There is not one point (in my opinion) about an Orchard more to be regarded, than the choyce getting and setting of good plants, either for readinesse or hauing good fruite, or for continuall lasting. For whosoeuer shall faile in the choyce of good Sets, or in getting, or gathering, or setting his plants, shall neuer haue a good or lasting Orchard. And I take want of skill in this faculty to be a chiefe hinderance to the most Orchards, and to many for hauing of Orchards at all.

Slips. Some for readinesse vse slips, which seldome take roote: and if they doe take, they cannot last, both because their roote hauing a maine wound will in short time decay the body of the tree: and besides that rootes being so weakely put, are soone nipt with drought or frost. I could neuer see (lightly) any slip but of apples onely set for trees.

Bur-knot. A Bur-knot kindly taken from an Apple tree, is much better and surer. You must cut him close at the roote ende, an handfull vnder the knot. (Some vse in Summer about Lammas to circumcise him, and put earth to the knots with hay roaps, and in winter cut him off and set him, but this is curiosity, needlesse, and danger with remouing, and drought,) and cut away all his twigs saue one, the most principall, which in setting you must leaue aboue the earth, burying his trunk in the crust of the earth for his root. It matters not much what part of the bough the twig growes out of. If it grow out of or neere the roote end, some say such an Apple will haue no coare nor kirnell. Or if it please the Plantor, he may let his bough be crooked, and leaue out his top end, one foote or somewhat more, wherein will be good grafting, if either you like not, or doubt the fruite of the bough (for commonly your bur-knots are summer fruit) or if you thinke he will not couer his wound safely.

Vsuall Sets. The most vsuall kind of sets, is plants with rootes growing of kirnels of Apples, Peares, and Crabbes, or stones of Cherries, Plummes, &c. Remoued out of a Nursery, Wood or other Orchard, into, and set in your Orchard in their due places I grant this kind to be better than either of the former, by much, as more sure and more durable. Herein you must note that in sets so remoued, you get all the roots you can; and without brusing of any; Maine rootes cut. I vtterly dislike the opinion of those great Gardners, that following their Bookes would haue the maine rootes cut away, for tops cannot growe without rootes. Stow sets remoued. And because none can get all the rootes, and remouall is an hinderance, you may not leaue on all tops, when you set them: For there is a proportion betwixt the top and root of a tree, euen in the number (at least) in the growth. If the roots be many, they will bring you many tops, if they be not hindred. And if you vse to stow or top your tree too much or too low, and leaue no issue, or little for sap, (as is to be seene in your hedges) it will hinder the growth of rootes and boale, because such a kind of stowing is a kind of smothering, or choaking the sap. Great wood, as Oke, Elme, Ash, &c. being continually kept downe with sheeres, knife, axe, &c. neither boale nor roote will thriue, but as an hedge or bush. If you intend to graff in your Set, you may cut him closer with a greater wound, and nearer the earth, within a foote or two, because the graft or grafts will couer his wound. If you like his fruite, and would haue him to be a tree of himselfe, be not so bold: this I can tell you, that though you do cut his top close, and leaue nothing but his bulke, because his rootes are few, if he be (but little) bigger than your thumbe (as I with all plants remoued to be) he will safely recouer wound within seuen yeares; by good guidance that is. In the next time of dressing immediatly aboue his vppermost sprig, you cut him off aslope cleanely, to that the sprigge stand on the backe side, (and if you can Northward, that the wound may haue the benefit of Sunne) at the vpper ende of the wound: and let that sprigge onely be the boale. Generall rule. And take this for a generall rule; Euery young plant, if he thriue, will recouer any wound aboue the earth, by good dressing, although it be to the one halfe, and to his very heart. Tying of trees. This short cutting at the remoue, saues your plants from Wind, and neede the lesse or no staking. I commend not Lying or Leaning of trees against holds or stayres; for it breedes obstruction of sap and wounds incureable. Generall rule. All remouing of trees as great as your arme, or aboue, is dangerous: though sometime some such will grow but not continue long: Because they be tainted with deadly wounds, either in the roote or top. (And a tree once throughly tainted is neuer good) And though they get some hold in the earth with some lesser taw, or tawes, which giue some nourishment to the body of the tree: yet the heart being tainted, he will hardly euer thriue; Signes of diseases, Chap 13. which you may easily discerne by the blackenesse of the boughes at the heart, when you dresse your trees. Also, when he is set with moe tops than the rootes can nourish, the tops decaying, blacken the boughes, and the boughs the armes, and so they boile at the very heart. Or this taint in the remouall, if it kill not presently, but after some short time, it may be discerned by blacknesse or yellownesse in the barke, and a small hungred leafe. Or if your remoued plant put forth leaues the next and second summer, and little or few spraies, it is a great signe of a taint, and next yeares death. I haue knowne a tree tainted in setting, yet grow, & beare blossomes for diuers yeares: and yet for want of strength could neuer shape his fruit.

Suckers good sets. Next vnto this or rather equall with these plants, are suckers growing out of the roots of great trees, which cherries and plums do seldome or neuer want: and being taken kindly with their roots, will make very good sets. And you may helpe them much by enlarging their rootes with the taws of the tree, whence you take them. They are of two sorts: Either growing from the very root of the tree: and here you must be carefull, not to hurt your tree when you gather them, by ripping amongst the rootes; and that you take them cleane away: for these are a great and continuall annoyance to the growth of your tree: and they will hardly be cleansed. Secondly, or they do arise from some taw: and these may be taken without danger, with long and good rootes, and will soone become trees of strength.

A running Plant. There is another way, which I haue not throughly proued, to get not onely plants for graffing, but sets to remaine for trees, which I call a Running Plant: the manner of it is this: Take a roote or kirnell, and put it into the middle of your plot, and the second yeare in the spring, geld his top, if he haue one principall (as commonly by nature they haue) and let him put forth onely foure Cyons toward the foure corners of the orchard, as neere the earth as you can. If he put not foure, (which is rare) stay his top till he haue put so many. When you haue such foure, cut the stocke aslope, as is aforesayd in this chapter, hard aboue the vttermost sprig, & keepe those foure without Cyons cleane and straight, till you haue them a yard and a halfe, at least, or two yards long. Then the next spring in grassing time, lay downe those foure sprayes, towards the foure corners of your Orchard, with their tops in an heape of pure and good earth, and railed as high as the roote of your Cyon (for sap will not descend) and a sod to keepe them downe, leauing nine or twelue inches of the top to looke vpward. In that hill he will put rootes, and his top new Cyons, which you must spread as before, and so from hill to hill till he spread the compasse of your ground, or as farre as you list. If in bending, the Cyons cracke, the matter is small, cleanse the ground and he will recouer. Euery bended bough will put forth branches, and become trees. If this plant be of a burre knot, there is no doubt. I haue proued it in one branch my selfe: and I know at Wilton in Cleeue-land a Peare-tree of a great bulke and age, blowne close to the earth, hath put at euery knot rootes into the earth, and from roote to top, a great number of mighty armes or trees, filling a great roomth, like many trees, or a little Orchard. Much better may it be done by Art in a lesse tree. And I could not mislike this kind, saue that the time will be long before it come to perfection.

Sets bought. Many vse to buy sets already grafted, which is not the best way: for first, All remoues are dangerous: Againe, there is danger in the carriage: Thirdly, it is a costly course of planting: Fourthly, euery Gardner is not trusty to sell you good fruite: Fifthly, you know not which is best, which is worst, and so may take most care about your worst trees. Lastly, this way keepes you from practise, and so from experience in so good, Gentlemanly, Scholerlike, and profitable a faculty.

The best sets. The onely best way (in my opinion) to haue sure and lasting sets, is neuer to remoue: for euery remoue is an hinderance, if not a dangerous hurt or deadly taint. This is the way. Vnremoued how. The plot forme being layd, and the plot appointed where you will plant euery set in your orchard, digge the roomth, where your sets shall stand, a yard compasse, and make the earth mellow and cleane, and mingle it with a few coale-ashes, to auoide wormes: and immediately after the first change of the Moone, in the latter end of February, the earth being a fresh turn'd ouer, put in euery such roomth three or foure kirnels of Apples or Peares, of the best: euery kirnell in an hole made with your finger, finger deepe, a foote distant one from another: and that day moneth following, as many moe, (lest some of the former misse) in the same compasse; but not in the same holes. Hence (God willing) shall you haue rootes enough. If they all, or diuers of them come vp, you may draw (but not digge) vp (nor put downe) at your pleasure, the next Nouember. How many soeuer you take away, to giue or bestow elsewhere, be sure to leaue two of the proudest. And when in your 2. and 3. yeare you Graffe, if you graffe then at all, leaue the one of those two vngraffed, lest in graffing the other you faile: For I find by tryall, that after first or second graffing in the same stocke, being mist (for who hits all) the third misse puts your stocke in deadly danger, for want of issue of sap. Yea, though you hit in graffing, yet may your graffes with winde or otherwise be broken downe. If your graffes or graffe prosper, you haue your desire, in a plant vnremoued, without taint, and the fruite at your owne choyce, and so you may (some little earth being remooued) pull, but not digge vp the other Plant or Plants in that roomth. If your graffe or stocke, or both perish, you haue another in the same place, of better strength to worke vpon. For thriuing without snub he will ouer-lay your grafted stocke much. And it is hardly possible to misse in graffing so often, if your Gardiner be worth his name.

Sets vngrafted best of all. It shall not be amisse (as I iudge it) if your Kirnels be of choyce fruite, and that you see them come forward proudly in their body, and beare a faire and broad leafe in colour, tending to a greenish yellow (which argues pleasant and great fruit) to try some of them vngraffed: for although it be a long time ere this come to beare fruit, ten or twelue yeares, or moe; and at their first bearing, the fruit will not seeme to be like his owne kind: yet am I assured, vpon tryall, before twenty yeares growth, such trees will increase the bignesse and goodnesse of their fruite, and come perfectly to their owne kind. Trees (like other breeding creatures) as they grow in yeares, bignes and strength, so they mend their fruit. Husbands and Houswiues find this true by experience, in the rearing of their yong store. More then this, there is no tree like this for soundnes and dureable last, if his keeping and dressing be answerable. I grant, the readiest way to come soone to fruit is graffing: because in a manner, all your graffes are taken of fruit bearing trees.

Time of remouing. Now when you haue made choise of your sets to remoue, the ground being ready, the best time is, immediatly after the fall of the leafe, in, or about the change of the Moone, when the sap is most quiet: for then the sap is in turning: for it makes no stay, but in the extremity of drought or cold. Generall rule. At any time in winter, may you transplant trees so you put no ice nor snow to the root of your plant in the setting: and therefore open, calme and moist weather is best. To remoue, the leafe being ready to fall and not fallen, or buds apparantly put forth in a moist warme season, for need, sometime may do well: but the safest is to walke in the plaine trodden path.

Some hold opinion that it is best remouing before the fall of the leafe, and I heare it commonly practised in the South by our best arborists, the leafe not fallen: and they giue the reason to be, that the descending of the sap will make speedy rootes. But marke the reasons following and I thinke you shall find no soundnesse, either in that position or practise, at least in the reason.

1. I say, it is dangerous to remoue when the sap is not quiet, for euery remoue giues a maine checke to the stirring sap, by staying the course therof in the body of your plant, as may appeare in trees remoued any time in summer, they commonly dye, nay hardly shall you saue the life of the most young and tender plant of any kinde of wood (scarcely herbes) if you remoue them in the pride of sap. For proud sap vniuersally staied by remoual, euer hinders; often taints and so presently, or in very short time kills. Sap is like bloud in mans body, in which is the life, Cap. 3. p. 9. If the blood vniuersally be cold, life is excluded; so is sap tainted by vntimely remouall. A stay by drought, or cold, is not so dangerous (though dangerous if it be extreme) because more naturall.

2. The sap neuer descends, as men suppose, but is consollidated & transubstantiated into the substance of the tree, and passeth (alwayes aboue the earth) vpward, not onely betwixt the barke and the wood, but also into and in both body & barke, though not so plentifully, as may appeare by a tree budding, nay fructifying two or three yeres, after he be circumcised at the very root, like a riuer that inlargeth his channel by a continual descent.

3. I cannot perceiue what time they would haue the sap to descend. At Midsommer in a biting drought it staies, but descends not, for immediatly vpon moisture it makes second shoots, at (or before rather) Michaeltide, when it shapens his buds for next yeares fruit. If at the fal of leafe, I grant, about that time is the greatest stand, but no descent, of sap, which begins somwhat before the leafe fall, but not long, therfore at that time must be the best remouing, not by reason of descent, but stay of sap.

4. The sap in this course hath his profitable and apparant effects, as the growth of the tree, couering of wounds, putting of buds, &c. Wherupon it follows, if the sap descend, it must needs haue some effect to shew it.

5. Lastly, boughs plasht and laid lower then the root, dye for want of sap descending, except where it is forced by the maine streame of the sap, as in top boughs hanging like water in pipes, or except the plasht bough lying on the ground put rootes of his owne, yea vnder boughs which we commonly call water boughs, can scarcely get sap to liue, yea in time dye, because the sap doth presse so violently vpward, and therefore the fairest shootes and fruits are alwayes in the top.

Remooue soone. Obiect. If you say that many so remoued thriue, I say that somewhat before the fall of the leafe (but not much) is the stand, for the fall & the stand are not at one instant, before the stand is dangerous. But to returne.

The sooner in winter you remoue your sets, the better; the latter the worse: For it is very perillous if a strong drought take your Sets before they haue made good their rooting. A Plant set at the fall, shall gaine (in a a manner) a whole yeeres growth of that which is set in the Spring after.

The manner of setting. I vse in the setting to be sure, that the earth be mouldy, (and somewhat moist) that it may runne among the small tangles without straining or bruising: and as I fill in earth to his root, I shake the Set easily to and fro, to make the earth settle the better to his roots: and withall easily with my foot I put in the earth close; for ayre is noysome, and will follow concauities. Some prescribe Oates to be put in with the earth. I could like it, if I could know any reason thereof: and they vse to set their Plant with the same side toward the Sunne: but this conceit is like the other. For first I would haue euery tree to stand so free from shade, that not onely the root (which therefore you must keepe bare from graffe) but body, boughes, and branches, and euery spray, may haue the benefit of Sunne. And what hurt, if that part of the tree, that before was shadowed, be now made partaker of the heat of the Sunne? In turning of Bees, I know it is hurtfull, because it changeth their entrance, passage, and whole worke: But not so in Trees.

Set in the crust. Set as deepe as you can, so that in any wise you goe not beneath the crust. Looke Chap. 2.

Moysture good. We speake in the second Chapter of moysture in generall: but now especially hauing put your remoued plant into the earth, powre on water (of a puddle were good) by distilling presently, and so euery weeke twice in strong drought, so long as the earth will drinke, and refuse by ouerflowing. For moisture mollifies, and both giues leaue to the roots to spread, and makes the earth yeeld sap and nourishment with plenty & facility. Nurses (they say) giue most & best milke after warme drinks.

If your ground be such that it will keepe no moisture at the root of your plant, such plant shall neuer like, or but for a time. There is nothing more hurtfull for young trees then piercing drought. I haue known trees of good stature after they haue beene of diuers yeeres growth, & thriue well for a good time, perish for want of water, and very many by reason of taints in setting.

It is meet your sets and grafts be fenced, till they be as big as your arme, for feare of annoyances. Grafts must be fenced. Many waies may sets receiue dammages, after they be set, whether grafted or vngrafted. For although we suppose, that no noysome beast, or other thing must haue accesse among your trees: yet by casualty, a Dog, Cat, or such like, or your selfe, or negligent friend bearing you company, or a shrewd boy, may tread or fall vpon a young and tender plant or graft. To auoid these and many such chances, you must stake them round a pretty distance from the set, neither so neere, nor so thicke, but that it may haue the benefit of Sun, raine, and ayre. Your stakes (small or great) would be so surely put, or driuen into the earth, that they breake not, if any thing happen to leane vpon them, else may the fall be more hurtfull, then the want of the 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.