row
there upon standard trees. They commonly bear in three years from the
stone, and thrive so exceedingly, that they seem to have no need of
grafting or inoculating, if any body would be so good a husband; and
truly I never heard of any that did graft either plum, nectarine, peach
or apricot in that country, before the first edition of this book.

Peaches and nectarines I believe to be spontaneous, somewhere or other
on that continent, for the Indians have, and ever had greater variety,
and finer sorts of them than the English. The best sort of these cling
to the stone, and will not come off clear, which they call plum
nectarines, and plum peaches, or cling stones. Some of these are twelve
or thirteen inches in the girt. These sorts of fruits are raised so
easily there, that some good husbands plant great orchards of them,
purposely for their hogs; and others make a drink of them, which they
call mobby, and either drink it as cider, or distill it off for brandy.
This makes the best spirit next to grapes.

Grape vines of the English stock, as well as those of their own
production, bear most abundantly, if they are suffered to run near the
ground, and increase very kindly by slipping; yet very few have them at
all in their gardens, much less endeavor to improve them by cutting or
laying. But since the first impression of this book, some vineyards have
been attempted, and one is brought to perfection, of seven hundred and
fifty gallons a year. The wine drinks at present greenish, but the owner
doubts not of good wine, in a year or two more, and takes great delight
that way.

When a single tree happens in clearing the ground, to be left standing,
with a vine upon it, open to the sun and air, that vine generally
produces as much as four or five others, that remain in the woods. I
have seen in this case, more grapes upon one single vine, than would
load a London cart. And for all this, the people till of late never
removed any of them into their gardens, but contented themselves
throughout the whole country with the grapes they found thus wild.

A garden is no where sooner made than there, either for fruits or
flowers. Tulips from the seed, flower the second year. All sorts of
herbs have there a perfection in their flavor, beyond what I ever tasted
in a more northern climate. And yet they haven't many gardens in that
country, fit to bear the name of garden.

Sec. 97. All sorts of English grain thrive, and increase there