Part 7

Now if you would chuse Timber for weather-boards, or to be vsed in water-workes, or to make Planks for low moyst Vaults, then you shall chuse the biggest, soundest and smoothest growne _Elme_, it is also excellent good to make Kitchen tables of, or for boards, for the vse of Butchers. If you will chuse the most principallest Timber, for Cart or Waine Axel trées, for the naues of whéeles, or for any other vse of toughnesse, you shall chuse the _Elme_ onely, for it excéedeth all other Timbers, and though some Husbandmen are of opinion, that the _Elme_ Axel-trée when it is throughly heated, is then most apt to breake, they are much deceiued, for it will endure farre beyond Ash or any other Timber, except Yewgh, which for the scarsity is now of little vse in such a purpose. And herein you must obserue, that the _Elme_ which you chuse for Axel-trées must be straite, smooth, and without knots, but that which you chuse for naues, must be most knotty, twound, and the hardest to be broken or hewed asunder.

[Sidenote: Vse of the Ash.]

If you will chuse Timber for Ploughes, ordinary Axel-trées (for those of _Elme_ are speciall) the rings of whéeles harrow bulls, and such like, then you shall chuse the fairest, straightest, biggest, and smoothest growne Ash that you can finde, and from the roote end vpward, you shall cut out a length of Axel-trées, aboue it a length of shelbordes, and aboue it (if the Trée be so large) a length for heads and Skeathes, the largest armes which are somewhat bending, you shall elect for rings for whéeles, and so according to the bignesse of the Ash, and as your eye can proportion out what will be made of the same, you shall make valuation thereof.

[Sidenote: Vse of the Wall-nut tree.]

If you would chuse Timber for ioyned Tables, Cupbords, or Bedsteds, you shall then make choise of the fairest Walnut-trée you can finde, being olde, straight, vnknotted, and of a high boale: and although either Oake, or Ash will reasonably well serue for this purpose, yet the Walnut-trée is by many degrées the best of all other, for it is of smoothest graine, and to the eye most beautifull, prouided that by no meanes you put it into any worke, before it be excéedingly well seasoned.

[Sidenote: Vse of the Peare-tree.]

If you would chuse Timber for Ioynt-stooles, Chaires, or Chests, you shall then chuse the oldest Peare-trée so it be sound, for it is both smooth, swéet, and delicate, and though it be a very soft Wood, yet in any of these frames it is an excéeding long laster, and the heart thereof will neuer bréede worme, nor will it in any time loose the colour.

[Sidenote: Vse of the Maple, Beech, and Poplar.]

If you would chuse Timber for Trenchers, Dishes, or any Tourners ware, or for any in-laying worke, you shall then make choise of the fairest and soundest Maple, being smooth and vnknotted, for it is the plainest graine, and the whitest Wood of all other: and although either the Béech or Poplar will reasonably well serue for these purposes, yet is neither the colours so good, nor the Timber so long lasting. Many other Trées there are which may serue for many other purposes: but these are of most vse for our English Husbandman, and will sufficiently serue to passe through all his businesses.

[Sidenote: Of Char-coale.]

Touching Char-coale, you shall vnderstand, that Oake, Elme, and Ash, make your longest and best enduring Coale: the Birtch the finest and brightest Coale, and the Béech or Sallow the swiftest Coale. Now for your small Coale, the twigges of the Birtch makes that which kindles the soonest, and the White-thorne that which endures the longest.

[Sidenote: How to value Timber.]

Thus when you know how to chuse euery seuerall Trée, and the true vse and profit which can any way be made of the same, and by a practised experience can cast by the suruay and view of a standing Wood, the almost entire profit that may arise from the same, deuiding in your memory how many are for euery seuerall purpose, and to what reckoning they may amount one with the other, and blemishing (if you buy) the good with the bad, or making good (if you sell) the bad with those good ones which grow néere them, you may then boldly venture into any sale either as a buyer or seller at your pleasure, and sure if you know (as it is fit you should doe) the Market-able prices of all sorts of Timbers in those places, where you are either to buy or sell, as what a Mill-post is worth, what so many inches of well squared Timber, contayning so many foote in length, what a dozen of boards of such a size, what so many naues, spoakes, rings, sparres, or tracens, or what so much sound and good Plough-timber is worth, and then looking vpon a Trée, and computing what may euery way be made of the same, allowing the wast which will hardly sometimes defray the charge of breaking vp the Trée, you cannot but with great ease draw into your minde the true value of euery Trée, and the vttermost profit or losse may any way rise from the same.

[Sidenote: How to measure Timber by gesse.]

And in this worke I would haue you to obserue this rule very carefully, that is, when you come to any great Timber-trée, to fathome or embrace it about with both your armes, and then knowing what quantity your fathome is, and how many fathome girdleth the Trée round about, you may from former experience giue a certaine gesse what inches of squared Timber that Trée will beare, for if you haue found in former trials that twice your fathome in the rough barke hath borne twenty, or two and twenty inches squared, and now finde that the present Trée on which you looke, is no lesse, but rather with the bigger, you may boldly presume, that being sound, this trée can carrie no lesse square of good Timber: and thus much for the knowledge and choise of tall Woods.

[Sidenote: Best seasons for the sale.]

[Sidenote: The time for Chap-men.]

Now to come to the seasons & fittest times for sale of these high Woods: you shall vnderstand that it is méete for euery good husband which intendeth to sell any of his high Woods, to walke into the same immediately after Christmas, & whether they be in woods, Groues, hedge-rowes, or other places, to marke with a special marke all those Trées which he intendeth to sell, as well for the wéeding and cleansing out of all such as are decayed and wasted, as also to know the true number of both the good and bad, and thereby in some measure to compute the profit which will arise from the same, for to make sale of them otherwise confusedly, might bring much losse to a man happily, selling away those that would encrease their valewes, and kéepeing them which daily would decrease their goodnesse, or so vnorderly vnmixing his Wood, that where one faire and good Trée would draw a mans eye from beholding diuers which are doated, now that onely taken away, the rest will remaine, and neuer be sale-able, and therefore euer as néere as you can so suite and match your Trées together, that in your sales you may neuer passe away an absolute worthie Trée: but you may euer couple some which haue defects to goe with it, as in these dayes we sée Warriners and Poulters sell Rabbets, a fat and a leane euer coupled together. When you haue thus marked out what you meane to sell, and disposed your sale according to your best profit, after notice giuen vnto the Country in the Market Townes néere adioyning, you shall begin your sale the Candlemasse following, which sale you may continue all the Spring, according to the greatnesse thereof, or the quicknesse of buyers. Now for any rules or orders to be obserued in these sales, I can prescribe you none certaine, because it is méete that euery one binde himselfe to the customes of the Country in which he liueth, whose variations are diuers, for almost euery one is seuerall, onely in the maine they holde together, which is that they seldome make publike sales for money downe vpon the head, but for a certaine payment some fewe moneths after, which makes the Marchandise more lookt to, and the sales goe away the faster; and in this the Sales-man must be circumspect in the choise of his Chap-men, and where hée findeth any doubt there to make one neighbour stand bound for another, as for the earnest penny it is euer ouer and aboue the price, and must be laide downe at the binding vp of the bargaine, which earnest is in some Countries foure pence in the pound, in some eight pence, and in some twelue pence, according to the goodnesse of the Timber, and hath euer béene taken for a fée due to the Sales-man for his paines and attendance: and sure if he be carefully honest, it is a merrit well bestowed: if otherwise, it is much too much for falshood, for in him consists the owners losse or profit, and therefore it may become any man, of what place so euer, to take a strickt account from such an officer: or if he haue any doubt euer to ioyne with him in commission, another of contrary faction.

[Sidenote: When to cut downe Timber.]

When you haue made sale of your Timber, you shall by no meanes let it be cut downe till the end of Aprill, at which time the sap ascending vpward, will loosen the bark, and make it come from the body of the Trée easily. You shall cut your Timber downe close by the earth, not digge it vp by the rootes, vnlesse you meane vtterly to destroy it, for from the spurnes of the roote will arise new Spiers, which in processe of time, will come to another Trée. As soone as you haue felled your Oakes, you shall with your Axe immediatly whilst the sap is wet, take all the barke from the body and the armes, and setting it end-wayes as vp one by another, so place it, that the winde may passe through it, and dry it, and then sell it to the Tanners, which will giue you a good price therefore, according to the worth and scarsity thereof. When your Trées are barkt, you shall then sawe the body into such lengthes of Timber, as shall be méete for the purpose for which it is bought, or in such sort as it may be best portable: the armes also you shall hewe from the body, and so burken or breake them vp, as they may be fit to be loaded: all which done, and the Timber caried away, you shall, if you intend to haue the Wood renew, fence in the sale, and kéepe it safe from Cattell: and thus much for the preseruation and sale of high Woods.

CHAP. V.

_Of the breeding of Wood in rich champaine soyles._

Nature which is the most perfect worke-mistresse of all things (as all the Philosophers say) but I say our good God out of his most diuine wisedome, hath allotted to euery soyle, if we will note it, through the whole course of this Kingdome, particular profit to sustaine and maintaine it, as to some Mines, to some Timber, and to some fertility of grasse and corne, and where any one of these are, there commonly some of the other is euer wanting, as we sée daily in our experience; and for as much as in the fruitfull and fertill soyles of this land, of which wée estéeme the wealthie vales, as that of _Essam_, _White-horse_, _Beluoire_, and many others the best, there is euer great scarsitie of Wood, the very wealthinesse of the soyle it selfe almost denying to beare such burden, because for the most part the stifnesse of those clayes is contrary to their growth, yet for as much as the necessitie and vse of Wood is so great and valuable, I would perswade euery good and worthy Husbandman, to endeauour himselfe with all his vtmost power and strength, to plant wood in euery conuenient place round about him, and not to take the rules of the ignorant for his lesson, that sith neuer any did grow there, therefore neuer any will grow there: for it is absurd and foolish: nor to say because my auncestors haue neuer done it why should I attempt it? These arguments are made from a false figure, and the Husbandman must remember that his dutie is industrie, and encrease not altogether imitation and president, and he must as seriously finde out new and néerer profits, as hold those he hath learned: and therefore he shall endeauour by all commendable labour to haue euer about him whatsoeuer is necessarie for his vse: but you will peraduenture aunswere me, that to plant Woods in these rich soyles, were very much losse, because the fertilitie thereof will yéeld a much better profit. To this I reply, that I would not haue you plant any spacious piece of ground with wood, but onely your ditches, hedges, and such wast earthes, as almost denie any other profit, and that the want of wood in those places may not discourage you, to imagine that wood will not grow there. Doe but view the cytes of euery Towne in those rich Countries, the seates of Noblemen & Gentlemens houses, and the Parks which commonly are adioyning there-vnto, and you shall hardly sée any of them without the fellowship & acquaintance of some wood, which in times past hath béene planted either for defence or pleasure, and from thence collect that if wood will grow with my next neighbour, then why not with me, so long as the soyle doth not alter. But _Labor vincit omnia improbus_, True industrie was neuer fruitlesse. Then for the generall good both of your selfe & your neighbours, looke that you replenish all your ditches & ring fences, with good store of Quick-set, that is to say, all that lye high, & out of the danger of water, with White-thorne, Black-thorne, and Bryer, and those which are low & subiect to washing, with Willowes, Sallowes, and Ozyers.

[Sidenote: How to set all sorts of Quick-set.]

Now for as much as it is not enough to say vnto the Husbandman do this, but that I must also shew the manner of doing thereof: I will shew you briefly how to set all manner of Quick-sets, and first for the white-thorne, black-thorne, bryer or such like, which must stand frée from inundation, you shal when you enclose any piece of ground, after you haue markt out the true breadth of your dyke vpon the in-side thereof, and close by the verdge of the dyke, cut with your spade a little trough, halfe a foote or there-abouts in breadth & depth, in which trough or small gutter, you shall lay the rootes of the first rowe of your Quick-sets, so as the top ends may looke vpward, & a little bend in towards the ditch, & these quick-sets you shall place within lesse then a foot one of another: then with your spade beginning to make your ditch, you shall with the first cleane mould, couer all the rootes close and fast, so as they will not shake nor stirre with your hand, then hauing raised the banke of your Dyke, and couered the lowest rowe of Quick-set more then halfe a foote, and broken the earth so, as it may lye close and handsome together & you shall then after the same manner lay another rowe of Quick-set ouer the first, I meane not one Quick-set directly ouer another, but the second rowe placed as it were in the midst betwéene two of the first, though at least halfe a foote higher: then you shall couer that row like the former, and ouer it place a third, which shall stand directly opposite, and ouer the first, so that in their growth the middle rowe shall as it were grow betwéene two of the lowest, and two of the highest: and then vpon this vppermost rowe lay the remainder of your earth, and make your banke perfect, and in this sort finishing one yard of the Ditch after another, you shall at length bring your labour to the end of your desire. Now in this labour you are to obserue some speciall things, as first to looke well vpon your Sets before you put them into the ground, and be sure that they be gréene, young and vntainted, then that the rootes be cleane, and no small thréeds or iagges hanging about them. And lastly, that they stand vpright, and not aboue foure or fiue inches without the earth at the most, then shall you looke well to the making of your banke, and lay the earth so as it may not slip or fall backe into the Dyke, so as the raine may wash away the mould, and leaue the rootes bare: but let all things be done strongly and artificially. The best seasons for this worke is the moneths of February, March, and Aprill, or September, October, and some part of Nouember: if the weather be dry aboue head, when you haue set your Quick-set, you shall make a dead hedge vpon the top of the new banke, to kéepe those Cattell which are within your ground, from breaking forth or hurting the Quick-set: and another small fence on the lowe verdge of the Dyke which is outward, to kéepe those cattell which graze without from running into the dyke, and hurting the quick-set. Now after a spring and fall is past, you shall suruay all your quick-set and wéede it cleane from all manner of filthinesse that doth choake or stifle it, and scratching the fresh mould about it giue comfort to the roote: then if you perceiue that any of your Sets be dead, you shall plucke them vp, and place new in the roome, and if any be blasted in part, and not clean killed, you shall cut away so much as is blasted, and let the rest remaine, you shall looke well to the Caterpiller and other wormes, which mightily deuoure Quick-sets, especially in these fat Countries, and if you finde any taint of them, destroy them as is shewed you in a former Chapter.

[Sidenote: Planting of greater Trees.]

After your Quick-set is come to the age of thrée yéeres, and that the banke is setled and swarth growne thereon, you shall then within the body of your hedges plant all manner of great Trées, as Ash, Béech, Maple, and such like, and also all manner of fruit Trées, as Aples, Peares, Plums, Wardens, and such like, and in the first thrée yéeres be very carefull to preserue each in his true proper nature, and doe to them all the rights which is due to their growth, and in that time obserue which kinde of Trées in the generality prospereth best, and agréeth most naturally with the soyle. And of those Trées sée that you flourish your grounds most plentifully, the particular manner of planting whereof is already formerly declared. And hence doth _Kent_ and _Worcester_ shire boast of their fruit, _Windsor_, _Sherwood_ and _Hollam_ shire their Oakes, and other particular Countries their particular commodities.

[Sidenote: Of the setting of Willowes, &c.]

Now for the setting of Willow, Sallow and Oziers, it is a thing so vsuall and common, that it néedeth no great Art in the relation, yet because I would be loath that any omission should be taken for negligence, you shall vnderstand that in setting them you must first respect the place, which would euer be lowe and moyst, the water sometimes washing them, sometimes cooling them, and euer giuing them comfort. Now to speake first of the Willow it would be euer planted vpon bankes, where it may stand more dry then wet, for such prosper best, and endure longest, as for proofe some will continue, twelue, fiftéene nay one and twentie yéeres, where as those which are set close by the water, will hardly endure seueral, but not aboue nine yéeres at the most. Touching their planting, they be set two manner of wayes, but which is the best, is not yet agréed on amongst Husbandmen. The first is to take an Augure full as large in compasse (although much shorter) as that where-with you boare Pumps and with it boare a hole in the earth two-foote, and a halfe déepe, then hauing headed some of the choysest Willowes you haue, take the fairest and straightest of those lops, and then cutting the sloape-wise at both ends and leauing no superfluous twigs cleauing there-vnto, put the bigger end downe very hard into the earth, and then with the mould which came forth, with the Augure ram the earth close and hard about the Set, so as no reasonable strength may shake it. Now there be other Husbandmen which in stéed of the Augure take onely an Oaken or Ash stake, of the bignesse of an vsuall set, and with a Béetell driue it into the ground two foot and a halfe, and then by shaking and opening the earth, pull it out againe & then put in the Set as is before shewed, and beate and tread the earth close there-vnto, and there is no doubt of the well prospering thereof. Now for the defects which Husbandmen finde in these two seuerall plantings. Some say, that the Augure taketh out so much earth, that the Set cannot but stand loose at the roote, and so wanting full hold of the earth, either takes not at all, or continues but a little space. Others say that the driuing in of the stake beates the earth so hard together, that it withstandeth the passage of the tender sprouts, & so killeth the set, but both are deceiued: for these are but suppositions, and experience daily shewes vs, that these are the best and spéediest wayes of setting of all sorts of Willowes that euer any time brought forth, and I haue knowne one man set this way two hundreth Sets in a day, of which not one hath failed, but all prospered. Now for your Sallowes, you shall set them, and chuse the Sets in all poynts as you doe the Willow, onely they would be placed a little néerer the water, for they delight some-what more in moysture, as for the Ozier it would be set like other Quick-set in the side of bankes, so as it may almost touch the water, and as your Willowes or Sallowes would be set a little remote one from another, as namely tenne foote asunder: so these must be set close together, and in thicke rowes one against another: and these Ozier Plants you must cut from their head, being the principall spiers which grow thereon, and then cut off their tops, leauing them not aboue two foote long at the most, and of all other they are the quickest in growing.

[Sidenote: The vse of Willowes, Sallowes, and Oziers.]

And although Willow, Sallow, and Ozyer, are in our lawes estéemed but as wéedes and no Woods, yet they be so profitable, that the Husbandman can hardly misse them, the Willow and Sallow seruing for fence and fewell, to make Harrowes, Cart-saddles, & horse Hames, and the Ozyers, for fish Leapes, or Wéeles for Baskets, Scuttels, Fans to winnow with, and many other things full as necessary: therefore if you haue any marish grounds that are vselesse, bogge-myers, or Ilands in great riuers, let them be imployed to the nourishing of these profitable wéedes, and by making draynes through them to giue the water passage, you shall in small time bring them to earthes of great profit, which consideration were it rightly wayed, there would not be halfe so much wast ground as is in this Kingdome.

[Sidenote: Ordering of the Willow.]

But to my purpose, when you haue planted these Willowes, you shall after euery floud, sée if the water haue driuen any of them away, or displease them, and immediately mend them, and set them vp straight againe. If any Cattell shall pyll or barke them, you shall pull vp such Settes, and place new in their roome. Your Willow set would by no meanes be too long at the first setting, for then will neuer beare a good head, and too short is likewise as vnprofitable, therefore it is held to be fiue foote aboue the earth, is a length sufficient: you may head your Willowes once in thrée yéeres, or fiue at the furthest, and when you sée the bodies waxe hollow, you may cut them downe for the fire, and fixe new Sets in their places.

[Sidenote: Ordering of Ozier.]