Chap.III.
Of High Woods, and their Plantation.
What high Woods are.
High Woods are those which containe onely Trées for Timber, and are not pestred or imbraced with the vnder growth of small brush wood, such as Hazels, White-thorne, Sallowes and Poplar are; these for the most part consist of Oakes, Ash, Elme, Béech, Maple, and such like, growing so remote and seperate one from another, that although their tops and branches méete, and as it were infolde one within another, yet at the rootes a man may walke or ride about them without trouble.The beginning of high Woods.These high Woods had their first beginnings from the séeds, as was before declared, and nourisht from age to age amongst the vnder-woods, which, when men began to want foode for their bréede-Cattell, and that from the super-abundance of young Woods, they found some might conueniently be spared, they forth-with in stead of cutting downe their young wood aboue the earth, began to digge it vp by the rootes, and with stubbe Axes to teare the meane sinewes from the ground, so that it might not renew or encrease againe, and then leuelling the earth, and laying it smooth and plaine, to leaue nothing standing but the tall Timber trées, betwéene which the grasse had more libertie to growe, and Cattell more abundance to féede on, and all be not so long and well able to fill the mouth, as that which growes in the thicke springs, yet much more swéet and better able to nourish any thing that shall graze vpon the same, by reason that the Sunne and Frosts hauing more frée power to enter into the ground, the earth is so muchthe better seasoned, and bringeth forth her encrease with more swéetnesse.
The Plantation of high Woods.
Some are of opinion, that these high Woods may as well be planted as sowne, and that many of them from the first beginning haue béene so, to which opinion I consent in part: for doubtlesse I am perswaded, that many small Groues of Ash, Elme, Béech and Poplar haue béene planted, for we sée in our daily experience, and the new walkes inMore-fieldsbyLondon, are a perfect testimonie, that such Plantations may be without trouble or danger: but for the Oake to be taken vp and replanted, is very hard, and very seldome in vse, neither shall a man in an whole Age sée any Oake remoued come to perfection or goodnesse, but growe crooked, knottie, and at the best, but for the vse of fewell onely: but for the other before rehearsed, you may remoue them when they are a dozen yeares of age, and plant them where you please: and if the earth haue in it any goodnesse at all, they will take root and grow both spéedily, and plentifully. And since I am thus farre entred into the plantation of Woods, I will shew you how you shall plant and remoue euery Trée in his due manner and season.
Of Planting the Elme.
And first for the planting of the Elme, which is an excellent Trée for shadow, and the adorning of walkes or dwelling houses, you shall make choise of those Plants which are straightest, soundest, the barke euen and vntwound, and at least eightéene or twenty inches in compasse: these you shall digge out of the ground, roote and all, then at the top of the head, about thrée fingers vnder the knot, where the maine armes seuerally issue forth, you shall a little slope-wise cut the head cleane off them, and mixing clay and a little horse-dung, or fine ashes together, couer the head round about there-with, then ouer the same wrap Mosse, or fine Hay, and binde it about with soft clouen Oziers, or some such like bands, then with a sharpe pruning Bill cut euery seuerall branch of the roote within a finger or two of the stocke; which done, and the rootepickt cleane, you shall make a hole to be digged in the place, where you meane to plant the Elme iust of that depth, the hole was from whence you digged out the Elme, that so much and no more of the Elme may be hidden in the earth, then was formerly at his remouing; and this hole you shall make spacious and easie; and that the mould be soft and loose both vnderneath and round about the roote of the Elme, which done, you shall place your Elme in the same, straight and vpright, without either swaruing one way or other, which for your better certaintie, you may proue either with plumbe, leuell, or other instrument, which being perfected, you shall with rich fresh mould well mixt with olde meanure, couer and ram the same fast in the earth, in such sort, that no reasonable strength may moue or shake it: and all this worke must be done in the encrease of the Moone, either in the moneth of October, or at the latter end of Ianuary: but the latter end of Ianuarie is euer helde the best and safest, for there is no question but you shall sée flourishing Trées the next Summer after: and in this sort you may likewise remoue either Béech, Witcher, or Popler, bestowing them either in Groues, Walkes, Hedge-rowes, or other places of shadow, as shall séeme best to your contentment: for their natures being alike, their growthes and flourishings haue little difference.
Of Planting the Ash.
Now for the replanting or remouing the Ash, though not much, yet there is some difference, for it is not at the first so spéedie a putter forth, and flourisher, as the others be: but for the first yeare laboureth more to bestow and fixe his roote in the earth, then to spread forth his vpper branches, and although some Woodwards are of opinion, that so much as the Ash is aboue the ground, so much hée will be vnder before he begin to flourish outwardly, yet experience doth find it erronious, for though it be for the first yéere a little slower then other Trées, yet when it beginneth to flourish, it will ouer-take the spéediest grower. Therefore when you do intend to plant Ashes for a spéedyprofit, you shall not according to the olde custome chuse the smooth, small, long Plants, which are hardly thrée inches in compasse, and haue put out hardly any branches, and are such as grow from the rootes of elder Ashes cut downe before, which our auncient Woodwards haue vsed to slip or cleaue from those rootes, no, these are the worst sorts of Plants: but you shall take the true ground-Ash, which springeth from his owne proper roote, being smooth, euen, sound, and straight without bruise, canker, or other impediment. This you shall digge vp by the root, being as is before said almost twenty inches in compasse, and hauing cleansed the roote, you shall leaue each spray not aboue halfe a foote, or eight inches in length; but for the small thréeds or tassels of the roote, those you shall cut cleane away close by the wood, and so plant it in euery point, as was shewed you for the planting of the Elme, onely the top thereof you shall by no meanes cut off, because it is a trée of pith, which to deuide or lay bare, were very dangerous; and the best season for the planting of this Trée, is euer in the encrease of the Moone, at the fall of the leafe, which is from the beginning of October till midde Nouember, and at no other time, for it would euer haue a whole Winter to fasten his roote, and to gather strength, that it may bud forth his leafe the Summer following. Thus you sée how you may plant Groues or Copses at your pleasure, and make vnto your selfe high Woods according to your owne pleasure.Obiection.But you will obiect vnto me, that you liue in such a champaine Countrey, that albe these Plantations might bréede vnto you infinite pleasure, yet the pouerty thereof in wood is such that these Plants are not there to be found for any money.Answere.To which I thus answere, That in this Kingdome there is not any Country so barraine, or farre off remote from wood, being a soyle fit to receiue wood: But his next neighbour-Country is able to furnish him, especially with these Plants at an easie reckoning: as for example, I holdNorthamptonshire one of the barrennest for Wood, yetbest able to beare wood, and hath not he his neighbourHuntingtonshire andLeicestershire about him, where nurceries of these Plants are bred and preserued for the sale onely: Nay, euen inHolland, inLincolneshire, which is the lowest of all Countries, and most vnlikely to holde such a commodity, I haue séene as goodly Timber as in any Forrest or Chase of this Kingdome: and thus much for the planting of high Woods.