he fence. Let not your stakes shelter any weeds about your sets, for
want of Sunne is a great hinderance. Let them stand so farre off, that
your grafts spreading receiue no hurt, either by rubbing on them, or of
any other thing passing by. If your stocke be long, and high grafted
(which I must discommend (except in need) because there the sap is
weake, and they are subiect to strong wind, and the lighting of birds)
tie easily with a soft list three or foure prickes vnder the clay, and
let their tops stand aboue the grafts, to auoid the lighting of Crowes,
Pyes, &c. vpon your grafts. If you sticke some sharpe thornes at the
roots of your stakes, they will make hurtfull things keepe off the
better. Other better fences for your grafts I know none. And thus much
for sets and setting.

CHAP. 8.

_Of the distance of Trees._

{SN: Hurts of too neere planting.}
I Know not to what end you should prouide good ground, well fenced, &
plant good sets; and when your trees should come to profit, haue all
your labours lost, for want of due regard to the distance of placing
your trees. I haue seene many trees stand so thicke, that one could not
thriue for the throng of his neighbours. If you doe marke it, you shall
see the tops of trees rubd off, their sides galled like a galled horses
backe, and many trees haue more stumps then boughes, and most trees no
well thriuing, but short, stumpish, and euill thriuing boughes: like a
Corne field ouer seeded, or a towne ouer peopled, or a pasture
ouer-laid, which the Gardiner must either let grow, or leaue the tree
very few boughes to beare fruit. Hence small thrift, galls, wounds,
diseases, and short life to the trees: and while they liue greene,
little, hard, worme-eaten, and euill thriuing fruit arise, to the
discomfort of the owners.

{SN: Remedy.}
{SN: Generall rule.}
{SN: All touches hurtfull.}
To preuent which discommodity, one of the best remedies is the
sufficient and fit distance of trees. Therefore at the setting of your
plants you must haue such respect, that the distance of them be such,
that euery tree be not annoyance, but an helpe to his fellowes: for
trees (as all other things of the same kind) should shroud, and not
hurt one another. And assure your selfe that euery touch of trees (as
well vnder as aboue the earth) is hurtfull. Therefore this must be a
generall rule in this Art: That no tree in an Orchard well ordered, nor
bough, nor Cyon, drop vpon, or touch his