WHEREAS It pleased the Kings most Excellent Maiestie , forth of his Princely respect , for the better repairing of the ruine of this Kingdome , for the good of euery particular person : the publique good of the Common-wealth , and the preseruing and maintaining of the same for all posteritie , to giue alowance to the Printing and publishing of the Booke , that I presented vnto his Maiestie , principally concerning the planting and preseruing of wood , as hath and doth appeare to all men , whereby I am the better animated by his Maiestie , and many other good men , to perseuere in so needefull and more then necessary businesse , and to apply my whole indeuour , to seeke out all possible means that may be found to effect the same : with the least charge & losse of ground , the better to incourage all his louing Subiects thereunto : by meanes whereof , together with the daily conference that I haue with many of the better sort ; and oft , for this purpose with Husbandmen , and workemen ; who ( for the most part ) haue best experience in this businesse , being loath to write more then by mine owne eie-sight I know to be true . Further , seeking to know the opinions and experience of many vnderstanding and good Common-wealths men , to seuerall ends ; and hauing conference with some skilfull Surueyors of Land , and such as take vpon them to know the number of Acres , that are contained in this Kingdome : Thus , obseruing what I heare or see , tending to any publique good , especially for this businesse , I attaine to a neere estimation what Acres the Kingdome doth containe , what acres wil plentifully supply all wants , and maintaine the Kingdome for euer , being planted and preserued , as followeth : and how as great store of Fire-wood may be raised , being maintained , as may plentifully maintaine the Kingdome for all purposes , aswell for the making of yron , and all other mettalls that the Kingdome doth affoord for euer ; so farre from the losse or hurt to land , as it may rather greatly better and improue it : First , it is generally decreed by all Surueyours , that the whole kingdome containeth nine and twenty millions , fiue hundred sixty eight thousand acres , or neere thereabouts : whereof it is supposed that there is foure millions , and al the odde thousands waste , that yeeldeth little or no profite at all ; and that there hath been within a hundred years last past , foure millions of woods and bushy grounds , that yeelded little profit , but wood and bushes , ouer and aboue Parkes , Forrests , and Chases .

Forth of which twenty nine millions , and the odde thousands , the wastes being deducted , which in effect is fiue millions , the remainder is fiue and twenty millions : whereon wood , hath , doth , or would grow , if it were planted and preserued : First , for this purpose , take forth of euery thousand acres , forty foure acres , inclose and plant the same according to the directions following : Wheresoeuer it lieth , plant foure acres of euery forty foure in rowes , so as there may be contained in a hundred thousand acres , so much timber as will plentifully serue the Kingdome for all vses , euery tree to be ten yards distant one from an other one way , and three the other , which can be no losse to such as shall plant , neither for their owne vses , nor for such as want ground to plant on ; in respect that such as want , must be constrained to buy of such as haue to sell , which is so farre from the losse of any , as it will be for their greatest profite ; for after twenty yeares the forty acres will yeeld much more profite , either in corne or grasse then the foure and forty did before , ouer and aboue the benefite of the timber ; and in the meane time , little or no losse . The like planting for fire-wood might bee made in rowes , as shall appeare , but it is altogether needelesse ; for the very hedges , being planted and made as after followeth , will yeelde Fire-wood plentifully for all vses , as by experience shall appeare , so as within thirtie yeares it may be more then needefull to haue any Copies or Spring-woods at all , but that all Wood-land may be conuerted to Tillage or Pasture , to the particular good of the Owners and Common wealth . Further , shewing in particular , what publique good may arise thereby . In the meane time , it were very conuenient , that the stocking vp of woods were preuented , except they were stocked vp into rowes , for it is generally conceiued , that within a very few yeares , there will be little or no wood left for any vse , the stocking & stubbing is so great , notwithstanding the Lawes prouided , by the worthy King of famous memory Henry the eight , for the preseruing of wood ; which laws haue beene from time to time continued , and are still in force , and haue beene most earnestly called vpon by the Kings Maiestie euer since his comming to this kingdome , especially at euery high Court of Parliament , where he hath not onely required the continuance thereof , but also most earnestly giuen it in charge ( especially at the last Parliament ) that some course might be taken for the planting and preseruing of woods , which assuredly ( as I haue heard ) was intended at the last sitting in Parliament , the which cannot be vnknowne to such as daily stocke and stubbe vp woods : neither respecting the displeasure of his Maiesty , nor the breach of the Lawes in that case prouided . In euery countrey wood is daily stubbed vp , especially within twenty miles of London , where wood is pretious , and too deare for the poorer sort ; by meanes thereof , they are constrained to breake hedges , to the great decaying of wood , and to the grieuance of euery man that hath woods & hedges , and to their great charge , which I finde generally complained of , and daily more and more wil be complained of : for ( say the poore ) Though they want victualls , that is too deare for them to get by their honest labour , yet will they not perish for want of fire , so long as it is to be gotten . The best remedy for the same , is , a generall Plantation , whereby no one man may feele the losse that some few do , that plant ; for as they plant the one day , the poore plucke or cut them vp the next day , if not the same night . Which , if all men should be constrained to plant , it would be as it is in Worcester shire with fruit , where the plentie is so great , as the stealing of some few is neuer missed : Euen so would it be by the generall planting of wood , and in time be growne so cheape , as the poore would rather choose to buy then steale it .

Also the making of yron and glasse , hath beene , and is the greatest decay of wood ; notwithstanding , yron was neuer so ill , nor neuer so deare as it is at this instant , by the halfe , before so great store was made in this kingdome ; & by all likelihood is likely to grow dearer : the reasons why it is so deare , are especially two ; the one in respect that wood is so worne out , as many are constrained to giue ouer the making therof : which want may be supplied by the meanes following , namely , out of hedges by lop-wood , which will approuedly make as good char-cole for all vses , as any other wood , which may be continued so long as it shall please GOD the Kingdome shall endure : the other is in respect , that before so great store of yron was made in this Kingdome , the Merchants bought Cloth of the Clothiers , which beyond the Seas they exchanged for yron ; which was better yron , and better cheap then the English yron : the want of which exchange , together with the transporting of Wooll beyond the Seas , the worthy trade of clothing is so decayed , as many poore people that were set on worke by the abler sort of Clothiers , are constrained to beg , that before liued well by their labour : Also there are millions of people that liue in great feare , that they in a short time may fall into the like necessity , which are the Carpenters , the Shippe-wrights , the Plough and Cart-makers , the Ioyners , the Cowpers , and the Coach-maker . Whereupon it is generally conceiued by all men of iudgement , that enter into consideration of the premisses , that without a speedie generall Planting and Preseruing , both of Timber and Fire-wood be , the Kingdome by no meanes can be maintained another Age ; which with small cost and labour ( to willing mindes ) in good time , may be preserued and maintained , as plentifully as euer heeretofore : as shall be proued to the glorie of God , content of his Maiestie , their owne selues , posteritie , and Common-wealth .

Concerning the Planting and Preseruing of Timber , all men with whom I haue conuersed , are of one minde , that a better direction then herein is set downe cannot bee deuised , which is , by planting groues of a Roode , or halfe a Roode of ground in a Groue , in pasture grounds ( or as followeth , ) especially in Rowes , whereby much more timber may be raised in lesse ground as shall appeare ; which being performed , there will be timber enough for al purposes , with the surplusses of Timber that may be planted and preserued in Forrests , Chases , Parks , Commons , or common Pasture , and much the better it will continue , if it be so prouided , that none shall fell or other-waies make away any tree or trees , but to be enioyned to plant and preserue so many as shall be felld , or otherwaies made away . Thus may Timber be raised two seuerall waies ; the one in Groues , the other in Rowes : for Groues , such as haue but one hundred acres , and so for such as haue more , to inclose for euery hundred acres , one seuerall Rood in some corner of a Close , which is already inclosed , for the ing of chrsauages , where halfe of the Fence is already made , and is to be maintained notwithstanding this deuice ; or rather in the middest of a Close , although the charge be something the more , where the cattell may not onely haue shadow in Summer , but also shelter in Winter , euery way the better . To improue the close and cattell , the plot of ground for this purpose of one roode , would be in length tenne pole , in breadth foure : in which length there is contained fifty fiue yards , and in breadth twenty two yards . In which plot of ground there may be planted fiue rowes of trees for Timber , and in euery rowe there must bee digged vppe foureteene plots of a yard square , which should be digged vp two seuerall times , betweene Midsummer and Michaelmasse ; and againe , when the meanes following are to be set , according to the nature of the soyle , and the directions following ; euery plot to be foure yards distant euery way one from an other ; so there may be contained in a Rood of ground threescore and tenne trees . And in euery of these plots so digged , there may be set nine , a foote one from another , ( either Akornes , Chessenuts , Beech-maste , Keyes of Ash , Rootes or Chips of Elme ) being so set , & come vp , the ground would be weeded twice , or thrice the first and second yeare , if occasion serue , and after foure or fiue yeares , when it may be discerned which of them is likest to be the best trees , there would be but foure left , the other would be drawne vp and planted else-where at the Owners pleasure . And after sixeteene or twenty yeares three of the other may be felld , and made away for some vses ; and onely one , being the very best , to remaine ; from which all the leaues would be plucked off by hand within a foote of the top , in the beginning of Iune , so long as a man can reach them , and afterwards cut off with a knife , or light forrest bill , made for that purpose . The reason why I wish the planting of Groues to be in so many seueralls , is , that when a Groue is felld , it should be all felld : for the felling of trees in woods at seuerall times , hath beene a great decay to wood . And further , by experience it may be proued , that seldome good timber groweth of old stocks ; by reason whereof , I could wish that trees should rather bee stocked vp , then felld , that the ground might be planted againe . The second way for planting in rowes is as hereafter followeth .

For the planting in Barren , Champaine , or Gorssie grounds , either for Timber or Fire-wood .

IF in all Champaine Countries , where land is barren , and fewell so scant , that they are constrained to burne the straw , and manure , which should be imployed to the manuring of land ; the want thereof is the vtter vndoing of many a Husbandman , who tilleth much land , soweth much seed , and reapeth much losse , for want of manure . If therefore ( I say ) not onely of my selfe , but also in the opinions of many vnderstanding men , inhabiting in such countries , that if some part of their barest grounds that lieth so far from the town wherunto it doth belong , that seldome , or neuer it is manured : by reason whereof it oft lieth ley , and yeeldeth no profite : if for this purpose , there were eleuen acres of that land , as it lieth together , and that one acre of the eleuen were planted with wood in rowes , and after that rate for more or lesse , according to the number of the Acres that are in the possession of the Lords of Land , and their Tenants in euery towne ; which acre may thus be planted : ( first it is to be vnderstood , that a statute acre doth containe in length 220. yards , and in breadth , two and twenty . First make a good Fence , according to the directions following , and then beginne at a side of the eleuen acres , and measure ten yards in breadth , and in euery eleuenth yard digge vp fiue and fifty plots of ground of a yard square ; and so in euery eleuenth yard from side to side : Euery plot to be three yards betweene one an other in the rowes , ouer and aboue the square yard for fire-wood ; for Timber but two yards betweene the square yards , so as there may be three score and fourteene plots in euery rowe , and so planted and obserued , as before is declared . Whereby there may be contained in one acre , one thousand sixe hundred and odde trees for timber : In foure acres of the thousand , sixe thousand and foure score , euery tree to growe one from another tenne yards one way , and three the other ; and for fire-wood , one thousand one hundred and tenne . There may be also contained in one entire acre , one thousand two hundred and ten trees for timber , euery one to haue foure yards of ground to thriue on .

These Directions may be obserued by such as are desirous to plant spacious grounds , so farre from the losse of ground , as the ground thereby may be much improoued , especially if the ground be barren , by letting it lie ley foure or fiue years after it is planted ; which lying will better the ground , so as it may be plowed between the rowes , and sowne with corne , and for two or three yeares haue good croppes : in which time the plants will be so growne vp , as it may be a sheepe-pasture , till the wood be past taking hurt by cattell : in which time the shadow of the trees , and the rotting of leaues , and the manure of the sheepe will better the ground , so as it will be good medow , pasture , or corne ground , at the Owners pleasure , for his best profit . This were a very profitable course to be obserued in sheepe-walkes , on Downes , where hedge-wood is scant , as commonly it is in such barren grounds . The best way to inclose , is ( if it be in swarthy grounds ) to set the aforesaid meanes as a foote-set of thornes without any ditch , and to raise the Fence of either side by walles of Soddes , as is to be seene betweene Lincolne and the Horse-race , or as commonly sheepe pennes are made in Downes and Heaths : If no swarth , by a double ditch , and set the meanes on the top of a banke , being made a yard broad on the top , so as a hedge of a foote high of either side will serue to defend it ; and by a like planting in all gorssie grounds , where gorsse groweth so naturally that the Owners of the grounds can by no meanes destroy it : great store of timber or fire-wood may be raised , with the other profits , and the soyle much improued : for after the trees be past taking hurt by cattell , the gorsse betweene the rowes may be stocked vp , so as the tenne yards of ground betweene the rowes may bee sowne with corne , and being limed when it is tilled , the lime , together with the shadow of the trees , will approuedly so destroy the gorsse , as the ground will be recouered to be corne , medow , or pasture . In like sort , all broomy ground may be improued . Some that haue gorssie grounds , haue obiected , that if their gorsse should be destroyed , they should be damnified thereby , in regard they haue no better fewell . To such I haue giuen good satisfaction , that it is not intended , that the gorsse should bee destroyed , before the wood bee past taking hurt by cattell , when the wood will yeeld better fewell , and better store .

How to improue barren ground .

THE best remedy for barren grounds , either for sandy or clay , for fruit-trees , or any kind of wood , to make them grow speedily , & without mosse , is for sandy land , to make a hole , so bigge , as it will holde the quantitie of three bushells of good earth , and a bushell of vnslecked lime ; then put into the hole a third part of the lime , and vpon that lime , lay a third part of the earth , and vpon that earth , another part of the lime , and vpon that lime a third part of earth , and so the rest : and in like sort sand and lime for clay land , and so lay more or lesse , as occasion serueth . Thus mingle them together , and let it lie a quarter of a yeare before it is to be vsed ; and when you remooue a yong tree , or set a stocke to graffe on , lay vnder , and about the roote a bushell of the lime and earth well mingled together , and powre thereon a paile full of water , which water will wash the earth close to euery roote . And to any kind of Peach or Plumb-stone halfe a pecke ; and for Chessenuts , Akornes , or any other kinde of seedes of wood , vse this mingled earth in discretion , and approouedly thus being vsed , they will grow more in one yeare then in any other ground in two , though the soile be good : and it is a speciall good manuring for corne , the nature of lime is to make clay-land lighter , and sand-land stiffer , as partly may appeare in buildings , that lime and sand do make morter , when it is drie , as hard as stones .

For the planting of Timber-trees , or Fire-wood , in Forrests , Chases , Parkes , Commons , and common Pastures .

EXperience hath , and may teach all men to know , for it is to be seene with the eyes of all men , that in all ages , bushes haue beene , are , and will be ( if they be preserued ) in all grounds , the mother and nurse of trees , so that all men may take notice thereby , that by the digging vp of a hole a foote square , and three or foure fingers deepe , in the middest of any tuft of bushes , gorsse , furres , or whins , as some terme them , or in hollinbushes , and therein to set 3. of the mast of oake , chessenuts , beech , keys of ash , the roots , or chips of elme , or rather rootes or sykamore seeds which wil grow as fast as any other wood , the body good for little , but for to make trenchers , or drinking-cups , and for those vses , better then any other wood growing in this kingdom , as before is set down : any of these , according to the nature of the soile , wherin these are to be planted : out of which three it is not to be doubted , but one of them at the least , wil grow and prosper , the bushes being preserued about them , till the plants be past taking hurt by cattell . This may be performed with a small charge , for a man may set a hundred in a day at the least , by experience I speake it , which can not cost aboue twelue pence ( a thousand for ten shillings . )

Many there are that like wel of this planting of wood , and many doe obserue it , that before were desirous to raise wood , by taking vp of yong trees where they did grow and prosper ; which are weary of that kinde of planting , by reason that for the most part , halfe of them doe not grow , which mooueth many to obserue these directions : And some there are that say they like these directions well ; but say they , it is against the nature of this Age to tarry so long for profite . To which I answer , That if the Ancestors of noblemen , gentlemen , and others , had had so little respect to their posterity , as we haue in this Age ; there are some noblemen , and many others , that would haue been constrained to haue sold a great part of the land their Ancestours left them , to supply the wants which they haue supplied by their woods ; and it will fall so out ere it be long , that such must sell land , for wood their Ancestors will leaue them none to sell : And to content such , and all others , I haue added by experience directions for this present Age , as followeth towards the latter end of this Booke .

For the planting of Fire-wood about Parkes .

HOw all Parkes may be fenced by fire-wood , so as after tenne or twelue yeares it will be stronger then any pale ; and after forty yeares stronger then any wall , and longer lasting by many degrees : and being once made , neuer to be made againe , with the charge and profit that may arise thereby . Say for this purpose , that there is a parke to be fenced of foure miles pale-walke , which miles containe in length thirty two furlongs of Statute-measure , euery furlong containeth forty poles , euery pole fiue yards and a halfe : Admit there were no ditch at all about the pale , nor wood ( as commonly there is ) and that all were to be ditched and fenced anew , with a ditch of fiue foote wide at the top , a foote and a halfe broade in the bottome , and three foot deepe , and that this ditch , with the getting and setting of the meanes aforesaid , for the planting of timber , should cost twelue pence a pole ; the totall of the charge three score and three pounds at the most : for it is certaine , that much of this may be saued : for in many places the ditch cannot be so chargeable ; for about many parks in some places , there need no ditch at all , and in some places , a lesse ditch will serue . Neither can the hedging be chargeable in two respects ; the one , by reason that about many Parkes , there are many thornes growing , which being felld to make the fence once , will afterwards so grow vp , as they will defend the wood so set without any further charge ; and about many parkes there is as much wood growing as will defray the charge : so as to some the effecting of this busines , will be little or no charge at all . The earth of this new ditch must be cast to the pale-ward , so as the banke may be a yard broad on the top : fence there needeth none , but long bushes so put betweene the pales aboue the railes , as they may reach and hang ouer the banke into the ditch .

This being done , for such soiles as by experience Maste and Seeds will best like of , as may best appeare by the wood thereon growing , the Maste would be gathered as it falleth from the tree , and not beaten downe before it be ripe . The Ash keyes may be gathered about Alhollontide : being thus gotten and gathered in , they would be kept neyther too wet nor too drie , till they be set , according to the directions following . The rootes of Elme are to be gotten by baring olde Elmes at the roote , betweene Alhollontide and Candlemasse , when the sappe of trees is in the rootes , from whence there may be taken , without hurt to the Elme , many yoong rootes of the bignesse of a little finger , and a foot long . And as of Elme , so of Wiche , being a wood as apt to grow speedily as any other , which are to be cut from the olde rootes . These yong roots would be set as a foot-set of thornes within a foote of the pale , so as the thornes may hang ouer them ; set in the ground , and one inch out of the ground : so likewise in the sides of banks , as quick-sets , they are to be set in 2. rowes , 3. fingers broad betweene the rowes , and so set as they may not stand directly one against another . The maste and seedes would also be so set in two rowes , three fingers betweene euery rowe , three fingers deepe , and foure in a foot in either rowe . The boughes of Elme , Willows , or Sallow , would bee lopped from the trees betweene mid-March and the middest of Aprill , when the sappe is in them , and before the leaues put foorth ; they would be of three or foure yeares growth , of the freshest , sappiest , and knottiew . Thus being lopped from the trees , they would be cut in length of a foote long , colt-footed at either end , the boughes and twigges being cut off close to the body : they would bee laid in trenches in two rowes , three fingers deepe , with the knotty side vpward , and three fingers betweene the rowes a hand breadth one from an other , and couered with earth , which is neither weedy nor grassie . These boughs would be laid the same day that they are lopped , or the next day after at the farthest , or set in the ground as sets a foote deepe .

This being done , they will within sixe or seuen yeares bee growne so high , as the plants may be bended , and laied as a plashed hedge , but not cut at the rootes : the reason is , that being so yong the plants will easily bend , which way a man will haue them , and when they are to be laid , the rowe that is to be laid , would be shread close to the body , and topped so high as when they are laid , the toppe may lie seuen foote wide from the roote , and so high as a beast may not reach the tops : And when the rowe is in laying , if they grow thicker then a foote asunder , some may be cut vp for bindings , to binde them downe that are laide , for thicker then a foote asunder is needelesse for them to be laide . The other rowe would be yearely shread , and kept with small tops , the lesser to hurt the Fence so laid , and some of them are to be bound into the fence so laid , to stand three or foure yeares for stakes , so as those that are thus bound downe after two or three yeares , will continue so , and lie as railes ; and if cattell bee kept from the browsing of them but a yeare : the boughes will spring foorth of the knots , so as the Fence will be both thicke and strong , and much the stronger , by the helpe of the other rowe , which after the fence of it selfe is growne strong , may be felled and imployed to other vses . This in common reason ( as I said before ) cannot but in ten or twelue yeares be a stronger Fence then any pale , and in a short time stronger then any wall , and longer lasting , without further charge . And this for experience , in part , may be seene in all wood-land countries , especially in Fences about Woods , where it is to be seene , that for want of thornes in many places all kinde of woods are plashed , and thus laide , which in some places haue laine so long , as they are growne so great , that they are incorporated one into another ; notwithstanding liketh very well , and yeeldeth much fire-wood by lopping off the toppes and boughs that are growne forth of them so lying .

And as in this , so in other things , by experience I write of that which mine eyes haue seene in many places for two or three poles together , where there haue beene fiue or sixe heads growing out of one tree so laide . And for the better proofe hereof , I haue also seene , as I haue rode by the way , in an Orchard ( in little Waltham in Essex , foure miles at the most from Chelmsford , ) an Apple tree that was blowne downe many yeares since , which lieth close to the ground , the root hauing some small holde in the ground , which hath put forth of the body so lying , fiue trees at the least , which are so nourished as they beare fruit . I haue also seene in a towne within two miles of Stone in Stafford shire , in a ground of maister Ratliffes , a Peare-tree that was likewise blowne downe , bigger then a fadome about , that stood in a hedge , which tree lieth a yard from the ground , being staied so by two boughs that sticke in the ground , which hath so taken roote , as thereby , with the helpe especially of some part of the roote , that it hath also put forth , and nourisheth fiue trees as bigge as the calfe of a mans legge , which grow a yard one from another ; whereby it may the better appeare , that this kinde of Fencing may bee perfourmed , not onely with wood , but also with Apple and Peare-trees , if neede required , with such as like thereof , to the good of themselues and common-wealth .

Another kinde of fencing there is , that many do like better of , then the laying of the wood , as is aforesaid , which by experience may be performed by letting the plants grow , and neuer to lay them , but yearely to shread the twigs of the one rowe , that after is to be felld , so as they may be kept with small toppes , the lesse to hurt those that are to remaine for the Fence , which rowe that is to stand for the Fence , would be topped at sixeteene or twenty yeares growth , fifteene or sixteene foote high from the ground , and againe after eight yeares , and then for the better encreasing of fire-wood they would be so lopped , as there may be as well three heads of a tree , as one , and euery head to yeeld as much wood , as if there were but one head of the tree : if when the worke-man doth top a tree , he would top it where the tree putteth forth most boughes , within three inches aboue the knottiest place of the tree , not too flatte , as many worke-men doe , but sloping , the lesse to take water for the rotting of the tree : at which second lopping , all the boughes would bee lopped off close to the head of the tree , but onely three of the greatest ; the one that groweth directly vp , to bee topped halfe a yard aboue the head of a tree ; the other two would be of those that growe outward , from either side of the tree from the rowe-ward , the lesse to hurt the rowe by dropping : which two would be lopped foure foote off from the body of the tree , by which meanes , as well from this , as from the other kind of fencing , there may be lopped from a Parke of foure miles pale , yearely , after one and twenty yeares , two furlongs of sixeteene yeares growing ; and as in euery pole there was sixteene let to grow , so there are sixteene to be yearely lopped , which being husbanded , as aforesaid , would yeeld eight and forty heads , whereas if they should haue but one head a peece ( as they haue three ) could not yeelde lesse then three loades of wood in a pole of sixteene yeares growing ; worth to be sold two shillings sixe pence the loade , ariseth to tenne pounds a yeare . The timber for paling and workemanship yearely saued , which can not be lesse worth then sixe pounds , ( which timber is more then needefull to he saued ) besides the profite of the browse for Decre ) maste for hogges , and barke for the tanning of leather , which would arise to be much worth , if the wood might grow vntill it be twenty or foure and twenty yeares olde , which then would also yeelde many good sparres for the building of out-houses and cottages , with good store of worke for poore laboring men , by lopping and faggoting the wood . This direction were very profitable to be vsed about spring-woods when they fell their wood , and make their hedges , so as it may be made once for euer to great profite . What reason any man hath to omit this , I leaue to be censured by the discreet Reader .

For the increase of Fire-wood , by the Lopping of trees .

FOr the better increasing of wood by lopping of trees , experience will teach all men to know , that will obserue it , as hee rideth on the way in euery Countrey , especially in Cheshire , neere vnto the Wiches , ( where salt is made , and much wood is spent by the boyling thereof , ) that euery tree will as well yeelde fiue or sixe heads , as one , if workemen , when they loppe trees , would obserue the directions before set downe , for the topping and lopping of trees about parks , and in hedges .

For the increasing of fire-wood in hedge-rowes , between decayed trees , the best remedy is , that when such trees decay , and haue lop-wood on them , of the age of tenne or twelue yeares , within a weeke of the first day of August , or within a weeke after , when the sappe is in the tops of the trees , to set a discreete workeman into the trees , and there with a sharpe knife to cut off close to the head of the trees , all the barke a hand broad that groweth vpon the principall boughs that be likest to make trees , so cleane that he leaueth not the breadth of a haire , but rather cut part of the wood then leaue any of the barke : This being done , presently get good clay , and let one worke it to the breadth and thicknesse of a tile , and so long , or longer , as it may well lappe about the bough so pared , then lay thereon some fatte earth two or three fingers thicke , and lay the same clay and earth vpon the barke of the bough next to the plot so pared ; and with mosse and bands binde these same on , like vnto a graffe , and so let it rest , and about Alhollontide , then make holes in the ground where you would haue them to grow , and presently saw off with a hand-saw the boughs so clayed , betweene the clay and the plot so pared , and so doe it as the earth be not shaken off , carry them , and set them halfe a yard deepe , fill vp the holes with limed earth halfe a yard broade about the plant and treade it well ; if the ground be barren , make the holes so much the wider , and fill them : Being so set , stake them , and binde them as other Sets , and assuredly they will grow and prosper better then other Sets , or transplanted trees : If they be set betweene trees , loppe the olde trees before you set them , that they be not ouer-topped , nor dropped by them : these being either elme , willow , or sallow . As for other wood , I haue seene no experience ( but of some boughs of Apple and Peare-trees , which being thus vsed , haue borne fruit the same yeare they were set , ) I can finde no reason to the contrary , but that other woods may grow and prosper as well as these . This is the most speedy way to beget woods .

All these Directions beeing obserued , there may bee in good time , more timber , fire-wood , corne and catell contained in this kingdome , then hath beene at any time these three-score yeares , and yet no woods at all : so that the soile of all woods in time may be conuerted to tillage , medow , or pasture , to the profite of the Kings maiesty , all Posterity , and the Common-wealth . The kingdome thereby may bee the better defended from forren enemies by the Nauigation , the bankes of the Seas , and ebbing and flowing riuers defended , staies maintained ; all which cannot bee maintained but by wood , without which defence a great part of the kingdome is in danger to be ouer-flowen and ruinated : some proofes thereof were to be seene this yeare one thousand six hundred and thirteene , neare Blackewall , where was a Breach that hath and will cost two thousand pounds to recouer it : And this winter , to the vtter vndoing of many an able man , in many places of this kingdom : the charge of staies and banks in many ebbing and flowing riuers , is chargeable to many , especially in the riuer of Owes , where the maintaining of staies and bankes costeth the Bishop of Durham at the least a hundred markes a yeare , and is very chargeable to sir Thomas Mettam ; and all that haue grounds there , that are charged thereby , according to the proportion of their grounds . The decay of these bankes may in one tide drowne much land , and many townes : which the obseruing of these directions , & some other following , will preuent .

The wood that may be raised about parkes , and the hedges within this kingdome , would raise many profites to the common-wealth , as the making of yron , and all other kinde of mettalls which the kingdome affoordeth , together with the burning of lime for the manuring of land , and buildings , and burning of bricke and tile for building , with many other profites to the kingdome .