The choyce of ground for the Kitchin-garden, and the ordering thereof.
A Promise honest and profitable, being seriously made, I holde a sinne
capitall to neglect, especially where the goodnesse stretcheth it
selfe ouer a whole Kingdome: and hence I haue assumed to perfect both
my promise and my labour in building vp that weake foundation which
I formerly laid, of the English Husbandman: wherein, contrary to all
other Authors, I am neither beholden to _Pliny, Virgil, Columella,
Varo, Rutillius, Libault_, nor any other Forrainer, but onely to our
owne best experienst Countreymen, whose daily knowledge hath made
them most perfect in their professions: and what better instruction
can be had then that which we receiue from the professors, being men
of our owne neighbourhood, acquainted with our Climate and Soile, and
the necessary things agréeing with the bettering of the same: and not
resort, as our Translators haue done, to strangers helpe, who tels you
that you must meanure your ground with Asses dung, when our Kingdome
hath not so many foure-footed Asses as wil meanure one Acre, and many
such like things which our Kingdome affordeth not: therefore according
to the plaine true English fashion, thus I pursue my purpose.
[Sidenote: The choyce of Ground.]
Touching the choyse of Ground, I haue in the former part of this Booke
shewed you the true nature and goodnesse of euery seuerall Soyle: and
you are to vnderstand that the best Soyle is best for this purpose,
because it is least laborsome, and most profitable: yet notwithstanding
that some of our translated Authors doth vtterly disalow for Gardens
many Soyles, as namely, all Sands, all Chawkie earths, all Grauell, all
Earths like dust, and any Earth which chappeth or openeth in the heat
of Summer, by that meanes depriuing almost halfe our kingdome of the
benefit of Gardens, yet I assure you there is no Soyle whatsoeuer (if
it lye from the inundation of water, or be not absolutely boggy) but
with industry will beare any Fruit, Hearbe, or Flower, plentifully, and
without any casualtie procéeding from the barraines therof: witnes a
most worthy Garden in the barren Peake of _Darbyshire_, where there is
no curious Trée or Plant wanting, nor doe they flourish in any place
more brauely.
[Sidenote: The bettering of Grounds.]
[Sidenote: The trenching of Grounds.]
Now for mine owne part, I write generally to all Husbandmen, not to
those onely which liue in fertile and fat Soyles, and therefore I would
haue no man say, the Soyle where I liue is so barraine, that I cannot
haue a Garden: for if the Soyle wherein you liue, be barraine, then
shall you in the latter end of September breake vp your earth more then
a Spade-graft déepe, and be well assured that at euery Spade-graft you
breake the mould well, and leaue not the rootes of any wéeds within it,
then let it rest till the midst of October, at which time if any wéeds
appeare vpon it, by all meanes let them be pluckt vp by the roots,
which done, you shall trench your ground at least a yarde and a halfe
déepe, and then bury in those trenches, if it be a Sand or grauell
earth, great store of Oxe or Cow meanure, if it be a colde Chalkie
Clay, or a moyst ground, then great store of Horse meanure, of both
which meanures the oldest and rottenest is the best: but if you liue in
such a Soyle as there is neyther of these meanures bred therein, then
take straw of any kinde whatsoeuer, and spread it in the high-way where
there is much trauell, & when it is rotten with the beating of Horse
féet, then cause it to be shoueld vp, & with it fill your trenches,
but if Straw be wanting, then if you haue any muddy ditches or ponds,
scowre the mud out of them, & with it fill vp your trenches: & although
these are not so long lasting as the two first sorts of meanures,
yet they are sufficient to bring forth increase, & must supply where
necessity inforceth, alwayes hauing discretion when you sée your
ground abate in fruitfulnes, to replenish it with fresh meanure.
Now as you fill your trenches with meanure, let one mixe the earth
therewithall, and as it were blend and incorporate them together: thus
hauing gone ouer so much ground as you intend to plant or sowe vpon,
you shall let it rest till the midst of Ianuary, at which time you
shall breake it vp in trenches againe, but not aboue thrée quarters
of a yarde déepe, and then fill vp those trenches with meanure as
before, and lay your earth as leuell as is possible, & so let it rest
till the beginning of March (if the weather be seasonable for sowing
or planting) otherwise let it stay till mid-March, and as soone as the
Moone is changed you shall then dig it vp the fourth time, and make it
fit to receyue your séede, but in this fourth time of turning ouer your
earth, you shall dig it but a little better then a Spade-graft depth,
and euer as you dig it, mixe it with fresh meanure: if your ground be
subiect to much chapping or rining, then you shall at this last digging
mixe the earth with ashes and Horse meanure mixt together, which will
binde and holde the earth from chapping.
[Sidenote: Of breaking the Garden moulde.]
[Sidenote: Ordering of Garden-beds.]
After you haue digd your ground in this order, and made it leuell,
you shal with an Iron Rake breake the great clods of earth, and bring
it to as fine a mould as is possible, euer obseruing that if in the
breaking of the clods or otherwise, you perceiue the roots or stalks of
any wéeds to arise, you shall presently with your hand pull them out,
and cast them on heaps, that they may serue eyther for the fire or the
dunghill: which done, you shall tread out your beds in such orderly
sort, that you may passe from one to the other without eyther treading
vpon the beds, or striding ouer them: & thus much for the barraine &
sterrill ground, which although all ancient & late writers reiect, as
not worthy to be imployed to this vse, yet beléeue it, being husbanded
as is said before, it will equall in fruitfulnes the best ground.
[Sidenote: Of the fruitfull Soyle.]
Touching your rich and perfect grounds, which of themselues are apt
to put forth with little labour, you shall onely at the latter end
of September breake vp the Earth, and making greater Trenches, fill
them well with Oxe meanure, and then turning the Earth vpon the
meanure, leuell your ground very carefully, breake the clots and
rake it very painefully, and then treade out your beds, as is before
sayd, artificially; but if the ground which you breake vp, be eyther
gréene-swarth, or much ouergrowne with wéeds (as these rich soyles
must euer be the one or the other) (for they will not be idle, but
continually bringing forth) then at this first digging and dunging you
shall haue diuers which shall follow the Spade, who shall take away
all manner of roots, gréenes, grasse-tufts, stones, or whatsoeuer may
bréede anoyance to the ground: which worke being perfected, you shall
let the ground rest all winter till the beginning of March, that the
frost may mellow and ripen the mould, and also kill the roots of such
wéeds as the Spade hath turned vp, and haue béene omitted to be pulled
away.
Now so soone as March is come, vpon the first change of the Moone, you
shall digge vp this Earth againe, leuell it, and order it in all points
as was sayd of the barraine Earth, onely there will néede no more vse
of meanure, but as soone as it is digged, raked, leuelled, and brought
into a fine mould, you may then tread out your Beds, as aforesayd, euer
proportioning the quantitie of them according to the quantitie of your
séedes, hauing the most of that which is most in vse, and the least of
the contrary.
Now as touching the fencing and inclosing of your Garden, I haue in
the former Booke shewed you the same at large, and giuen seuerall
instructions, according to mens seuerall abilities, with this caution,
that whether your fence be wall, pale, dead-hedge, ditch, or quickset,
yet it must be so high that it may with assurance kéepe all manner of
Pullen from flying ouer the same, who are the greatest enemies to a
Garden that may be.
[Sidenote: The necessariest Ornament in a Garden.]
There would be also in this Kitchin-Garden, if with conueniency it may
be brought to passe, eyther a Pumpe, Well, or Cesterne, which might
flow continually with water all the Summer time, for the watering of
Hearbs, as shall be héereafter declared. And thus much touching the
choyce of ground for a Kitchin-garden, and the ordering of the same.