CHAPTER X.
_Of the Service, and black cherry-tree._ 1.

_Sorbus_, the service-tree (of which there are four sorts) is rais'd of the chequers, or berries, which being ripe (that is) rotten, about September (and the pulp rub'd off clean from the stones, in dry sand, and so kept till after Christmas) may be sown like beech-mast, educated in the nursery like the chesnut: It is reported that the sower never sees the fruit of his labour; either for that it bears only being very old, or that men are commonly so, before they think of planting trees: But this is an egregious mistake; for these come very soon to be trees, and being planted young, thrive exceedingly; I have likewise planted them as big as my arm successfully: The best way is therefore to propagate them of suckers, of which they put forth enough, as also of sets, and may be budded with great improvement: They delight in reasonable good stiff ground, rather inclining to cold, than over-hot; for in places which are too dry, they never bear kindly.

The _torminalis_ (so called for its effects against gripings of the bowels) is the kind most frequent with us; for those of the narrower, and less indented leaf, are not so common in England as in France, bearing a sort of berry of the pear-shape, and is there call'd the _cormier_; this tree may be graffed either on it self, or on the white-thorn, and quince.

To this we might add, the _mespilus_ or medlar, being an hard wood, and of which I have seen very beautiful walking-staves.

But there is yet a rare kind of service-tree, frequent in Germany, which we find not in our woods, and they speak of another sort, which bears poyson-berries.
2.