er the Orchard is (being good and well kept) the
better it is, for of good things, being equally good, the biggest is the
best. And if it shall appeare, that no ground a man occupieth (no, not
the corne field) yeeldeth more gaine to the purse, and house keeping
(not to speake of the vnspeakeable pleasure) quantity for quantity, than
a good Orchard (besides the cost in planting, and dressing an orchard,
is not so much by farre, as the labour and feeding of your corne fields,
nor for durance of time, comparable, besides the certainty of the on
before the other) I see not how any labour, or cost in this kind, can
be idly or wastfully bestowed, or thought too much. And what other
things is a vineyard, in those countries where vines doe thriue, than a
large Orchard of trees bearing fruit? Or what difference is there in the
iuice of the Grape, and our Cyder & Perry, but the goodnes of the soile
& clime where they grow? which maketh the one more ripe, & so more
pleasant then the other. What soeuer can be said for the benefit rising
from an orchard, that makes for the largenesse of the Orchards bounds.
And (me thinkes) they do preposterously, that bestow more cost and
labours, and more ground in and vpon a garden than vpon an orchard,
whence they reape and may reape both more pleasure and more profit, by
infinite degrees. And further, that a Garden neuer so fresh, and faire,
and well kept, cannot continue without both renewing of the earth and
the hearbs often, in the short and ordinary age of a man: whereas your
Orchard well kept shall dure diuers hundred yeares, as shall be shewed
chap. 14. In a large orchard there is much labour saued, in fencing, and
otherwise: for three little orchards, or few trees, being, in a manner,
all out-sides, are so blasted and dangered, and commonly in keeping
neglected, and require a great fence; whereas in a great Orchard, trees
are a mutuall fence one to another, and the keeping is regarded, and
lesse fencing serues sixe acres together, than three in seuerall
inclosures.

{SN: What quantity of ground.}
Now what quantity of ground is meetest for an Orchard can no man
prescribe, but that must be left to euery mans seuerall iudgement, to be
measured according to his ability and will, for other necessaries
besides fruite must be had, and some are more delighted with orchard
then others.

{SN: Want is no hinderance.}
{SN: How Land-lords by their Tenants may make flourishing Orchards
in _England_