arren: so that either you must
force a new crust, or haue an euill soile. And be sure you leuell,
before you plant, lest you be forced to remoue, or hurt your plants by
digging, and casting amongst their roots. Your ground must be cleered as
much as you may of stones, and grauell, walls, hedges, bushes, & other
weeds.

CHAP. 3.

_Of the Site._

{SN: Low and neere a Riuer.}
There is no difference, that I find betwixt the necessity of a good
soile, and a good site of an Orchard. For a good soile (as is before
described) cannot want a good site, and if it do, the fruit cannot be
good, and a good site will much mend an euill soile. The best site is in
low grounds, (and if you can) neere vnto a Riuer. High grounds are not
naturally fat.

And if they haue any fatnesse by mans hand, the very descent in time
doth wash it away. It is with grounds in this case as it is with men in
a common wealth. Much will haue more: and once poore, seldome or neuer
rich. The raine will scind, and wash, and the wind will blow fatnesse
from the heights to the hollowes, where it will abide, and fatten the
earth though it were barren before.

{SN: Psal. 1. 3.}
{SN: Ezek. 17. 8.}
{SN: Eccl. 39. 17.}
{SN: Mr. _Markham_.}
Hence it is, that we haue seldome any plaine grounds, and low, barren:
and as seldome any heights naturally fertill. It is vnspeakeable, what
fatnesse is brought to low grounds by inundations of waters. Neither did
I euer know any barren ground in a low plaine by a Riuer side. The
goodnesse of the soile in _Howle_ or _Hollowdernes_, in _York-shire_, is
well knowne to all that know the Riuer _Humber_, and the huge bulkes of
their Cattell there. By estimation of them that haue seene the low
grounds in _Holland_ and _Zealand_ they farre surpasse the most
Countries in _Europe_ for fruitfulnesse, and only because they lie so
low. The world cannot compare with _AEgypt_, for fertility, so farre as
_Nilus_ doth ouer flow his bankes. So that a fitter place cannot be
chosen for an Orchard, then a low plaine by a riuer side. For besides
the fatnesse which the water brings, if any cloudy mist or raine be
stirring, it commonly falls downe to, and followes the course of the
Riuer. And where see we greater trees of bulke and bough, then standing
on or neere the waters side? If you aske why the plaines in _Holderns_,
and such countries are destitute of woods? I answer that men and cattell
(that haue put trees thence, from out of Pl