The craft of graffing and planting of trees

TO graffe fruyte that shall haue no core . Take a graffe and bow it both ends combing , & cut both ends graf wyse , & so fasten them into the stoke . And yf it growe so with the tree cut a waye the great ende , and let the smaler ende growe , and hys fruyte shall haue no core .

yf thou wylt make apples read , take a grafe of an apple tree and graffe it in a stoke of elme or allere and it shall beare redde apples .

Also another for the same , bore an hole in an apple tree to the pithe and temper it with water what colour thou wylte , and then put it in the hole and stope it with a pin and the apple shal be of the same colour that thou putest in the tree .

It is to be noted that euery tree that is plantede and set on . S. Lambardes day in the earth , shall not perishe but proue and come to profyt .

yf thou wylt haue a Pere tree full of frute or els as moch as it hath ben wont to bere , tempre scamony with water and put it into an hole that is perced to the pith of the tree , & stop the hole with a pynne of that same tree or of a nother , and it shall beare as yt was wont and muche more .

And yf thou wylt haue them to smell lyke spyces or as muske or bawme or other spices , make an hole in lykwise in the tree and stop it agayne , and the fruyte shall smel & sauour after the spices that thou putest into the tree .

Yf an olde tree begin to waxe drye , do in thys wyse quicken hym a gaine . Se that the eares that is bout the rotes be done a way , & cleue .ii. or .iii. of the greatest , rotes wyth an axe , and putte a wedge in to the cleuyng , and couer the roote agayne with the same earth .

Another for the same , perce the tree through wyth apercer crosse wyse or wyth a wymble , & the strength of the tree shall begyn to waxe yonge .

Yf thou wylt haue a fruyte tree that is soure , to be made swete fruyte , delue the tree round about , & donge the rotes with pygges donge , and so shall the fruyte be made swete .

Also another for the same , make an hole in the soure tree with a percer to the pythe , and into the hole put water tempred with hony , and stoppe that hole againe with a pynne of the same tree .

And if thou wilte plante an almonde tree or a wal not tree , or a Therye tree or a Peche tre , put the kernels of whiche thou wilte in water four dayes , and than put many kernelles together into the earth or seuerally & whan they sprynge & be growen out and hath stand so an hole yeare , than take them out of the ground , and set them than wher thou wylt , and it is to be noted that euery tree the braunches muste be cut in settyng tyme , saue the peche tree whych must haue hys drye braunches cut onely .

yf the peche tree begine to droupe , let him be wel moysted at the rote with dregges of wyne , and the same moysting shall kepe hym from sheding of his fruyte , and some saye that and the rootes be moysted wyth water of the decoccyon of benes , it shal quicken the tre greatly , and if he casle his frute or thei be ripe , make holes wyth a wymbel in the rotees , & mayke pinnes of wylowe and smyte them fast in , & the fruyte shall abyde on fast ynough .

If an apple tree begyn to rote or ani of the apples begene to waxe rosty , then the barke of hym is sycke then cut it with a knife , lette it be opened , and whan the humour ther of is sum what flowen ouer , let dong hym well and stop dilygentlye hys wound with claie .

The quince tree al the tyme that he is able to be translated , he would be remoued eueri foure year , & that shall make him beare great plenty of fruyte after warde .

The chery tree loueth colde ayre & moyste grounde but sum chery trees be full lykyng in hylly places the best settyng of chery trees is in the month of Nouembre , and if nedebe in the latter ende of Ianuari And if the chery tree rote , in anywyse make an hole with a percer vnder the rote , that the water that causeth the rottyng mai haue issue oute , it is to suppose that thys medecyne is good for all maner of trees that begeneth to rot .

Also it is good for all maner of trees when a bough is cut a waye , that the place that is cut be couered with claie or some other defensable plaster for the defence of the rayne , that it make note the tree to rot .

The playntyng of prunes , in oulde and moysti places is best in februarie & Marche & the stones muste beset a hand brede in the earthe , & whan they haue stand so an hole yeare , take vp the springes of them , & set them deper in the ground , and the stones must lye in water thre dayes or they beset .

The medler wyll beare well if he be plantyd , but graffe hym in a whyte thorne called an hauthorne , and they will be are the more plenteously .

If thou wilt haue ani roses in thi garden , thou must take the harde pepyns of the same roses , that be ryght rype , and sowe them in the earth in Febuary or in Marche . And when the sprynge , temper them with watersand after the space of a yeare thou muste translate them , and depart them farther from other in whrt other place ye wyll .

If thou wylt that a vyne beare white grapes , and on the other side reed , puruay that a white vine and a rede he set nere together . And whan they be roted measurably both like much , and of either pare awai halfe endlong vppon the pythe , and twyne them together and bynd them so , that eyther sap met without disioining , and wrape it together with a souple linnen cloth . and euery thre day moyst it with water tyll it grow . And after that they be growne together thou mayst cut a way the one rote . And the other may bere it , and that vyne shall bere both red grapes & whyte not with standing the one rote be donne a waie , & also thou mayst doe so with tow pere trees tow apple trees braunches .

Also yf thou wilte haue grapes grow in a plomtre or a therie tree , sett a vine vnder one of thous trees whiche thou wylte , and whan the vine beginneth to grow , bore the other tre throughe with a percer , accordynge to the greatnes of the vyne , them draw throughe the tree and pare a waye the vpper ende of the same vyne as farre as it shall be in the hole , and soo suffre it to grow , & whan both be ioyned togeather cut away the rote ende of the vyne by the tree and sowde that place wel of that cuttyng & drawynge of the vine throught the hole & the cuttyng awai of the roote of the vyne & that muste be done in marche , & some men wyl saye it must be done or the knottes be giue to burgyne , that for that straet drawyng the burgeos be not hurt , & than mayst thou dow the sam with diuers trees & dyuers frutes , & make one tree beare to dyuers fruytes of dyuers coloures .

Also it is to wyte that at the vine be good earth , & syred it selfe of to many scurges , it is good to ent that of wyth a knyfe , & if it lacke yet ouermoche delue the stock a boutand fyll the pyt●full of grauel of a floude medled with ashes . Also sum men saye , doo in to the pyt a good quantyte of small stones , & that is good therfore .

Item it is to wite that whan the mone is in Tauro , it is good tyme to plant trees of graeues and pepins , & whan she is in Lācro Leo or Libra it is good workyng of trees that be new sproung , and whan the moone is virgo , it is good tyme to sowe all maner thinges . And from the myddes of Septembre vnto the myddes of December is open tyme of plantynge , and ryght so from the myddes of Ianuari to the middes of Marche , but yet in thes tymes it is good to those whan thee moone is .v. vi . vii . viii . or .x. dayes be fore the full mone . And after the full in cone when she is xxi . xxii . xxiii . xxiiii . or . xxv . dayes olde , for this quarter of the mone is most temperate .

Item euery plantynge is to dispose it so that the sonne beames may come to the rote or to the earth from the houre of terce vnto none . And be planted in the best maner . And that the trees that be bearing and of great height that party that stode toward the north he be set agaynst the northwynde , and the northwest wynde . For the heyght , northwynde , & the northwest wynd hath kynd to kyll and drye to muche the trees that be newe set for theyr vnmeasurable greatnes , the earth must be ordeined so that it be neither to fat nor grauelly but proporcionably .

Al maner of pepyus carnels and greynes must be set in the earthe in depenes of foure or fyue fingers brede that eche be from other halfe afore . Alway kepyng thys specyall rule that the ende or grayne of the pepyn that standes next the rotte be northest in the setting & that other ende vpward toward heauen . And that thou moist them twise or thryse in the daye , not rottyng but dewyng or springlyng , this is a preuitie among connynge men that in uere is most conuenable tyme for sedes . graeues & pepyns , and Autumne of sprynges and plantes .

Whan thou wylt take a setteleng that spryngeth cut of an other tre rote , make a delue ther about after the quantite therof & so depe , tyl thou come to the great rote that the sprynge groweth out of , and thou muste cutte it of , and holdynge the edge of the knyfe toward the tree ground , and cutte it so with a slope draught & leaue as much of the earth about the roote and stocke of the setting as thou may , and sette it in a good ground ordeyned therfore , and in a conuenient tyme as it is before sayd , & if any spryng so groweth out of any tree chose it that groweth right out that be not ouer longe , but euen without any small braunches , holding the knife in the cutting alway toward the tree as is aboue sayde .

Also yf thou wylt remoue a tree that is great or bearyng frute , chose the a ful moone from the middes of Octobre to the myddes of Dicembre , hauing vp the rootes as hole as thou may , leauing as much of his owne earch about the rote as thou maye with the same maner and other as thou doest with setting of small trees & setling it is no force though the moone be not euen in the full so she be in the .ii. or .iii. quarter , the gouernayle of these plantes is dublynge of bearyng of fruyte .

Also yf thou wilt kepe late set plantes , kepe them from velpertyn raynes & from windes , namely in haruest for it is not great difficulte in vere , against the commyng of wynter set or sticke about the setling many bowes that the northen wynde or greatnes of other wyndes destroye it not , put donge medled which strawe about the stock toward the roote of a good thicknes that frost & snow congyle nat on the rote , and make a depe valey about the rote the space of .vi. or .vii. fote that the water abide not and frese about the rote , in haruest , that is betwene somer & wynter , that whan winter cometh it may be filled with donge and solet it stand al the winter , and in ver put vnder the dong newe earth and cut a way al the vnprofytable branches & mayke it cleane aboute the stocke , and the rotes from wormes scurfes and mosses and euyll wedes goinge aboute the braynches . all the close of thyne or charde wole be set a bout withe other hithe trees that beare on frute , that the fleuers mygte be kepte safe from windes . And beware that no fruyte be gathered of no tree before the tyme , for that is a ryght greate and at preuy harmyng to the tree .

The maner of graffyng .

The great stocke must be chosen in good ground , and it must be smothe and euen , and cut it with out the earth the length of a fout or more , yf it be as great as thi thombe or moore , if it be greater loke that the cutyng be euen ouerthwarte the stocke and a side and it must be clouen a boue in the middes of the pith the length of two fyngers breade , and in the clyfte set thy graffe whiche must be chosen of the best tre . The stocke is of the chefe graffe that standeth right vpwarde , that hath a knot of the forne yere . And an inche beneth that saide knot cut thy graffe & white it on both sydes euen in maner of a wedge as farre as it shal go in to the clifte of the stocke , it must be so euen twhiten that the ayre may not com be twene the clyfte and the graffe , and then close it withe good temperate earthe a boute the graffe for defence of raine and wether .

If thou wilt graffe diuers frutes vpon one stocke that hath as many braunches as thou wylte haue graffes on , & in evere braunche set agraffe in maner & fourme as it is sayde before , & euermore chose thy graffe on the sunne side of the tree that beareth it , & next the top yf you may , & than mayst thou graffe dyuerse frutes in one clifte , but none of them maye be thycker then other as thy reason wyll tell them the workyng .

To haue fruite without cores , loke thou haue a sufficient graffe stocke . & there which as I sayde before chose a graffe of good merle tree , and cut it on thys maner that the end of the graffe that was vpwarde next the fyrmament must be twhiten like the neder of a comyn graffe , & the nether ende turned vpward it is to be donne slelye , this rule is trewe in all trees that haue stones & kernels , but a vyne it behoueth to cut that is downe warde next the erth with great conninge and fleyghte .

If thou wylt haue a vyne growe on a chery tree & haue the taste of cherys . set a vyne by a chery tree tyll it growe , and in the begenning of seuerel what time it be , make an hole through the cheritre , in what place thou wylt , & as often as thou wilte and drawe through the hole a braunche of the vyne , so that it fyl the hole , & shaue a way the old barke of the vyne as moch as shal be in the hole . And put it in so that the shauen place of the branche stop full the hole of the chery tree , and than cut away the rot ende of the vine and wrape it wel a bout wyth good earth & binde it well wyth a lytle cloth , & kepe it well in all thynges it is sayd in other graffynges , but some men leaue the rote ende on cut a yeare tyll it be sowdred with the chery tree , and than cut it awaey , and thys is a good maner and a sure , and so it may be done with diuers trees of diuers fruytes , and the grape and the vyne shall haue sauour of theym : And so of euery tree may be graffed in other , and it is a maruelous graffyng .

If thou wylt haue a tree beare dyuers fruytes and of dyuers coulours , and dyuers sauoure , in the fyrste yeare graffe in diuers braunches of a chery tree , diuerse apylys to thy lykyng , & cleaue some of the brauches vngrafted , the second yere make holes through the chery tree , and drawe through that hole vyne branches , the vtter ende shauen of as is before sayde and in the same maner through an nother hole , read rose and therewith as is be fore sayd of the vine , and this diuersite thou may do after thyne owne liking .

If thou wilt haue fentes of dyuers coloures thou shalt make an hole in a tree nyghe , to the roote euen to the pith of the tree , and a none do in the hole good a sure of almayne , so that it be nygh full , and than stoppe the hole well and iust with a shorth pyn , and wrappe it well withe tempered earthe and bynde it well as thou doest a graffe , and the frutes shall be blewe coloure , and thys maye be doone with all coloures .

¶ Also here begynneth a lyttle treatyse of the .iiii. seasons of the yeare , and also of the .iiii. elementes , whiche they be and of what nature , and of the canyculer dayes .

THe foure elementes be these , ayre , fire , earth and water , also there ben foure himours in man , & they be these , bloud , redde coloure , blacke to lolour , & fleweme . Also there be foure seasons in the yeare , in which a man ought and behoueth to be gouerned . The first is vere and that beginneth the viii . I de of february , & endureth to the .vii. I de of Maye in this thime wexeth blood , this is the fyrst humour of man and accordeth with the ayre , that is the fyrst element , for it is watry & hote as is vere , that is the fyrst time of the yeare . And that time bokes of medecyne lerneth vs to take drynckes solyble for to purge the body of euil humours , & to eate fleshe , & drynke drynkes that be holsome for manes body , as yonge porcke & cleane moton and lambes fleshe , & kyddes and foules that be of the land , but no water fowles And freshe water porttes , tame neps and percely , and other herbes of medecine , & to drinke good cleane ale , and no stronge ale . And these thynges make cleane bloud , so they be not surfetly taken .

The seconde tyme and season of the yere is somer , and begynneth the .vi. Ide . of May and lasteth vnto the .vii. of August . In that tyme waxeth red coloure to the second element , that is fyre for that is hote and drye . I that tyme men shulde not drynke herbes nor let bloude , but yf it were for greate nedenor muche faste .

It is good in that tyme to eate well soden fleshe of all maner of beasles and all maner of fowles , saue porcke in May is good to forbeare , and eate all maner of fyshe wyth vyneger , or yuse of grappes of ver gius made with good herbes , sage , and sauery , and sede of anneys . fenell sede and comin , & it is good to drinke wormoode , iii. tymes in the weke tempred wyth wyne , all so temper it wyth water and drincke no stronge ale , and vse louage seede and letous and they shall temper well the redde colour & kepe them from sycknes .

The thyred tyme of the yeare is Autumpnus or haruest , and it be gynneth the .vii. I de of August . & lasteth vnto the .vii. I de of Nouembre , & in that tyme waxe the blacke colour , that is the thirde humoure in man , and accordeth to the .iii. element , that is erth and that is coulde and drye . In that tyme is it good to take dryncke solyble that purgeth the bodie of eueri blacke colour that muche is in a man , & he mai some tyme be let bloude in that season . And eat litel fyshe fleshe , and namely frutes biefe and milke is good to dryncke and good wyne mesurably and good stayle ale , and newe ale , & eate scaled fyshe & peper wyth ginger and galingale , & eate bayes and stanmarchesed and comyn , & browort rotes wyth wyne or with other lycoure fasting , and eate not an houre or two after .

The .iiii. tyme and season in the yere is hyems or wynter , & begeneth the .vii. I de of Nouembre and lasteth to the , vii . I de of February , & in that tyme entreth flewme , & that is the fourthe humour in man . & accordeth to the fourthe element that is water , for that is colde and most as is wynter , and in that tyme men should let them bloud in theyr bodyes by grafynge , but not no vaynes , but if it be the more nede . And a man must kepe hym from drinkyng of strong drynkes And poudred flesh is good to eate , and for as muche as al fishes after water be flumattike , therfore thei be better rost than soden , and vse mustard and peper and oft tyme chewe in thy month pellater of spayne and suche other thinges as wyll cause the flew me to voyde , and also eate fenelsede , comyn , & eche of these seedes destroye flewme that all the euylles in mans body begynneth of .

THe Laniculer dayes begynneth the .xv. kalē , des of August and endure to the .iiii. Nonas of Septembre in whiche season is great peryl to take syckenes , and it is perillous to take drinkes or medecines or to be let bloud but if it be great nede and that must be after the myddes of the daye .

¶ The fourme and the measure to mete land by .

THe lenght of a barlei corne thre times make an ynche , so that the barley growe in comyn sorte not to leuen to much composted , and .xii. ynches make a fote , and .iiii. fote maketh a yearde , & .v. quarters of the yarde make an elle , fiue fote make a pace a hundred .xxv. pace make a forlonge , and eyght forlonges make an englyshe inyle , and syxtene forlonges make a frenche lewge , fyue yardes din make a perche in London to mete land by , and that perch is xv . fote din longe , in dyuers other places in this land they mete ground by poles , gaddes and r●ddes , so me be of .xviii , fote , some of .xx. & some of .xxi. But of what length so euer thei be .c. lx. perches make an aker . for as a marke of englysh moneye conteyneth on .c. lx. pence , so euery aker of land conteyneth .c. lx. perches , & as a noble conteyneth .lxxx. pence , so halfe an aker of lande conteyneth .lxxx. perches and as the halfe a noble conteyneth .xl , pence . so a rode land coteyneth .xl. perches , & a perche of ground shall contayne in length of that perche euery way in the maner of a checker , so that it be as longe as broade .

xvi ●ote & a halfe maketh a perch as is a boue said that is .v. yardes and a halfe .vi. L. fote by liuescore to the hundred maketh a forlong , that is .xxviii. perches saue two fote , viii . furlonges make an english myle that is .v. M. fote , & so . LL. & .iii. perches al so are an englyshe myle .

¶ Here endeth this lytle treatyse that speaketh of plantyng and graffeyng of trees , and dyuers other matters , and also of dyuers medycynes for mans health .