Chap. 8 Of the Distance of Trees
Hurts of too neere planting.
I Know not to what end you should prouide good ground, well fenced, & plant good sets; and when your trees should come to profit, haue all your labours lost, for want of due regard to the distance of placing your trees. I haue seene many trees stand so thicke, that one could not thriue for the throng of his neighbours. If you doe marke it, you shall see the tops of trees rubd off, their sides galled like a galled horses backe, and many trees haue more stumps then boughes, and most trees no well thriuing, but short, stumpish, and euill thriuing boughes: like a Corne field ouer seeded, or a towne ouer peopled, or a pasture ouer-laid, which the Gardiner must either let grow, or leaue the tree very few boughes to beare fruit. Hence small thrift, galls, wounds, diseases, and short life to the trees: and while they liue greene, little, hard, worme-eaten, and euill thriuing fruit arise, to the discomfort of the owners.
Remedy.
Generall rule. All touches hurtfull.
To preuent which discommodity, one of the best remedies is the sufficient and fit distance of trees. Therefore at the setting of your plants you must haue such respect, that the distance of them be such, that euery tree be not annoyance, but an helpe to his fellowes: for trees (as all other things of the same kind) should shroud, and not hurt one another. And assure your selfe that euery touch of trees (as well vnder as aboue the earth) is hurtfull. Therefore this must be a generall rule in this Art: That no tree in an Orchard well ordered, nor bough, nor Cyon, drop vpon, or touch his fellowes. Let no man thinke this vnpossible, but looke in the eleuenth Chapter of dressing of trees. If they touch, the winde will cause a forcible rub. Young twigs are tender, if boughes or armes touch or rub, if they are strong, they make great galls. No kind of touch therefore in trees can be good.
The best distance of trees.
The parts of a tree.
Now it is to be considered what distance amongst sets is requisite, and that must be gathered from the compasse and roomth, that each tree by probability will take and fill. And herein I am of a contrary opinion to all them, which practise or teach the planting of trees, that euer yet I knew, read, or heard of. For the common space betweene tree and tree is ten foot: if twenty foot, it is thought very much. But I suppose twenty yards distance is small enough betwixt tree and tree, or rather too too little. For the distance must needs be as far as two trees are well able to ouer spread, and fill, so they touch not by one yard at least. Now I am assured, and I know one Apple-tree, set of a slip finger-great, in the space of 20 yeares, (which I account a very small part of a trees age, as is shewed Chapter 14.) hath spred his boughes eleuen or twelue yards compasse, that is, fiue or sixe yards on euery side. Here I gather, that in forty or fifty yeares (which yet is but a small time of his age) a tree in good soile, well liking, by good dressing (for that is much auaileable to this purpose) will spread double at the least, viz. twelue yards on a side, which being added to twelue alotted to his fellow, make twenty and foure yards, and so farre distant must euery tree stand from another. And looke how farre a tree spreads his boughes aboue, so far doth he put his roots vnder the earth, or rather further, if there be no stop, nor let by walls, trees, rocks, barren earth and such like: for an huge bulk, and strong armes, massie boughes, many branches, and infinite twigs, require wide spreading roots. The top hath the vast aire to spread his boughs in, high and low, this way and that way: but the roots are kept in the crust of the earth, they may not goe downward, nor vpward out of the earth, which is their element, no more then the fish out of the water, Camelion out of the Aire, nor Salamander out of the fire. Therefore they must needs spread farre vnder the earth. And I dare well say, if nature would giue leaue to man by Art, to dresse the roots of trees, to take away the tawes and tangles, that lap and fret and grow superfluously and disorderly, (for euery thing sublunary is cursed for mans sake) the tops aboue being answerably dressed, we should haue trees of wonderfull greatnes, and infinite durance. And I perswade myselfe that this might be done sometimes in Winter, to trees standing in faire plaines and kindly earth, with small or no danger at all. So that I conclude, that twenty foure yards are the least space that Art can allot for trees to stand distant one from another.
Waste ground in an Orchard.
If you aske me what vse shall be made of that waste ground betwixt tree and tree? I answer: If you please to plant some tree or trees in that middle space, you may, and as your trees grow contigious, great and thick, you may at your pleasure take vp those last trees. And this I take to be the chiefe cause, why the most trees stand so thicke. For men not knowing (or not regarding) this secret of needfull distance, and louing fruit of trees planted to their handes, thinke much to pull vpp any, though they pine one another. If you or your heires or successors would take vp some great trees (past setting) where they stand too thicke, be sure you doe it about Midsummer, and leaue no maine root. I destinate this space of foure and twenty yards, for trees of age & stature. More then this, you haue borders to be made for walkes with Roses, Berries, &c.
And chiefly consider: that your Orchard, for the first twenty or thirty yeeres, will serue you for many Gardens, for Safron, Licoras, roots, and other herbs for profit, and flowers for pleasure: so that no ground need be wasted if the Gardiner be skillfull and diligent. But be sure you come not neere with such deepe deluing the roots of your trees, whose compasse you may partly discerne, by the compasse of the tops, if your top be well spread. And vnder the droppings and shadow of your trees, be sure no herbes will like. Let this be said for the distance of Trees.