Chapter 5, Item 63a
Terms used by herbalists for parts of a tree
V Terms of Herbalists used about Trees and Fruit [Headings only transcribed]
Parts of a tree or Fruit
i First in the Root there is ...
ii Secondly from the Body or Stock there is ...
iii Thirdly in the leaves there is ...
iv Fourthly in the Fruit there is ...
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Chapter 5, Item 63b
Excrement on trees
Fifthly, in the Excrements or Trees and Fruit there is
Agarick, an Ecrement or hard Mushroom, growing out of the sides of old Trees.
Lungwort, a kind of Moss, with broad tough leaves, diversly folded, crumpled, and gashed in on the edges, and spotted on the upper side.
Mushrooms, growing on branches or bodies of Trees, and are of a skinny, soft, spungy substance.
Jews Ears, an Excrement from old Alder Trees.
Touchwood, a kind of hard, dry, spungy Mushroom.
Moss, as hairy Moss, fennel like Moss, hollow head Moss, broad horned Moss, and knobbed or kneed Moss.
Gums, as Araback, a liquid substance from Cherry and Plum Trees. Gum Hedrea, from the Ivy Tree. Gum Tragacanth, from the Goats Thorn. Gum Opopanax, from Panax, the All-heal of Hercules. Gum Sandarack, from the Prickly Cedar. Gum Armoniack, from [blank] Gum Lacke, from Ants, as Honey from Bees.
Myrrh, a kind of Gum from a tree in Arabia.
Camphire, the Gum of Cafar, a tree in Arabia.
Mastick, a Gum taken from the mastick, or lintisle tree.
Bdellium, like Myrrh, not so bitter, & easily to be broken; of a quicker scent.
Cambugia, whither Gum, or Juice dried, is not certain.
Rosin, a liquid substance from the Firr tree, which after hardens.
White Rosin, Gathered by Carthage in America.
Pitch, from the Pitch tree.
Turpentine, from the Turpentine tree.
Tar, a compounded Rosin, or Rosin made molliable.
Birdlime, made of the green Bark of the Holly tree.
Balsam, or Balm, from; the Balsam tree.
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Chapter 5, Item 63c
Dead trees and wood
And to conclude this Treatise, take the terms used about Trees and Wood when they cease to have life in them; for we say the Tree or Branch is
Starved, when it wanted Soil to nourish, or is cut off from the main body.
Blasted or Withered, when Winds have destroyed it.
Rotten, Decayed, or Dead, when Age hath ruined it.
Cropped, when all its Boughs are cut off.
Pruned, when some extravagant Branches are taken away; called also Lopped.
A Log is a Stock without Boughs.
A Pole, a Tree without Branches or Leaves.
A Stake, top of Trees or ends of Boughs.
A Stick, a shoot of a tree grown on some substance, then cut from the tree.
A Winding or Writhing, a Stick bent and wreathen about.
A Pile, is many pieces of Wood for Fire, laid together, or a piece of Timber to drive into the earth, to lay a Foundation, or build upon.
A Faggot is many Sticks bound together for Fire [wood].
A Brush, cutting of small Wood or Branches, and bound in a Bundle for Firing, we call such a Kid.
A Billet is a piece of Cleft Wood for to Burn.
A Nethering is a twig or stick bent about Stakes and Poles, by which fences and hedges are made secure.
A Stump or Stoe, is that part of the tree in the ground, remaining after the Tree is cut down.
A Sliven, shivered or Cloven Tree, when it is rent and torn by Winds and Lightnings.
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Chapter 5, Item 63d
Terms used by keepers of orchards
Terms used by Pomarists, or Lovers and Keepers of Orchards.
5. Bourgening, is the taking away all dead branches from Trees.
Bud, is the first shooting forth of the leaf or flower from Trees or Plants.
Bud, is a knot in a shoot or lance form a Branch; of some termed an eye or joint of a shoote.
Bunch, or bunched eminencies, are knots in sprouts or shoots above others in the same Lance.
Bareing the roots, is to dig about the roots, and uncovering them.
Climers, are such Trees that cannot support themselves but have a Pole.
Cleaning of Trees, to rub them and preserve them from Moss.
Cleft, is a slit or cutting into the top of a Stock for to Graft in.
Cones are knots like seeds growing from the sides of branches.
Cyen or Graft, see Syen.
Catlins, or Catkins, are the first bloomings of Willows or Chestnuts, or such like, which come forth with Downe.
Dwarf Tree, is such as are set to Walls, and kept by pruning not to grow any higher; or such trees as are planted in hedg-rows, or such as will not grow thick.
Dressing of Trees, is the cutting and lopping off of superfluous Branches, rubbing off the Mossiness, and keeping them in good order.
Eye, or Joint, see Bud.
Eminences, are knots in sprouts of the higher sort, such as are above others in the same Lance.
Fructster, a Fruit-seller; of some a Fructerist or Fruterer.
File in Trees, is a Disease that frets and corrupts the Bark.
Graft, see Syen.
Grafting, is an artificial placing the Cyen or Graft of one kind upon the stock of another, so as the Sap of the Stock may nourish it, and cause it to grow therein; of which there is four (yet) known ways, as
Grafting in the Cleft, is by sawing off the head of the Stock for Wall trees near the ground, and in Standards much higher, as the growth of the Stock is, in which a Cleft being made, the Syen being cut Wedg-like is placed, and so bound close, and covered with Clay tempered with Horse-dung.
Grafting by Shouldering, or Whip-Grafting, as some term it, is by cutting of the head of the Stock; and by cutting the graft from a Knot or Bud, on one side sloping, with a shoulder at the top to rest on the head of the Stock; and with a Knife to cut away so much of the Bark of the Stock as the cut-side of the Graft will cover, placing both together that the Sap may join, then bound and clayed as before. Notch Grafting is much after the same manner.
Grafting by inoculating or Budding, which is by taking off the eye or small Bud, which grows between the leaf and the new shoot or lance, and so placing it on a fit stock, that it may from thence receive nutrition agreeable.
Grafting by Approach, of some called Grafting by inarching, or by Ablactation, which is, the young stocks and eyens growing near together, and having both their heads uncut, the branches of both being of one size, are brought together that they may touch each other for the length of 3 inches, where such joining sides are cut to the Pith, that the Saps may exactly meet, in which position bind them, and cover the place with tempered Clay.
Greens, are such Trees or Herbs as are green all the year; Winter Trees or Flowers.
Inoculating, see Grafting.
Jule, see Catlins.
Joynt, in a sprig or shoot see Bud.
Impe, a young shoot or Sience.
Knot, see Bud.
Lopping, is the Cuting off all the boughes to the maine stock.
Lance, is a shoot, or a yearly sprig, growing from a tree in one year space.
Lome, a kind of Clay to put about Grafts, made of Clay and Horse-Dung, and such like compositions.
Morbide, is a flat, not high tasted Fruit.
Nursery, is a Bed or parcel of ground where seeds are sowed, or slips are set to take root, or where young Stocks are grafted.
Pallisado Hedg, such supports as are made to uphold young Plants that keep within pounds, whether they be by Laths or other cloven timber.
Plash.
Planting of Trees, is setting them in an Orchard at due distances.
Plants, are young Trees fit to be set.
Prune, is the cutting off of superfluous branches or sprouts in a tree.
Propagating or Increasing of Fruit trees by peeling or cutting the Bark; it is done by tying Mortar and Clay about a sprig or young Branch, and then to cut the Bark all round between the Clay and the Tree: by means whereof roots will shoot forth in the Clay, and at setting time cut it off from the Tree, and plant it where you please.
Syen, is a cutting of a twig under a Bud, or Knot, to graft in another Tree or Stock.
Shoot, see Lance.
Standards are trees standing of themselves, not on Wall sides.
Scrambling Trees, are such as grow --- wide and spreading, and will not be kept in one place.
Suckers are sprigs or twigs which grow ----- roots of trees. Sprouts: some call them Sciences.
Self Bore, is where the Bark of a tree grows round about an old withered Branch cut from the tree.
Transplant, is the removing of Stocks or Grafts, or any young trees from one place to another.
Verdure, is the greenness of leaves in Trees or Plants.
Whip Grafting, see Grafting by Shouldering.
Worms in trees, such as breed in trees between the Bark and Wood, through oldness of the Tree or sweetness of the Sap.
Wall-Trees, called Wallers, are such as are planted at Wall sides, and are pinned up to the Wall.
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Chapter 5, Item 63e
Things proper for fruit gardens and orchards
[The following sections are in Book II Ch. 6, which is not included on the CD; they have been placed after the related sections in Ch. 5. See also Book III Ch. 19, no. 58.]
High Walls either of Brick or Stone.
A Fountain or Grotto.
Statues or Figures cut in stone, set on Pedestals; to be in the quarters of the Garden.
Flower Pots to set Flowers in, up on Rails of Wood or Ston, in Allies and Walks.
Green Plats, even laid with Turfs or Sods.
Allies or Walks well Gravelled.
Tarris Walks, Walks one higher than another.
Pole Hedges or Palisadoes, or Codling Hedges are set with Trees platted one into another, and supported with Poles and Stakes, Laths and Rods, which as the Trees grow, are cut and pruned even on the sides and top.
Laths and Rods to support Flowers.
Garden part, to be divided into Beds, and them again to be cast into Ovals, Squares, Cants, Frets, Borders or Knots, according to the fancy of the Gardener.
A Summer house or Garden house, in a corner of the Garden, either square or octangular, finely painted with Landskips and other conceits, furnished with a Table and Seats about.
A Nursery or large Bed of Earth, on which Stock for Fruit and Seedlings for Flowers are nourished till they be removed into the Garden Platts.
A Good Gardener, that understands the nature of Fruit and Flowers; and the times for sowing, setting, grafting and transplanting.
A Conservatory, or a green house, a place to put flower pots in, to keep the Flowers from Frost and Snow.
A Repository, a kind of Seller in the Earth to preserve Plants in time of Frost and cold Weather.
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Chapter 5, Item 63f
Trees, shrubs, flowers and herbs
Trees, Shrubs, Flowers and Herbs may be distinguished into these several Heads, according to their Fruit or Seeds, Leaves, Flowers and Pods.
First, for Seed Trees, such as are contained in a Fleshy pulp, and covered with a soft skin, which are of three sorts, ...
[First four individual lists omitted]
1. Pomiferous Trees, such as bear Fruit Apple like, as Apple, Pear, Quince, Medler, Lazarole, Service, Figg, Pomegranate, Orange, Lemon, Citron, Adams Apple, Plantane Tree, Indian Fig
2. Pruniferous Trees, such as bear Fruit with Stones in them, ...
3. Bacciferous Trees, such as bear Berries either single, or many together, ...
Secondly, such as are covered with thick or thin husks, and with hard woody shells which are of three sorts, ...
Thirdly, such Trees as bear Fruit in Cups Acorn-like, of which there are two sorts, ...
Fourthly, Trees whose Fruit or Seed is in single reguments or coverings, of which there are three sorts, ...
Fifthly, Trees which are esteemed for their Wood and Bark, either for Physic, of which there are several sorts, as
1. Cordial Woods, as the Aloe Tree, Pockwood, Guajacum or Snakewood
2. Astringent and cooling Woods, as the Red Sanders, Yellow Sanders, Lignum Nephriticum, Rosewood
3. Mechanics Wood, such as are used in Dying, as the Brasil, Logwood
4. Fabrile Wood, such as Workmen use, as Ebony, Princes Wood, Cabbidg tree, or Palmetto Royal
4. [sic] Barks or Rinds, such as the Cinnamon, Cortex Febrifugus Peruvianus or Jesuits Pouder, Cortex Winteranus
Sixthly, Trees which bring forth Gums and Rosins, which may be distinguished into two sorts, as
1. Solid or hard Gums, as Gum Arabick, Sarcocolla, Myrrh, Gum Hydra, Gum Sandarak
2. Liquid or more moliable, as Liquidambra, Balsamum Peruvianum, Pitch, Rosin, Tar
3. Suffumigatious Gums, or such as are for Perfumes, as Frankincense or Copal, Olibanum, Gum Elemi, Gum Anime Caranna, Benjamin, Storax
4. Volatile or Unctious, such as are easily made soft, as the Camphir, Cambugium, Bdellium, Tacamahacca, Lake
Shrubs or Underwoods may be distinguished by these several heads, as
First, Spinous, or thorny shrubs whose fruit may be eaten, ...
[Individual lists by botanical character omitted]
Flowers, Plants and Herbs may be distributed into these several Classes according to their several beings, as
First, by the fashion of their leaves, as
1. Such as have imperfect leaves, ...
[Individual lists by botanical character omitted]
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Chapter 5, Item 63g
Things hurtful to gardens and orchards
Old Age, for the strongest and firmest of Trees continue not always.
Want of good and timely Dressing, Weeding and Pruning, makes a pleasant Garden or Orchard, a Wilderness
Long Shoots in Flower branches, the more they are suffered to grow up, the less nourishment there is for Flowers.
Long Boal or Body of a Tree, the longer it is the more sap it requireth to feed it, and the more it hath, the more it desireth and gets, and the less remains for the fruit.
Water Boughs, or Undergrowths, are such boughs as grow low under others, and are by them overgrown, over-shaddowed, and dropped upon, and so pine away for want of sap, and by that means in time die.
Fretters, are such when as by the neglect of the Gardiner, two, three, or more parts of a Tree, or of divers Trees, as Arms, Boughs, Branches, or Twigs, grow so near and close together, that one of them by rubbing doth wound another, and the longer they grow, they will worse and worse Gall and Wound, and in the end Kill themselves.
Suckers, are long proud and disorderly Cyons, growing streight up out of any lower part of the Tree, which receives a great part of the sap, and beareth no Fruit; therefore are to be cut or slip off.
Principal top Boughs, one or two principal top boughs, are in a manner as evil as suckers, they rise of the same cause, and are cured by the same remedy.
Want of Soiling, that is want of manuring them with fresh soil, Dung, etc., such as are hot fat and tender; the want whereof makes Trees become mossy, and not to thrive.
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Chapter 5, Item 63h
Internal hurts
Galls and Wounds in Trees: See Fretters.
Canker, is the Consumption of any part of the Tree, Bark, or Wood, through cutting off of Water-boughs, and not applying a Remedy to the middle of the wound.
Moss, is a Disease in Trees quickly seen, and is caused through want of good soyling and poining.
Weakness of Trees, or their slow growth is from the weakness in the setting, wrong planting, want of room in good soil, or evil, or no dressing.
Bark bound, is through the strength and thickness of the Bark, which groweth and thrives not it self, so hinders the Tree from growing thick & strong in the wood; which is remedied with a sharp knife in the spring, lengthways to lance the Bark throughout, on 3 or 4 sides of his Boal.
Worms in Trees, this is a disease discerned, for the Bark will be holed in divers places like Gall, the Wood will dry and die, and you shall see the Bark swell; some think it proceeds from a raw and evil concocted humour or sap; But I rather take it to arise from Worms, because this disease is principally in Trees that brings fourth Fruit of a sweet tast.
Bark pile, when it flyeth off, and will not stick close to the Tree to nourish it; a distemper hard to be remedied.
Deadly Wounds, is when [an] Arborist wanting skill, cuts of Arms, Boughs, or Branches, 1 or 2 inches (or as I have seen sometimes) an hands breadth, or half a foot or more from the Body, these so cut, cannot in any time be covered with sap, and therefore die, and dying they perish the heart, and so the Tree becomes hollow.
Ants, Emmits, Bugs, Caterpillars, Snails, hurt your Trees, some by creeping into them between Bark and Tree; others decay and eat the leaves all round about them.
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Chapter 5, Item 63j
External hurts
Deer, Goats, Sheep, Hares, Coneys, Cattle, Horses, etc. are sore hurts both to Gardens & Orchards, by eating the branches, peeling the Bark, and treading under feet whatsoever is in their way, all banding themselves against the most fruitful Trees and delightsom Flowers the earth bears, against which must be provided a good fence.
Crows, Pies, Black-birds, Thrushes, Bulfinches, Tit-mouses, Mopps, etc. do much hurt in Orchards, some devouring fruit in the bud, others when they are ripe.
Oaks, Elms, Ashes, Walnuts, Chesnuts and such Trees are hurtful amongst Fruit Trees, which a good Gardiner will not admit to grow in his Orchard; for if soil and sap can hardly be good to feed fruit trees, why should others be allowed room there, especially those that shortly will become their Masters, and wrong them of their Livelyhood?
Weeds, in a fertile soil, till your trees grow great, will be noisom and deform your Allies, Walks, Beds, & Squares, which under Gardiners must labour to keep clean & handsom from them.
Earthworms and Moles are very hurtful for they open the Earth and let in the Air to the Roots of Plants and Trees, deform Squares and Walks, and feeding in the earth draw on Barrenness.
Poisonous Smokes, cold Frosts, Winds, etc. are all in their Kinds and Degrees, hurtful both to Flowers and Fruit.
Evil Neighbours, and Orchard Robbers, are in a great measure destructive to such places, which willful annoyances, must be prevented and avoided by Justice, the Love and Liberality of the Masters and Fruiterers.
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Chapter 5, Item 63k
Rules for gardeners
General Observations and Rules of Gardiners about the Ordering and Increasing of the Trees and Flowers.
It is to be noted that in the planting of Gardens and Orchards that the Ground below, that the Earth be a black, fat, mellow, clean, and well tempered soil, wherein Trees, Flowers and Herbs, may gather plenty of good sap. If the soil be Barren, it is to be made better by delving, Dunging, and other means for the manuring of grounds, at least once in six or seven Years.
If the ground be Boggy, or be in fear of Inundations, drain and secure it by Trenches, Allies, Walks, Walls and such like.
Keep Grass that it grow not too much about the roots of Trees.
If Weeds lie on the ground they will grow, but bury them and they will surely die and perish and become manure for the ground.
Trees against a Wall soon ripen Fruit, yet it hurts the Tree more than the benefit, for into a dry Wall the Tree cannot spread its roots as naturally it would, but binds it and so stops the sap which wound the bark and causes disease in the Wood.
All Orchards & Gardens are generally made Square, because walks are straight, at the end or corners whereof are made Summer-houses or places of pleasure.
Fences, for such places are usually made of Earth by Mounts, Ditches, or Moats, or else of wood by Quickset Hedges or Pales, or Rails; by the walls made of Brick or Stone is the best.
Sets for Gardens or Orchards are of some propigated form slips, but such are observed not to be durable; the most usual kind of Sets are Plants with Roots growing from Seeds or Kernels of Apples, Pears and Crabs, or from stones of Cherries, Plums, etc. Else from fruit themselves, as Walnuts, Chesnuts, Almonds.
But next unto these, or rather equal with these Plants, are Suckers growing out of the roots of great Trees, which Cherries and Plums do seldom want, which being taken from the Tree with its root & some Tawes of the Tree being set else-where, will soon become Trees of strength, & will bear fruit without grafting. There is another way to increase sets, by laying of the Cyons or sprigs with their tops in a heap of good & pure earth, the tops coming through ten or twelve inches: In which hill the sprig will put forth roots, and the top new cyons, and so laying from hill to hell every bended Bough will put forth branches and become Trees. This is of some termed a running Plant.
Sets, if they proceed from good Seeds, needs neither removing or grafting, because they are apt to bring forth their own kind in time, but not so soon, as if they were grafted.
Transplant Trees any time in winter when the Weather is open, calm and moist; but the best time is at the fall of the Leaves, in or about the change of the Moon: For a Plant set in the fall, shall gain a whole Years growth in a manner of that which is set in the Spring after.
Grafts and Sets must be fenced till they be as big as the Arm, to preserve them from annoyances; and that is done by Stakes and Thorns.
Distance of Trees to be set in Orchards is of some held to be ten foot, others twenty foot, others ten, or twenty yards; for it must be generally observed that the distance must needs be as far as two Trees are well able to over-spread, so as not to touch or drop on one another.
And look how far a Tree Spreads his boughs above, [so] far doth he put his Roots under the earth, or farther if there be no stop.
Grafting time is best in the last part of February, or in March, or beginning of April, when the Sun with its heat begins to make the sap stir more rankly.
Cuttings & slips are apt to grow from these fruit Trees, Codlings, Genitings, Brets, Sweeting, Genet-Moyls, Quinces, Goose-berries, Currans, Figs, Vines, Mulberries, Tamarisk, Roses, Hony-suckles.
Vines are pruned from December to the end of January, others only in the twelve days of Christmas.
Garden Seeds are best sown in the beginning of March, though some will venture to sow them any time from March to the Feast day of St James.
Much Roots at Plants will produce many tops or branches, which if you use to slow or cut the tops, will cause them to grow both low and slow, thick of branches slender of wood.
Great Wood, as Oaks, Elmes, Ash, etc. being continually kept down with Sheers, Knife, or Ax; neither Boal nor Root will thrive, but be as an Hedge or Bush.
Every Young Plant (if it thrive) will recover any wound above the Earth, by good dressing, although it be to the one half, and to his very heart.
The Lying or Leaning of Trees against props or stays, hinders its growth, breeds an obstruction of sap, and wounds incurable.
Removing of Trees as great as the Arm is dangerous, and seldom take root again, if they do, yet will not continue long; for a Tree once Taunted is never good, and will hardly ever thrive.
Diseases are easily discerned in Trees, by the blackness of the boughs at the heart, when you dress or prune the Trees: Also when a Tree hath more tops than the root can nourish, the tops decaying blakens the Boughs, and the Boughs the Arms, and the Arms the Boal or Body, and so the Heart. Also when the Bark is black, or yellow, and the Tree brings forth small hungerd leaves; or when it brings forth Blossoms, and wants strength to shape its fruit, is a sure token of a Taunt, and next Year of its Death.
Dressing, of Trees, and Lopping away of superfluous boughs, is to be done in the beginning of the Year; the Moon being in the change when the sap is ready to stir, which will soon cover the wounded place.
Age of a Tree is easily known till they come to 20 years by his Knots; reckon from his Roots up to the Arm & so to his top twig, & every years growth is distinguished from other by a knot, except lopping or removing do hinder.
Fruit is to be gathered when ripe, and not before, else it will wither & be tough & sower; & gather in the full of the Moon for keeping, & dry for fear of Rotting, & without crushes or bruising, for that causes corruption, if they be not quickly used.
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Chapter 5, Item 63l
Further instruction
[These citations are in the original manuscript text (Harleian Ms. 2029, f. 262) following the Instruments belonging to a Gardener, but not in the printed volume. ]
Who soeuer desire further instructions concerneing flowers & gardens they may have recourse to Johnsons & Parkinsons Herball, Rea his Flowers, the English Gardiner by Leonard Meager & the countrey ffarme by Gervise Markham with seuerall others who treat of such things.
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