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
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