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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A50005	The manner of ordering fruit-trees by the Sieur Le Gendre ... ; wherein is treated of nurseries, wall-fruits, hedges of fruit-trees, dwarf-trees, high-standers, &c. ; written originally in French and translated faithfully into English at the request of severall persons of honour.; Manière de cultiver les arbres fruitiers. English	Arnauld d'Andilly, Monsieur (Robert), 1588-1674.; Evelyn, John, 1620-1706.	1660 (1660)	Wing L943A; ESTC R21095	73,508	218

knowledge of Excellent things and the studies of Philosophy were no sooner entred among the Persians and the Greeks but that Agriculture followed them as their faithfull and innocent Companion From hence we read that the Kings of Persia thought they did not any thing beneath that supercilious Majesty which made them to be adored by their Subjects as Gods upon earth when they took care of their Gardens in the ruling and ordering their Plants and in forming the squares of them themselves On the contrary they beasted to the Ambassadours which came unto them from that Nation of the world with they most esteemed and feared that they had planted the Trees in their Orchards with their own hands As for the Grecians their most ancient Philosophy treated of by their Poets is all interwoven with Precepts of Agriculture And the chiefest of their Authours who have given unto men the Rules of living well by the knowledge of Morality and have raised their Spirits to the search of the most hidden parts of Natural Philosophy piercing even into the secrets of their prophane Theologie have at the same time and in the same writings taught them the Art of Tilling the Earth and of soliciting her as she desires to be before she will enrich men with the abundance of her Fruits I pretend not to make a deduction of all the Ancient Worthies of that famous Nation whereof some gave up themselves wholly to this business as the most proper and commodious in order to the leading of a quiet and vertuous life believing that there was nothing more comely and agreeing with a veritable Philosopher than by reasoning with the Earth to learn how to reason well with Men and yet better with himself Others amidst the great employments of their Estates have at least looked upon it as the worthiest and most excellent divertisment of Great Persons When afterwards the study of Arts and Sciences passed into Italy and Rome began to rob Greece of its Rarities the love of Trees did at the same time transplant it self thither and the knowledge how to order them did there encrease in the same measure as Great Men and Noble Spirits appeared in that place The Scipio's and the Laelii not onely pleased themselves in this Exercise but did also very well understand the practise and the secrets of it they knew what things were necessary for the embellishment of those Gardens which they cherished with so much tenderness and planted in order and method the Trees which these ancient Consuls having onely the inclination without knowledge set confusedly in the earth when they came with diligence to resume their labour after they had triumphed over the enemies of the Commonwealth As soon as politeness and the knowledge of excellent things could arrive in Africa the curiosity of Plants came also thither and amongst other praises which History gives unto Massinissa King of Numidia it takes notice that he had so great a care of his Gardens and bore so much affection unto Trees that his Labours overcame the drouth of his Territories and made all sorts of Fruits to grow there that seemed to require such Climates as differed most from his that is a more pleasant and favourable Heaven So that Art surpassing Nature Africa was her self astonished to find within her self so many excellent productions of the Earth whereof before she knew not so much as the very names It is very likely that this King had received his instructions and followed in this the example of Scipio the Great his intimate Friend who out of that affection which he had unto Plants would doubtless plant trees in Africa as well as Trophies I cannot but further take notice how much Cicero that admirable Spirit who alone was capable of equalling the vast greatness of the Roman Empire loved this agreeable divertisment It is impossible so much as to read that which he makes his Cato to say of it without taking up the same affections and without being charmed as well by the Subject whereof he treats as beauty and graces of his Expressions But can any thing be added to those inimitable Delicacies of the great Poet when in his Georgicks he doth at once witness unto unto us the exact knowledge and the extreme passion which he had for all that which concerneth trees At length this knowledge descended unto us after it had passed through so many illustrious Nations and it may seem that our French men have taken it up as a part of that universall succession which is fallen to them of all the excellent qualities of those great Personages of whom antiquity so much boasts For it is certain that there is no Nation of the world amongst whom it flourishes at present with more lusture especially about Paris which being the France as I may call it of France it self is also as it were the center and perfection of the best Agriculture Some perhaps may accuse me of straying too far for a Gardiner because that I may seem while I thus wander through stranger Nations to forsake the matter in hand wherein I onely proposed to my self the deduction of those Observations which I have made during so many years and to expound the method which I esteem to be the best in order to fair Trees and good Fruits But it is impossible for me in this rencontre to hinder myself from flattering my passion by so great and noble examples and I perswade myself that there are divers persons who will not think amiss of it for such as are pleased with this recreation will not blame me for having an affection for what they themselves love and for discoursing upon it with the greatest advantage that I can and if the desire of imitating such worthy Persons be capable of making those men relish these innocent delights who untill now were ignorant of them I am assured that they will wish me well and that they will entertain some good thoughts of him who hath given them an inclination unto that thing whereof they will find every day more and more the Charms and Sweetnesses For our Agriculture hath in it this singular property that such as have once loved it do never forsake it but on the contrary do every year take much more delight in it than before which shewes that it hath in it somewhat of solidity and truth which attracts men by reason and not by fancy Indeed all other pleasures vanish or do at last grow less by time some are ruined by Reason others worn away by Time the greatest part are destroyed by themselves and being but weak Remedies of our continuall Labour or our ordinary Indigence they become troublesome and unpleasing so soon as they have produced their effect But the affection which is taken unto Trees grows up every day with them It strengthens its self in well-govern'd Spirits as trees put forth stronger roots in a good Soyl. So that I perswade my self I might borrow those words of the Poet to

make up the Motto of a true Gardiner Crescent illae crescetis amores Experience hath taught me this truth in mine own person for having already passed atmost through all the degrees of Age and being now entred into that of an old man I have found that this inclination which I took up from mine infancy hath ever since from time to time increased in me so that I may boast my self to have been one of the first that hath searched out the true method of oringing trees to perfection particularly Wall-trees and Dwarf-standers for I remember that in my youth my curiosity led me to visit all the Gardens then in reputation I frequented all such as desired to have fair Fruits and would pass for able men in this affair I saw even at that time some great trees ordered well enough but for all other sorts of Plants such as are most now in esteem and do ordinarily prove best I could not look upon them without compassion Those which then took in hand to plant them against Walls set them with the same confusion as if they had been planting thorn-hedges And when they began to grow up some did cut them into a Works as they doe Hedges of Witch Hasell others suffered them to grow up at liberty so that their tops growing immediately above the wall there remained nothing under shelter but the Trunk and all the bearing bougis received no advantage by it The Gardiners which would be accountedmen of abilities in places of the most curiosity did order their Dwarf-trees after a much more outragious manner so that they might be called Monsters rather than Dwarfs for they put them into a thousand extravagant postures making them to represent all sorts of living creatures in a manner altogether ridiculous Thus by making very bad Figures they spoyled very go●d Trees their works deserving to be equally detested by expert Statuaries and good Gardiners for my part making at the same time some small reflection upon that which trees do of themselves require to bring them to their perfection It seemed unto me that these which I saw maimed in this manner did groan under the tyranny of their Masters and complained unto me of their cruelty Guiding my self therefore by reason in a matter whereas yet I had no example I found that it was impossible to receive that satisfaction which ought to be expected from the beauty of a Tree and the abundance of its Fruits by forcing it thus against its nature and so was quickly perswaded that to do well an order must be searched out quite contrary to that which I saw practised and that the nature of the tree ought principally to be observed that it may be followed as much as is possible in preserving unto it the shape and extent which it desires to have and that in cutting off what is superfluous and making it handsom care must be taken not to disfigure it I applied my self principally to the culture of Wall-trees working according to these principles and in few years I found the advantage which this sort of Plant gives us above others In which I was much assisted by the invention of graffing upon a Quince stock and may say that I also was one of the first that brought it into vogue and which took notice of the profit and commodity of it I will not enlarge my self in this Preface to discourse upon this subject because I have made very ample Observations upon it in the sequell of this Book But I shall onely say before-hand that as Wall-trees please me much better than all other Plants so I love Quince-stocks for Plants against a wall more than all others There are still some persons that are not of this mind though but few such as will not endure that men should speak to them of Wall-trees professing that they will have no other trees than such whose fruits and shape were known in our fore-fathers dayes They would have this way of planting to pass for a Novelty which hath nothing in it deserving the cost that is to be employed about it they say that the fruits thus produced are not good losing thereby the taste that is naturall to them That such trees die immediately not being able to endure the torture which is put upon them and that the pains and care taken about them passeth without comparison the pleasure received by them These are the great accusations brought against Wall-trees But should I undertake their defence I would make use of no other arguments than to lead such enemies of this sort of Plant into Gardens that are well kept where they might see walls wholly covered with Fruit-trees whose boughs are guided in a handsome order fully garnished with leaves and loaden with those admirable Fruits whose bigness savour and colour do equally satisfie the taste and eyes of such as eat or behold them This sight would doubtless cause them to change their opinion and if idleness or an aversion for excellent things or covetousness which causes the most part of men to cry down such things as they will not be at the charge of having do hinder them from choosing this pleasure for themselves at least I am sure they could not blame others for being delighted with them It would also prove very easie to answer otherwise whatsoever can be said against Wall-trees For as to the beauty of their Fruit no man so much as doubts that they far exceed all other trees And as for their goodness I deny not but that there are some sorts of Fruits which have a higher and more perfect taste when they grow upon great trees in the open air than when planted against a wall as amongst others the a Rousselet which being the most delicate of all Pears for taste seems to give some disadvantage to this form of trees which we esteem But then there are divers other kinds which are much better upon Wall-trees nay which canscarce come to perfection otherwise Were there no more of these than the Bon Crestien onely it were enough to make Wall-trees to be esteemed above others For sure it is that this Pear deserves more looking after than all others because it surpasses all without comparison both for its beauty and its long continuance and being certainly the best of all that are eaten for six whole moneths of the year it is second even in taste to very few of those that are the most excellent in those seasons which do most abound with Pears which are the end of Summer and the Autumn Now Experience teacheth us that the position of the Wall contributes very much as well to the goodness as to the beauty of this Fruit because it requires much of the Sun to come to its perfection and doth extremely fear great winds and overmuch cold whereas by this means it finds the beat of the one encreased and a remedy against the inconveniences of the others so that at present we see by the help of