_Of the Scyte, Modell, Squares, and Fashion of a perfect Orchard._
Although many authors which I haue read, both in Italian, French, and
Dutch, doe make a diuersitie and distinguishment of Orchardes, as
namely, one for profit, which they fashion rudely and without forme, the
other for delight, which they make comely, decent, and with all good
proportion, deuiding the quarters into squares, making the alleyes of a
constant breadth, and planting the fruit-trees in arteficiall rowes: yet
for as much as the comelinesse and well contriuing of the ground, doth
nothing abate, but rather increase the commoditie, I will therefore
ioyne them both together, and make them onely but one Orchard. Now for
the scyte and placing of this Orchard, I haue in the modell of my
Country house, or Husbandmans Farme, shewed you where if it be possible
it should stand, and both what Sunne & ayre it should lye open vpon: but
if the scyte or ground-plot of your house will not giue you leaue to
place your Orchard according to your wish, you shall then be content to
make a vertue of necessitie, and plant it in such a place as is most
conuenient, and nearest alyed to that forme before prescribed.
{Illustration}
Now when you haue found out a perfect ground-plot, you shall then cast
it into a great large square, which you shall fence in either with a
stone or bricke wall, high, strong pale, or great ditch with a
quicke-set hedge, but the wall is best and most durable, and that wall
would haue vpon the inside within twelue or fourteene foote on of
another, Iames or outshoots of stone or bricke, betweene which you may
plant and plash those fruit-trees which are of greatest tendernesse, the
South and West Sunne hauing power to shine vpon them.
When you haue thus fenc'st in this great square, you shall then cast
foure large alleyes, at least fourteene foote broad, from the wall round
about, and so likewise two other alleyes of like breadth, directly
crosse ouerthwart the ground-plot, which will deuide the great square
into foure lesser squares, according to the figure before set downe.
The figure 1. sheweth the alleyes which both compasse about, and also
crosse ouer the ground-plot, and the figure 2. sheweth the foure
quarters where the fruit-trees are to be planted.
Now if either the true nature and largnesse of the ground be sufficient,
or your owne abilitie of pursse so great that you may compasse your
desires in these earthly pleasures, it shall not be amisse, but a matter
of great state, to make your ground-plot full as bigge againe, that is
to say, to containe eight large quarters, the first foure being made of
an euen leuell, the other foure being raysed at least eight foote higher
then the first, with conuenient stayres of state for ascending to the
same, to be likewise vpon another euen leuell of like forme, and if in
the center of the alleyes, being the mid-point betweene the squares,
might be placed any quaint fountaines or any other antique standard, the
platforme would be more excellent and if vpon the ascent from one leuell
to another there might be built some curious and arteficiall banquetting
house, it would giue luster to the Orchard.
Now for the planting and furnishing of these quarters: you shall
vnderstand that if your Orchard containe but foure quarters, then the
first shalbe planted with Apple-trees of all sorts, the second with
Peares and Wardens of all sorts, the third with Quinces & Chesnutes, the
fourth with Medlars & seruices. Against the North side of your Orchard
wall against which the South sunne reflects, you shall plant the
Abricot, Verdochio, Peach, and Damaske-plumbe: against the East side of
the wall, the whit Muskadine Grape, the Pescod-plumbe, and the
Emperiall-plumbe: against the West side the grafted Cherries, and the
Oliue-tree: and against the South side the Almond, & Figge tree. Round
about the skirts of euery other outward or inward alley, you shall
plant, the Wheate-plumbe, both yealow & redde, the Rye-plumbe, the
Damson, the Horse-clog, Bulleys of all kindes, ordinary french Cherryes,
Filberts, and Nuts of all sorts, together with the Prune-plumbe, and
other such like stone fruits. But if your Orchard be of state and
prospect, so that it containe eight quarters or more (according to the
limitation of the earth) then you shall in euery seuerall quarter plant
a seuerall fruit, as Apple-trees in one quarter, Peares in another,
Quinces in another, Wardens in another, and so forth of the rest. Also
you shall obserue in planting your Apples, Peares, and Plumbes, that you
plant your summer or early fruit by themselues, and the Winter or long
lasting fruit by themselues. Of Apples, your Ienitings, Wibourns,
Pomederoy, and Queene-Apples are reckoned the best earely fruits,
although their be diuers others, and the Pippin, Peare-maine,
Apple-Iohn, and Russetting, your best Winter and long lasting fruit,
though there be a world of other: for the tastes of Apples are infinite,
according to there composition and mixture in grafting. Of Peares your
golden Peare, your Katherine-Peare, your Lording, and such like, are the
first, and your stone-Peare, Warden-Peare, and choake-Peare, those which
indure longest. And of Plumbes the rye-plumbe is first, your
Wheate-plumbe next, and all the other sorts of plumbes ripen all most
together in one season, if they haue equall warmth, and be all of like
comfortable standing.
{Illustration}
Now for the orderly placing of your trees, you shall vnderstand that
your Plumbe-trees (which are as it were a fence or guard about your
great quarters) would be placed in rowes one by one, aboue fiue foote
distance one from another, round about each skirt of euery alley: your
Apple-trees & other greater fruit which are to be planted in the
quarters, would be placed in such arteficiall rowes that which way
soeuer a man shall cast his eyes yet hee shall see the trees euery way
stand in rowes, making squares, alleyes, and deuisions, according to a
mans imagination, according to the figure before, which I would haue
you suppose to be one quarter in an Orchard, and by it you may easily
compound the rest: wherein you shall vnderstand that the lesser prickes
doe figure your Plumbe-trees, & the greater prickes your Apple trees,
and such other large fruit.
Now you shall vnderstand that euery one of these great trees which
furnish the maine quarter, shall stand in a direct line, iust twelue
foote one from another, which is a space altogether sufficient inough
for there spreading, without waterdropping or annoying one another;
prouided that the Fruiterer, according to his duty, be carefull to
preserue the trees vpright and to vnderprope them when by the violence
of the winde they shall swarue any way. Vpon the ascent or rising from
one leuell to another, you may plant the Barberry-trees, Feberries, and
Raspberries, of all sorts, which being spreading, thorny and sharpe
trees, take great delight to grow thicke and close together, by which
meanes often times they make a kinde of wall, hedge, or fencing, where
they stand.
Hauing thus shewed you the ground-plot and proportion of your Orchard,
with the seuerall deuisions, ascents, and squares, that should be
contained therein, and the fruits which are to furnish euery such square
and deuision, and their orderly placing, it now rests that you
vnderstand that this Orchard-plot, so neare as you can bring it to
passe, doe stand most open and plaine, vpon the South and West sunne,
and most defended from the East and North windes and bitternesse, which
being obserued your plot is then perfect and absolute.
Now forasmuch as where nature, fruitfulnesse, and situation doe take
from a man more then the halfe part of his industrie, and by a direct
and easie way doth lead him to that perfection which others cannot
attaine to without infinit labour and trauell: and whereas it is nothing
so commendable to maintaine beautie, as to make deformitie beautifull, I
will speake something of the framing of Orchard-plots there where both
nature, the situation, and barrainnesse, doe vtterly deny the enioying
of any such commoditie, as where the ground is vneuen, stonie, sandy, or
in his lownesse subiect to the ouerflow of waters, all being apparant
enemies to these places of pleasure and delight. First, for the
vneuennesse of the ground, if that be his vttermost imperfection, you
shall first not onely take a note with your eye, but also place a marke
vpon the best ascent of the ground to which the leuell is fittest to be
drawne, and then plowing the ground all ouer with a great common plough,
by casting the furrowes downward, seeke to fill in and couer the lesser
hollownesses of the ground, that their may not any thing appeare but the
maine great hollowes, which with other earth which is free from stones,
grauell, or such like euils, you shall fill vp and make leuell with that
part where your marke standeth, and being so leuelled, forthwith draw
the plot of your Orchard: but if the ground be not onely vneuen but also
barraine, you shall then to euery loade of earth you carry to the
leuelling adde a loade of Manure, either Oxe Manure, or Horse Manure,
the rubbish of houses, or the clensings of olde ditches, or standing
pooles, and the earth will soone become fertill and perfect; but if the
ground be stonie, that is, full of great stones, as it is in Darbishire
about the Peake or East Mores, for small pibbles or small lime-stones
are not very much hurtfull, then you shall cause such stones to be digd
vp, and fill vp the places where they lay either with marle, or other
rich earth, which after it hath beene setled for a yeere or two you
shall then plough, and leuell it, and so frame forth the plot of your
Orchard. If the ground be onely a barraine sand, so that it wanteth
strength either to maintaine or bring forth, you shall then first digge
that earth into great trenches, at least foure foote deepe, and filling
them vp with Oxe Manure, mixe it with the sand, that it may change some
part of the colour thereof and then leuelling it fashion out your
Orchard. But lastly, and which is of all situations the worst, if you
haue no ground to plant your Orchard vpon, but such as either through
the neighbourhood of riuers, descent of Mountaines, or the earths owne
naturall quallitie in casting and vomiting out water and moysture, is
subiect to some small ouerflowes of water, by which you cannot attaine
to the pleasure you seeke, because fruit-trees can neuer indure the
corruption of waters, you shall then in the dryest season of the yeere,
after you haue marked out that square or quantitie of ground which you
intend for your Orchard, you shall then cast therein sundry ditches, at
least sixteene foote broad, and nine foote deepe, and not aboue twelue
foote betwixt ditch and ditch, vpon which reserued earth casting the
earth that you digged vp, you shall raise the banckes at least seauen
foote high of firme earth, and keepe in the top the full breadth of
twelue foote, with in a foote or little more: and in the casting vp of
these bankes you shall cause the earth to be beaten with maules and
broad beetels that it may lye firme, fast, and leuell, and after these
bankes haue rested a yeere or more, and are sufficiently setled, you may
then at the neather end of the banke, neare to the verge of the water
plant store of Osyers, which will be a good defence to the banke, and
vpon the top and highest part of the banke you shall plant your Orchard
and fruit-trees, so that when any inundation of water shall happen, the
ditches shalbe able inough to receiue it; or else making a passage from
your Orchard into some other sewer, the water exceeding his limits may
haue a free current or passage: besides these ditches being neatly kept,
and comforted with fresh water, may make both pleasant and commodious
fish-ponds. Also you must be carefull in casting these bankes that you
doe not place them in such sort that when you are vpon one you cannot
come to the other, but rather like a maze, so that you may at pleasure
passe from the one to the other round about the ground, making of diuers
bankes to the eye but one banke in substance, and of diuers ponds in
appearance, but one in true iudgement. And thus much for the plot or
situation of an Orchard.