three rootes, and these three rootes you shall ioyne together in such
wise that the toppes of them may be of one equall height, and agreeing
with the face or vpper part of the earth, you shall set them straight
and vpright, and not seperating them, as many doe, and setting at each
corner of the hole a roote, neither shall you twist them, and set both
ends vpward, nor lay them flat or crosse-wise in the earth, neither
shall you make the hils first and set the rootes after, nor immediately
vpon the setting cast great hils vpon them, all which are very vilde
wayes for the setting of Hoppes, but, as before I sayd, hauing ioyned
your rootes together, you shall place them straight and vpright, and so
holding them in one hand, with the other put the moulds close, firme,
and perfectly about them, especially to each corner of the hole, which
done you shall likewise couer the sets themselues all ouer with fine
moulds, at least two fingers thicke, and in this sort you shall plant
all your garden quite ouer, making the sites for your hill to stand in
rowes and rankes, in such order that you may haue euery way betweene the
hils small alleyes and passages, wherein you may goe at pleasure from
hill to hill, without any trouble or annoyance, according to that forme
which I haue before prescribed touching the placing of your Apple-trees
in each seuerall quarter in your Orchard: and herein you are to
vnderstand, that in this first yeere of planting your Hoppe-garden you
shall by no meanes fashion or make any great hils, but onely raise that
part of the earth where your plants are set, some two or three fingers
higher then the ordinary ground.

{SN: The choise of Rootes.}
Now, before I proceede any further, I thinke it not amisse to speake
some thing touching the choise, gathering and trimming of Hoppe-rootes:
wherefore you shall vnderstand that about the latter end of March is the
best gathering of Hoppe-rootes, which so neare as you can you shall
select out of some garden of good reputation, which is both carefully
kept, and by a man of good knowledge, for there euery thing being
preserued in his best perfection, the rootes will be the greatest and
most apt to take: and in the choise of your rootes you shall euer chuse
those which are the greatest, as namely, such as are at the least three
or foure inches about, & ten inches long, let euery roote containe about
three ioynts, and no more, and in any case let them be the cyons of the
las