Because that Carnations and Gilloflowers bee the chiefest flowers of account in all our English Gardens, I haue thought good to entreate somewhat amply of them, and that a part by it selfe, as I said a little before, in regard there is so much to be said concerning them, and that if all the matters to be entreated of should haue beene inserted in the Chapter of Gilloflowers, it would haue made it too tedious and large, and taken vp too much roome. The particular matters whereof I mean in this place to entreate are these: How to encrease Gilloflowers by planting and by sowing, and how to preserue them being encreased, both in Summer from noysome and hurtfull vermine that destroy them, and in Winter from frosts, snowes, and windes, that spoile them. There are two wayes of planting, whereby to encrease these faire flowers; the one is by slipping which is the old and ready vsuall way, best knowne in this Kingdome; the other is more sure, perfect, ready, and of later inuention, videlicet, by laying downe the branches. The way to encrease Gilloflowers by slipping, is so common with all that euer kept any of them, that I think most persons may thinke me idle, to spend time to set downe in writing that which is so well known vnto all: Yet giue me leaue to tell them that so might imagine, that (when they haue heard or read what I haue written thereof, if they did know fully as much before) what I here write, was not to informe them, but such as did not know the best, or so good a way as I teach them: For I am assured, the greatest number doe vse, and follow the most vsuall way, and that is not alwaies the best, especially when by good experience a better way is found, and may be learned; and therefore if some can doe a thing better than others, I thinke it is no shame to learne it of them. You shall not then (to take the surest course) take any long spindled branches, nor those branches that haue any young shootes from the ioynts on them, nor yet sliue or teare any slippe or branch from the roote; for all these waies are vsuall and common with most, which causeth so many good rootes to rot and perish, and also so many slippes to be lost, when as for the most part, not the one halfe, or with some, not a third part doth grow and thriue of those slippes they set. And although many that haue store of plants, doe not so much care what hauocke they make to gaine some, yet to saue both labour and plants, I doe wish them to obserue these orders: Take from those rootes from whence you intend to make your encrease, those shootes onely that are reasonable strong, but yet young, and not either too small and slender, or hauing any shootes from the ioynts vpon them; cut these slippes or shootes off from the stemme or roote with a knife, as conueniently as the shoote or branch will permit, that is, either close vnto the maine branch, if it be short, or leauing a ioynt or two behinde you, if it be long enough, at which it may shoote anew: When you haue cut off your slippes, you may either set them by and by, or else as the best Gardiners vse to doe, cast them into a tubbe or pot with water for a day or two, and then hauing prepared a place conuenient to set them in, which had neede to bee of the finest, richest, and best mould you can prouide, that they may thriue therein the better, cut off your slippe close at the ioynt, and hauing cut away the lowest leaues close to the stalke, and the vppermost euen at the top, with a little sticke make a little hole in the earth, and put your slippe therein so deep, as that the vpper leaues may be wholly aboue the ground, (some vse to cleaue the stalke in the middle, and put a little earth or clay within the cleft, but many good and skilfull Gardiners doe not vse it); put the earth a little close to the slippe with your finger and thumbe, and there let it rest, and in this manner doe with as many slippes as you haue, setting them somewhat close together, and not too farre in sunder, both to saue ground and cost thereon, in that a small compasse will serue for the first planting, and also the better to giue them shadow: For you must remember in any case, that these slippes new set, haue no sight of the Sunne, vntill they be well taken in the ground, and shot aboue ground, and also that they want not water, both vpon the new planting and after. When these slippes are well grown vp, they must be transplanted into such other places as you thinke meete; that is, either into the ground in beds, or otherwise, or into pots, which that you may the more safely doe, after you haue well watered the ground, for halfe a day before you intend to transplant them, you shall separate them seuerally, by putting down a broad pointed knife on each side of the slippe, so cutting it out, take euery one by it selfe, with the earth cleauing close vnto the root, which by reason of the moisture it had formerly, and that which you gaue presently before, will be sufficient with any care had, to cause it to hold fast vnto the roote for the transplanting of it: for if the earth were dry, and that it should fall away from the roote in the transplanting, it would hazzard and endanger the roote very much, if it did thriue at all. You must remember also, that vpon the remouing of these slips, you shadow them from the heate of the Sunne for a while with some straw or other thing, vntill they haue taken hold in their new place. Thus although it bee a little more labour and care than the ordinary way is, yet it is surer, and will giue you plants that will be so strongly growne before Winter, that with the care hereafter specified, you shall haue them beare flowers the next yeare after, and yeeld you encrease of slippes also. To giue you any set time, wherein these slippes will take roote, and begin to shoote aboue ground, is very hard to doe; for that euery slip, or yet euery kinde of Gilloflower is not alike apt to grow; nor is euery earth in like manner fit to produce and bring forward the slippes that are set therein: but if both the slippe be apt to grow, and the earth of the best, fit to produce, I thinke within a fortnight or three weekes, you shall see them begin to put forth young leaues in the middle, or else it may be a moneth and more before you shall see any springing. The best time likewise when to plant, is a speciall thing to be knowne, and of as great consequence as any thing else: For if you slippe and set in September, as many vse to doe, or yet in August, as some may thinke will doe well, yet (vnlesse they be the most ordinary sorts, which are likely to grow at any time, and in any place) the most of them, if not all, will either assuredly perish or neuer prosper well: for the more excellent and dainty the Gilloflower is, the more tender for the most part, and hard to nurse vp will the slippes be. The best time therefore is, that you cut off such slippes as are likely, and such as your rootes may spare, from the beginning of May vntill the middle of Iune at the furthest, and order them as I haue shewed you before, that so you may haue faire plants, plenty of flowers, and encrease sufficient for new supply, without offence or losse of your store. For the enriching likewise of your earth, wherein you shall plant your slippes, that they may the better thriue and prosper, diuers haue vsed diuers sorts of manure; as stable soyle of horse, beasts or kine, of sheepe, and pigeons, all which are very good when they are thoroughly turned to mould, to mixe with your other earth, or being steeped in water, may serue to water the earth at times, and turned in with it. And some haue likewise proued Tanners earth, that is, their barke, which after they haue vsed, doth lye on heapes and rot in their yards, or the like mould from wood-stackes or yards; but especially, and beyond all other is commended the Willow earth, that is, that mould which is found in the hollow of old Willow trees, to be the most principall to mixe with other good earth for this purpose. And as I haue now giuen you directions for the first way to encrease them by slipping, so before I come to the other way, let mee giue you a caueat or two for the preseruing of them, when they are beginning to runne vtterly to decay and perish: The one is, that whereas many are, ouer greedy to haue their plants to giue them flowers, and therefore let them runne all to flower, so farre spending themselues thereby, that after they haue done flowring, they grow so weake, hauing out spent themselues, that they cannot possibly be preserued from the iniuries of the succeeding Winter; you shall therefore keepe the kinde of any sort you are delighted withall, if you carefully looke that too many branches doe not runne vp and spindle for flowers, but rather either cut some of them downe, before they are run vp too high, within two or three ioynts of the rootes; or else pluck away the innermost leaues where it springeth forwards, which you see in the middle of euery branch, before it be runne vp too high, which will cause them to breake out the faster into slips and suckers at the ioynts, to hinder their forward luxurie, and to preserue them the longer: The other is, If you shall perceiue any of your Gilloflower leaues to change their naturall fresh verdure, and turne yellowish, or begin to wither in anie part or branch thereof, it is a sure signe that the roote is infected with some cancker or rottennesse, and will soon shew it selfe in all the rest of the branches, whereby the plant will quickly be lost: to preserue it therefore, you shall betime, before it be runne too farre, (for otherwise it is impossible to saue it) either couer all or most of the branches with fresh earth, or else take the fairest slippes from it, as many as you can possibly, and cast them into a pot or tubbe with water, and let them there abide for two or three daies at the least: the first way hath recouered many, being taken in time. Thus you shall see them recouer their former stiffenesse and colour, and then you may plant them as you haue beene heretofore directed; and although many of them may perish, yet shall you haue some of them that will grow to continue the kinde againe. The other or second way to encrease Gilloflowers by planting, is, as I said before, by in-laying or laying downe the branches of them and is a way of later inuention, and as frequently vsed, not onely for the tawney or yellow Gilloflower, and all the varieties therof, but with the other kinds of Gilloflowers, whereof experience hath shewed that they will likewise take if they be so vsed; the manner whereof is thus: You must choose out the youngest, likeliest, and lowest branches that are nearest the ground (for the vpper branches will sooner breake at the ioynt, than bend downe so low into the earth, without some pot with earth raised vp vnto them) and cut it on the vnderside thereof vpwards at the second ioynt next vnto the roote, to the middle of the branch, and no more, and not quite thorough in any case, and then from that second ioynt vnto the third; slit or cut the branch in the middle longwise, that so it may be the more easily bended into the ground, the cut ioynt seeming like the end of a slippe, when you haue bended downe the branch where it is cut into the ground (which must bee done very gently for feare of breaking) with a little sticke or two thrust slopwise, crosse ouer it, keepe it downe within the earth, and raise vp sufficient earth ouer it, that there it may lye and take roote, which commonly will be effected within sixe weekes or two moneths in the Summer time, and then (or longer if you doubt the time too short for it to take sufficient roote) you may take or cut it away, and transplant it where you thinke good, yet so as in any case you shadow it from the heate of the Sunne, vntill it haue taken good hold in the ground. The other way to encrease Gilloflowers, is by sowing the seede: It is not vsuall with all sorts of Gilloflowers to giue seede, but such of them as doe yeeld seede may be encreased thereby, in the same manner as is here set downe. The Orange tawney Gilloflower and the varieties thereof is the most vsuall kinde, (and it is a kinde by it selfe, how various soeuer the plants be that rise from the seede) that doth giue seede, and is sowne, and from thence ariseth so many varieties of colours, both plaine and mixt, both single and double, that one can hardly set them downe in writing: yet such as I haue obserued and marked, you shall finde expressed in the Chapter of Gilloflowers in the worke following. First therefore make choise of your seede that you intend to sowe (if you doe not desire to haue as many more single flowers as double) that it bee taken from double flowers, and not from single, and from the best colours, howsoeuer some may boast to haue had double and stript flowers from the seede of a single one; which if it were so, yet one Swallow (as we say) maketh no Summer, nor a thing comming by chance cannot bee reckoned for a certaine and constant rule; you may be assured they will not vsually doe so: but the best, fairest, and most double flowers come alwaies, or for the most part, from the seede of those flowers that were best, fairest, and most double; and I doe aduise you to take the best and most double: for euen from them you shall haue single ones enow, you neede not sowe any worser sort. And againe, see that your seede bee new, of the last yeares gathering, and also that it was full ripe before it was gathered, lest you lose your labour, or misse of your purpose, which is, to haue faire and double flowers. Hauing now made choise of your seede, and prepared you a bedde to sowe them on, the earth whereof must be rich and good, and likewise sifted to make it the finer; for the better it is, the better shall your profit and pleasure bee: hereon, being first made leuell, plaine, and smooth, sowe your seede somewhat thinne, and not too thicke in any case, and as euenly as you can, that they be not too many in one place, and too few in another, which afterwards couer with fine sifted earth ouer them about one fingers thicknesse; let this be done in the middle of Aprill, if the time of the yeare be temperate, and not too cold, or else stay vntill the end of the moneth: after they are sprung vp and growne to be somewhat bigge, let them bee drawne forth that are too close and neare one vnto another, and plant them in such place where they shall continue, so that they stand halfe a yard of ground distance asunder, which after the planting, let be shadowed for a time, as is before specified; and this may bee done in the end of Iuly, or sooner if there be cause. I haue not set downe in all this discourse of planting, transplanting, sowing, setting, &c. any mention of watering those slips or plants, not doubting but that euery ones reason will induce them to thinke, that they cannot prosper without watering: But let this Caueat be a sufficient remembrance vnto you, that you neuer water any of these Gilloflowers, nor yet indeede any other fine herbe or plant with cold water, such as you haue presently before drawne out from a pumpe or Well, &c. but with such water as hath stood open in the aire in a cisterne, tubbe, or pot, for one whole day at the least; if it be two or three daies it will be neuer the worse, but rather the better, as I haue related before: yet take especiall heede that you doe not giue them too much to ouer-glut them at any time, but temperately to irrorate, bedew or sprinkle them often. From the seedes of these Gilloflowers hath risen both white, red, blush, stamell, tawny lighter and sadder, marbled, speckled, striped, flaked, and that in diuers manners, both single and double flowers, as you shall see them set downe in a more ample manner in the Chapter of Gilloflowers. And thus much for their encrease by the two wayes of planting and sowing: For as for a third way, by grafting one into or vpon another, I know none such to be true, nor to be of any more worth than an old Wiues tale, both nature, reason, and experience, all contesting against such an idle fancy, let men make what ostentation they please. It now resteth, that we also shew you the manner how to preserue them, as well in Summer from all noysome and hurtfull things, as in the Winter and Spring from the sharp and chilling colds, and the sharpe and bitter killing windes in March. The hurtfull things in the Summer are especially these, too much heate of the Sunne which scorcheth them, which you must be carefull to preuent, by placing boughes, boords, clothes or mats, &c. before them, if they bee in the ground; or else if they bee in pots, to remoue them into the shadow, to giue them refreshing from the heate, and giue them water also for their life: too much water, or too little is another annoyance, which you must order as you see there is iust cause, by withholding or giuing them water gently out of a watering pot, and not cast on by dishfuls: Some also to water their Gilloflowers, vse to set their pots into tubbes or pots halfe full of water, that so the water may soake in at the lower holes in each flower pot, to giue moisture to the roots of the Gilloflowers onely, without casting any water vpon the leaues, and assuredly it is an excellent way to moisten the rootes so sufficiently at one time, that it doth saue a great deale of paines many other times. Earwickes are a most infestuous vermine, to spoyle the whole beauty of your flowers, and that in one night or day; for these creatures delighting to creepe, into any hollow or shadowie place, doe creepe into the long greene pods of the Gilloflowers, and doe eate away the white bottomes of their leaues, which are sweete, whereby the leaues of the flowers being loose, doe either fall away of themselues before, or when they are gathered, or handled, or presently wither within the pods before they are gathered, and blowne away with the winde. To auoide which inconuenience, many haue deuised many waies and inuentions to destroy them, as pots with double verges or brimmes, containing a hollow gutter betweene them, which being filled with water, will not suffer these small vermine to passe ouer it to the Gilloflowers to spoile them. Others haue vsed old shooes, and such like hollow things to bee set by them to take them in: but the best and most vsuall things now vsed, are eyther long hollow canes, or else beasts hoofes, which being turned downe vpon stickes ends set into the ground, or into the pots of earth, will soone drawe into them many Earwickes, lying hid therein from sunne, winde, and raine, and by care and diligence may soone bee destroyed, if euery morning and euening one take the hoofes gently off from the stickes, and knocking them against the ground in a plain allie, shake out all the Earwicks that are crept into them, which quickly with ones foot may be trode to peeces. For sodain blasting with thunder and lightening, or fierce sharp windes, &c. I know no other remedy, vnlesse you can couer them therefrom when you first foresee the danger, but patiently to abide the losse, whatsoeuer some haue aduised, to lay litter about them to auoide blasting; for if any shall make tryall thereof, I am in doubt, he shall more endanger his rootes thereby, being the Summer time, when any such feare of blasting is, than any wise saue them from it, or doe them any good. For the Winter preseruation of them, some haue aduised to couer them with Bee-hiues, or else with small Willow stickes, prickt crossewise into the ground ouer your flowers, and bowed archwise, and with litter laid thereon, to couer the Gilloflowers quite ouer, after they haue been sprinkled with sope ashes and lyme mixt together: and this way is commended by some that haue written thereof, to be such an admirable defence vnto them in Winter, that neither Ants, nor Snailes, nor Earwickes shall touch them, because of the sope ashes and lyme, and neyther frosts nor storms shall hurt them, because of the litter which so well will defend them; and hereby also your Gilloflowers will bee ready to flower not onely in the Spring very early, but euen all the Winter. But whosoeuer shall follow these directions, may peraduenture finde them in some part true, as they are there set downe for the Winter time, and while they are kept close and couered; but let them bee assured, that all such plants, or the most part of them, will certainely perish and dye before the Summer be at an end: for the sope ashes and lyme will burne vp and spoile any herbe; and againe it is impossible for any plant that is kept so warme in Winter, to abide eyther the cold or the winde in the Spring following, or any heate of the Sun, but that both of them will scorch them, and carry them quite away. One great hurt vnto them, and to all other herbes that wee preserue in Winter, is to suffer the snow to lye vpon them any time after it is fallen, for that it doth so chill them, that the Sunne afterward, although in Winter, doth scorch them and burne them vp: looke therefore vnto your Gilloflowers in those times, and shake or strike off the snow gently off from them, not suffering it to abide on them any day or night if you can; for assure your selfe, if it doth not abide on them, the better they will be. The frosts likewise is another great annoyance vnto them, to corrupt the rootes, and to cause them to swell, rot, and break: to preuent which inconuenience, I would aduise you to take the straw or litter of your horse stable, and lay some thereof about euery roote of your Gilloflowers (especially those of the best account) close vnto them vpon the ground, but be as carefull as you can, that none thereof lye vpon the greene leaues, or as little as may be, and by this onely way haue they been better defended from the frosts that spoile them in Winter, then by any other that I haue seen or knowne. The windes in March, and Sunneshine dayes then, are one of the greatest inconueniences that happeneth vnto them; for they that haue had hundreds of plants, that haue kept faire and greene all the Winter vntill the beginning or middle of March, before the end thereof, haue had scarce one of many, that either hath not vtterly perished, or been so tainted, that quickly after haue not been lost; which hath happened chiefly by the neglect of these cautions before specified, or in not defending them from the bitter sharp windes and sunne in this moneth of March. You shall therefore for their better preseruation, besides the litter laid about the rootes, which I aduise you not to remoue as yet, shelter them somewhat from the windes, with eyther bottomlesse pots, pales, or such like things, to keep away the violent force both of windes and sun for that moneth, and for some time before & after it also: yet so, that they be not couered close aboue, but open to receiue ayre & raine. Some also vse to wind withes of hey or straw about the rootes of their Gilloflowers, and fasten them with stickes thrust into the ground, which serue very well in the stead of the other. Thus haue I shewed you the whole preseruation of these worthy and dainty flowers, with the whole manner of ordering them for their encrease: if any one haue any other better way, I shall be as willing to learne it of them, as I haue beene to giue them or any others the knowledge of that I haue here set downe.