touch the sides of the pot nor one another Or take an earthen pot the Figs being put in stop it close and immerge this Vessell to another fâ—ll of Wine no â—aint or corruption will possesse your Figges so inclosed while the Wine retains his goodnâ—sse The plant steeped in brine or the end thrust into a Sea Onion becomes much more fruitfull when planted This fruit is of great vertue in making the belly soluble in abundance of nourishment and provocation of sweat dryed and mingled with the flower of Linseed or Fenugreeke it resolveth and killeth all Imposâ—umes and hard tumours in decoctions it assists much in driving away of the Cough and difficulty of breath which last vertue the fruit also expresseth very happily if steâ—ped in Aqua vitae the night precedent and taken every morning during the dominion of this diseaâ—e after you the Milke of the Fig-tree dropt into the eare killeth the Wormes in it the Leaves of the Fig-tree rubbed doe provoke the Hemorrhoides the juice of Figs is of equall felicity in opening them which to increase his excellency amends all roughnesse ill conditioned scabsâ— small pocks purplâ—s freckles ringwormes and other eye-sad blemishes of the face or body therewith anointed being first tempered with the flower of parched Barley a little Cotten wool dipped in this juice and layd upon the aking tooth aâ—â—wageth the paine Of the Pomeganate tree THE Pomegranate tree which may be planted either from the Branch or succour is one of the most absolute encouragers of an idle person in the world provided it be exempt from the intemperate operation of the cold neither the torrid heat of the Sun nor the barrennesse of the Soyle shal make him forgoe his glorious Rubies no culture or dressing is required by it yet if it be set in a rich soyle it will be sure to make an advantage of it to his owne flourishing and your profit the wine thereof for it affordeth Wine as wel as excellency of fruit may be made after this manner Take the ripe kernels freed and cleansed from their skins put them into the Presse and exact the Wine keep it in Vessels till it is fully fined from all working which finished distribute such a quantity if Oyle as may float over all the top of the Vessel and this preserves it from sowring or corruption The Pomegranate apple put in a pot of new earth well covered and Luted with clay and set into an Oven so long till the Fruit may be resolved into powder is of very Princely vertue for taking the weight of half a crown thereof in red Wine it miraculously stops the Bloudy flux It is also good in divers diseases of women which because they are more arcanely peculiar to that Sex I shal forbear to speak of Of the Quince tree THE Quince tree groweth much sooner from the Root then Branches it delighteth in a soyle of a moyst and cold nature and would therefore be planted towards the more umbragious and coole corners of your Garden The Garden or reclaimed Quince beareth two sorts of fruits to which curiosity hath assigned Sexes and they are called the Quince and Quincesse the Male which is the Quince is of a more wrinkled drye redolent Fruit and golden colour then the Quincesse If you graft the Male upon the Feâ—ale or â—conversâ— the Quinces thence proceeding will be tender and may be eaten raw which without such â—n Hermaphroditisme must of necessity have beene prepared to which nature rather then to eate it crude hath deâ—igned it The use of Marmalade and its preparation is so publickly known that it is unnecessary to repeate it It is not enough to enjoy the delight of these fruits for the Summer onely The Winter too in reason should claime a part of our Summer contentments which cannot bee better expedited then by drying such fruits as are capable of are faction and agreeable when dryed the principall whereof are the Vine or Gâ—ape the Fig the Peach and Abricot How to dry Grapes that they may bee kept YOur Grapes being at their just ripenesse select the faireâ—t out of youâ— Vineyard for such quantity as you shall use let them lye thin spread while you prepare a Lye for them made of faire water and Ashes proceeding onely from the cuttings of the Vine without any other mixture of wood whatsoever seeth this lye till you have made a strong and cleare liquor then taking or straining away the Ashes put the liquor into a cleane Caldron set it againe over the fire till it bee ready to seeth then tying the stalkes of your Grapes with thread and fastening the thread to such sticks and in such order bunch by bunch as Chandlers use to dip their Candles which dip them into this lye foure or five severall times Which done let them dry in the Sunneâ— either so hanging on their sticks of which is better upon Lattices or Hurdles of Rods or the like untill they bee conveniently dry then barrell them pressing them very hard and flat in the Vessell others dry them upon such Lattices or Hurdles without steeping them even as they câ—me from the Vine and peradventure more successefully How to drie Figges LET them as the Grape bee gathered very ripe then lay and spread them upon Hurdles or Lattices of Reeds or Osier joyned togetherâ— with rifts or vacancies betwixt the covering of those Osiers that the aire transpiring through those voyd spaces may assist the Sunne in the drying them but you must bee cautious that during their exposure to the open aire no Raine or Dew incommodate them When they are dry baâ—rell with the same poise of pressure used to the Grapes Others take a bigge Reed or Cane of two or three foot in length boring little holes all the length of it through which they put little sticks of two foot extent being the small and sharpe upon which they thread the Figs till they are very full of them and so hang the Cane in the Sunne which dryed they barrell up using the same course as before How to dry Peaches and Abricots of all sorts WHen they are very ripe pare off the upper skin cleavâ— them into foure quarters dry them as you did your Figâ—â— barrell them and keepe them for the Winter The manner how you shall prepare them to eate is this prâ—vide an earthen pot and after you have washeâ— your Peaches in faire water put them into the pot with as much Wine as will cover the Peaches then seeth them halfe a quarter of an houre They may bee made ready without boyling thus let them infâ—se three or foure dayes in Wine which way they are much better put to them beaten Cynamon and thus they will last a Moneth in the Wine eaten every morning they are very wholesome and provoke a good appetite The fittest seasons for sowing of seeds TO prescribe Rules according to our Climate to thaâ— of VIRGINIA may have much of affection but without all peradventures little of Wisdome
corrupts it both in the nostrâ—ll and Palate may expend waâ—te it selfe and drop through some therefore that this malignant humor may have a full defâ—uxion before they bring the fruit to the Presse make a high and well-raised floore with provision of partitions to keep every dayes gathering seperate which is if your abundance be such that your Presse is not able to discharge you of them dayly the bottome of these partitions mâ—st be paved with a declinâ— descent that the moistnesse of the Olives may flow away and be received into gutters or little channels there provided for their transfluxe The Olives being thus prepared for the Presse and the Presse readily provided of all things necessary viz. of Fat 's Vessels to receive your severall Oyles scoopes to draw and empty out the Oyle Covers great and small spunges pots to carry out the Oyle tyed about by bands or Cords of Hemp or Broome-barke the Mill-stones Oyle-mills Pressers and all other instruments serving thereunto being very well cleansed and the aire having been before as well heated by a plentifull fire if it be not warme enough by its naturall scituation for the assistance of heat makes all Oyly Liquors resolve and runne more gently and freely whereas cold astringes and detaines it This Presse-house therefore â—hould be so seated that it may enjoy a full admission and benefit of the South Sunne that we may stand in need of very little fire if any at all such heat being no more assistant to the expression then acâ—essary to the corruption of the Oyle Carry your Olives thus cleansed to the Presse under which put theÌ„ whole in new willow baskets the willow adding a beauteouâ— and innocent color to the Oyl the Willow also something staving off the rude strokes of the Presse that the Olives may be bruised with as little violence and as much leisure as possible Nor would it be inconvenient if their skin and fleâ—h were a little broken at the firâ—t with a Milstone so set that it should not breake the Kernels which would utterly spoyle the Olive taking them from the Mill thus prepar'd let them be stronglier bruised in the Presse and put foure pound of Salt to every Bushell of Olives The Oyle which comes first is by much the best and theâ—efore called Virgin Oyle the second which comes with more violent expression is fitter for Liniments then the Table but the last which is extorted from the drosse and stones is of no use but for Lampes or such sordid employment The Tuns and Vessels wherein the Oyle is to be put must be well dressâ—d with pitch and gumme made very clean with warme Lees and carefully dryed with a spunge into which you may powre your Oyle within thirty dayes after the expression of it so much time being necessarily allowed for the settling the Lees which by that will have grounded upon the bottome The Cellars where the Vessâ—ls of Oyle are to be conserved must be in a place of constant drynesse and coldnesse heat and moysture being corrupters of the Oyle provide therefore a Cellar on the North coast of your house and foâ— the better and more neat preservation of your liquor poure it rather into glasse Vessels or â—arthen pots which if they be made capacious are far more convenient then the pitcht retainers we formeâ—ly spoke of Accidents befalling Oyleâ— with their Remedies and first to recover frozen Oyle IF in the time of Winter Oyle doth freeze together with his Lees you must put into it twice boyled saltâ— which dissolves and clears your Oyle from all further apprehension of danger nor need you entertaine a jealousie that it will be salt since unctuous matters and especially Oyle have seldome any relish of it To keepe Oyle from becomming ranke VVHen the Oyle begins to change from his first purity of taste to a disposed rankenesse the remedy is to melt an equall proportion of wax and Oyle together to which you are to mingle salt fried in Oyle before this you must poure into the Vessel which composition above the prevention of it when beginning to grow ranke effects an entire restitution to its simple purenesse when already affected Anniseeds cast into the Vessell by a particular attraction performe the same operation To purifie troubled Oyle SOme are of advice that the applying it to the fire or Sun recleares it Others if the Vessell be strong cast into it boyling water how these remedies agree with their former assertions wherein they declare heat so unnaturall to Oyle is beyond my reconciling I for my part should rather make an experiment of Vineger which being cast into the Oyle by degrees hath such a penetrating and inquirent faculty over all the parts that it would without doubt recompose it To recover Oyle corrupted in the Sent. TO performe this take green Olives pound them free them from their stones and cast them into the Oyle or else cast the crums of Barley bread mixed with corne salt otherwise infuse in your Oyle the flowers of Melilot or else hang in the Vessell a handfull of the herb Coriander and if you finde the putrifying quality yet unexpelled cast in divers times of the same herbe and which is better change his Vessell this ill odour others drive away thus They take Grapes pick out their Kernells stampe them and with Salt make them into a lumpe or lumpes which you must cast into the Vessell and after ten dayes faile not to change it Which must necessarily be done after the application of any remedy to Oyle growne ranke and putrified the Vessell still impairing what the remedy recovers Wee have done with the Oyle Olive after the manner of whose expression may bee extorted any unctuous matter of fruits plants or seeds namely Walnuts Filberds Almonds both sweete and bitter Nutmegs the Kernells of Peaches Pine-Apples Abricots Cherries Plums Pistaches the seede of Line Rape Cole Mustard Hempe Poppy Henbane the seeds or Pipins of Apples Pears Cucumbers Gourds Melons and other such like But that wee may give the Reader a more cleare dilucidation of the manner of preparation Wee shall briefely discover the method used in the expression of Oyle from Almond and Nutmegs which will easily make him apprehend all the restâ— the particular reason which perswades mee to introduce the example of Almonds is becausâ— I have purposed before I finish this concluding Treatise to discourse particularly oâ— the planting the Almond Whose Oyle if to bee taken inwards is to bee thus expressed Pill the Almonds after they have steeped some time in warme water pound them in a Mortar of Stone or Marble with a wooden pestle make them up in little Lumpes or Loaves which you may knead with youâ— hands against the vapour of warme water or put them in a glasse vessell of a large content for some foure or five houres let the seate and Glasse bee so contrived that it may rather bee above the water to receive the vapour on its sides and bottome then
Staple of Salt in that of Wines made in those Countries where either the Spanish insolence and exactions the French extortions or the Turkish Imperiall Robberiâ—s though in the highest degrees of exorbitance are not of force so to disincourage the Inhabitants from attendance upon the Vineyard which notwithstanding all those Horse-leaches of Imposition returnes them such a profit aâ— make them keepe a middle path betweene the ascent of Riches and precipice of Poverty Nor would it be such a long intervall Salt being first made betwixt the undertaking of this Fishing and the bringing it to perfection for if every servant were enjoyned to practise Rowing to be taught to handle Sailes and trimme a Vessell a worke easily practised and suddainely learned the pleasantnesse of Weather in fishing season the delicacy of the Fish of which they usually feede themselves with the best the encouragement of some share in the profit and their understanding what their owne benefit may bee when their freedome gives them an equallity will make them willing and able Fisher-men and Seamen To adde further to this if wee consider the abundance largenesse and peculiar excellency oâ— the Sâ—urgeon in that Countrey it will not fall into the least of scruples but that one species will bee of an invaluable profit to the buyer or if wee repeate to our thoughts the singular plenty of Herrings and Mackarell in goodnesse and greatnesse much exceeding what ever of that kinde these our Seas produce a very ordinary undersâ—anding may at the first inspection perceive that it will be no great difficulty to out-labour and out-vye the Hollander in that his almost onely Staple Which wee may also sell at a cheaper Market then in common estimationâ— if wee revolve the Salt to be our owne which they buy from France or fetch from the Isle of May and that the very fraight of Passengers of which allured by this improvement and the publick approbation there will be constant multitudes in our owne Shâ—ppes will at the least defray 3â— fourths of the charges I should not unwillingly heare though I dispaire ever to know it for a certainety that China did exceede us in fishing for were it granted wee should not imagine those watry Inhabitants so circumscribed and limited to one part of the Ocean especially the same Climate and Latitude inviting them as not to visit our opposite shore of Southwest Virginia in as great variety and plenty And to the more curious and able Persons I shall offer what singular object it were of variety and plenty if they would take the advantage of some tides and seasons when the resort of fish is greatest to stoppe the Returne of them out of some Creeke perpetually flowing with Salt by Slâ—ces or such other invention Heere would those great ones generate and produce till even they laboured with their owne Multitude if permitted to increase two or three yeares who might with very small charge be maintained and yearely render to the proprietar an Ocean of Fish in a narrow confine of Water Nor were it unworthy the labour to make an experiment whether the Sâ—urgion himselfe might not receive a kinde of Domestication in that narrow circumscript on especially if wee let it descend into our thoughts that by small perforations in the sluces he perpetually admits a Renovation and change of salt Water he may receive the sâ—me benefit of Liberty namely variety of Water which he delights in when unconfined and admitting the Originall Breeder not to thrive well by such imprisoning yet Customes ascending as high as Nature in the Breed would make that Familiar to them which peradventure might have been offensive to the first Spawner and should they delight as in some seasons of the yeare Fishes doe vary their Resorts at any time in fresh water A large Pond digged neare having either Springs to feede it or Raines to fill it might by communication of a Sluce receive both them and Salmon when they seeke aftâ—r the Freshes And that Fishes may be unwilded and become Domestick History will sufficiently informe us wherein are delivered Reports of some who growne more particularly intelligent were distinguâ—sht by names aâ—d understood themselves so called and Martiall in one of his Epigrams to Caesar I meane Domiâ—ian tells the Prince speaking of Fishes so instructed Quid quod nomen habeâ—t ad Magistri Nomen quisque sui venit citaâ—â—s And further Maâ—â—mque lambit a thing which though a Poet and consequently bold evâ—n to untruths yet he durst never have obtruded upon Caesar whom himselfe makes a party in the experiment And to adde something to what hath formerly beene delivered of Balsomes and Colours why from the Livers and most unctuous parts of those more delicate Fishes may not curiosity finde a means to extract an Oyle which if it be not Medicinall though I am enclined by severall Reasons to belieâ—e the affirmative may notwithstanding artificially distilled after its first extraction prove a delicacy for the Tables of Princes and Great Ones especially for Sauces and other Confections which Luxury hath found out for the irritation of dull and retreating appetites But I cannot believe it to be deprived of its particular virtue in Physicall operations and the industrious conclusions of our Ancestors have by such probations discovered many rich Mysteries of Nature whilst wee either glutted with our owne plenty of Receipts or out of a too fond a Reverence wee pay to antiquity acquiescâ— in their prescriptions as in the ne plus ultra the Hercules Pillars of Wisedome beyond which there were no passage or else feare every innovation brings inconveniences in his Traine which opinion if it had possessed those our Ancestors the World had continued in ignorance and must for ever have layne sick of an incurable folly in the Fooles Hospitalls For what concernes the Flax of China that wee may not lose the smallest circumstance of Parallell with Virginia Nature her selfe hath enriched this her bosome Favourite with a voluntary plantâ— which by art industry and transplantation may be multiplyed and improved to a degree of as plentifull but more excellent Nature Which because of its accession to the quallity of Silke wee entitle Silke Grasse Of this Queene Elizâ—beth had a substantiall and rich peece of Grograine made and presented to Her Of this Mr. Porey in his discovery of the great River Chamonoak to the South of Iames River delivers a Relation of infinite Quantity covering the Surface of a Vast Forest of Pine-trees being 60. miles in length It had beene wished that the injunâ—tion given to every Planter to set so many thousand Plants of this kinde had been effectually prosecuted The intermission wherâ—of hath beene a prejudice not easily imaginable Nor is it yet too late to effect it and in all probability by transplantation it may thrive beyond comparison larger and the skinne of it growne more tender and delicate may arrive to some equaliâ—y with the labouâ— of the Silke-worme if it be
lay your bottomes in some roome where there is aire to dry their moysture This is an assured though not vulgar experiment and by it your silke becomes as easie in the winding and as pure in colour and substance as if it had beene spunne the same moment the Worme had given it perfection To winde off the Silke from the Cod or Bottome THe winding off the silke from the Cod or bottome is thus â—ffected fill a Caldron full of very faire water and set it upon a Furnace heate it to such a degree that 〈◊〉 water becomes bubbled as though there were small Pearles in the middle being ready to seeth then cast in your Cods or bottomes still stirring them up and downe with broome or other small bushes if you shall see that the heate is not capable to make your bottomes winde augment your fire otherwise abate it The bottomes winding the threads will take hold of the broome or brushes draw those threads so affixed the length of halfe a yard and more out with your fingers till all the grossenesse of the bottome bâ—e wound off which cutting off and laying aside take all the thrâ—ads of your bottomes united into one and according to the bignesse of thread you intend to make as whether sowing or stitching chose the number not letting the other threads fall into the water againe which must bee reserved to succeede which you must runne through an Wyer Ring appoynted for to ranke the threads which as you may see in the draught or Picture must be fastened upon the fore part of a piece of wood set directly upon a forme before the round or circle which wee call a Bobin in the top of which piece in a little space that there is are fastned two Bobins distant from one another two fingers from this wyer ring the thread must bee drawne and crossed upon the bobins whose onely use there is to twist the silke through a ring which is fastned in the middest of a staffe above the Bobins you must continue the draught of your thread this staffe which moves with the wheele is called a Lincet set a crosse beneath the wheelesâ— from that Ring you must fasten your thread upon the wheele it selfe which must bee still turned till the skeyne of silke bee wound up the Representation see in the next figure Observe when any thread discontinues his bottome being wound off to repaire your number from another bottome this you shall perceive when your full number of bottomes stir not altogether Bee sure that you artificially cut the knots which will bee in your threads that your silke may bee more pure and uniforme Those which cast Gumme Arabick in the water under pretence to make the silke winde more pure and glossey are but impostours it being a meere cheate to make the silke weigh the heavier Basins or Caldrons wherein you put your bottoms to winde if of Lead reâ—â—ore the silke more pure then those of Copper this Mettall being subject to a rubiginous quality from which Lead is wholy exempt Let the wheeles be large for the better speeding of the worke that two skeines may be wound off together That the fire of the Furnace may be pure and without smoake let it be made of Charcoale The difficulty of their winding may be mollified by sope put in the Basin or Caldron the old Cods or bottoms hardened by time will have the naturall Gumme which glues their threads dissolved and the silke come off much more easie Those bottomes of silke preserved for seed and pierced by the Butterflyes may be made of good use if washing them in water you throwe them into a Caldron ready to boyle with sope in it which must be dissolved before the bottomes are cast in thus let them boyle a quarter of an houre or thereabouts which done take them out wash them in cleane water and dâ—ye them being dâ—yed you must beat them with a round stâ—ffe of a good bignesse upon a stone or some block which is better which will make them become white and smooth as wooll The way to spinne them after is this They must with the fingers be pul'd one from one another and opened as wooll uses to be in such preparations let it then bee put on a Distaffe and spunne as small as you can or please Treatise of the Vine THat the use of the Vine is really intended by nature for VIRGINIA those infinite store of â—rapâ—s which câ—owne the forehead of that happy Country are so mâ—ny spâ—â—king testimonies But what fate hath hitheto diverted our English there inhabiting from the publick undertaking a Commodity of so inestimable benefit I doe not say for a publick Staple though it would bee as rich as any other one species of Traffick whatsoever but even from private Vineyards where they might sit under their owne Vine drinke of their owne Grapes satisfie even the most irregular deâ—ire of their voluptuous appetites and all this de suo without entring into the Merchants bookes for Wines peradventure adulterate without paying the sweat of their browes for the exudation of the Grape I dare not determinately judge lest I might bee forced to ascribe it either to a strange nonchalency or sluggishnesse to their owne profit or which is worse an inveterate contempt of all other wayes of improvement of what ever returne in comparison of Fume of â—obaccoâ— But that they may not bee ignorant of the profit of the Vine they will bee pleased to know that the Vine requires once planted little more labour then the Hoppe To attend upon foure Acrees of Hops is the ordinary undertaking of one man in ENGLAND who besides this neglects not many other labours If one man in VIRGINIA bee not sufficient to doe as much as another in ENGLAND â— shall either imagine him to bee lame or idle nor let them object to me the heat of the Countrey if the mid-dayes be hotter the mornings are much colder and the Labourer in VIRGINIA hath this advantage of being full of bread to satiety whereas oftentimes the Hireling in ENGLAND having a family to feed and sometimes no imployment comes to worke with a famish'd bodyâ— and courage â—ives meerly de die in diem with as little hopes of ever changing the copy of his fortune as renewing the lease of his Cottage with his Landlord those are but leane encouragements In VIRGINIA the meanest servant if he have any spirit is still in expectation of improving his condition and without any presumption may cherish his hopes which promise him his time expired a present happinesse and future possibility of a Fortune equall if not outgoing his Master the encouragement being greater the care lesse and his provisionall subsistence by much better why the Laborer in VIRGINIâ— should not be I do not say superiour but equall in strength of body and resolution of minde to the miserable day-Hireling in ENGLAND needs an OEDIPUS to unriddle By this I hope it granted that the VIRGINIAN may
without any extraordinary efforts of sweat and spiritâ— â—abour equally with those of ENGLAND and upon this accompt I shall assigne a Vignard of four Acres to his tillage an easie taske let us compute the profit with the labour and see what may be the proceed of this proportion well husbanded That an acre of Vines in VIRGINIA when once growne to perfection will yield an equall increase to a common Acre of Vines in FRANCE there being as great a difference between the soyles as the Acres and much greater will I believe be denyed by none who pretend to modesâ—y or reason yet the Acre of Vines in FRANCE one with another very few excepted will yield yâ—arely ten or twelve Muyds of Wine a measure containing seventy two gallons a very famous Frenchman LIEBAULT is my Author what the common Acre or Arpent is in FRANCE the same man informes us an Arpent the common Arpent or Acre of FRANCE is 100 Pole in the square the Pole being longer then ours by eighteen inches so that one French Acre yields three Tun of Wine and upwards Our Acre being near upon 50 Pole more we doubt not of profit equall The excellent VIRGINIA will pardon me if for dilucidation of an argument I make her pure and unexhausted browes descend to weare a Gyrlond of fertility equall to that laborious and over-teeming Mother the French Kingdome nay to her common Vineyards yet let us compute the profit arising from the foure acres being but one mans labour we shall finde the product even by that estimate to be twelve Tunne of Wine as the recompence of his particular toyle let us imagine this but at ten pounds the Tunne and the profits of this single person amounts to 120 pounds per annum Here they will object the dearenesse or difficulty of Caske but this objection must be made by those who know not VIRGINIA where there is such an excellent convenience and abundance of peculiarly proper Timber that the Winter will afford the other Labourers together with our Vigneron leasure to cleave Pipe-â—taves sufficient for private use of Caske and to sell to the publique one man during that little season being easily able to make foure thousand But our acre being a third part bigger the soyle ½ better why we may not promise to our selves this profit is an incredulity in ENGLAND worth a brand of misunderstanding in SPAINE would deserve the Inquisition What soyle is most proper for the Vine HEE which will goe to plant the Vine without the twinne consideration of the qualyty of the soyle and the disposition of the aire hath much affinity with him who goes to Sea without Lead or Compaâ—se the one seldome attaines his Port nor the other his Harvest The quality of the ground whereon the Vine thrives best is a fine small Mould of a subsistance rather inclining to a gentle lightnesse then a churlish stubbornesse they which would not have it to be very fat are ignorant that while the Vine is yong the soyle whâ—re you plant may be imployed to other tillage and by such expence of its native richnesse reduced to that which they commend so highly mediocrity But if the fatnesse of the ground transmit a rich and never-failing sap into the nascent Vineâ— making it grow speedy and stâ—ongly if the Vine participate of this fatnesse which it may be they call grossenesse as desiring to have it more subtile there is small question to be made but that this Wine so imbodied and fortified by nature must have extraordinary spirits to preserve it and that age will have refined all that grossenesse into more pure and noble spirits that if transported the Sea will contribute to its melioration whereas this Wine which they call subtile and delicate spirits if either preserved long or transported far will with so much applauded subtilty and delicacy lose all his spirits by age and evaporation Scruple therefore at the richnesse of your ground no more then at the ranknesse of your purse t is in your power to correct either if there were necessity let it have the qualities of gentle easie â—ine and light to be stirred seated if possible on the decline of a Hill not neare to any Marish ground nor having any springs gliding through it these Mariâ—h grounds you must avoyd as you would doe Levell in a Valley And the reason is that the Vine growing in these parts has a crude and undigeâ—ted bloud quickly soures and has neither strength to commend or preserve it and the Frosts in the winter time sinking to his roots by the moyst passage of his scituation kills it the Grapes plumpe and breake and when as an additionall judgement to your injudicious election a Rainy yeare comes to afflict the Kernells breake out the true juice of the Grape accompanying it and though it fall out that the Grape swell againe yet let not your expectation swell upon it for instead of good Wine proceeding from thence you will receive nothing but Viny water The gentle easie fine and light ground being the best does not so wholly arrogate all excellency as to deny an accession a neighbourhood of goodnesâ—e to other soyles The gravelly ground yieldeth Wine of a great delicacy but a small quantity besides the infant Plants are in danger of being waâ—h'd away in any extraordinary surfeit of raines such grounds being not able to give them a deep rooting The like may be said of sandy ground which notwithstanding in some places especially where it is of a nitrous substance will not yield the Palme to any ground of whatever richnesse other grounds may have an enforced richnesse but because usually all such enfatning compost consists of Dung and Urine which spoyle the purity of the Vine If my advice were of any weight they should never be used for Vintage till necessity commanded my obedience For the disposition of thâ— aire as particularly whether inclining to a Meridian or Oblique to the Southâ— South-East or South-West if we contemplate the nature of the Vine thâ—t it by instinct prefers places rather hot then cold drye then moyâ—t that it hateth stormes and tempests it affecteth a gentle breathing winde or a serene calme we may presently collect that it is neither to be placed open to the North North-East nor in VIRGINIA especially to that Nursery of storms the Northâ— Wâ—st quarters nor upâ—n the tops of Hills where it lyes equally assailable to all the deare place then for the Vines imbraces is a Descent towards not in â— Valley except never subject to inundations that being sheltred fâ—om the more blustring Domineerers in the aireâ— it lye open to thâ— South South-West South-East or any part of the East and West within the South quarter for such a gratefull mansion and acceptable soyle assigned him doubt not but he will returne you a rent which shall satisfie your most unbounded wishes But leâ—t the eye in the option of your Vineyard may impose upon you considering that every ground hath
some arcane quality which the sight is not able to discover to make a most certaine experiment let me propose this way of Examen Make a pit in the ground where your intenâ—ions are to plant two foot deep take a clod of the earth so cast upâ— powder it and infuse it in a glasse full of cleare Raine-water do your best to incorporate it with the water by frequent agitation and mixture let it repose till the subsided earth have made his perfect residence and settâ—ement in the bottome and the water recovered her native clearenesse taste the water and arrest your judgement upon this that such a â—aâ—t as the water delivers to your pallate will that earth transmit to your wine if of an inoffensive or acceptable reliâ—h you may confidently promise your selfe a Wine pure and consequently if the soyle be rich very noble nor is a salt taste an ill argument but if it be a bitter aluminous or sulphury gust this place is not fit for your planting you lose your Wine and your labour But VIRGINIA has a more certaine assurance God and nature have pointed them a soyle out with their owne finger let them therefore fix their eyes upon those places where either the Vine or Mulberry grow conjoyn'd or seperate and let them assure themselves of the excellency of the soyle a diffidence in this being an affront to Nature yet this caution is to be used that though Valleyes are Marshy places may sometime have them by nature yet their florescence would be much more excellent and healthfull if removed to such a ground as formerly we have made choise of To make election of Plants CUriosity about the choise of your Vine Plants will commend your Husbandry let the Vine therefore from whence you take your Plant be of as little Pith as may be such unpithy Vines being both fruitfull and fortified by nature bearing a remarkable abundance of substantiall Grapes and strongly resists the violence of the weather and of this fertility and firmenesse will your Plant also participate Let not the Vine you meane to plant from be above the middle of his strength or age and observe about September those which are most laden with Grapes fullest of eyes in their branches and have been least wounded by the unseasonablenesse of Weather Take not a Vine growing on a South side to transplant him to a Northerne and set this downe for a principle in Nature that all plants removed to a better scituation and soyle answer your largest hopes by their fruitfulnesse but transplanted to a worse assure your seâ—fe that without an extraordinary cultivation there cannot be the least probability of its thriving Let your Plant if you may with conveniency immediatly be planted after its seperation from its originall for while it yet retaines any vitall vigour it will the sooner apply it selfe to the desire of life and nourishment If your necessity will not admit of this â—estination wrap it tenderly in its owne earth and when your leisure will permit you to plant it let it soake some foure or five dayes in water and if possible running water this immerging is a very strong preparative to its sudden taking root If you apprehend a necessity of keeping him long or transporting him imagine it the Cyprian or Calabrian Grape thus to bee transportable into Virginia put him into a close Barrell fil'd up with earth and that no aire may mortifie him let both ends of the Plant be put into Onions or Garlick or which is better made up with wax and now and then watred but not more then to keep the earth from resolving into a dry dust for too much moysture might instead of preserving him make him fructifie and your Plant would become all root Wee have already spoken how we must chuse but not what we must make choice of Let your Plants therefore be of those which grow between the highest and lowest the lowest having too much of earthy juice and the highest too little let them bee round smooth and firme having many eyes and about one foot and a halfe of old wood cut off with the new The manner and way to Plant Vines HUman curiosity plungeth us in so many unnecessary toils that it would almost take a person off from necessary labour Look into Columella the Countrey Farme the Dutch Husbandry and all those supeâ—cilious Writers and you shall see them stand upon such impertinent Puntillos one while the dependance upon starres benights a man another while the ground which should produce this or that must be cast after this forme or else it will be barren in spight of the bounty of the Divine Providence Not enumerating therefore all their wayes of Planting I dare lay my life that if the Vine were but set on foot in VIRGINIA the ground prepared for it as they doe their Tobacco there by a right line holes made instead of their Hillocks but larger deeper and at greater distance that there might something grow betwixt them which might be inoffensive to it by nature and cleare it from being choak'd with weedes or something drawing a contrary juice peradventure Onions and Garlick or something requiring small nourishment as Lupins which turn'd into the earth againe distance of five foot being left for a Plough with caution not to come too neare the Roots which must be bared with a stowe the Plough running first the length and then the traverse of those rowes which therefore must bee lineally straight would both fatten the earth and cultivate the Vine all at one moment Yet submitting my selfe to judgements of greater experience then my modesty or naâ—uâ—e can ever hope for I shall deliver the severall way of planting the Vine with as much brevity as the matter and my first resolution rather to contract then inlarge will permit mee The first preparing of the earth to receive the Vine must bee done in Spring or Summer where the ground you digge or cast muâ—t bee cleansed from all manner of superfluities whatsoever namely Roots Weedes Stones c. this digging must bee severall times repeated that the earth by alternate changing its place of top and bottome may bee throughly tempred the dry refreshed and the moyst qualified Thus cleansed cast it into many furrowes the sides whereof the French call Chevaliers or Guides because it should guide you in the planting the depth of eighteene inches or more let the moâ—ld cast up above bee so disposed that it may answer to the depth below Note that these furrowes in a sandy flinty or wet ground muâ—t â—ot bee so hollow as in that which is rough and crabbedâ— In the bottome of the first you may put stones about the bignesse of an ordinary brick but round not bigger which in the heate of Summer refreshes in violence of Raine opens a passage to the water that it dwell not at the Root to rot it The best season for planting of Vines is in October the Moone increasing the Furrowes must bee