To this there may be some Objections.

First, Those whose Lands are Imployed in Raising of Barley, will fear that by this Expedient Rich Liquors will be so plenty and Cheap, and raised by every Body for their own use, That Beer and Ale will be neglected; And consequently, they will in some measure lose their former Benefit arising by Barley. The Farmers Objection.

To this I Answer; First, 'Tis as reasonable, that all others should make the best Improvement of their Lands in an Honest way, for their own and the Nations good, as that these Men should make the most of theirs for their private Interest. Answered. Secondly, Most Lands kind for Barley, are proper for such Plantations, and the Owners thereof, as well as others, may make the like Profit in this way, and much more than they did by Barley: For that, one Acre of Land so Planted as is before-mentioned, when grown upp, will (without Charge of Plowing and Sowing) produce more Hogs-Heads of Cyder and Wine-Royal, worth Six-pence a Quart (or Three-pence at least) than it would strong Beer or Ale, worth but Two-pence per Quart, if it had been sown with Barley. Thirdly, As for several Years yet to come, there will be little danger of the Objected Inconveniences, viz. until those Trees hereafter to be Planted, shall be grown upp; So in the mean time, until then, there will be more Beer and Ale spent than was before this SECRET was discovered: Because that Cyder which was Sold for twenty or thirty Shillings per Hogs-Head, and spent instead of Beer, will now be advanced to the Price of Five or Six, perhaps Eight or Ten Pound per Hogs-Head, and so be drank instead of Wine. And lastly, When the Plantations shall be grown numerous, the Publique Wisdom of each Na­tion, may easily prevent any such Inconvenience as is Feared, by laying such an Imposition on all Home-made Wines and Cyders, as may keep them from being Sold too Cheap, which yet will be no Burthen to the Plan­ters, nor they have any Reason to Complain thereof, tho' it should be Twenty Shillings on every Hogs-Head, so great will their Profit be, not­withstanding.

The Second Objection, as it more immediately concerns England, is more Considerable, viz. Objection touching Loss of Customes. That this Invention of improving Cyders, and other Li­quors of our own production, hindring the Consumption and Importation of forreign Wines, will much diminish his Majesties Customes.

To this is humbly Answered, That the loss of Customes by decrease of Forreign Wines may easily be made good; nay the profit to His Majesty more than doubled, by an Imposition on these Domestick Liquors which come in place of them. Answered. And as the Publick National Interest will readily Embrace and afford such an Imposition, which tends to the stopping of that vast Sluce of Treasure, which Forreigners yearly drain from us; so may the same be laid without any Grievance to the particular Subjects that are to pay it; Since notwithstanding the same, 'tis evident every Acre may [Page 9] be made worth at least Six Pound per Annum (after all Charges deducted) better to the Owners than it was before: And every one for his own use may make or have that for Three-pence at most, as good as what he paid a shil­ling for before. Besides the publick profit of Enriching the Nation several Hundred Thousand Pounds every Year.

For Example (keeping to our first, and the meanest Calculation that can in reason be imagined) suppose but Four Hogs-Heads of Cyder-Royal, and as many of Currant and Goose-berry-Royal be made upon an Acre; These at three-pence per Quart make the product of that one Acre for that year Twenty Four Pound. An Imposition of 20 [...]. per Hogs-head may be laid on Cyder-Royal, without im­poverishing the Planter. Now suppose further, That an Imposition were laid of one penny per Quart, which is Twenty Shillings per Hogs-Head; Then the Kings part or profit from that Acre will be Eight Pound Per Annum, and the Planters Sixteen Pound. And sure the latter has no Cause to Com­plain, since that may be more than Two Cropps of Grain would have brought in.

And at this Proportion in any Country where there shall be One-Hun­dred-Thousand Acres Planted, the King or State may Raise to themselves Six or Eight Hundred-Thousand Pounds per Annum. Thus Six or Eight hundred Thousand Pounds per Annum may be raised to the Govern­ment. And yet at the same time much Benefit and Enrich their Subjects, as keeping their Treasure at home from being Exhausted by Forreign Nations, and Enjoying for their use at 3 d. per Quart, altogether as good or better Drink than that for which before they paid 12 d. And as for those that Plant it, especially such as have Land of their own, they may by this means keep their Houses always Plentifully Furnisht with Variety of Rich Delicate Liquors for themselves, and their Friends, and if there be no Imposition, the same will Cost them nothing but the Labour of making it: And if there be such an Imposition, yet (besides their Labour) it will stand them in but one penny a Quart.

Again, The Decrease of Customes on Forreign Wines may be supplyed by laying double or trebble Customs on what shall for the Future be brought in; for since there will be no need of it, 'tis but just that those that will Gratify their Fancies to the Publique Prejudice of their Countries, should pay for their Humour, which perhaps will make their Out-Landish Drinks Relish the Sweeter; And yet even they will have no Reason to grudge at it, since (supposing them Persons of Estates) their Lands by this Improvement of Cyder at home will be much Augmented in Value. Customes on Forreign Wines may be doubled.

If it be Objected that the Customes already on Wine, are twice as much per Hogs-Head as what is proposed to be laid on Cyder. Customes on Cyder may amount to more than those on Wine, because more will be Drank.

I Answer, Suppose the Customes on Wines be 8 l. per Tun, and on Cyder but 4 l. yet since Cyder may be made for 3 d. per Quart, as good as French Wine at 12 d. per Quart, it may be Concluded, that there will be 4 times as much Cyder Drank as there is now Wine; which if so, then for every 100 l. the King or State did receive for Wines, they may receive 200 l. by Cyder-Royal.

There is yet another Objection, —Many People are much against Mixtures in Drink, and will be ready to say, Here is a Mixture in Your Cyder-Royal, and therefore we will not like it— To which I Answer: First, 'Tis not all Mixtures, but Dangerous or improper Mixtures which ought to be avoided. Secondly, This in Truth is not any Mixture at all, since only the better part of the same thing or kind is added to it, and when all is done, it is but Cyder, or Wine Refined and made better, without any Composition, but what comes from the Apple, unless you will (which is left to your own free Choice) to Gratify Your own Pallate add a little Sugar, which all Men know to be Wholsome and Nourishing, especially when 'tis first so Purg'd and Ordered as herein after is set forth; Nor is such Spirits in such Liquors any ways worse than Gravey with Meat, which makes the best sawce for the Flesh whence it proceeds: And as the Gravey is the Vital and Nourishing part [Page 10] of Meat, so is the Spirit of Cyder to Cyder. But if our Cyder-Royal he to be refused, as being mixt, I desire to be Inform'd, what Liquor (except fair Water) there is in Common use, not much more justly liable to the like Exception? Cyder-Royal is no Mixture.

But perhaps our greatest Wine-Bibbers will by no means Change their Out-Landish Liquors for Domestick Cyder: Because, say they, the Quan­tity we are to Drink, will make us Sick, before it will make us merry &c. The Reason why simple Cyder makes the Stomach Sick; No such thing to be feared from Cyder-Royal. To which I Answer, This is undoubtedly true of your Common simple Cy­der, but if you please to Consider the Cause, you shall find no room for this Exception against our Cyder-Royal, for that which useth to cause this Sickness in the Stomack, is the Chilly, Cold, Phlegmatick part of the Cyder, viz. That which hath least Spirit in it, is most hurtful; That this is so, nothing can be more Evident, for that the strongest Cyder is most free from Occa­sioning this Distemper. Now this we know, that the Spirits of Cyder are no other but the purer part of it, viz. The strong, warm, and lively part, separated from the weak, cold, and melancholly dead part; so that Reason must needs yield, that the Spirits of the Cyder being mixt with Cyder, can­not but make it both more strong and Pleasant, and also more wholsome, for that by this Expedient the Sickly cold and windy part is Cured.

Moreover for want of strength and Life, simple Cyders are apt to Decay and Dye; this we see by Experience; for that as the strongest simple Cyder hath most Spirit in it, and therefore Lives longest; So the weakest Cyder that hath least Spirit in it, will soon grow Sickly and Decay; There­fore this Expedient must needs be so farr from rendring Cyder more unwhol­some and unkind, that 'tis rather to be esteemed its most infallible Physitian or Remedy, for that it Corrects all the ill Humours that cause its Sickness, or Ill-Effects on Humane Bodies. Cyder-Royal will keep bet­ter than simple Cyders.

And this much I can honestly and truely averr, from a long continued Ex­perience, that a Glass of this excellent refined Cyder-Royal, drank half an hour before Meals, procures a good Appetite; and after Meals, helps Digestion: That it Chears the Heart, and Revives the Spirits. Some of the Vertues of Cyder-Royal. And as for its Operati­on upon the Brain, when too much is Drank at a time, the same is less hurt­ful, than Excess of strong Beer, Ale, Canary, or High-Country-Wines: For 'tis so farr from Clogging the Stomach, or Clouding the Brain with thick muddy Vapours, that I do believe a Man may (WERE IT NOT A SIN) be Fuddled and Sober two times in a Day with this Liquor, without mischief to his Health; and the Reason in my Opinion, is, because it so admirably Provokes Urine, and carries with it such foul and Ill matter that Offends the Head, Stomach, and Belly; The Truth of all which, I doubt not, will be soon attested by the Experience of those that shall make Trial.

VIII. A Bushel of Currants ripe and good, will make 6 or 7 Gallons of Wine; To every Bushel of Currants, so soon as they are Broken to pieces, put in 12 Quarts of Water, and in 12 or 16 hours after, press it, and strain it, put it into a Cask, and let it stand until it begin to be Clear, than Rack it off from the Gross-Lee, and put to each Gallon a Pint of good Spirit, and as much as best pleaseth your Pallets of Sugar, or Sweets, (here-after menti­oned) stirr it well together for one quarter of an hour, then stop it up close for about a quarter of a Year. How to make Royal-Currant Wine, &c.

In like manner is made Wine-Royal of Goose-Berries, Mul-Berries and Cher­ries; but of all these, that of Goose-Berries excels the rest, and doth resemble Canary the most.

If it be Objected, that the fore-going Calculations are partial, because I have not cast up the Charge of Converting the Fruit into Cyder, nor the Charge of Sweets or Sugars—To this it is Answered, That there is enough to be saved to defray all such Charges, viz. By saving the Spirits that may be drawn out of the Apples after the Cyder is Pressed out of them, as in [Page 11] the 15th Aphorism is herein after mentioned; But that which is much more Considerable is, that here may be made double the Quantity of Goose-Berry and Currant-Wine-Royal as has been Reckond upon ih the 4th. and 5th. Apho­risms, in this respect, viz. Because I there allow 20 Bushels of Currants and Goose-Berries to an Hogs-Head, Whereas every Bushel will make six Gallons; so that 20 Bushels will make 120 Gallons, which is two Hogs-Head, so that there, may be at lest 4 Hogs-Heads on an Acre more than was Reckoned, which may much more than pay for all the Charges of Sweets, and of converting the Fruit.

IX.The last Year, viz. 1682. good simple Cyder was frequently Sold in the west of England for 10 [...] per Hogs-Head, viz. an half-penny per Quart. And this Year by Reason of scarcity of Fruit, at 20 s. per Hogs-Head; which is but one Penny per Quart. The Common price of simple Cyder.

X. When Cyder comes to be plenty, there may be as much good Brandy made thereof, as may Furnish those whole Nations to whom this is Addressed, both for Land and Sea-Service, which perhaps may save them several Hundred-Thousand Pounds per Annum; For which use the most Stale and Sowr Cyder, which is scarce fit to be Drank, will make the greatest Quantity, and best tasted Brandy, being twice Distill'd. Brandy to be made of Cyder. Of this Cyder-Brandy I have kept some four Years, and better than it was at first making, and without doubt would keep four Years longer.

XI.The best known Fruit that is only for Cyder is Red-Streak, which is a kind of Wilding; What Fruit best for Cyder. but for both Uses, viz. for the Table and Cyder, the best and Golden Pippins, because they are both quick Growers, great Bearers, yield the greatest quantity of Liquors, and the best in Quality; And their very Husks after the Cyder is Pressed out, especially the Golden-Pippin; will yield more Spirit than any other I have yet found out; Nor is it harder to Raise the best Sort of Fruit, than the Worser. Golden-Pip­pins Excellent.

Some other Wildings I have sound that are as good as the other, but they are as yet unknown by Name; but this is most certain, good Wildings, and good Crabbs, are better for Cyder than the most delicious Summer or Winter Table-Fruit, or sweet Apples, ( Golden-Pippins Excepted) yea the bitter sharp Crabb is much better than a bitter Sweet-Apple, because the Juice of the first will afford twice as much Spirit as the latter; Nor are the Spirits of the most pleasant Apples in the World, better than those of crabbed Fruit, for be they sweet or sowr, neither of those tastes do arise with the Spirit, but is left behind in the Earthy Flegmatick Part of the Cyder: For Example, Sup­pose you put 10 l. of Sugar into your Still, amongst ten Gallons of sowr Cyder, the Spirit will be never the sweeter; Or suppose you fill your Still with new sweet Mead ( or Metheglin) made of Honey, Sugar, or Molosso's, you shall have neither Spirits nor Sweets come out of it, but only fair Water; but if you let it stand until it be well fermented, and become sowr, it will yield Spirit in abundance. When Cyder it fit to make Spirits. So likewise Cyder, Perry, or Juice of Crabbs, Goose-Berries, Currants, Mul-Berries and Cherries, will yield little or no Spirit, untill it be passed the Fermentation (or working) and then the more sowr it is ( Provided it be not Vinegar) the more Spirit it will afford: nevertheless this observe, Apples of bitter taste makes the Cyder bitter.

XII.As to the time of putting your Spirits into your Cyder, Observe, that the Staler your Cyder is before the Spirits are added, the more time they require to Incorporate; and the sooner they are put in, the sooner is in fit for Use The time for putting in the Spirits to Cyder.. [Page 12] But in case you put your Spirits into the Cyder, before it hath fermented, they will Evaporate, and be cast out; therefore be sure, that your Cyder be Rackt off the Lee, once, twice, or three times, as you find occasion, and being indifferent fine, then put in your Spirits, either with or without Sweets, well Beaten together with a certain Quantity of Cyder, and after 'tis put into the Cask stirr it very Well together again, and Bung it close up, and about 2 or 3 Months after, it will be sitt for Use; But the longer it lieth, the better, especially if your Cyder be Stale er'e your SpiritS are put in, for as this Cyder Drinks very unpleasing when first mixt together, so no Wine can be more strong and pleasing than this, when it hath Stood its due time to Incorporate and Meliorate, and in the mean time to be kept close stope without drawing any out. When Cyder-Royal is fit for use. Unless the season of the year be warm, then to prevent its fer­mentation, let the Cask be open as you find occasion.

XIII.The first and worst Infirmities that Common Cyder is subject to, are of two sorts, either being musty, or fretting it self until the Spirits are spent, and the Cyder become weak and unpleasant. The Infirmi­ties of simple Cyder.

If Apples be gathered into the House whilst they are wet, they will be Musty, and so will the Cyder; again, if the Vessel wherein 'tis made, or that you put it into, be Musty, so will be you Cyder: If none of these happen, you need not fear any thing of that kind: But if Cyder be Musty, so will the Spirits that are drawn from it. The Causes of Musty Cyder.

To Cure Cyder that is subject to Fret is somewhat difficult, but the best way is to prevent the Causes; Which are, either the Gathering of the Fruit before they are Ripe; or making the Cyder before the Apples have lain long enough, for until Apples have lain in an Heap while they have sweat, and are dry again, they cannot be fit for the Press. The Causes of Cyders Fret­ing and Cure. But if by Reason of warmth, and mildness of the season, or any other Accident, the Cyder should fret and destroy it self, the best way is to draw it off into another Vessel; And do so once in six or ten days, as you see cause, always taking the Lee from it, as oft as 'tis Rackt. Let not your Vessel be full by a Gallon; Nor yet stopt close, untill by drawing it off, it be made to leave Huzzing and sputtering; for the fuller and closer it is, the more it frets. When your Cyder is thus quiet then have a care to keep the Vessel full and close stopt; yet lest you should stop it too soon, open it once in two three or four days, and if you find it is not yet quiet, let the Vessel lie open an hour or half an hour at a time.

Omit not to burn a match of Brimstone, dipt in Coriander-Seeds in your empty Cask, just before you put in your Cyder, and do this as oft as your Cy­der is Rackt, 'tis an Excellent Expedient to prevent ill tastes and Fermentation. A persume for the Cask not to be neglected.

XIV.The best way to Order your Sugar before you put it into your Cyder, is to make it into a kind of Syrup or Sweets, by Dissolving of it in Water; one hun­dred weight will make 16 Gallons, and so proportionably; But before you put your Sugar into the Kettle, take the whites of 30 or 40 Eggs, the more the better, which being well Beat with a thing like a rod or whisk in eight or ten Gallons of Water, then put 4 Gallons of this Egg-water so prepared into your Kettle or Vessel where your Sugar is to be dissolved; then hang it over a Gentle Fire and stirr it about until it be Dissolved: But be sure when it Boils, put in more Egg-water to keep it from Boiling to high; and so continue put­ting it in, one Quart after another, for an hour together, untill all your Egg-water be spent: but to prepare your Egg-water in parcels, viz. a Quart or two at a time, as you use it, is the better way. The way to make Sweets for such Cyder-Royal as you would have as Rich as Ca­nary. Now the use of these Eggs is only to raise such a scum as will carry away not only all the foulness and grosness of the Sugar, but all the Egg also. And when the scum hath done rising, and is clean taken off, then fill up your Kettle with as much VVater [Page 13] as will make up your Quantity, and let it Boil to the size of a Syrup, and being cold put it into your Cyder: But to put in a little Coriander-Seed bruized, and tied up in a fine linnen Ragg whilst it is Boiling, will give it a fine grate­full scent.

Of these Sweets you may put in 2 or 3 Gallons more or lest into an Hogs-Head as your Pallate invites you, or as the tartness of the Cyder requires: But, put them not in till you have Rackt your Cyder the last time, and that it be past the Fermentation. The Quantity of Sweets, and when to be put in. And before you put your Sweets into the Cask, mix your Sweets and the Spirits you intend to put in, together; with a like Quan­tity of Cyder, and stirr them well together, then put all into your Cask of Cyder and stirr them with all your strength, with a strong staff in the Bung­hole for one half quarter of an hour; After that stop it close, and draw none off till 2, 3, or 4 Months; By which time it will be Answerable to what hath been proposed; Only remember that if you will have it to resemble Ca­nary, you must add the greater proportion of Spirits and Sweets, but if French-Wine, then the less Sweets, or none at all.

As to the sort of Sugar, if the Sweets be made with white, the Cyder will remain Pale, if of Brown Sugar, it will raise it to an higher Colour. What Sugar to be used. And in my Opinion the latter is as good, as well is the cheapest, since the coursest by the aforesaid preparation, becomes as pure, as the finest; And Sweets being thus made, will cost but 5 d. per Quart.

And thus every man may merryly make his varieties of Drink, with that which he knows to be good cheap and wholsome, which is more than he is sure to have at every Tavern, altho' he Pay three times as much for it: Nor hath he so much Reason to suspect these Liquors in those Houses to be so much Adulterated as the others, because none of like goodness to the Eye, Scent, and Pallate, can be afforded so cheap to the Pocket.

XV.The Husky part of the Apples, after the Cyder is Pressed out, being steeped 2 or 3 days in as much water as will cover it, and then Pressed clean out, and kept in a Vessel untill it hath well Fermented; As also the Lees of all your Cyder, will afford Spirit or Brandy, so much, that being added to the Cy­der of the same Apples, will make it almost as strong as French-Wine: which is a thing of great Advantage. An Advantage For making Spirit.

XVI.Spirits being put into Bottles amongst Cyder or any of the aforesaid Liquors, Will not Drink well. Spirits mixt with simple Cy­der in Bottles, will not do so well. I was a long time troubled to find out how to make this Drink as pallatable and pleasing as it was become strong and Chearing, until I put both Cyder and Spirits into a Wooden Cask; The first I Compleated Was in a Vessel of six Gallons; Into which I put 2 Quarts of Sweets, and 3 Quarts of the Spirits of Cyder, which after it had lain 2 or 3 Months, I found to be as strong and pleasing as Canary.

XVII.By adding Wormwood to Cyder-Royal, as you do to Wine, you may make it as good and gratefull to the Stomach, both for procuring Appetite and causing Digestion, as the best Purl-Royal or Wormwood-Wine. Worm-wood Cyder-Royal. Thus may you have or your own Growth, Cyder-Royal, Goose-Berry, Currant, Cherry, &c. from the size of the smallest Wines, to the strength and goodness of the best Canary, suitable to all Seasons of the Year, and to the Constitutions of all Persons, and Humours of all Pallates, and agreable to all Ages from Children of 12 Months Old, to the heighth of Old Age.

XVIII.This Cyder-Rayal or New Wine, thus prepared, may be kept in the Cask 2 or 3 Years, and be better'd thereby; Provided you keep the Cask full; which [Page 14] to do, you must Observe, that in 2 Months time, the Liquor will waste a Quart more or less, as the Vessel is bigger or lesser; which you ought to fill up again, with Liquor of the same strength, or if; stronger, the better. Touching the keeping of Cy­der-Royal. And by this means it may keep and grow better and better some Years, without putting into it (as some are said to do into their Liquors) Stum, or other unwholsome Ingredients.

Suppose by keeping cyder-Royal too long, it should become unpleasant, and as unfit to Bottle as Old Hockamore, take but one Hogs-Head of that, and one of Tart new Cyder, and before the latter be quite clear or fine, mix them together in two other Hogs-Heads, well-Perfumed, and add Sprits and Sweets a due Proportion, to the Quantity of your new Cyder, Suppose it be in the Month of october or November, you may be sure to have it full as good, if not better than ever it was, and a most Excellent Cyder-Royal to Drink, or to Bottle, by or before Christmass. If Cyder-Royal be kept till 'tis too Stale, there need be no loss by it. And this I know by repeated Expe­rience and Practise, nor can your New Cyder be made half so good by that time of the Year.

An Appendix further Demonstrating, that the Treasure those Kings and State, who have respectively by their several Letters Patent, Contracts or Resoluti­ons, promised me a Gratuity, may by this Invention amount to more than Four-Hundred, Thousand Pounds Sterling per Annum, over and above several Hundred-Thousand Pounds that will be Saved at Home, which before was car­ried out, to the Inriching of other Nations and Countries.

So that in any Nation that yields 100000 Acres of Land fit to be Planted with Apples, Currants, Goose-Berries, &c. and wherein there may be found 400000 Persons that may one with another, Drink a Quart a day (of a Drink so Rich, and yet withal so cheap, and of their own Production) The Supream Magistrate of that Nation may have and raise hereby 800000 Pounds per Annum (which is as much again as above proposed) to the Publique Ex­chequer: Besides 1661 l. 13 s. 4 d. towards the Charge of Collecting it.

If it be still Objected, that this will be a Grievance to the Subject?—'Tis Answered (besides what has before been said on that Subject) that notwith­standing such Imposition, it may be Raised by those that make it for their own use, much cheaper then Beer, since one Acre of Land ( take one with a­nother) will yield at least; half as much more of the former, as it will of the latter, and with less Labour and Charge.

Nor can it be well Imagined but that there will be found in either of those Nations, 40000 Persons who one with another will not Drink less than a Quart a day a piece, when they can have it upon the matter as cheap or rather Cheaper then Beer, tho' it be altogether as good as Wine; And especially since such as have Land in their own Possession, may have plenty of it for their own use, for nothing but a little of their own Labour and paying a Penny per Quart to the King or State.

If be Objected, that this Cyder-Royal will be of low esteem amongst the No­bility, who are Accustomed to the most costly and curious Wines—I thereto humbly Answer; That the Objection is built but upon a Supposition, for no man is sure, that Princes whose Dominions, yield not Wine, may not be as much taken with these Drinks instead thereof, the rather for that besides their variety, pleasantness and wholsomness, 'twill be so much their Interest to permote and Recommend the same to General Use, whereby not only the [Page 15] wealth of their Kingdomes or States may be Preserved and Encreased, but their own Revenues greatly Augmented.

Secondly, Tho' Princes and Nobles are the Highest and more Refined part of the VVorld, yet they are but few, Comparatively, in Number: The great Bene­fit depends on the Greatness of the Consumption of Liquors, and that depends, upon Persons of an inferior Sphere, and middle Fortunes; so that altho Princes and Persons of the first Rank should still delight in Champaigne, Burgundy, Fron­tineack, Greek or Florence-Wines, of any Other costly Forreign Liquors, yet this will signify little to hinder the General Use of Cyder-Royal, &c. Since 'tis not to be doubted, but thousands of good Country-Gentlemen, multitudes of Citizens, substantial Yeomen and other Persons, may for Interest and Good-Husbandry be content to make themselves and their Neighbours merry with these cheaper, and altogether as good, strong, and wholsome Drinks, with which they may so readily furnish themselves. Nay, there is scarce, a Cottager, having but one Acre of Land, but may have as much of these excellent Liquors as may be worth him 8 l. per Annum; so that the Persons of inferior Condition that may make use thereof, in comparison of the Nobility, who 'tis Objected are not like to use it, will be at least 5000 to One; And consequently the profit proposed, may not fail or come short, notwithstanding it should so happen, that neither Kings, Princes, nor Nobility should ever vouchsafe to Taste thereof.

The best and quickest way of Raising a Nursery, &c.

THe raising of Nurseries for Orchards being so Essential to what hath been proposed, and since by Experience I know, that these following Diffi­culties and Inconveniences do happen therein, viz. That 2 Trees of one sort of Fruit, and both well Rooted alike, and Planted in one and the same Soil, many times the One will grow bravely, and bear a Bushel at a time, within 6 or 7 Years, and the Fruit good and pleasant, when the other shall be a small shrubb, and produce small unpleasant Fruit, and not half a peck for the others Bushel.

Again some Trees tho' they are Planted on very good Land, and Husbanded never so carefully, will yet never become good nor long liv'd Trees. Whereas other Trees Planted in the same Land shall grow apace, be very Fruitful and long liv'd. The want of knowing the Causes and Remedy of these things, hath not only Discouraged many from Planting, but hath spoiled many hope­ful Trees and Orchards.

As for the Remedy it is (in it self) both PLAIN and EASY; and therefore since many People think that they need not be taught any thing that is so, and are unwilling so acknowledge any Obligation to those that inform them there­of, what need I say any more? Let them find it out.

However, for the Satisfaction of Person more modest and grateful, I will at present shew you the best Expedients to prevent both those mischiefs, which are the great Cause why in most Orchards little more than half of the Trees prove Good.

As to the First, Supposing 2 young Trees being both very good, let one of them be set shallow, viz. the upper Root not more than an Inch or two at the most under Ground, and the deepest not above 8 or 9, and Suffer no down-right Root to be upon it; Then shall you have it a thriving Tree and bearing good Fruit, If it be Carefully preserved and kept clear from Suckers and superfluous Branches, which are apt to Sprout up at or near the Root. But the other Tree being set too deep never thrives, nor proves Fruitful.

As to the second Inconvenience, by which the Planter misseth his Expectation, that doth arise from the Stock or Kernel, on which the Graft is placed; and this I take for a certain Rule, that the Kernels of Fruit produced by a shrubb or imthriving Tree, very rarely prove good, and indeed the like may be said of Apple-Kernels in General.

[Page 16]VVherefore in raising of Nurseries, rather take your Kernels from a Fruitful Crab-Tree that hath a clear Body, a great spreading Head, and full of Boughs and Branches; For it may be observ'd, that as the Head is full of Boughs and Twigs, so proportionably that Stem abounds with Roots and Fibres; and as is the Tree, so will its Product or Seed be. I have so much remarqu'd this, that I would much rather give 12 d. per Tree for those so raised, then a Penny a Tree for such as are raised from Shrubs or Apple-Trees.

From such Kernels as afore-mentioned, I do knew, Trees may be raised ready to be Transplanted into Orchards, and Produce a Bushel on a Tree within 10 or 12 Years after the Kernel is put into the Ground; For the doing of which, and to raise a Nursery to the best Advantage, I will shew you the best Expedients my self have Experienc'd by the following Aphorisms.

I.As to the Ordering of your Kernels of such Crabs as aforesaid, either put them in the Ground so soon as they may be taken out of the Crab, or else so soon as the Winter Will give Leave, the sooner the better; But if you Keep them till the Spring, take care they be kept neither too moist nor too dry; If too moist, they will Heat, &c. If too dry, they will not grow, therefore keep them in a mixture of dry sand within Doors.

II.So soon after January, as the Season will permit, sow your Kernels in Ordinary good Ground (that lies as warm and Lue from the VVind as may be:) Let the Ground be will dugg, and the Kernels be Rak'd in so as they lie not too deep; an Inch, as near as you can guess, is enough; and when they are come up, preserve them clear of Grass and VVeeds, until you have them Transplanted.

III.The next Spring, viz. About 12 Months after your Kernels were sown, you may draw those that are best Grown, and Transplant them into a Nursery.

IV.Let your Nursery-Ground be made good with Dung, and well digg'd, and mixt together, and set them in Rows so farr apart as that you may digg between viz. the Rows at 2 foot distance: But in the Rows the Plants may be placed within 9 inches of each other.

V.Before you set your Plants in the Nursery, be sure Crop off the down-right-Root, spread the small Roots, and close up the Ground very well about them.

VI.The next Spring after this, you may return agnin to your first Plantation of Kernels, and draw forth, & Transplant into your Nursery as aforesaid as many more as have made a good shoot, Ordering them as the first, & so you, may do from year to year; But observe the last of all are not so good as the first altho' for the second or third Year they may do well enough.

VII.Having thus Transplanted your Kernels into a Nursery, they ought still to be kept clean from Weeds, and also the Ground to be kept loose, that the Roots may spread the better, and therefore in the next Autumn before the leaf is off, your Nursery ought to be digg'd; But never amongst them but once a Year; Only pull up the Weeds in Spring and Summer, as often as Occasion requires. And here note, the difference between digging your Nurse­ry and all other Trees whilst the Leaf is yet on, and afterwards, is greater than you may at first Imagine; For that if it be done whilst the Sapp is up, if a Root should happen to be cut, the same will shoot out again, perhaps two for one, But after the Sap is once down, if a Root be Cut, it will not shoot forth that Winter, neverthelese be not too early in the Season, nor yet too careless of the Roots.

VIII.By that time your Plants have had one or two Summer Growth in your Nursery, the next Winter, or rather near the Spring, cut off all their Tops, about a foot above Ground, and the next March or April after, the biggest of them will be ready to be Grafted.

IX.A Tree that is Grafted, having made two Summers shoot, is fit to be Transplanted into an Orchard, because there is farr less danger of a young Trees not growing or Thriving, than is of an Old One.

X.In Transplanting be sure do not set too deep, To prevent which, this I do, First digg my holes 4 foot square, but no deeper than one Spit, or there abouts, viz. no deeper than the Roots of the Trees should Lie; For if the Holes be digg'd deep, and fill'd up again before the Tree is Planted, the Tree and all will sink together and never Prosper.

[Page 17]If it be Objected, That if the holes be no deeper they will not contain the Roots of many Trees, for some have Roots as downright & long as a Parsnip; some are single, some double, and some trebble, and all down-right long ones, and such an hole will not receive them.

I Answer, Away with such Trees, I would rather give 2 d. a dozen for them to Burn, than 6 d. per Hundred to Plant; and tho' there is scarce one of an Hundred but proves thus bad, if they are never Transpanted, (especially if they come from Apple Kernels) yet if from Crab-Kernels, and Transplanted as before is Ordered, there is hardly one of 400 will prove so improper.

XI.Now as to the Charge of all this; One mans Labour upon one Acre of Land with Crab-Kernels may after 3 or 4 Years raise 10000 Trees every Year, which at 3 d. per Tree, comes to 125 l. which will well pay the Rent of your Land and the Gardeners wages; so that the Charge of Planting your Orchard will be very Cheap and Easy, for that an Acre of Land Planted with six score. Trees, as for the Trees they comes but to 30 s. and the Plant­ing about 18 d. per Score, which is 9 s. So that by this Expedient, Nurseries may be raised so as to afford an Acre of Land to be Planted with the best sort of Trees, and of the best Fruit for less then 40 s. per Acre.

XII.After your Trees are Transplanted into Orchards, the greatest Care and Charge is to keep them safe from being abused, either by Weeds that may grow about them, Suckers that may grow out of them between the Root, and spreading Boughs, and from all Cattle, Coneys and Hares. And in case they are digged about the Roots (where you may, if you please, Plant Turneps, Beans, Peas, or any other thing that may destroy the Grass or VVeeds,) your Trees will thrive much the better, and grow twice as fast; But in case you Plant Currants and Goose-berries amongst your Apple-Trees, you may place 4 of them in the same Hole with your Apple-Tree (that is, making the hole about 4 foot square, Plant your Apple-Tree in the middle, and a Currant or Goose-Berry-Tree at each corner) and keep them from Weeds, and all will thrive together. But note that for Goose-Berries and Currants, you had need bestow more Dung than Apple-Trees require; And also forget not to mix your Dung and Earth together before the Trees are Planted; For if a Tree stand in all Dung, 'tis destructive to the Root: Mudd and Soil of Ponds, Ditches, &c. is as good for this purpose as any Dung, provided it be Sun-Burnt and dryed before it be used.

XIII.As to the Soil most proper for Orchards, I do observe that all Land proper for Corn, as Wheat, Barley, Rye, Beans, Pease, &c. are kind for that use. But the most Improper is ex­tream hot and dry Sands, and on the other side Grounds very wet and Cold.

XIV.As for Currants & Goose-Berries, very great may be the profit that may be raised by Plant­ing them amongst your Apple-Trees, because they will thrive there better than elsewhere. But because the Currants love the shadiest Ground most, let the Goose-Berries be Planted in the midst of your Ground, between your Rows of Apple-Trees in the most Sunny part.

XV.As for raising of Currant and Goose-Berry-Trees, its very easy & speedy, as thus: Take either of the said Trees about the End of February or beginning of March, lay down every Limb flat with the Ground, cover every Twig with good Earth, and turn out the Tops that they may lie above Ground, and every Twig will both Root and shoot forth, so that by the next Winter you may have of one Tree, 40 or 50, perhaps an hundred, well-rooted Plants, fit to be so Transplanted. Take Care to keep the uncovered Stock, which is between the old Root and the cover'd part, that it run not out in Branches; for if it do, the Twigs will be robb'd of that Nourishment as should feed them. Also remember to keep them clear of all Grass and VVeeds that may Annoy them.