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 [Page 2] 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 [Page 3] 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 [Page 4] 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 [Page 5] 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, [Page 6] 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 thē 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 [Page 7] 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, [Page 8] 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 [Page 9] 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: [Page 10] 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 [Page 11] 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 [Page 12] 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 [Page 13] 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 [Page 15] 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 [Page 16] 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 [Page 17] 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.

For the increasing of wood in the Springs of wood.

VVHereas in springs I find many waste places growne ouer with grasse, by reason whereof, men couet to put in Calues and Horses, which are great spoiles to woods. The onely way to furnish such places, especially in barren grounds, which may best be spared for wood, vntill such time that the other woods be growne vp, is either when the Spring is fiue or sixe yeares growne, or when it is felld, to digge vp certaine square yards, according to the spacious­nesse of the ground, three yards betweene euery plot, and therein to set, or lay in trenches the aforesaide meanes, as is before set downe; and when they are growne vp fiue or sixe yeares to plash them close by the ground, and lay them in Trenches euery way from the roote three fingers deepe, and to couer them with earth, and so of all other wood that gro­weth of olde rootes, so as there may not be a waste place nor any thornes left to grow, but proouing wood.

As for other grounds that are woorth twenty shillings an Acre yearely, (which is too good for wood to grow on) but [Page 18] that the decay of wood is too great, I could wish that it were stocked into rowes, either for timber, or to top and lop it for fire-wood.

And whereas it is required by the lawe, that there should be a certaine number of trees preserued for timber, which is by few men performed, the reason is, that the dropping and shadow of them will destroy the vnder-wood, which is most true: my aduice is, that rather the number of timber-trees might be preserued in some corner of the Spring, where they may be preserued from many dangers which they are subiect to, as they are left in the Springs.

Concerning the planting of wood in hedges already made with thornes.

SOme do obiect, that the planting of wood in them will so destroy the thornes by the dropping and ouershadowing of them, as there will be no good fence kept. To such I an­swer, that if they would the next yeare after that they cause a hedge to be plashed, & the ditch thereunto belonging scou­red, and some small quantity of the earth cast vp to the roots of the hedge; for too much earth so cast to the rootes of the hedge decay the hedge, and that they would set in the same earth such meanes as is before set downe, and so vse them, they might at any time after twenty yeares, haue both good store of wood and thorns, and also haue a stronger fence then any thornes can make. The charge of the setting and getting of the meanes in common reason can no way cost two shil­lings a furlong, for two men will set at the least two furlongs a day, the one man to make holes to set them in, and the o­ther to put in the meanes, and couer it. The profite that may arise thereby is before set downe for the profite of parkes.

Concerning such as hereafter may inclose.

IS to inclose with the aforesaid means, and not with thorns, whereby with lesse charge & labour they may raise a fence stronger and longer lasting, with greater profit, by the setting [Page 19] of the aforesaide meanes, on the top of the bankes, as is set downe for Parkes, which (by experience) will grow more speedily then thornes, and make a better fence, (as is proo­ued) that will with a good Gate, Locke, and Key, keepe all Cattell safe from stealing, and from breaking into any other grounds then the owner would haue them, safe from trespas­sing to his neighbour, or his neighbours to him; whereby much corne may be saued, trespassing preuented (which too often raiseth enuy, and suites in Lawe.) The browse of the wood in winter will greatly relieue cattell, and saue fodder: And being wood that will yeelde maste, the maste will be very beneficiall to the particular Owner, and Common-wealth.

Directions for such as are desirous to stocke vp woods, for the improouing of the Soile.

BY conuerting of the same to corne, medow, or pasture, & to haue as much, or rather more profite by the woods, then they had before; is, first, to leaue a yard in breadth round about the sides, for the maintaining of the fence, which may be made once for all, by obseruing the aforesaid directions: Then beginne at a side next to the wood so left, and stocke vp all the wood whatsoeuer, so as the ground may bee plowed tenne yards in breadth, and in the eleuenth yard stocke vp all but fifty fiue of the best trees, which trees would (as neere as may be) be so left, that they may grow foure yards distant one from another, from end to end, as trees planted in an or­chard: and so stocke vp from side to side, and from end to end, leauing the like distance, so as there may be ten yards distance one way, and foure an other from tree to tree: by which meanes, in euery two rowes, there may be left an hun­dred and tenne trees out of euery Acre, how great or little soeuer the ground be: which being topped, and after twelue yeares lopped, with many heads (as they may be by the dire­ctions already set downe, or rather for a greater profite, left vnlopped till the wood be of twenty yeares growth) the pro­fite thereof, by the greatnes of the wood, and the barke, with [Page 20] the profite of the wood that may arise about the fence (being made as before is directed) will farre exceed the profite of the vnder-wood growing of all the ground before.

But as the case standeth, and as is more like to stand, by the want of timber, if all the trees were left for timber, and neuer topped nor lopped, would, in time, arise to the greater pro­fite; especially if they were euery third yeare shread in March, when the sappe is rising vp, and the wood worth the shread­ding, which sappe would so grow, as it would couer the knottes, by which meanes the trees will grow taper-like, with so small tops, as the ground betweene the rowes may be plowed three yeares, and may be laide to grasse for nine yeares; so may you haue from time to time three yeares good corne, and nine yeares good grasse, and neuer to decay the land, but rather to improue it. The trees beeing thus kept with small toppes, can neither hurt corne or grasse, by drop­ping or shadow.

Some doe obiect and say, that if all Spring-woods were so stocked, how should hurdles be gotten for the folding of sheepe? To which I answer with experience, where wood is not lopped too young, some of the greatest boughes being lopped and barked, and then laide in water a moneth, they will be so rated, and grow so hard, as wormes can no way hurt them: and beeing so vsed, will make farre better and stronger hurdles, then any young rods whatsoeuer, as may appeare in many Countries of this kingdome where wood is so scant, as they are of necessity constrained to vse willow boughs for spars and laths for many houses, and to vse them about ploughs, carts, and harrowes.

Others do obiect, that the grasse in such wooddy grounds will be so sowre as cattel wil not like of it. To that I answer, that if the rowes be planted East and Weast, or so stocked, as the ground betweene the rowes may haue the morning, noon and euening Sunne, the pasture will be as sweet as any other: the corne will as well like of it as of any other ground, and will as well drie when it is cut, or if the cattell bee put into such grounds before they taste of a sweeter grasse, they will like as well of that grasse as of any other. And for the better [Page 21] proofe thereof: Who euer saw grasse lost for the eating, in a­ny forrest, chase or parke, where trees grow thicke, notwith­standing the cattell in such grounds, (if they be not eaten too bare) like very well, by reason of the shadow in Summer, and shelter in Winter.

A further experience may be taken, to incourage all men hereunto, from about thousands of towns in this kingdome, where are to be seene little closes, of two, three, foure or fiue acres of ground, as haue so much timber or fire-wood grow­ing about them, as if it were at this instant to be sold, would giue more money then the fee-simple of the land. Whereup­on it followeth, very fittingly for this purpose, to shew what good may arise to the particular owners of ground, by obser­uing these directions set downe in sundry places for these purposes, and how the kingdome may be improoued, onelie by wood planted about Parkes, and in Hedges made, and heereafter to be made of wood, so farre from the losse of any, as it may be to the generall good of all men, euen to the ve­ry poorest, whose reliefe I greatly desire.

And for my further experience, I sawe about Christmas last, a close of sandie Land of foure Acres, taken in the middest of a field belonging to Downam in Norffolke, about forty yeares agoe, and set round about when it was taken in, with young sets, (as it was confessed to me by the Ow­ner thereof) of Ashe, rootes of Elme, and Thornes, and the most part of the stakes of the Hedge, were of Willow and Sallow, which Stakes and Settes of Wood did so take roote, as vpon my credite there is growing about the saide close fiue hundred fiftie and odde trees, of the aforesaide wood, whereof the Owner confessed vnto mee that hee did euery yeare loppe fiue and fiftie of tenne yeares growing, the which wood hee could yearely sell for forty shillings, and the foure Acres of ground hee could not let for aboue sixe and twentie shillings and eight pence yearely: So that I doe find by experience, that the most sure way to performe this planting, is to make nurseries, which may be kept from Mice by trappes.

And that the simplest may the better vnderstand it, admit for this purpose, that a man haue sixe score Acres of ground in his owne occupation, and that it were equally diuided in­to twelue Closes, and that but halfe the Fences about those twelue Closes did belong vnto them, by reason that they are ioyning to other mens Closes, (as commonly all inclosed grounds are) there remaineth to euerie of those Closes, an end, and a side, at the least, of the Fence, which containe two furlongs, which is foure-score poles to a Close; all which hedges being planted, according to the directions set downe for hedges, there will arise about these twelue Closes foure and twenty furlongs, whereby the Owner of those Closes, may after thirty yeares, loppe yearely the wood about one Close, being two furlongs, or one furlong of foure and twen­tie yeares growth; which is the greater profite by much, by reason that the wood being growne so great, it would yeeld sparres for the building of barnes, stables, cottages, and such like straw-thatched houses, with good store of Barke for the tanning of leather, with a greater plentie of Maste, then being lopped yonger, it would yeelde, with many other profites to the Owner thereof, and to the good of the Com­mon-wealth.

The Maste that may arise by this generall planting, will saue more corne (in those yeares that it taketh) then the wit of man can imagine it to be worth. A late experience there­of may bee taken from the yeare of our Lord one thousand sixe hundred and eleuen, by the Maste that the small quan­titie of wood that is left, yeelded that yeare: which Maste fed so many hogges that yeare, as it greatly eased the prises of corne, and other victualls. For the better proofe thereof, it is certaine, vpon confident report of seuerall honest men, that there was saued (by Maste) in some one towne in Lei­cester-shire, forty quarters of beanes and pease; and in some townes more, and in some lesse: which hogges were driuen into Shropshire to Maste, which in former Ages was a com­mon course, before woods were destroyed, for the cham­paine Countries, to feede their hogges in wood-land coun­tries: [Page 23] In which times the Officers of Noblemen and Gentle­men tooke twenty or thirty pounds a yeare, for the feeding of hogges in a Parke, or in a Wood, which hardly now take fiue pounds; and in many Parkes or Woods, not one penny, the woods are so made away.

So (to conclude) he that obserueth the aforesaid directions about the twelue Closes, may yearely loppe eight score load of wood, of twelue yeares growing, woorth to be solde at two shillings sixe pence the load, twentie pounds, and much more, if the closes be lesse. Whereby it appeareth, that all Grounds inclosed, and that heereafter may be inclosed, may be improoued three shil­lings and foure pence an A­cre yearely.