarius and Pisces, and then commonly they willThe time of felling Oake timber trees as well for buil­ding as for Barke. neither chinke, riue, nor grow rotten or be worme eaten, for then they are (as one may say) at a stand from growing, by reason they haue little or no sappe in them at that time, but all is in the root. And to fell Oake Timber trées for Barke, the Statute appointeth it to be betwéene the first of Aprill and last of Iune, for then the Barke will pill well, by reason the sappe is now come vp into the trée againe. And alwayes when you fell any Timber trée, fell them as néere the ground as you can, for one foot of Timber next the ground, is worth [Page 55] two foot of Timber in the top. And some, when they would haue the Trée more drie and cleane from the sappe, doe vse to out it halfe through, vnto the middle or pith of the Trée, and then to let it stand a certaine time, vntill the sappe that is in it may descend and drop out, whereby the Timber when the s [...]ppe hath thus dropped out will be the lesse putrified or corrupted, but will endure and last much the longer.

Herein you haue giuen me very good satisfaction: but I pray will the stubbe of such an Oaken Timber tree newly felled, shoot out young sprigges, whereby may be ex­pected a new spring to come of that root againe?

Yes, there will such shootes sprout out againe after the felling of the Trée in manner as I haue said, especially if the Trée felled were a growing Timber trée, and that it be felled from the change to the first quarter of the Moone: for though the Trée be taken away, yet the root is still fresh and springing, and will in some sort put forth his fruit and en­crease againe, though in another kind, for in stead of Tim­ber, which before did grow vpon that stubbe and root, you shall now haue Copies Wood, if you preserue it accor­dingly.

It is probable to be so, but why then should not men, who fell downe Timber trées, preserue such a spring?

The reason as I conceiue is this, that Timber com­monly is not felled together, but scatteringly, as here and there a trée, which indéed would not quit the cost to preserue the spring of euery such trée so felled. And againe, those who fell eight or tenne acres more or lesse of Timber trées to make a present summe of money, they neuer respect any new spring thereof to grow againe, but straight they fall to grubbing of that péece of ground so felled, and then conuer­teth it into pasture, arable, or medow, which they thinke to be the most gaines: but such men in my opinion are none of theLandlords who let Farmes from 5 yeares to 5 yeares, are none of the best husbands. best husbands; and they may well bee compared to such Landlords, who thinke it a great profit for them to let their lands from yeare to yeare, or not for aboue fiue or six yeres: which short time expired, they thinke they may then againe [Page 56] set it vpon the racke, and still encrease both rent and sine: but such Landlords doe often faile in their expectation, as common experience sheweth it true in euery poore Farmer: for if he hath his Farme but for fiue or six yeares, is it not likely he will then teare vp the ground, and ransacke the ve­ry bowels thereof for his profit, and neuer bestow cost there­of, neither to better the soyle with Compasse, or mend any Fences, or his Tenement, but all shall be cost sufficient, if it will but last his time, to bring in some little profit, during those few yeares; which ended, the ground no doubt will be much more worse than it was at the first taking thereof: for what reason hath this poore Farmer to bee at any charge thereof, more than he shall thinke fit, when he knoweth not whether he shall be tenant to it againe, or no? And what then doth this couetous Landlord get hereby, but onely as­surance, that the heart of his ground is worne out, his fen­ces broken downe and spoyled, his Tenements decayed, himselfe notoriously exclaimed of, and very likely to let it for lesse, after the expiration of those few yeares, than he did at the first.

You haue giuen two sufficient reasons why men doe not preserue such springs, to which a third may also be added; namely, as I conceiue, they are carelesse, and neuer expect that any spring at all will come forth out of such a stubbe or root, from which the Timber trée is felled. And your com­paring such an one, who grubbeth vp whole Woods to con­uert the ground to tillage or pasture, is very aptly applyed to such a Landlord, who will let his Farmes but for some short time: for if the ground be good when the Farmer ta­keth it, it will then for those few yeares well serue his turne, to bring in profit without any cost bestowing thereof: which tearme ended, and the vtmost of his labour and paines be­stowed thereof, the ground then will bee much the poorer: and if at his first entring thereon, the ground, fence and te­nement be bad, he must then bestow so much cost thereof, as will well last him to haue profit thereby during that time (for more it is not likely he will bestow) for you must thinke he [Page 57] will vse all the skill of husbandrie he can, to get his full bene­fit out of the very hart of the ground, and by that time those few yeares are expired, both ground, fence, and housing will be much impaired, and little aduantage this griping Landlord will get by letting of this land the second time.

It is true, they neither expect or care for the springing of such Copies, and especially many of the Kings Tenants, who hold any Springs or Copies of his Maiestie by lease: for when they fell a Hagge or Spring, partly out of a desire of vnlawfull gaines, they cut and mangle downe the armes and loppes of good Timber trées, yea and many good Tim­ber trées themselues, in the name of Cranckes or shrubbed Trées, which they presume they may without preiudice of their Lease, take; and partly to bare and cléere the ground of such a burthen, that so much the sooner it might become a pa­sture ground (of which Tenants doe make a better commo­ditie, because they make more often returne both of ware and money) as my selfe haue found it true in my late Northerne circuit. And this abuse will neuer be left, except some Wood­wards were more honest and carefull in their office, for they will not onely winke at such faults, but ex officio, will be as forward as any to take and sell trees at pleasure.

How now Master Woodward, how doe you like this géere? I perceiue men of your profession is also like to vndergoe the sensure of the world, as well as Sur­ueyors.

Howsoeuer he liketh it, or may be censured of the world with Surueyors, yet God forbid that all Woodwards should be so; but I doe speake but of such who demeans themselues in this idle fashion: and I could wish, that all such Surueyors, who deale not iustly according to the trust reposed in them, might be punished accordingly.

Which your opinion I approue, and will willing­ly subscribe thereunto. But leauing these abuses to the pu­nishment of the law, I pray procéed in your discourse of tim­ber trées: and the second in order for goodnesse, which you told vs of, as I remember, is the Elme.

You say true: and therefore you shall vnderstand, that there are also of this kind thrée sorts, and they are thusThe Elme tree, of which are three sorts. knowne. The first sort of them haue a little leafe & a blacke stalke, the second hath somewhat a larger leafe, and a reaso­nable white stalke, and the third hath a more large and full leafe, and a stalke more white. The best of these to plant is the last, and the second next, and these will grow thicke and tall in short time, and beare long boughes: and the third sort is worst of all, and will hardly grow to any reasonable trée, and therefore not worth your labour of planting it. And of these trées you may plant them thrée or foure seuerall waies, that is, of the séede, young plants, and roots, with the young impes cut from the trée or root: and also some doe thinke they will grow well of stippes or branches cut from a young trée of thrée or foure yeares old, and to be set in good mould halfe a foot deepe about the later end of March, or beginning of October, and cut off the toppes of those slippes, and set them about foure or fiue foot distant the one from the other, and this trée will grow as soone and plentifull as any other, by reason it is of a spungie substance.

Haue Elmes then séede, I pray whereabouts in the Elme doth it grow?

Yes that they haue, and that great store, and it groweth about the middest of the Leafe, and the Bloome thereof is somewhat like vnto a Hoppe, or the séed of O­rage, and to set or sow this séed you must doe thus: Gather the séed before the Trée be fully couered with leaues (which is about the middle of Aprill) at such time as it beginneth to be yellow, and fall from the Trée: and after they are ga­thered, they must be two or thee dayes dried in the shadow, and then sowne in good and firme ground an ynch déepe, and afterward let them be watered, if the weather proue drie: which done, and then carefully looked vnto, they will come vp and prosper verie well. Yet it is better to set Plants of them as you doe your Oake, for they will come vp sooner, and proue more large of bodie and plentifull of boughes, e­uen according as the soyle is where they grow▪ And to plant [Page 59] the roots or impes of them, cut from the trée or root, you must lay them déepe in good mould, and they will prosper and plentifully come forth, and grow to bee high and tapering Trées, by reason they haue then still their toppes: and they will best like and thriue in a grauellie soyle, as is to be séene about London and other places, where they grow tall and straight in short time. Of the great vse of this trée I haue spoken before, and therefore it were néedlesse here againe to repeat it. The third sort in goodnesse, is the Béech Tree,Beech tree. which beareth Maste verie profitable for fatting of Swine, and it may be sowne as your Acornes are, or young Trees thereof planted, like vnto Oaken Standils; and this Tree will grow well in any reasonable ground, but onely in wet and moorish grounds: and in Barkshire and Oxfordshire they grow much vpon chalkey and barren soyles: and the time of planting them is in Februarie, when the heart of the cold weather is past, or rather at the latter end of Sep­tember, and they must also be husbanded as you doe your Oaken Plant. The Hornebeame Trée doth much resem­bleHornebeame tree. the Béech Trée in qualitie, and desireth the same kinde of ground, husbanding and dressing, as the Béech trée doth, but it is a more firme and solide kinde of Wood. And these, namely the Oake, Elme, Béech, Ash, and Horne­beame Trées, are the chiefest sort of Timber trées which grow in England. And there be other small Trées of di­uers kindes, which would also serue well for Fuell and o­ther necessaries, and would much beautifie Forests and Parkes, and also proue verie commodious for Springs and Hedgerowes in Demeanes and Farme Grounds; namely, the Maple, Crabtrée, Seruice trée, Yew trée, and Hasell trée, which also would doe well to be set in places where scarce of Wood is, and these will grow and prosper well, the ground being aptly chosen for them, and husban­ded accordingly: For the Maple desireth a fat and moistMaple tree. soyle, as in Hedgerowes of arable grounds, or in other places, where they may stand warme, and then they will timely put forth good branches, and the bodie thereof is a [Page 60] white and reasonable firme wood, & good for many household vses. The Crabtrée desireth somewhat a better soyle to beCrab tree. planted in than the Maple, because of his fruit, which serueth to make veriuice of, and which is good for many purposes, as well for the sick as whole, & a great reliefe to many poore peo­ple, and also good foode for Déere, if they be planted either in Forests, Chases, or Parks: & therefore the better the ground is where this plant or trée groweth, the larger & pleasanter will the Crab & Veriuice be: the stocke or bodie of this Trée is good to graft vpon, and the wood of this Trée is also very good to make Cogges for Grist Mills, and other things. The Seruice trée delighteth in a cold, moist, and [...]arren soyle, andSeruice tree. they do vse to fow the stones thereof, and also to plant young sprigs thereof in Februarie or March or rather in the begin­ning of October, and the ground must be wel husbanded and often digged▪ and also putting ashes to the root thereof, which must be place [...] very déepe in the earth. This wood is very ex­cellent for Ioyners to make Cupbords, Deskes, and Instru­ments of, because it is solide and smooth without knots▪ Of the barries of this Trée is made a kind of drinke somewhat like in tast to Perrie, and of which in Germanie I haue drunke. The Yew trée delighteth in a hard, stonie▪ or chalkieYew tree. ground, as is to be séene about Ro [...]h Abbey in [...]he West Ri­ding of Yorkshire▪ & in some parts of kent, and also in manie Churchyards in England, & other grauelly places: the wood of this Trée is very hard, and good as euery man knoweth to make Bowes, Deskes, Instruments, and many other neces­sarie things; and it is so much the better, because it is not subiect to be eaten of wormes: yet the Spanish Yew and Ash▪ is much better than any we haue which growes in England, yet ours not to be reiected.

But I pray S [...]r why do you forget to speake of the Chesnut trée, considering you gaue such extraordinarie com­mendations, as well for the Timber as fruit thereof.

Though I haue for borne to speake thereof, yet I in­tend not to be silent therein▪ for the worth of this tree deser­uethChesnut tree. no lesse commendations then any the former: for it [Page 61] groweth to as large a tree as an Oake, doth as well in tal­nesse as thicknesse of bodie, and also beareth plentifull ofChesnuts sow [...] Chesnuts plāts boughes, if it be at the first well and carefully husbanded: and you may set or sow Chesnuts, or else set▪ young plants thereof▪ by both which waies they will come vp and prosper very well▪ and sow them rather in vallies then mountaines; in a light, soft, and blacke mould, rather then in a stiffe, clayie or sandie soyle: and plant them so that the heate of the Sun doe not too much annoy them▪ because the tree it selfe natu­rally desireth shadow and coole places, yet not cold. And theThe best time of planting Chesnuts. best time to plant them as some doe thinke, is when the Sun is in the Equinoctiall. And after they are planted, take yéere­ly the young sprigs away, as they come forth, (with your hand▪ as is formerly said▪ and not with an edged toole,) vn­till they are three or foure yeares old, and that in the begin­ning of the spring, which will cause them to prosper better, and put forth more houghes. And some held it better rather to sow Chesnuts (whereby they thinke more fruit will come thereof) then to set plants▪ so that the ground be well hus­banded, which must be done either in October or March: and Nuts that you meane to set or sow, must be verie faire, ripe, and sound, and the newer they are, the better they will grow and prosper▪ and these Nuts must be set foure or fiue of them together in one hole in the earth a foot déepe▪ the sharp ends downward, two yeards distant the one from the other: and within two or three yeards after, when they are growne vp to a reasonable height, then take them vp againe & plant them about fiftéene or sixtéene yeards dista [...]t the one from the other, for else when they are grow [...]e to be large trées,Chesnuts ste­ped in water or milke. their maine spreading branches will greatly annoy and hin­der each others grouth. And some doe vse before they set the Nuts in the ground, to stéepe them two or thrée daies in wa­ter, or rather milke, and you may set them either in October or Februarie.

But will not this trée grow and prosper as well of the Plant, as of the Nut?

Yes no doubt but it will, but you will hardly finde [Page 62] in England any young plants with roots, and to set sprigges therof hauing no roots, but cut from the tree, they will by no meanes prosper: and therefore the best and surest way is to sow the Nuts.

But the Chesnuts which commonly come into Eng­land are rotten and perished before the time commeth of set­ting them: how then shall we get any of these to be sound for setting, that in likelyhood we might not loose both labour and charge?

You say true, many of those Chesnuts which come out of France are indéed much perished, and the reason may be as well of their vntimely gathering, as also when they are gathered, in not wel kéeping of them: in both which great care must be had, and therefore the sooner you set those Nuts the better and sooner will they prosper.

But I pray how doe they kéepe them?

The manner of kéeping them in France, about the countrie of Dalphine, where great store of these trées doe grow, is, that about Autumn they do gather these Nuts, and kéepe them vntill their hulks grow, tending to a [...]ay colour, and that also vntill they rast out their fruit, and this with­out any more adoe, is their common course of kéeping them. But others who make great profit of them by their long kée­ping, & selling them to seamen to transport into other coun­tries, doe beate them downe before they be fully ripe, or fall from the trée of themselues, for those ripe ones so falling will not kéepe aboue twenty or thirtie daies, except they be dried, and yet for all that they will not kéepe verie long. And be­ing gathered as aforesaid, some then doe couer them with Hasell Nuts, which they say do drie vp the superfluous moi­sture of the Chesnuts. And others gather them in the de­creaseThe keeping of Chesnuts. of the Moone, when they are reasonable ripe, and doe put them in sand, or place them in some coole roome, or else lay them in earthen vessels well couered, that no ayre get in, which they set in coole cellers, for if any ayre doe come at them, they will soone rot and perish. And I could wish that many would apply themselues to plant (next vnto the Oke) [Page 63] this kinde of trée, as well for the timber thereof, which will serue with the best for building of houses, for which purpose it is most durable: as also for the fruit thereof, which may be eaten [...]aw, roasted, baked in Pies, or make bread there­of, and also being boyled, it may be brayed and eaten with milke, and wi [...]h may be a great reliefe to many poore people, and which also is good to fat Swine.

You say weil, and I would to God there might be as good care had of the planting and prospering of this kinde of tréee, which I perceiue bringeth abundance of ne­cessarie profit, as well to the rich as poore, both for buildingThe Mulberie tree. and foode, as there is in planting of Mulberie trées, which though it be also profitable, yet is the profit thereof annex­ed with a kinde of pride, in making silkes for ga [...]e cloathes.

It is true, yet the profit of the Chesnut tree (as I conceiue) is more necessarie, as well in respect of the good­nesse of Timber, as also for the sustenance and reliefe of the poore: yet the commoditie of the Mulberie tree is greatly to be respected, in regard of the silke that is made thereof, as also for the wood it selfe: and therefore it is a tree well worth the planting, and not amisse to speake somewhatTwo sorts of Mulbery trees, the one white, the other red. thereof. You shall vnderstand then, that there are two sorts of Mulberie trées, the white and the blacke, or darke red Mulberie, and they are so called by reason of their fruit, and the black Mulbery is better thē in the white, because it brin­geth forth a more large and better relished fruite, and in which is greater store of liquor then the white, and the bo­die of that treé is also thicker, and doth more kindly grow without knubs or [...]ynings then the white doth, and when you intend to plant it, you must haue great care, as well in manuring the ground which must be a fat and moist soyle, as also in planting of it towards the South Sunne, and in warme places, and that verie deepe in the earth, in the three foresaid monethes of Februarie, March, or rather Oc­tober: and in planting of it mixe earth with ashes, and lay it about, and vpon the roote, for this tree is very tender, and [Page 64] therefore cold winds and frosts are great enemies to it, nei­ther doth it thriue in ertreame drouthes. They may also be grafted vpon Apple or Peare trées, or vpon their own stocksNote. in the increase of the Moone, or thrée or foure daies before the first quarter. And note (as some doe write) that how ma­ny daies the Moone is olde when you graft them, so many yeares will it be before they bring forth any fruit. And this planting or grafting them is much better, then sowing the Mulbery kernell, especially in our climate, which is some­what too cold for that purpose. Som also doe plant this Mul­berie, by taking a little slip of a foot-long from the tree it selfe, and set it fiue or sixe inches in the earth, which done, it must then be carefully wa [...]ered in Summer time. Some also to make a nurcerie of fruit trées, will sow these kernels of Mul­beries among their other fruit trees. But howsoeuer, whe­ther you plant this tree, or sow kernels thereof, it would better beséeme spacious grounds, Forrests and Parkes (be­cause of his largenesse and varietie, and some annoyance withall) then an Orchard or Garden, because the fruit once ripe (which is then swéet and lutious) the flies and waspes will continually haunt in those trees, and excéedingly annoy the house. The wood of this tree is very good for ioyners toWood of this tree. Leaues of this tree. Fruit of the tree. make houshold implements of, and they vse it in some parts of Italy to build their houses. Of the leaues of tree, they féede Silkewormes, of which great profit is made. And the fruit of this tree is good to fat Swine and Poultrie. And to conclude, this tree is so good and profitable, as there is neither wood, leaues, or fruite, but serueth to good vses.

You haue sufficiently spoken of this tree, and that according to his worth, but there is yet another kind of tree which would helpe to adorne and beautifie all kinds, as wel of wilde as Farme grounds, both for the fruit, and also largenesse of the tree, and that is the Walnut tree, of whichWalnut tree. as not yet any thing hath béene spoken.

Neither did I thinke to haue said any thing thereof at all, though it be a séemely and large tree, and well worth [Page 65] the hauing, yet hath it that malignant nature with it (as my Author affirmeth) as it annoyeth all other trees which grow néere vnto it, and especially the Oake tree: yet because it is good and profitable, as well for the wood and timber, as also for the fruit, I will a little speake hereof. The ground then that these trées doe most delight in, is rather a hot soyle then a fat or waterish, and the best place to plant them in, is vpon highway sides, or vacant places, because of the spoyling o­ther trées which grow by them, for the very shadow and drop­pings of this trée doth much annoy any thing that groweth néere or vnder it: And you may either set the Nut, plant aThree manner of waies to haue this tree to grow. To set the Nut young tree thereof, or else graft it vpon some other tree. If you will set the nut, you must first (after the ground is well digged and prepared as aforesaid) make choise of the Nut to be of a yeare old, the shell faire, large, and tender, and the kernell full and crispe; and you must lay them either in stéepe in Cow milke, or else in vrine of a Boy for three or foure daies before you set them, and then put them into the earth the sharpe ends downeward, eyther in October, Fe­bruarie, or March, for then the sharpnesse of the cold wether is not fully come, or else past, and then put vp the earth light­ly about the Nut. And some also doe vse to set them with their gréene [...]uskes on, being newly taken from the tree. IfTo set the plant. you will set young plants thereof, take then the fairest and best liking young trees you can, and after the ground be­ing well trimmed and husbanded, and the superfluous roots cut away (the master roote excepted) plant them about for­ [...]ie foote distant one from the other, or else when they grow to be great trees, they will much hinder the prospering of one the other: and in planting of them let some of the earth where they did formerly grow, bee put together with the plant into the hole where it must stand, and plant them in the three foresaid monethes of February, March, or rather Octo­ber. The third way to haue this tree come vp, is by graf­tingGrafting of it. of it, which some doe vse vpon Plumtree stockes, for want of stockes of the same kinde: But the best way is to graft it vpon a stocke of his owne kinde in grafting time. [Page 66] But beware you neither set the Nut, plant young trees, or graft any sciences of this kinde of tree, neere vnto any Oake, or where any Oake hath formerly growne.

But doe you not thinke that this tree will grow in cold and moyst places, as well as in the fertill soyle, for it seemeth to mec, to be of a hard condition, for I haue of­ten séene them beatē with a long pole, when the Nuts begin to grow ripe, and their branches much broken therewith.

Yes, they will grow reasonable well in such soyles, and also endure the cold weather as well as any tree, but then it will not come to that perfection neyther for the large­nesse and bole of the tree, nor store or goodnesse of the Nut, as if it had beene planted in a good and seasonable ground: yet plant this tree where you will, it is so har­die of it selfe, that being exceedingly beaten with a long pole, as you spake of euen now, the more and better fruit shall you haue thereof: but if you doe omit beating of it, then may you prune it, or finely with the point of your knife cut the barke thereof from the foote of the tree vpwards, as high as you can reach, which some do call scarifying or lan­cing. And you shall do well now and then, after some few yeares planting of it, to lay ashes at the roote thereof, or else water it with stale vrine, which will cause the Nut to grow more large, the shell tender, and the kernell more firme and pleasant in taste; and the tree it selfe will grow fairer, and beare his fruit more timely. And although the disposition of this tree be so aduerse against all other trees which grow néere vnto it, yet is the profit thereof greatly to be respected: for the timber thereof is large, smooth, pleasant, and seruethThe profit of the VValnut tree. to many good vses for ioyners; and the loppings or boughes thereof (which grow thicke and large, when the tree is dead or to be felled, for before you must not lop it, if you intend to haue any good thereof) will serue for firewood: the whole Nut from the outermost rinde to the innermost kernell, is all and verie excellent good for many griefes and diseases: and the leafe thereof also serueth to like good purposes: so that there is not any impediment in this tree in comparing [Page 67] of it with any the former, but only his bad condition in grow­ing neere vnto other trées, and commonly it killeth any thingThe Pine tree. which groweth vnder it; which yet the Pine tree doth not, but is of a contrarie and more pleasing nature, and euery thing doth prosper very well which groweth vnder the sha­dow thereof, which is neither so combersome or thicke, but that the Sunne, Raine & Ayre may sufficiently come to any thing which so groweth.

But doe you thinke that Pine trees will grow and prosper in our climate?

I must néedes thinke so, because I haue seene some grow in England, though yet but rarely, and the reason perhaps may be, of the not well husbanding them at the first, in which great care must be vsed, yet when they are growne to be trées, they are then sufficiently able to endure all hard­nesse; but being set either of the plant or séed, they are then most choice and tender.

But I pray what course doe you vse in planting them, and in what kind of ground?

The soile that chiefly these trées delight in, is a san­die, light, and stonie ground, and will thriue very well vpon mountaines, and in open ayrie places, and they will grow sooner & better of the kernell, then of a young plant. And you must lay the kernels in stéepe thrée or foure daies before you set or sow them and let the ground where you intend to sow them be as carefully husbanded & tilled, as you would doe if you would sow wheat thereon, & then put 6 or 7 of them into the earth in one hole together 4 or 5 fingers déep, & couer thē lightly with loose earth. And the best time to sow them is in October or Nouember▪ in warm, hot, or drie places, & in cold and wet grounds in February or March, and when they are growne vp to be young trees, you must be very carefull in remouing any of them, because it is long before they will settle and take roote, and they will hardly endure to be transplanted (without hurt and hinderance to their grouth) but yet when you doe remoue of them, beware you do not bruze or breake any of the roots, espcially the master-roote. [Page 68] And it is thought this tree will continue the longer, if the barke be now and then taken from it, because that vnder the barke wormes doe breed, which doe fret and destroy the tree. And though you may thinke this disdourse of mine to be more curious then necessarie, because there be excellent good lawes alreadie inacted for preseruing the wood, yet in respect there do want peculiar officers that should carefully looke thereunto, those lawes, as many other be, are little re­spected: therefore if you please, before we end our confe­rence,Some new law fit to be thoght of for preser­uing of wood. let vs a little consider of some points fit to be thought of by our graue and discreete Parliament, meant to that ende.

M. Surueyor you haue made a good motion, I pray let vs heare your conceit concerning this point.

Sir with all willingnesse I will discouer to you my poore opinion therein, which is, that euerie Fréeholder or Co­piholder of Inheritance holding twentie Acres or vpward of land, should be enioyned by a speciall act to be made in that behalfe, to plant or sow one Acre of those twentie with Oake, Elme, Ash, Béech, or Chesnut, &c. in Counties that are not wooddie, or where little or no wood is growing, and to ditch and hedge the same defensably from Cattle and Swine, or other destruction.

You say well, but that law would as little be re­spected as any the rest, except it might also be enacted, that there should be officers appointed for the due surueying and yearely view of euerie mans performance thereof.

That is my meaning, for after this little nurcery thusOfficers ap­pointed to looke to the preseruation of these little groues. made and planted according to the proportion abouesaid, that is, from twenty Acres to one thousand, &c. I would then haue the high Constable of euerie Hundred, Wapentake, or Libertie appointed an officer to looke to the preseruation of these little groues, and that twice in the yeare, which should be about the Spring and Fall, viz. Our Ladie day▪ and Martinmas, that the fences be wel maintained, the grounds clensed from wéeds, & all manner of cattle be kept out from annoying and spoiling the tender sprigs, for which he should [Page 69] yearely haue fiue pounds, to be with equall proportion le­uiedA yearely al­lowance to this new Of­ficer. through his whole Diuision or Hundred, according to their vsuall course and proportion of rates and cesse­ments there vsed in other seruices for the Countie.

But what then should these high Constables do, when they find offenders in any point of this planting or preseruing law?

I would haue them to kéepe note bookes of al their doings therein, and that once in the yeare, and at the next Quarter Sessions extract these defaults to the Iustices ofThe defaults extracted to the Iustices of Peace. A fine and pe­naltie. Peace, and if they find any offence, to impose a fine for that default past, and a penaltie for the amendment there­of, before a certain day, as to their discretions should séem méete: and that the same chiefe Constable may haue the leuying of their fines or amercements, the profit whereof to be thus diuided into foure equall parts, viz. to the Iu­stices of the Peace one part, to the Clerke of the Peace for entring distreating the same, another part, to the chiefe Constables for collecting them one other part, and to the poore of the parish respectiuely the fourth part. And that al­soArticles to be giuē in charge to the Iurie. by the same act, the Iustices at euery their Sessions may haue power to giue in their charge to the Iurie these following Cautions, as parcell of their charge. 1 First, such who haue not planted or sowed such grounds according to the proportion of Acre or Acres aforesaid, with such plants and séeds as the nature and condition of the soile will best agrée withall. 2 Secondly, such who haue not after their planting or sowing & comming vp, carefully looked vnto them for their better prospering. 3 Thirdly, that where such Plants and Trées haue bin set and sowne, that vpon their planting or new comming vp of them, many or most of them haue miscarried and not prospered, and that such haue not againe made a reparation in due season (to be a­bout or a little after Michaelmas) with other yong Plants of like kind, &c. 4 And where that many fences bee weake and bad (Cattell and Swine breake in and croppe the yong sprigges, and roote vp the ground) bee strengthened [Page 70] and carefully mended. That by these and such like Inqui­ries presentments may at our Lady day and Martinmas be made by the Iurie of the defaults, that they may bee compared with the presentments of the said chiefe Con­stables, who are the Surueyors of these Groues. And if ther find the said chiefe Constable negligent or conniuingAnother fine to be imposed. in that Office, that then the Iustices do also fine them, ac­cording as their discretions shall thinke fit: which fine shall be diuided into two equall parts, the one halfe to the Clerke of the Peace, and the other halfe to the Iurie that presented the defaults.

Sir, in my opinion you haue laid a foundation of very good and probable law, which being perfected by the wisdome of the Parliament Burgesses, who knowing the natures, conditions, and properties of euery County, can best forme and fashion the same fit for euery place, which assuredly cannot but doe well; because you haue made such a cautionarie law, that the profits arising of the amercements and fines for defaults, as well of the ow­ners of those springs, as of the Surueyors, will cause the same to be quickly found and leuied, which will make e­uery one more carefully to looke about him.

Truely Sir, it is most needfull that some such course should be thought of, and I should thinke my selfe happie if I could possesse some pregnant wits to raise vp any profitable law for the encreasing of so pitifull a de­cay, as is generally of our Woods, which hath come by the vnnaturalnesse of the times, that hath bred men void of charitie; Epicures, onely prouiding for the supply of their pleasures: without that naturall leue, care, and respect, that by the Lawes of God, Nature, and Na­tions they should haue of their posteritie and succeeding ages.

Master Surueyor you haue spoken most truely herein: for my selfe (in this small time that I haue liued, which is not yet fully sixtie yeares) haue obserued, that in these latter ages true charitie hath had a great fight [Page 71] with selfe-loue, and much banding on both parties hath beene for some few yeares after. But since this con­flict, sensualitie hath so played the parasite, as he hath le­uied more forces, and growne more powerfull by his li­bertine insinuations, than poore charitie could do: where­by it hath followed that shee is abolished, and selfe-loue hath obtained the victorie; and thereupon comming in by conquest, she thinketh her selfe not bound to any law, but at her pleasure most licentiously hath made hauocke of all old charitable foundations, plantations, preseruations, and what not; whereby this pitifull spoile of Woods a­mongst the rest, that serued to many néedfull and worthie vses, is now presented to vs in the pageant of this our age, as part of the fruits of selfe-loue, in euery degrée, sex, and person.

Good Sir, I pray make some stay of relating so féelingly the memorie of these wofull deuastations, for in good faith you make my heart ake with the remembrance of them, and the more, for that I sée all this which you haue said to be most true in all sorts of people: for it we looke vpon the Clergie, we may then sée their Church-land to be rather champaine than reasonably wooddie, and their Woods and Copies cut downe, wasted, and sold by them, not vpon necessity, but vpon couetousnes, want of charity, and due care of Churches posteritie. If we look vpon foun­dations and donations of Colledges, Schooles, and Hospi­tals, euery man we sée is for himselfe, vasting, and deua­sting all, as though they expected neuer to haue any suc­cessors at all. If we looke towards widowes hauing dow­ries, we shall easily perceiue the small care and motherly affection they haue of their heires, in respect of their later and new husbands, but all is brought to the fall and ruine, without respect of future good to their posterities. And if we bend our considerations vpon many Officers of the Crowne, we may easily discerne what course they hold to aduance their owne profits, more then the preseruation of the Princes Woods and Royalties.

Well, since charitie is in this mournefull sort confronted and derided by selfe-loue, let euery one ende­uour to vnite himselfe, as well in others as in this most néedfull thrift of Planting: which your conceit for erec­ting some new law for the same, doth seeme to mee most probable and effectual for encrease of Timber and Fuel, and that with the least charge that may be.

Happily it may effect wel, if iudicious men would be pleased to make smooth and plaine that which I haue roughly hewen: with which I pray giue me leaue to end this discourse of Planting; wherein if I haue giuen you any satisfaction, I shall thinke my time well bestowed, and would be glad to sée you or any other practise some of these directions of Planting and Sowing for encrease of Wood and Timber, of which the scarcitie is daily séene: and yet few or none in our time (to any great purpose) haue euer taken paines to write hereof, how or in what manner to begin and procéed. And I sée there are as few industrious spirits that will vndertake the care and charge for the encrease or preseruing of them.

Are there not then any other sort of Trees worth the planting either for Timber or Fuell, more then what you haue alreadie spoken of?

There are not any other worth the labor either for Timber or Fuell, which either do, or as I conceiue, will plentifully grow or fructifie in England, because the soyle & climate is more aduerse than pleasing to their cōditions: yet there be many other Trées of small growth worth the planting, in regard of their fruit, as namely, the Apple-trée, Warden-trée, Plumme-trée, &c. the profit of which (if men would be industrious to plant them) would in short time happily yéeld a liberall encrease, & discharge a good part of their rent, besides finding of their owne houses▪ by the store of Cy [...]er and Perry, which yearely may be made thereof, as those of the Counties of Worcester, Glocester, & Here­ford do find it true by experiēce: but hereof I intend not to speake, because many men are alreadie excellent and most [Page 73] curious in that kind in their Orchards; and the making of Perrie and Cider is neither so difficult or chargeable, as it is pleasant and profitable: and for that also I should then ex­céede the compasse of an introduction to an old thrift, which was the whole scope of my intent in this discourse.

But Sir, though we are content for this present to spare your further labour herein, because I thinke wee haue almost tyred you, yet I would entreat you hereafter (though many men by practise are most skilfull therein) to let vs heare your conceit concerning fruit trées, and the commodi­tie thereof: for though the bodies or boles of them yéeld but small Timber, yet you know they are both profitable and pleasant, in respect of the fruit which commeth from them.

Sir, I thanke you for your patience in hearing this abrupt discourse of Planting and Sowing, for encrease of Timber and Fuell, wherein if I sée any desirous either to practise some of these experiments, or else adde some more liuely and practike directions for the bettering of this sub­iect, it will the rather encourage me hereafter to satisfie your desire. And in the meane time I wish we might not be either too wise or ridiculous in contemning what we neuer saw or practised, and to imitate nothing but what hath béene appro­ued by daily experience, which alwaies doth best suite with dull spirits.

You say well, and so wee will bid you adue vntill to morrow, when we will chaleng [...] your promise, to heare your discourse of the aforesaid Instrument for measuring of Timber.

M. Peregrine and the rest you are we [...]come; and I will not faile to giue you the b [...]st satisfaction I can therein.

THE FOVRTH PART,

MAster Peregrine, and the rest, God giue you all a good day.

Sir, the like to you, and wee are now come according to your appointment, as well to giue you thankes for your yester­daies discourse of Planting and Sowing for encrease of Timber and Fuell, as also to desire you to satis­fie vs concerning the vse of this Instrument, for measuring the content of any Timber trée, and also to take the heigth thereof, either standing or growing.

Sir, your request being grounded vpon my owne of­fer and promise, I cannot denie you so iust a demaund: but first let me aske you, if you haue any vnderstanding in the science of Arithmeticke?

Yes a little, and I once had it reasonably perfect, but now for want and vse thereof I haue almost forgotten it: yet will I helpe that defect in my selfe as well as I can, by being attentiue and willing to vnderstand.

And I haue béene so slacke therein, as the question must be very easie, if I can resolue it: therefore I must the more entreat your paines and patience herein.

It is my purpose to be painefull and patient to giue you the best satisfaction herein I can. But the vse and prac­tise of this Art is so ingenious, excellent, and necessarie, as we can vse no manner of commerce or correspondencie with any, or practise any facultie or knowledge, but still Ari [...]h­meticke is the speciallest and most essentiall part thereof: therefore you doe not well to be so negligent or forgetfull of so excellent a thing as this is: But the hearing of this Dis­course will be little pleasing or profitable to our Farmer, be­cause I imagine he is little séene in the practise of numbers and figures.

Master Surueyor, I thanke you for your care, and it is likely you will find me an old Truant therein: yet if it will please you to procéede, I will also doe my best to vnder­stand you therein; for I haue speciall vse and néede thereof, because I buy and sell much Timber.

It is well, I perceiue then if you will be attentiue, all of you will soone conceiue the vse of this Instrument: but you must know, that I intend not to instruct you in the whole course of measuring Timber and Board (which this Instrument will performe as well as any other) but only to teach you some briefe rules, and so much as shall sufficiently serue you to measure boord, or any solide, round or square bo­die, be it Timber, stone, glasse, or any such like, and also to take the heigth of a Trée, or of any thing else. This Instru­mentThe descrip­tion of the In­strument. then is made as you sée of two péeces of Box or Brasse, whether you will, and of a reasonable thicknesse, with a ioint in the middest to open and that at pleasure, to what distanceVpper-side lower side, out­ward edge, [...]n­ward edge. you please, yea, euen vnto a straight line, and it consisteth of the vpper side & lower side, outward edge and inward edge.

I pray what doe you meane by the consisting of it?

I meane there are graduated vpon those sides & edges diuisions that must performe the worke: and first I will in­struct you of such graduatiōs as are vpon y^e vpper side, which [Page 76] as you sée are certaine degrées called the Sines, the degrées of a Quadrant, and 20 equall parts along the edge of the Scale. And first for the Sines, they are 90 vnequall parts extending from the Centre, growing by degrées to a smaller proportion towards 90, and which are numbred by 10, 20, 30, to 90, the fines being [...]ut further than the vnites, and each vnite diuided into halues, and is of great vse in the doctrine of Triangles, as hereafter shall be shewed. Secondly, the degrées of a Quadrant are likewise 90, from the Centre to­wards your right hand, hauing the Sines vpmost, & holding the Centre from you wards; and also the fines are cut fur­ther than the vnites, and each vnite diuided into halues, and which serueth to take heights. Thirdly, the 20 equall parts are thus to bee vnderstood, the Scale is to bee opened to a straight line, and then the whole length thereof (which is iust one foot) is diuided into 20 equall parts, and is numbred by 5, 10, 15, to 20. And which also serueth to measure the bredth, depth, and circumference of any Trée.

All this I vnderstand, because I sée it so in the Scale, but how or vpon what grounds they are made, that I know not.

Neither is it materiall whether you know it or no, except you will apply your selfe a little to studie Geometrie, and therefore it shall suffice onely to instruct you in the vse of it. Next in order followeth the graduations of the lower [...]ower side. side, and first of the equall parts which come from the Cen­tre, are 100, being numbred by 10, 20, 30, to 100. And the fines are cut further than the vnites, and which serueth to finde the circumference of a circle, the diameter being giuen; to take any part or parts of a line being giuen, and for diuers other vses. On the right hand are graduated 30 equal parts, being numbred by 5, 10, 15, to 25. And the first 5 are not numbred at all, and each vnite is diuided into halues and quarters; which Scale serueth to finde the Diameter of a Circle, the circumference being giuen. Towards your left hand are graduated 25 equall parts, being numbred by 5, 10, 15, to 20. And the first 5 is not numbred at all, being diuided [Page 77] into vnites, and each vnite into halues and quarters, seruing to find the side of a square equall to a Circle, to lay downe a figure according to the proportion of that Scale, and also to other vses.

Hitherunto I perceiue it is most easie, and I vnder­stand you well without further instruction.

You will assuredly thinke so, if you conceiue that the knowledge and learning of new things féeme not tedi­ous and difficult to attaine, which indéed at the first are al­waies the hardest: But to procéed, then vpon the outwardOutward edg [...]. edge, is graduated inches (diuided into halues and quar­ters,) to the number of 12. (the iust length of the scale) and are numbred by 1. 2. 3. to 12. And then for the gra­duations of the inward edge (the scale being in a straightIn ward edge. line as before) the whole length is deuided into 10. equall parts, and is numbred by 1. 2. 3. to 10. And which serueth to measure the length, heigth, and distance of things. And thus much for the graduations of the scale, by which is wrought any thing that I intend to speake of.

It séemeth that this Instrument is very necessary to performe what you haue said, but yet if I should for want of skill commit any error in the worke, what helpe is there then, when I know not how or where to finde the fault, or v­pon what grounds it is made?

You speake to good purpose, but as I said before, so I say now, you must be pleased to take it for an answer, that except you will studiously séeke to attain the knowledge of these things, you must be content with such briefe Rules, as shall be taught you, concerning this or any the like subiect: yet this helpe shall you haue herein, that you may trie by A­rithmeticke, any the materiallest matters concerning this affaire, whether it will hold true with the Scale or no.

That is as much as I desire: and therefore I pray begin some proposition.

I will: First then rather for varietie, then vse héereof in measuring board or, timber, (but onely for theThe vse of the vpper side. [Page 78] heigth of a tree excepted) I will shew you two or thrée propo­sitions concerning the Sines. As.