Chap. 9. Generall Rules in Gardening.

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In the South parts Gardening may be more timely, and more safely done, then with vs in Yorkeshire, because our ayre is not so fauourable, nor our ground so good.

2 Secondly most seeds shakt, by turning the good earth, are renued, their mother the earth keeping them in her bowels, till the Sunne their Father can reach them with his heat.

3 In setting hearbs, leaue no top more then an handfull aboue the ground, nor more then a foot vnder the earth.

4 Twine the roots of those slips you set, if they will abide it. Gilly-flowers are too tender.

5 Set moist, and sowe dry.

6 Set slips without shankes any time, except at Midsummer, and in frosts.

7 Seeding spoiles the most roots, as drawing the heart and sap from the root.

8 Gather for the pot and medicines, hearbs tender and greene, the sap being in the top, but in Winter the root is best.

9 All the hearbs in the Garden for flowers, would once in seuen yeeres be renued, or soundly watered with puddle water, except Rosemary.

10 In all your Gardens and Orchards, bankes and seates of Camomile, Peny-royall, Daisies and Violets, are seemely and comfortable.

11 These require whole plots: Artichokes, Cabbages, Turneps, Parsneps, Onyons, Carrets, and (if you will) Saffron and Scerrits.

12 Gather all your seeds, dead, ripe, and dry.

13 Lay no dung to the roots of your hearbs, as vsually they doe: for dung not melted is too hot, euen for trees.

14 Thin setting and sewing (so the rootes stand not past a foot distance) is profitable, for the hearbs will like the better. Greater hearbs would haue more distance.

15 Set and sow hearbs in their time of growth (except at Midsummer, for then they are too too tender) but trees in their time of rest.

16 A good Housewife may, and will gather store of hearbs for the pot, about Lammas, and dry them, and pownd them, and in Winter they will make good seruice.

Thus haue I lined out a Garden to our Countrey Housewiues, and giuen them rules for common hearbs. If any of them (as sometimes they are) be knotty, I referre them to Chap. 3. The skill and paines of weeding the Garden with weeding kniues or fingers, I refer to themselues, and their maides, willing them to take the opportunitie after a showre of raine: withall I aduise the Mistresse, either be present her selfe, or to teach her maides to know hearbs from weeds.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

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