high from the earth as neede shall require by the growing of the braunches gird some higher then other some Then shortly after you must haue stakes in a readines and as the Carrets must stand one against the other in the bed so likewise the stakes must stand one against the other to euerye foure Carrets two stakes The stakes must bee a yard and a halfe aboue the ground and a sure holde within the earth for danger of winde then must you prepare packâ—-threed or other threed to goe from stake to stake all the length of the bed one course of lynes must be about two foote high and another course of lynes must bee nâ—ere the top of the stakes so that there must bee two courses of lynes on the vtter side of the stakes on both sides the bed Then must you haue crosse lynes to euery two Carrets a crosse lyne made fast to the side lynes the crosse lynes must be both aboue and beneath as the side lynes doe goe and a crosse rod to euery two stakes tyed fast with somelynnen thréed or thrumbes then both the vpper course and nether course of the rods and the short lynes must haue a lyne going amidst of the bed so that by that meanes euery Carrets branches will stand in a square both in the vpper and nether coarse of rods and lynes in sure manner for the winde If this bee not done perfectly the losse of Carret séedes will bee more in value then the Charges of stakes roddes and lynes The stakes must bee set in this manner First two stakes at the end of the bed then ouer passe foure Carrets and in the middest betweene two Carrets set a stake on either side the bed and the lines rods as aforesaid then as the Carret branches doe grow they must be somewhat tended to keepe them in good order within the lynes this being done about the last of August the Carret séedes will begin to bee ripe and as they doe change to some browne colour so to bee cut from time to time vntill the last bee sufficiently ripe about the first of October Then place the Carret seedes as you doe cut them on a Chamber floore to drie when they be drie beate the seedes out with small staues or beast with the edge of a lath and clense them from the composte or refuse as you finde best by experieÌ„ce with ridle and siue There are three kindes of Carrets two of them are profitable and the third is not The great long yellow Carret and the great short Carret are principall good but the common or wilde Carret which is pale yellow coloured and small and long is to be refused for they yeeld small profit neither are they so good meate as the other two kindes by much The séedes of the two best kindes of Carrets doe change into diuerse colours and if you choose a roote of any colour that doth best like you then set the same for séede and so shall you haue store of rootes of that colour that so is set for séede when time serueth if you doe make choyse of the best Carrets and set them for seedes as aforesaid then your séedes are very bad and not profitable to bee vsed by any but deceiueth the sower and yeeldeth not so good rootes as the set roote séedes doe by much How to haue principall good Cabadge seedes to sow whereby you may haue good store of good Cabadges as time serueth WHen you haue Cabadges in your garden that bee ripe to cut make your choice of the best and fairest Cabadges for seede in this maner that you may haue the benefit of the best Cabadges and good séed of the same stocks or rootes Also when your Cabadges bee ripe take a hand sawe and cut the Cabadge off as neere to the Cabadge as you can and haue so much of the stocke as you may but take heede least you rent the stocke in cutting it with the sawe you must cut those Cabadges which you would so preserue for séedes in the new of the Moone of the first ripe Cabadges and so let them grow to beare seedes the yeere following and that seede will be as good as may be whatsoeuer is said to the contrary And if you desire to haue much Cabadge seedes to sowe and to sell then your best way is to prouide some place in the Garden where the shadow of them may doe least harme to other séedes or fruits Then prepare the ground in narrow beds and take vp the Cabadge rootes with as much earth at the roote as you can in the new of the Moone in October and place them one row in a bed almost a yard a sunder and then another row in an other bed likewise so that euery row or euery roote be almost a yard one from another and then let them stand vntill they be growen almost a yard high then beset the braunches with rises and gird the braunches rises with a string of packe thréed or such like or els the weight of the braunches and the winde will breake them to the losse of the seedes and when the seedes doe beginne to bee ripe then take héede to them for the birds called the Bull Finch will destroy them sodainely vnlesse you do prouide to saue the séedes with nettes to be set theron sundry waies as seemeth you best to doo and when your Cabadge Seedes bee ripe cut them and dry them cleanse them and keepe them vntill the best times to sowe them of which times I will make mention at large as heâ—â—eafter followeth in order If you take heede to choose the principall Cabadges for séedes as aforesaid you shall both the better pleasure your selfe and doâ—e good to the common wealth Also let not gaine nor deceipt alter nor corrupt a good conscience heerein to the hurt of any How to make your best choyse for Parsnep seedes PRepare such place in your Garden as is most conuenient for the setting of Parsneps for séeds first digge and make your ground ready in beds like as you would sowe any other seedes then make choice of the fairest Parsnep roots and plant them in the beds a rowe of rootes on either side the bed about sixe inches from the edge of the bed and a rowe of rootes along the midst of the bed or beds and set euery roote so néere as you can to be xv inches one from another and when the first séedes doe begin to be ripe then cut them daily as cause requireth for the seedes of Parsneps are very apt to fall when they be ripe to the losse of the best séede if they be not heedefully looked vnto Thus doone you shall haue good Parsnep seedes to pleasure any person in that behalfe otherwise it is not so good nor so profitable The best way to haue principall seedes of Turneps to sowe THere be sundrie kindes of Turneps and to write therof particularlie would be somewhat tedious but the best kinde for the
away so many of the Carrets till those that remaine bee at the least thrée or foure inches a sunder and also if any of the Carrets do happen to shoote to beare séed pull them vp likewise for the best séeds of Carrets some of them will shoote must be takeÌ„ out least they hinder the rest that grow throw theÌ„ away if you misse so to doe your Carrets will bee small to your purpose The good Carrets which are to be drawen from the rest will easily bee drawen into a good ground with hand and the easier to bee drawen in the fore noone and best after a shower of raine And you may haue good profit by those Carrets so drawen and sowed for they are nouelties and desired of many soe timely in the yéere Then about the twentith of Iuly your Carrets in a good ground will be somewhat faire to sell and if you sell them then or shortly after so that you take them vp before the fourtéenth of August you may as you rid the ground of Carrets sowe Turnips séede or Radish séede in their place so that you haue the best kinde of Turnip séede to sow and in so dooing you may haue two croppes euery yere and both with good profit And if it happen that the Carret seedes doe faile in the spring time by hardenes of weather or by wormes of the earth Then about the midst of May or the end of May you may set Cabadge plants in those places where the Carrets doe want and in want of Cabadge plants you may sowe good Turnips séedes or Radish séedes thereon And thereby haue good profit Also the short kinde of Carrets will grow in worse and colder ground then the long Carrets will and doe well agree with the clay Land also How and when is best to sowe and plant to haue good Cabadges both timely about Midsomer and late in the yeere IF you will haue timely Cabadges then sowe your Cabadge séedes in Rigols as afore said about the last of August three or foure daies before the ful of the Moone where they may haue the warmnes of the Sunne in winter so neere as you can and keepe them cleane from weeds then let them grow till three or foure daies befoâ—e the ful Moon in March or Aprill next after then set your Cabadge plants a yard a sunder and as you choose plantes to sette choose the fairest and lykelyest of them for your purpose for the small and refuse plantes will growe to bee small Cabadges and as many as doe séeme eyther wilde or very small throwe them away for the losse is not great and in this manner you may haue timely close and hard Cabadges Also it is a principall time to sowe Cabadges in February or March three or foure daies before the full of the Moone as aforesaid then sowe the seedes very thinne in rowes and keep theÌ„ cleane from weeds and when they be faire and large to plant in May or about the first of Iune is best to plant them three or foure daies before the full of the Moone and if necessity doe compel you it wil serue the whole quarter after the ful of the Moone And also as they growe from time to time take care to kill the wormes which eate the leaues and take heede that no leaues bee broken of those which you would haue to bee Cabadges for it is hurtfull to the closing of the Cabadges And when the first planted Cabadges be ripe sell or spend them shortly for within fourteene daies after they be hard they will grow so fast within that they wil rent and cleaue a sunder and so perish and rot And when your Cabadges doe ripe and bee hard sell them or spend them for there is small profit to kéepe them because the snailes and other wormes doe pearce them dayly but those which doe close farre in the yeare in September and October may bee better kept in Winter for your purpose but of al wormes or caterpillers Knaues which are the greatest deuourers of Cabadges and doe consume many of them at one time those catterpillers doe neuer repent vntill they come to Tyburne or the gallowes Therefore take good care to your enclosures for your better safetie For sowing of Parseneps and best vsing of them SOme wil sowe Parsenep séeds at Michaels tide to haue timely Parsneps and doth serue their purpose to haue them about twenty dayes sooner then those which do sowe in February or March but it is not best to sowe many in that order but a few for nouelties but to sow to haue best profit as when the weather is fayre in Februarie or in March sowe your Parseneps not respecting the age of the Moone but the goodnes of the weather and when they be ready to weede haue care to wéede them cleane in time if they be too thicke sowed pull them out also with the wéeds till euery Parsenep be two inches a sunder at the least theÌ„ wéede them as cause is and let them grow till they bee to serue your turne Parseneps will growe well in worse ground then Carrets and reasonably well in colde Gardens and if you doe sowe your Parsneps in rigols as my accustomed manner is it is best for your purpose and profit and this kinde of sowing in Rigols doth saue the better halfe of the séedes of any kinde whatsoeuer as by experience is prooued For sowing of Turneps and the best time when IF you desire to haue timely Turneps you may do thus a wéeke before the full Moone or a wéeke after the full Moone in the end of Aprill or in May sowe your Turnep seeds and when they are ready to weed then pull out with the wéeds so many of the Turneps till the rest of the Turneps be a hand bredth a sunder and as they doe grow ripe about Midsomer drawe the greatest first to make them thinner all ouer wheÌ„ they be of any greatnes sel or spend them away for those timely sowed Turneps wil not tarry good but a few daies for they will be hard roots be eaten with wormes and grow to séedes and so will many Turneps which bee sowed before Midsommer But those which are sowed in Iuly and to the 14. of August wil remaine good all winter And when they bee to serue your turne take the greatest first and let the rest remaine and they will increase much when they haue some libertie and at all times it is to be chosen to sowe and wéede as aforesaid looke from what ground you take your first fruites away before the 14. day of August you may thereon sowe good Turnep séede to good profit But if you sowe after the 14. of August it is to no good purpose but to haue small Turneps little worth and empayre your ground for no profit you may in this manner haue two croppes of Turneps in one place of land in one yeare and both perfect good The best meanes to haue principall close Lettice
and to haue them as timely as is possible THe first of September or within fouretéene daies then next after is best to take your Lettice séedes and sowe them in a drie banke or dryest place in the garden reasonable thinne wéede them cleane when there is cause and let them grow as they doe prooue till thrée or foure daies before the full of the moone in March then take them vp and plant them in new digged ground sixe or eight inches asunder and kéepe them cleane from weedes and you shall haue timely Lettice And by this meanes I haue yéerely such close or cabidge Lettice better cannot be had and they will be ready some yéeres in Aprill and the beginning of May I do also sow Lettice séeds in February and March in manner aforesaid and plant them againe as aforesaid And thereby I haue principall close Lettice till Midsommer you may haue very good Lettice and not remooue them so that they be well asunder but the other manner is best And keepe some of the best of them for seedes my Lettice bee yéerely solde for two a penney for one of them is a reasonable dish for a table and as white as is possible and many doo say the like Lettice are not to be had in London And I do suppose that this kinde of Lettice is not common to be had in London as yet or else the Gardiners there no doubt do not carefully prouide for principall Lettice But if any request me for principall Lettice seedes I haue ready to performe his desire whiles they doe endure vnsolde yearely if it please God whiles I remaine liuing The nature and quallity of Garden beanes and how you may haue best profit by them IF you desire to haue timely beans to serue your purpose as a fewe for nouelties set them about the middest of December where the sunne hath some power in the Garden And if you desire to haue profit by beanes this may be your best course in any shadow Garden or vnder the shadow of fruite trees where nothing will growe but nettels and other wéeds pare cleane that ground about the middest of Ianuarie or all Februarie and then digge the said ground and in digging thereof let the rootes of wéedes or nettles be cleane picked out then set your beans therein and as there is cause wéed them cleane and when the beanes be faire blowed fiue or six ioynts of them then you were best to pinch off about a handfull or a span of the toppes of them with your hand or cut them away but they will more easier and sooner be pinched then cut Then by this means the beanes so pinched or cut will stand stiffe of themselues that there needeth no rises nor boughs to bee sticked amongst them to keepe them for breaking with the winde And they will also beare the more beanes and the sooner will be ripe because there be no rises or boughs to shadow them But if it happen that great tempestes of winde or raine do throw some of them downe Then take a fewe rises or sprigges to support them which so doo fall and in this manner of one pecke of beanes so set I haue receiued sixtéene peckes of seasonable drie beanes in gaine In shadowe ground where nothing else wil grow but nettels and other weedes vnder trees those beanes so set in shadow places or vnder trees must bee somewhat thinne about seauen or eight inches a sunder And in this manner they will beare beanes sufficient good store either to be eaten greene or kept drie for seedes to be set againe Of Onion seedes to be sowen THe best time and season to sowe any one séedes in the marches of Wales is about the first of March when the weather is somewhat faire seasonable then prepare to sowe your Onion séeds And if your Garden be dunged or fallowed in December as aforesaid then is it most principal for sowing of Onion seeds And the drier the garden is the sooner you may sowe it And if it be somewhat wet and cold then the longer you can tarrie the better it is So that you doe sowe before the last of March according as your garden doth prooue in drinesse for colde and wet earth is altogether bad for Onion seede And when your Onyon or Iubballes do beginne to waxe somewhat readie to be vsed or spent then make them reasonable thinne for if they grow to thicke they will bee verie small but if you draw them reasonably you shall haue faire Onyons and best for your profit The best time to sowe Onyon seede is a weeke before the full of the moone and the wéek after And best when the weather is very drie and faire The meanes to haue faire large Cucumbers the best order for them within the Countie of Salop or in the marches of Wales ABout the last of Aprill or the beginning of May whē the weather prooueth to be somewhat faire warme then take the séedes of Cucumbers and put them in newe milke ouer night And if the next day after prooue a faire Sunne shine day take the seedes and put the milke and all in a pewter platter in the heate of the Sunne three or foure houres then put thē into the earth where you would haue them to growe and they will spring and appeare aboue the ground within foure or fiue daies And if you do not so place them in the heate of the sunne then the next day after their wetting in milke set them in the earth likewise and when they bee sprung aboue the ground the snailes and wormes will deuoure them except you finde meanes to preuent them The ground vpon which you sowe cucumbers seede must be very ranke and faire where the sun giueth best heate in the garden or most principal in a faire banke that sheweth it selfe to the noone Sunne If your cucumber seedes do happen to grow too thicke then take out the woorst till they be a yard a sunder for the more roome they haue the better they will beare the fairer fruites you may remoue the plants of Cucumbers when they be young and plant them in another place conuenient as aforesaid there are sundrie other means vsed with horsedung to set and plant cucumbers which is not to my liking and which I omit as not so good as aforesaid And to haue milons gourds or pumpions do the like as is expressed heerein by cucumbers if the spring season doe serue your purpose thereunto The meanes to haue principall faire Artichokes and how to haue them in all Sommer time IF you desire to haue timely Artichokes then take vppe your olde rootes in the latter halfe of September or the first halfe of October then choose the fairest plants and pull them from the olde rootes then plant them in a very ranke earth trenched about three quarters of a yard déepe with dung mixt with some earth and set your plants therein and you shall haue timely Artichokes in the spring
next following And alâ—o in the beginning of March take vppe the olde rootes which haue borne fruites three times then take the greateâ— plantes and set them as aforesaid Take also the middle â—ort of plants and set them by themselues likewise as aforesaiâ— well dungeâ— So by this meanes I haue had faire and laâ—ge â—â—ticâ—oâ—es all the Sommer And many of those â—hich be set in Seâ—tember and October as aforesaid will beâ—re faire Artichokes both betimes in the spring and alâ—o in August and September the same yéere best time oâ— the age of the moone to plant them is thrée or foure daies before the full of the Moone The olde rootes of Artichokes and the small slippes growing on them are not to bee set for Artichokes except you plant or set the small slippes for encrease or to sell or giue for encrease to others for commonly they will not beare fruites the first yeare that you doe set them there be sundrie kindes of Artichokes the largest kinde is best to bee chosen for your purpose there bee but two kindes principall good héere in this land to my knowledge if you desire to haue great store of Artichokes to sell then your best way is to make as it were a nurcerie for plants in this manner make certaine bankes the greatnesse of a bushell round like a loafe of breade so that you may goe betwixt them and set one plant in the toppe of euerie hillocke and from thence yearely chuse the fairest plants to set The meanes to prouide Radish rootes best for your profit IN March or Aprill where you haue sowed either Carrets or Parsneps or both when your carets or Parsneps are aboue ground then you may perceiue wher the ground is bare then set the seede of Radish a fewe fiue or sixe in a bed and so ouer all your beddes if you so please when this radish rootes bee readie then take them away for those timely radish rootes will tarrie but a few daies good for they will shoote for seede and they will also hinder the growing of the other fruites if you sowe Radish onely without mixing of any other hearbes or fruites you may set them from March till the first of August at which time it is too farre in the yeare for that purpose And if you doe sowe radish by themselues set them sixe inches a sunder and let them be kept cleane from weedes and when they be readie to be spent away with them as you may for they will perish both by growing to seede and also by wormes if you do desire to prouide radish seedes for another yeare your best way is to sowe a bedde and when the rootes be readie to spend leaue the best and fairest for seedes and let them so left for seedes be halfe a yard a sunder and when the seede doth begin to bee ripe then the birdes will deâ—oure it except you doe prouide in time for safeguard thereof and your radish for seedes must be sowed in beddes in the Month of March The best vse for Porret and Leekes BEcause Porrets and Leekes is a necessarie and profitable hearb for house-keeping I cannot omit to write therein if you desire to haue Porret for your purpose then you must first haue good seedes thereof and to obtaine good seedes In August or about the first of September prepare your ground well mucked and well digged in place where the sun hath reasonable power in the garden Then take vp your Porret and set them before the twelfth of September or else the Porret will not take sufficient roote to beare fruite the Sommer following if you faile this to do you shall not haue profitable seedes for they will bee light and deafe without perfect substance to growe when you sowe them And also you doe loose halfe the waight of seedes which otherwise is to bee had by timely setting of Porret and the buyers are deceiued by those seedes of porret which is set so late in the yeare Porret seedes will growe in some shadowe place reasonable well and large so that you doo not sowe them to thickeâ— And the Porret for Leekes to be spent will also prooue well in a shadow place and you may set or plant them to be eaten or spent in Leekes when you please in August September or October do very well for seedes as aforesaid How to preserâ—e and keepe Carret rootes and to haue them readie to serue all the winter and till the last of March next after with very small charge IN the two months of October and Nouember when you haue leisure in drie weather then prouide a vessell or wine caske or some other then lay one course of sand on the bottome of the vessell two inches thicke then a course of the carret rootes so that the rootes do not touch one another then another course of sand to couer those rootes and then another course of rootes and in this manner vntill the vessell beâ— full to the top and if you haue a ground seller you may packe them in some corner in this manner you must cut away all the branches of the carrets close by the roote and somewhat of the small endes of the Carrets and they must be so packed in sande vnwashed and about the last of December sometime when theâ—e is no frost you must then vnpacke them againe and then the carret rootes will begin to spring in the top of the roote then if you desire to keepe them vntill a longer time then you must pare off the vpper end of the roote that they â—annot spring any more in the top and then packe them againe in sand as aforesaid so may you keepe them well till Lent or Easter And in this manner you may preserue and keepe the rootes of Parsneps and the Turneps for I haue prooued it to bee true and profitable I could yet heerein take occasion to write of diuers rootes and hearbs for sallets to bee planted and sowed in gardens which do not serue my purpose for I rather desire to prouide sufficient victuals â—or the poore and greatest number of people to relieue their hungrie stomackes then to picke dainty sallets to prouoke appetite to those that doe liue in excesse the which God amend Beloued in Christ Iesus I desire you to accept of this my good enterprise in respect I desire the benefit of the common wealth héerein and is a speciall meane to helpe and relieue the poore as by experience was manifest in the great dearth and scarsitie last past in the Countie of Salop and else where for with lesse garden ground then foure ackers planted with Carrets and aboue seauen hundreth close cabbedges there were many hundreds of people well refreshed thereby for the space of twenty daies when bread was wanting amongst the poore in the pinch or fewe daies before haruest And many of the poore said to me they had nothing to eate but onely carrets and Cabedges which they had of me for many
PROFITABLE INSRVCTIONS FOR THE MANVRING Sowing and Planting of Kitchin Gardens Very profitable for the common wealth and greatly for the helpe and comfort of poore people Gathered by Richard Gardiner of Shrewsberie Imprinted at London by Edward Allde for Edward White dwelling at the little North doore of Paules at the signe of the Gunne 1603. The Author his Preface to his louing neighbours and friends within the towne of Shrewsburie in the Countie of Salop. R. G. wisheth all happines and felicitie in Christ Iesus RIght welbeloued in Christ Iesus neighbours and friends of this my natiue soile of Shrewsburie I wish you all felicitie and happinesse in the true knowledge of our redemption in the merrits of our onely Sauiour Iesus Christ to whom with the Father the holy ghost be all honor praise and thankes for euermore Beloued it is generallie knowne vnto all men in this towne that I haue euer in good minde desired the prosperity of the same and in all good actions to my power and knowledge haue preferred the same without desire of lucre or gaine thereby and did alwayes desire to doe the vttermost of my skill as well to the common causes as also to priuate mens workes and now in my olde age or last daies I would willingly take my last farewell with some good instructions to pleasure the general number as for spiritual instructions and good aduertisments therein I leaue you to the good admonitions of the godlye Clergie and to your good proceedings in the same which God graunt for his mercies sake Amen Amongst all the practises knowledges and experiences which euer I receiued from Gods mercies in temporal blessings I doe vndoubtedly perswade my selfe that my practise and experience in GardeÌ„ stuffe or the good benefits therein dooth best benefit helpe and pleasure the generall number of people better then any other practise that euer I tooke in hand in temporall causes whatsoeuer And therefore good neighbors and friends of this my natiue soile accept this my short and simple penning of this my practise and experience in Gardening causes heerein mentioned And if any other man now or heereafter finde occasion to better in writing any thing which I haue omitted for want of full perfection by experience therein I doe most hartily desire him that so shal finde cause to better any thing omitted by me or amend any thing by me penned so to doe that God may be glorified in his good gifts the generall number the better comforted and the poore the better releeued with Garden stuffe whereas yet in this Countie of Salop Gardening stuffe is to small purpose but I hope in God as time shall serue my good beginning will be an occasion of good proceedings therein and no doubt bâ—loued if any man will hartily desire to doe good in these actions then vaine fruitlesse and superfluous things may bee taken out of good Gardens and sundry good commodities to pleasure the poore planted therein then no doubt the Almightie God will the better blesse your encrease and blesse your walking in your Garden in that minde and then no doubt but your good conscience will delight you as well as the great blessings that God will blesse the Garden withallâ— Then shall you no doubt visibly beholde in your Garden the blessed fauour and mercy of ouâ— most mercifull God to your euerlasting comfort not onely in the great increase there to beholde but also other wayes to your great comfort which I omit at this pâ—esent And when you make sale to the poore consider you are the Lords Stewards to sell with consciencesâ— and to lend and giue also doe it willingly for we haue the vnfallable promise of God for double recompence if we so fauourablie will performe to all and specially to the poore and needy which God graunt for his mercies sake wee may haue grace to doe and also to haue â— speciall care to satisfie content or pay the tithes thereof to the ministers of the holy worde and not to suffer a bad custome to corrupt the conscience therein which God forbid And also I desire thee good reader to beare with my grosse and simple penning in so good a cause and willingly to accept my good will therein And in so dooing I shall thinke my trauail herein to be well bestowed and my good purpose the better performed which God graunt for his mercies sake Amen Edward Thorne Gent. in commendation of the worke and the Author thereof HE that desires with skilfull hand to frame a Garden plot And to manure and make it apt For Herbes that serue the pot Or choise to make of seeds and Plants and best of both to know And them in seasonable time to plant to set and sowe Let him peruse this little Booke which vndertakes the charge Of all the fore reciteâ— points to shew the course at large Of Carrets first and Cabbage close and how to keepe them sound And Parsâ—ips also to preserue and Turnips faire and round Of Lettice next and garden Beanes and Onions of the best Of Coucombers and Artichockes and Radish with the rest These and such other hearbes and seedes hath Gardner in good will Vnto Sallopiâ—n neighbours his entreateâ— of with skill His talent lent hâ— doth not hide if all were vnderstood But sets it foorâ—h with willing minde to doe his neighbours good The poore which late were like to pine and could not buy them breade In greatest time of penury were by his labours fed And that in reasonable rate when Corne and coine was scant With Parsnep and with Carret rootesâ— he did supply their want The rich likewise and better sorte his labours could not misse Which makes them many times to thinke that Salop London is Then rich and poore in friendly sorte giue Gardner all his due Who shewes himselfe in all his acts so kinde a friend to you And wish as he doth well deserue his welfare and his health That hath so greatly profited Salopians common wealth Hovv to make choyce of the best Carrets to plant for good seedes and how and when to plant them AFter the Sun his entring into Libra about the twelfth of September then prepare your ground readie to set your Carrets for seede make choice of the fairest Carrets and best yellow colours to the number as you will set your beds being made ready before you take vp yâ— Carrets euery bed being a yard and a quarter broad then set your carrets in two rowes one rowe on either side the bed sixe or seauen inches from the edge of the bed and full three quarters of a yard one from another Then haue you nothing to doe with them vntill about the last of Aprill at which time they will bee growne about a yard in height then you haue neede to take care of them for the winde will easily breake them by the ground then must you prepare some kinde of packe-threed or lynen threed to â—et about them as a girdle about two foote
to be sowed and if you omit the dunging and fallowing the Garden till after the feast of Christ Iess Iâ— take it best as I finde by experience thus to doe When you purpose to sowe your garden some few daies before let it bee cleane pared and the weedes carried to some conuenient place in the Garden to rotte then mucke well if there bee cause that yeare then digge the garden very small and as you digge it picke out the rootes of the weedes as cleane as you can and rake it well then will it be in good order to sowe but the first manner of fallowing and dunging is best if you doe not omit the time and when all the parings and wéedings all the whole yeere is wel rotten then it wil be very fine and good earth to make leuell or plaine any part of the Garden and is verie good to rancken the Garden in want of other mucke A declaration of diuers manners of seedes to be sowed in Gardens and a reason by experience which is the best manner and most profitable THere bee two manner of sowing of Gardens heere in this Countie of Salop and as I finde by experience those two maners vsual common are very vnprofitable The one maner is to open the bed and set the earth on both sides then to sowe the séedes on the bed then to draw with a Rake the earth from both sides to couer the seedes but when the seedes doe growe in sight there is nothing growing within a quarter of a yard to the edge of the bed wherby much ground is lost on both sides of the bed and very vnprofitable to the owner The second manner of vsuall and common sowing of Gardens is when the bed is made the seedes are sowed thereon and then earth is sifted thervpon to couer the séeds and when the seedes be sprong and begin to growe they be so ebbe vnder the earth that euery small frost or colde raine which commeth dooth destroy the new spring of the séedes and sometimes all is lost thereby A third way there is but not vsuall or common which is when the bed is ready madeâ— the seeds are sowed theron then one taketh the Rake choppeth the teeth of the Rake very thicke ouer all the bed then the seedes doe fal into the hoales which the teeth of the Rake did make and thereby many seedes doe fall in one hole and doe destroye one another except you doe remedie that by pulling some of them away the first wéedingâ— The onely best way to sow beds in gardens as I did euer finde by experience is when the bed is madeâ— to take a staffe of the greatnes of a mans thombe or somewhat greater of a yarde and a halfe long makeing the ende thereof somewhat sharpe and then with the sharpe ende thereof strike a small Rigall or Gutter on either side of the bed within two or thrée Inches of the edge of the bed and about an Inch deepe then sowe your seedes in those two gutters somewhat thin theÌ„ strike other two rigals or gutters in like manner and so by two and by two till you come to the midst of the bed those gutters must bee made foure or fiue inches a sunder according to the nature of the séedes which you doe sowe so that the bed ready made being a yard and quarter broad will take for Onion seedes seauen gutters or rowes and for Carrets and Parsneps likewise seauen and for Turneps fiue gutters is sufficient on either side the bed one in the midst and then two other as you may well sée the places where but for expedition in sowing time the best way is as one person doth strike the gutters or rowes with the staffe so let another follow in sowing the rowes and you shall finde great expedition therein for two persons in this manner will sowâ— more in two or three howres then two persons will or can sowe otherwise in a whole day and this kinde of sowing dooth saue the one halfe of the séedes and defendeth the seedes best from weather because it is reasonable deepe in the ground you must haue a speciall care that the rowes be striken straight and you must take heede to sowe the rowe or gutter first striken before you strike another rowe or gutter for the striking of the second rowe will fill the first with earth that it will be too ebbe to be sowed after then it is both comely and profitable I doe assuredly prooue by experience there is no manner of sowing so perfectly good as this manner is for all kinde of seedes but onely Pumpions Cucumbers Beanes Radish seedes they must be otherwise set further a sunder as reason and experience doe agree therein and in manner héereafter more at large is expressed and when your séedes be sowed in rigols or rowes in manner aforesaid then they are to be couered thus â—ake the Rake and with the head thereof drawe it very light ouer the Rigols along the bed vntill the bed be plaine and the Rigols filled with the backe side of the head of the Rake and if you then doe beate them plaine with the head of the shouel the beds wil be the more comely and breed lesse weedes by much The manner how and when to sowe Carret seeds and what grownd is best to their liking and the manner to vse them in their growing FIrst see that your grownd be sufficient ranke as aforesaid then sow your Carret seeds very thin in the rigols or rowes as aforesaid the best time is about the last of Februarie or beginning of Marche when the weather is seasonable and faire then you néede not to care for the age of the Moone so that it bee not within three dayes of the change for I doe perfectly know by experience that any time else is not amisse so that the weather be dry and faire Carrets do best like in a dry ground and if the Garden be in shadowe or somewhat wet at sowing time then it is not perfect good for Carrets Such ground is better to sowe Parsneps and Cabadges in then Carrets for the Carrets wil mislike in the Spring time and also be eaten with wormes that bréed in themselues by their owne kinde and nature and when your Carrets be faire and young aboue the ground then you must prepare people to weede when the weeds are able to be taken vp then must you haue speciall care to the Carrets that growe in the rowes or other wayes for you must weede or take out of them til there be two inches betweene euerie one of them and throw those drawne Carrets away with the weedes if you doe take pitty to pull them out or detract the time too long before you do weede them as aforesaid your Carrets will be very small and yéeld you small profit you must wéede them wel from weedes as néed doth require and so soone as they be of any bignes about Midsommer you must draw