CHAP. 4.
_Grafting like a Scutcheon._
In grafting after the manner of a Scutcheon, you shall not vary nor differ much from that of the Flute or Pipe, saue only that the Scutcheon-like graft, hauing one eyelet, as the other hath yet the wood of the tree whereupon the Scutcheon-like graft is grafted, hath not any k.n.o.b, or budde, as the wood whereupon the graft is grafted, after the manner of a pipe.
{SN: 12.} In Summer when the trees are well replenished with sap, and that their new Siens begin to grow somewhat hard, you shall take a shoote at the end of the chiefe branches of some n.o.ble and reclaimed tree, whereof you would faine haue some fruit, and not many of his old store or wood, and from thence raise a good eylet, the tayle and all thereof to make your graft. But when you choose, take the thickest, and grossest, diuide the tayle in the middest, before you doe any thing else, casting away the leafe (if it be not a Peare plum-tree: for that would haue two or three leaues) without remouing any more of the said tayle: afterward with the point of a sharpe knife, cut off the Barke of the said shoote, the patterne of a shield, of the length of a nayle.
{SN: 13.} In which there is onely one eylet higher then the middest together, with the residue of the tayle which you left behinde: and for the lifting vp of the said graft in Scutcheon, after that you haue cut the barke of the shoote round about, without cutting of the wood within, you must take it gently with your thumbe, and in putting it away you must presse vpon the wood from which you pull it, that so you may bring the bud and all away together with the Scutcheon: for if you leaue it behinde with the wood, then were the Scutcheon nothing worth. You shall finde out if the Scutcheon be nothing worth, if looking within when it is pulled away from the wood of the same sute, you finde it to haue a hole within, but more manifestly, if the bud doe stay behind in the VVood, which ought to haue beene in the Scutcheon.
{SN: 14.} Thus your Scutcheon being well raised and taken off, hold it a little by the tayle betwixt your lips, without wetting of it, euen vntill you haue cut the Barke of the tree where you would graft it, and looke that it be cut without any wounding of the wood within, after the manner of a crutch, but somewhat longer then the Scutcheon that you haue to set in it, and in no place cutting the wood within; after you haue made incision, you must open it, and make it gape wide on both sides, but in all manner of gentle handling, and that with little Sizers of bone, and separating the wood and the barke a little within, euen so much as your Scutcheon is in length and breadth: you must take heed that in doing hereof, you do not hurt the bark.
{SN: 15.} {SN: 17.} This done take your Scutcheon by the end, and your tayle which you haue left remaining, and put into your incision made in your tree, lifting vp softly your two sides of the incision with your said Sizers of bone, and cause the said Scutcheon to ioyne, and lye as close as may be, with the wood of the tree, being cut, as aforesaid, in waying a little vpon the end of your rinde: so cut and let the vpper part of your Scutcheon lye close vnto the vpper end of your incision, or barke of your said tree: afterward binde your Scutcheon about with a band of Hempe, as thicke as a pen or a quill, more or lesse, according as your tree is small or great, taking the same Hempe in the middest, to the end that either part of it may performe a like seruice; and wreathing and binding of the said Scutcheon into the incision of a tree, and it must not be tyed too strait, for that would keepe it from taking the ioyning of the one sap to the other, being hindred thereby, and neither the Scutcheon, nor yet the Hempe must be moist or wet: and the more iustly to binde them together, begin at the backe side of the Tree, right ouer against the middest of the incision, and from thence come forward to ioyne them before, aboue the eylet and tayle of the Scutcheon, crossing your band of Hempe, so oft as the two ends meet, and from thence returning backe againe, come about and tye it likewise vnderneath the eylets: and thus cast about your band still backward and forward, vntill the whole cleft of the incision be couered aboue and below with the said Hempe, the eylet onely excepted, and his tayle which must not be couered at all; his tayle will fall away one part after another, and that shortly after the ingrafting, if so be the Scutcheon will take. Leaue your trees and Scutcheons thus bound, for the s.p.a.ce of one moneth, and the thicker, a great deale longer time. Afterward looke them ouer, and if you perceiue them to grow together, vntye them, or at the leastwise cut the Hempe behinde them, and leaue them vncouered. Cut also your branch two or three fingers aboue that, so the impe may prosper the better: and thus let them remaine till after Winter, about the moneth of _March_, and _Aprill_.
{SN: 18.} If you perceiue that your budde of your Scutcheon doe swell and come forward: then cut off the tree three fingers or thereabouts, aboue the Scutcheon: for if it be cut off too neere the Scutcheon, at such time as it putteth forth his first blossome, it would be a meanes greatly to hinder the flowring of it, and cause also that it should not thriue and prosper so well after that one yeere is past, and that the shoote beginneth to be strong: beginning to put forth the second bud and blossome, you must goe forward to cut off in byas-wise the three fingers in the top of the tree, which you left there, when you cut it in the yeere going before, as hath beene said.
{SN: 19.} {SN: 20.} {SN: 21.} When your shoote shall haue put foorth a great deale of length, you must sticke down there, euen hard ioyned thereunto, little stakes, tying them together very gently and easily; and these shall stay your shootes and prop them vp, letting the winde from doing any harme vnto them. Thus you may graft white Roses in red, and red in white. Thus you may graft two or three Scutcheons: prouided that they be all of one side: for they will not be set equally together in height because then they would bee all staruelings, neither would they be directly one ouer another; for the lower would stay the rising vp of the sap of the tree, and so those aboue should consume in penury, and vndergoe the aforesaid inconuenience. You must note, that the Scutcheon which is gathered from the Sien of a tree whose fruite is sowre, must be cut in square forme, and not in the plaine fashion of a Scutcheon. It is ordinary to graffe the sweet Quince tree, b.a.s.t.a.r.d Peach-tree, Apric.o.c.k-tree, Iuiube-tree, sowre Cherry tree, sweet Cherry-tree, and Chestnut tree, after this fashion, howbeit they might be grafted in the cleft more easily, and more profitably; although diuers be of contrary opinion, as thus best: Take the grafts of sweet Quince tree, and b.a.s.t.a.r.d Peach-tree, or the fairest wood, and best fed that you can finde, growing vpon the wood of two yeeres old, because the wood is not so firme nor solid as the others, and you shall graffe them vpon small Plum-tree stocks, being of the thicknes of ones thumbe; these you shall cut after the fashion of a Goats foot: you shall not goe about to make the cleft of any more sides then one, being about a foot high from the ground; you must open it with your small wedge: and being thus grafted, it will seeme to you that it is open but of one side; afterward you shall wrap it vp with a little Mosse, putting thereto some gummed Wax, or clay, and binde it vp with Oziers to keepe it surer, because the stocke is not strong enough it selfe to hold it, and you shall furnish it euery manner of way as others are dealt withall: this is most profitable.
_The time of grafting._
All moneths are good to graft in, (the moneth of _October_ and _Nouember_ onely excepted). But commonly, graft at that time of the Winter, when sap beginneth to arise.
In a cold Countrey graft later, and in a warme Countrey earlier.
The best time generall is from the first of _February_, vntill the first of _May_.
The grafts must alwaies be gathered, in the old of the Moone.
For grafts choose shootes of a yeere old, or at the furthermost two yeeres old.
If you must carry grafts farre, p.r.i.c.ke them into a Turnep newly gathered, or lay earth about the ends.
If you set stones of Plummes, Almonds, Nuts, or Peaches: First let them lye a little in the Sunne, and then steepe them in Milke or Water, three or foure dayes before you put them into the earth.
Dry the kernels of Pippins, and sow them in the end of _Nouember_.
The stone of a Plum-tree must be set a foot deepe in _Nouember_, or _February_.
The Date-stone must be set the great end downwards, two cubits deepe in the earth, in a place enriched with dung.
The Peach-stone would be set presently after the Fruit is eaten, some quant.i.ty of the flesh of the Peach remaining about the stone.
If you will haue it to be excellent, graft it afterward vpon an Almond tree.
The little Siens of Cherry-trees, grown thicke with haire, rots, and those also which doe grow vp from the rootes of the great Cherry-trees, being remoued, doe grow better and sooner then they which come of stones: but they must be remoued and planted while they are but two or three yeeres old, the branches must be lopped.
The Contents of the Art of _Propagating Plants_.
_The Art of propagating Plants._ _page 109._
_Grafting in the Barke._ _p. 111._
_Grafting in the cleft._ _p. 113._
_Grafters Tooles._
_Time of planting & seting._
_Time of grafting._
_How to cut the stumps in grafting._
_Sprouts and imps: how gathered._
_Grafting like a Scutcheon._ _p. 116._
_Inoculation in the Barke._
_Emplaister-wise grafting._
_To p.r.i.c.ke stickes to beare the first yeere._
_To haue Cherries or Plums without stones._
_To make Quinces great._
_To set stones of Plummes._
_Dates, Nut, and Peaches._
_To make fruit smell well._
_To plant Cherry-trees._
THE HVSBAND MANS FRVITEFVLL ORCHARD.