Chap.II.
The choyce of ground for the Kitchin-garden, and the ordering thereof.
A Promise honest and profitable, being seriously made, I holde a sinne capitall to neglect, especially where the goodnesse stretcheth it selfe ouer a whole Kingdome: and hence I haue assumed to perfect both my promise and my labour in building vp that weake foundation which I formerly laid, of the English Husbandman: wherein, contrary to all other Authors, I am neither beholden toPliny, Virgil, Columella, Varo, Rutillius, Libault, nor any other Forrainer, but onely to our owne best experienst Countreymen, whose daily knowledge hath made them most perfect in their professions: and what better instruction can be had then that which we receiue from the professors, being men of our owne neighbourhood, acquainted with our Climate and Soile, and the necessary things agréeing with the bettering of the same: and not resort, as our Translators haue done, to strangers helpe, who tels you that you must meanure your ground with Asses dung, when our Kingdome hath not so many foure-footed Asses as wil meanure one Acre, and many such like things which our Kingdome affordeth not: therefore according to the plaine true English fashion, thus I pursue my purpose.
The choyce of Ground.
Touching the choyse of Ground, I haue in the former part of this Booke shewed you the true nature and goodnesse of euery seuerall Soyle: and you are to vnderstand that the best Soyle is best for this purpose, because it is least laborsome, and most profitable: yet notwithstanding that some of our translated Authors doth vtterly disalow for Gardens many Soyles, as namely, all Sands, all Chawkie earths, all Grauell, all Earths like dust, and any Earth which chappeth or openeth in the heat ofSummer, by that meanes depriuing almost halfe our kingdome of the benefit of Gardens, yet I assure you there is no Soyle whatsoeuer (if it lye from the inundation of water, or be not absolutely boggy) but with industry will beare any Fruit, Hearbe, or Flower, plentifully, and without any casualtie procéeding from the barraines therof: witnes a most worthy Garden in the barren Peake ofDarbyshire, where there is no curious Trée or Plant wanting, nor doe they flourish in any place more brauely.
The bettering of Grounds.
Now for mine owne part, I write generally to all Husbandmen, not to those onely which liue in fertile and fat Soyles, and therefore I would haue no man say, the Soyle where I liue is so barraine, that I cannot haue a Garden: for if the Soyle wherein you liue, be barraine, then shall you in the latter end of September breake vp your earth more then a Spade-graft déepe, and be well assured that at euery Spade-graft you breake the mould well, and leaue not the rootes of any wéeds within it, then let it rest till the midst of October, at which time if any wéeds appeare vpon it, by all meanes let them be pluckt vp by the roots, which done,The trenching of Grounds.you shall trench your ground at least a yarde and a halfe déepe, and then bury in those trenches, if it be a Sand or grauell earth, great store of Oxe or Cow meanure, if it be a colde Chalkie Clay, or a moyst ground, then great store of Horse meanure, of both which meanures the oldest and rottenest is the best: but if you liue in such a Soyle as there is neyther of these meanures bred therein, then take straw of any kinde whatsoeuer, and spread it in the high-way where there is much trauell, & when it is rotten with the beating of Horse féet, then cause it to be shoueld vp, & with it fill your trenches, but if Straw be wanting, then if you haue any muddy ditches or ponds, scowre the mud out of them, & with it fill vp your trenches: & although these are not so long lasting as the two first sorts of meanures, yet they are sufficient to bring forth increase, & must supply where necessity inforceth, alwayes hauing discretion when you sée your groundabate in fruitfulnes, to replenish it with fresh meanure.
Now as you fill your trenches with meanure, let one mixe the earth therewithall, and as it were blend and incorporate them together: thus hauing gone ouer so much ground as you intend to plant or sowe vpon, you shall let it rest till the midst of Ianuary, at which time you shall breake it vp in trenches againe, but not aboue thrée quarters of a yarde déepe, and then fill vp those trenches with meanure as before, and lay your earth as leuell as is possible, & so let it rest till the beginning of March (if the weather be seasonable for sowing or planting) otherwise let it stay till mid-March, and as soone as the Moone is changed you shall then dig it vp the fourth time, and make it fit to receyue your séede, but in this fourth time of turning ouer your earth, you shall dig it but a little better then a Spade-graft depth, and euer as you dig it, mixe it with fresh meanure: if your ground be subiect to much chapping or rining, then you shall at this last digging mixe the earth with ashes and Horse meanure mixt together, which will binde and holde the earth from chapping.
Of breaking the Garden moulde.
After you haue digd your ground in this order, and made it leuell, you shal with an Iron Rake breake the great clods of earth, and bring it to as fine a mould as is possible, euer obseruing that if in the breaking of the clods or otherwise, you perceiue the roots or stalks of any wéeds to arise, you shall presently with your hand pull them out, and cast them on heaps, that they may serue eyther for the fire or the dunghill:Ordering of Garden-beds.which done, you shall tread out your beds in such orderly sort, that you may passe from one to the other without eyther treading vpon the beds, or striding ouer them: & thus much for the barraine & sterrill ground, which although all ancient & late writers reiect, as not worthy to be imployed to this vse, yet beléeue it, being husbanded as is said before, it will equall in fruitfulnes the best ground.
Of the fruitfull Soyle.
Touching your rich and perfect grounds, which of themselues are apt to put forth with little labour, you shall onely at the latter end of September breake vp theEarth, and making greater Trenches, fill them well with Oxe meanure, and then turning the Earth vpon the meanure, leuell your ground very carefully, breake the clots and rake it very painefully, and then treade out your beds, as is before sayd, artificially; but if the ground which you breake vp, be eyther gréene-swarth, or much ouergrowne with wéeds (as these rich soyles must euer be the one or the other) (for they will not be idle, but continually bringing forth) then at this first digging and dunging you shall haue diuers which shall follow the Spade, who shall take away all manner of roots, gréenes, grasse-tufts, stones, or whatsoeuer may bréede anoyance to the ground: which worke being perfected, you shall let the ground rest all winter till the beginning of March, that the frost may mellow and ripen the mould, and also kill the roots of such wéeds as the Spade hath turned vp, and haue béene omitted to be pulled away.
Now so soone as March is come, vpon the first change of the Moone, you shall digge vp this Earth againe, leuell it, and order it in all points as was sayd of the barraine Earth, onely there will néede no more vse of meanure, but as soone as it is digged, raked, leuelled, and brought into a fine mould, you may then tread out your Beds, as aforesayd, euer proportioning the quantitie of them according to the quantitie of your séedes, hauing the most of that which is most in vse, and the least of the contrary.
Now as touching the fencing and inclosing of your Garden, I haue in the former Booke shewed you the same at large, and giuen seuerall instructions, according to mens seuerall abilities, with this caution, that whether your fence be wall, pale, dead-hedge, ditch, or quickset, yet it must be so high that it may with assurance kéepe all manner of Pullen from flying ouer the same, who are the greatest enemies to a Garden that may be.
The necessariest Ornament in a Garden.
There would be also in this Kitchin-Garden, if with conueniency it may be brought to passe, eyther a Pumpe, Well, or Cesterne, which might flow continually withwater all the Summer time, for the watering of Hearbs, as shall be héereafter declared. And thus much touching the choyce of ground for a Kitchin-garden, and the ordering of the same.