{SN: Effects of euill fencing.} {SN: Let the fence be your owne.} All your labour past and to come about an Orchard is lost vnlesse you fence well. It shall grieue you much to see your young sets rubd loose at the rootes, the barke pild, the boughes and twigs cropt, your fruite stolne, your trees broken, and your many yeares labours and hopes destroyed, for want of fences. A chiefe care must be had in this point. You must therefore plant in such a soile, where you may prouide a conuenient, strong and seemely fence. For you can possesse no goods, that haue so many enemies as an orchard, looke Chapter 13. Fruits are so delightsome, and desired of so many (nay, in a manner of all) and yet few will be at cost and take paines to prouide them. Fence well therefore, let your plot be wholly in your owne power, that you make all your fence your selfe: for neighbours fencing is none at all, or very carelesse. Take heed of a doore or window, (yea of a wall) of any other mans into your orchard: yea, though it be nayld vp, or the wall be high, for perhaps they will proue theeues. {SN: Kinds of fences, earthen walles.} All Fences commonly are made of Earth, Stone, Bricke, Wood, or both earth and wood. Dry wall of earth, and dry Ditches, are the worst fences saue pales or railes, and doe waste the soonest, vnlesse they be well copt with glooe and morter, whereon at _Mighill-tide_ it will be good to sow Wall-flowers, commonly called Bee-flowers, or winter Gilly-flowers, because they will grow (though amongst stones) and abide the strongest frost and drought, continually greene and flowring euen in Winter, and haue a pleasant smell, and are timely, (that is, they will floure the first and last of flowers) and are good for Bees. And your earthen wall is good for Bees dry and warme. But these fences are both vnseemly, euill to repaire, and onely for need, where stone or wood cannot be had. Whosoeuer makes such Walles, must not pill the ground in the Orchard, for getting earth, nor make any pits or hallowes, which are both vnseemly and vnprofitable. Old dry earth mixt with sand is best for these. This kind of wall will soone decay, by reason of the trees which grow neere it, for the roots and boales of great trees, will increase, vndermine, and ouerturne such walles, though they were of stone, as is apparant by Ashes, Rountrees, Burt-trees, and such like, carried in the chat, or berry, by birds into stone-walles. {SN: Pale and Raile.} Fences of dead wood, as pales, will not last, neither will railes either last or make good fence. {SN: Stone walls.} Stone walles (where stone may be had) are the best of this sort, both for fencing, lasting, and shrouding of your young trees. But about this must you bestow much paines and more cost, to haue them handsome, high and durable.