ither
to stand (which I prefer) or be transplanted for divers years after; and
these you will find to be far better than any you can gather out of the
woods (especially suckers, which are worth nothing) being removed at one
foot stature (the sooner the better); for an ash of two years thus taken
out of the nursery, shall outstrip one of ten, taken out of the hedge;
provided you defend them well from cattel, which are exceedingly
licorish after their tops: The reason of this hasty transplanting, is to
prevent their obstinate and deep rooting; _tantus amor terrae_
............. which makes them hard to be taken up when they grow older,
and that being removed, they take no great hold till the second year,
after which, they come away amain; yet I have planted them of five and
six inches diameter, which have thriven as well as the smaller wands.
You may accelerate their springing by laying the keys in sand, and some
moist fine earth s. s. s. but lay them not too thick, or double, and in
a cover'd, though airy place for a winter, before you sow them; and the
second year they will come away mainly; so you weed, trim and cleanse
them. Cut not his head at all (which being young, is pithy) nor, by any
means the fibrous part of the roots; only that down-right, or taproot
(which gives our husbandmen so much trouble in drawing) is to be totally
abated: But this work ought to be in the increase of October, or
November, and not in the Spring. We are (as I told you) willing to spare
his head rather than the side branches (which whilst young, may be cut
close) because being yet young, it is but of a spungy substance; but
being once well fixed, you may cut him as close to the earth as you
please; it will cause him to shoot prodigiously, so as in a few years to
be fit for pike-staves; whereas if you take him wild out of the forest,
you must of necessity strike off the head, which much impairs it.
Hedgerow ashes may the oftner be decapitated, and shew their heads again
sooner than other trees so us'd. Young ashes are sometimes in winter
frost-burnt, black as coals, and then to use the knife is seasonable,
though they do commonly recover of themselves slowly. In South-Spain,
(where, as we said, are the best) after the first dressing, they let
them grow till they are so big, as being cleft into four parts, each
part is sufficient to make a pike-staff: I am told there is a Flemish
ash planted by the Dutchmen in Lincolnshire, which in six years