[Transcriber's note

Spellings are inconsistent, especially the use of ée and ee. Notes ofchanges that have been made for obvious misprints, and of otheranomalies, are at the end of this etext. 

There are many sidenotes in the original. They are indicated thus:{SN: }, and have been grouped together at the start of the paragraphin which they appear. ]

 THE ENGLISH HVSBANDMAN. 

 * * * * *

 _The first Part_: CONTAYNING the Knowledge of the true Nature of euery Soyle within this Kingdome: how to Plow it; and the manner of the Plough, and other Instruments belonging thereto. 

 _TOGETHER WITH THE_ Art of Planting, Grafting, and Gardening after our latest and rarest fashion. 

 A worke neuer written before by any Author: and now newly compiled for the benefit of this KINGDOME. 

 _By_ G. M. 

 _Bramo assai, poco, spero nulla chieggio. _

_LONDON:_ Printed by _T. S. _ for _Iohn Browne_, and are to be sould athis shop in Saint _Dunstanes_ Church-yard. 

1613. 

 TO THE RIGHT HONOVRABLE, and his singular good Lord, the Lord _Clifton_, Baron of Layton. 

It was a custome (right Honorable, and my most singular good Lord) bothamongst the auntient _Romans_, and also amongst the wise_Lacedemonians_, that euery idle person should giue an account of theexpence of his howers: Now I that am most idle, and least imployed inyour Familie, present here vnto your Lordships hands an account of theexpence of my idle time, which how well, or ill, it is, your Noblewisedome must both iudge and correct; onely this I am acertain'd, thatfor the generall rules and Maximes of the whole worke, they are mostinfallibly true, and perfectly agreeing with our English climate. Now ifyour Lordship shall doubt of the true tast of the liquor because itproceedeth from such a vessell as my selfe, whom you may imagine vtterlyvnseasoned vvith any of these knowledges, beleeue it (my most best Lord)that for diuers yeeres, wherein I liued most happily, I liued aHusbandman, amongst Husbandmen of most excellent knowledge; during allwhich time I let no obseruation ouer-slip me: for I haue euer from myCradle beene naturally giuen to obserue, and albe I haue not that oylietongue of ostentation which loueth euer to be babling all, and somewhatmore then it knoweth, drawing from ignorance admiration, and fromwisedome laughter, filling meale-times with much vnprofitable noyse; yetI thanke my maker I haue a breast which containeth contentment inoughfor my selfe, and I hope much benefit for the whole Kingdome; how eueror whatsoeuer it is, it is all your Lordships, vnder the couert of whosefauourable protection if it may finde grace it is the vttermost aimewhereunto my wishes aspire, nor shall I feare the malignitie of thecurious, for it is not to them but the honest plaine English Husbandman, I intend my labours, vvhose defender you haue euer beene, and for whoseHonorable prosperitie both they and I will continually pray. 

 _Your honours in all seruiceable humblenesse_, G. M. 

The Epistle to the generall and gentle Reader. 

Although (generall reader) the nature of this worst part of this lastage hath conuerted all things to such vildnesse that whatsoeuer istruely good is now esteemed most vitious, learning being derided, fortitude drawne into so many definitions that it consisteth in meerewords onely, and although nothing is happy or prosperous, but meerefashion & ostentation, a tedious fustian-tale at a great mans table, stuft with bigge words, with out sence, or a mimicke Iester, that canplay three parts in one; the Foole, the Pandar and the Parasit, yetnotwithstanding in this apostate age I haue aduentured to thrust intothe world this booke, which nothing at all belongeth to the silkenscorner, but to the plaine russet honest Husbandman, for whoseparticular benefit, and the kingdomes generall profit, I haue with muchpaine, care, and industry, passed through the same. Now for the motiueswhich first drew me to vndertake the worke, they were diuers: as first, when I saw one man translate and paraphrase most excellently vpon_Virgils Georgickes_, a worke onely belonging to the Italian climbe, &nothing agreeable with ours another translates _Libault & Steuens_, aworke of infinit excellency, yet onely proper and naturall to theFrench, and not to vs: and another takes collections from _Zenophon_, andothers; all forrainers and vtterly vnacquainted with our climbes: whenthis I beheld, and saw with what good liking they were entertained ofall men; and that euery man was dumbe to speake any thing of the_Husbandry_ of our owne kingdome, I could not but imagine it a worke mostacceptable to men, and most profitable to the kingdome, to set downe thetrue manner and nature of our right English _Husbandry_, our soyle beingas delicate, apt, and fit for increase as any forraine soyle whatsoeuer, and as farre out-going other kingdomes in some commoditie, as they vs inother some. Hence, and from these considerations, I began this worke, ofwhich I haue here sent thee but a small tast, which if I finde accepted, according to mine intent, I will not cease (God permitting mee life) topasse through all manner of English _Husbandry_ and _Huswifery_ whatsoeuer, without omission of the least scruple that can any way belong to eitherof their knowledges. Now gentle reader whereas you may be driuen to someamazement, at two titles which insue in the booke, namely, a former partbefore the first, and the first part, you shall vnderstand that thosefirst sheetes were detained both from the Stationer and me, till thebooke was almost all printed; and my selfe by extreame sicknesse keptfrom ouer-viewing the same, wherefore I must intreate your fauour inthis impression and the rather in as much as there wanteth neither anyof the words or matter whatsoeuer: _Farewell_. 

 Thine _G. M. _

 A FORMER PART, before the first Part: Being an absolute perfect Introduction into all the Rules of true Husbandry; and must first of all be read, or the Readers labour will be frustrate. 

CHAP. I. 

_The Proem of the Author. What a Husbandman is: His Vtilitie andNecessitie. _

It is a common Adage in our English spéech, that a man generally séenein all things can bée particularly perfect or compleate in none: WhichProuerbe there is no question will both by the curious and enuious beheauily imposed vpon my backe, because in this, and other workes, I hauedelt with many things of much importance, and such as any one of themwould require a whole liues experience, whereas neither my Birth, myEducation, nor the generall course of my life can promise nosingularitie in any part of those Artes they treate of: but forsuggestions (the liberty whereof the wisedome of Kings could neuerbridle) let them poison themselues with their owne gall, they shall notso much as make me looke ouer my shoulder from my labour: onely to thecurteous and well meaning I giue this satisfaction, I am but onely apublique Notary, who record the most true and infallible experience ofthe best knowing Husbands in this land. 

Besides, I am not altogether vnséene in these misteries I write of: forit is well knowne I followed the profession of a Husbandman so long myselfe, as well might make mee worthy to be a graduate in the vocation:wherein my simplicitie was not such but I both obserued well those whichwere estéemed famous in the profession, and preserued to my selfe thoserules which I found infallible by experience. _Virgill_ was an excellentPoet, and a seruant, of trusty account, to _Augustus_, whose court andstudy-imployments would haue said he should haue little knowledge inrurall businesse, yet who hath set downe more excellently the manner ofItalian Husbandry then himselfe, being a perfect lanthorne, from whoselight both Italie and other countries haue séene to trace into the truepath of profit and frugallitie? _Steuens_ and _Libault_, two famousPhisitions, a profession that neuer medleth with the Plough, yet whohath done more rarely! nay, their workes are vtterly vncontrolabletouching all manner of french Husbandry whatsoeuer; so my selfe althoughby profession I am onely a horse-man, it being the predominant outwardvertue I can boast of, yet why may not I, hauing the sence of man, bythe ayde of obseruation and relation, set downe all the rules andprinciples of our English Husbandry in as good and as perfect order asany of the former? there is no doubt but I may and this I dare bouldlyassure vnto all Readers that there is not any rule prescribed throughthis whole worke, but hath his authoritie from as good and wellexperienced men, in the Art of which the rule treateth, as any thiskingdome can produce: neither haue I béene so hasty, or willing, topublish this part as men may imagining, for it is well knowne it hathlaine at rest this many yéeres, and onely now at the Instigation ofmany of my friends is bolted into the world, to try the censure of wits, and to giue aide to the ignorant Husbandman. Wherefore to leaue off anyfurther digression, I will fall to mine intended purpose: and becausethe whole scope of my labour hath all his aime and reuerence to theEnglish Husbandman, I will first shew you what a Husbandman is. 

{SN: The definition of a Husbandman. }A Husbandman is he which with discretion and good order tilleth theground in his due seasons, making it fruitfull to bring forth Corne, andplants, meete for the sustenance of man. This Husbandman is he to whomGod in the scriptures giueth many blessings, for his labours of allother are most excellent, and therefore to be a Husbandman is to be agood man; whence the auntients did baptise, and wée euen to this day doeseriously obserue to call euery Husbandman, both in our ordinaryconference and euery particular salutation, goodman such a one, a title(if wée rightly obserue it) of more honour and vertuous note, then manywhich precede it at feasts and in gaudy places. 

{SN: The Vtillitie of the Husbandman. }A Husbandman is the Maister of the earth, turning sterillitie andbarrainenesse, into fruitfulnesse and increase, whereby all commonwealths are maintained and upheld, it is his labour which giueth breadto all men and maketh vs forsake the societie of beasts drinking vponthe water springs, féeding vs with a much more nourishing liquor. Thelabour of the Husbandman giueth liberty to all vocations, Arts, misteries and trades, to follow their seuerall functions, with peace andindustry, for the filling and emptying of his barnes is the increase andprosperitie of all their labours. To conclude, what can we say in thisworld is profitable where Husbandry is wanting, it being the great Nerueand Sinew which houldeth together all the ioynts of a Monarchie?

{SN: Of the necessitie of a Husbandman. }Now for the necessitie, the profit inferreth it without any largeramplification: for if of all things it be most profitable, then of allthings it must néeds be most necessary, sith next vnto heauenly things, profit is the whole aime of our liues in this world: besides it is mostnecessary for kéeping the earth in order, which else would grow wilde, and like a wildernesse, brambles and wéeds choaking vp better Plants, and nothing remayning but a Chaos of confusednesse. And thus much of theHusbandman his vtillity and necessitie. 

CHAP. II. 

_Of the situation of the Husbandmans house; the necessaries there tobelonging, together with the modell thereof. _

Since couerture is the most necessariest thing belonging vnto mans life, and that it was the first thing that euer man inuented, I thinke it notamisse first to beginne, before I enter into any other part ofHusbandry, with the Husbandmans house, without which no Husbandry can bemaintained or preserued. And albeit the generall Husbandman must takesuch a house as hée can conueniently get, and according to the customeand abillitie of the soyle wherein he liueth, for many countries arevery much vnprouided of generall matter for well building: some wantingtimber, some stone, some lime, some one thing, some another: yet to thatHusbandman whom God hath enabled with power both of riches and eueryother necessary fit to haue all things in a comely conuenientnesse abouthim, if he desire to plant himselfe decently and profitable, I wouldthen aduise him to chuse for his situation no high hill, or greatpromontary (the seate of Princes Courts) where hée may be gazed vpon bythe eye of euery traueller, but some pretty hard knole of constant andfirme earth, rather assending then descending, frée from the danger ofwater, and being inuironed either with some pretty groues, of tallyoung spiers, or else with rowes of greater timber, which besids thepleasure and profit thereof (hauing wode so neare a mans dore) theshelter will be most excellent to kéepe off the bleaknesse of the sharpestormes and tempests in winter, and be an excellent wormestall forcattell in the summer. This house would be planted, if possible, neareto some riuer, or fresh running brooke, but by no meanes vpon the vergeof the riuer, nor within the danger of the ouerflow thereof: for the oneis subiect to too much coldnesse and moisture, the other to danger. Youshall plant the face, or forefront, of your house vpon the rising of theSunne, that the vigor of his warmth may at no time depart from some partthereof, but that as he riseth on the oneside so he may set on theother. You shall place the vpper or best end of your house, as namely, where your dining Parlor and cheifest roomes are, which euer would hauetheir prospect into your garden, to the South, that your buttery, kitching and other inferiour offices may stand to the North, coldnessebringing vnto them a manifold benefit. Now touching the forme, fashion, or modell of the house, it is impossible almost for any man to prescribea certaine forme, the world is so plentifull in inuention and euery mansminde so much adicted to nouelty and curiouity, yet for as much as it ismost commended by the generall consent of all the auntients, and thatfrom the modell of that proportion may be contracted and drawne the mostcurious formes that are almost at this day extant, I will commend vntoyou that modell which beareth the proportion of the Roman _H. _ which asit is most plaine of all other, and most easie for conuaiance, so if aman vpon that plaine song, (hauing a great purse) will make descant, there is no proportion in which he may with best ease show morecuriositie, and therefore for the plaine Husbandmans bettervnderstanding I will here shew him a _facsimile_ (for to adde a scalewere néedlesse in this generall worke, all men not being desirous tobuild of one bignesse) & this it is:

{Illustration}

Here you behould the modell of a plaine country mans house, withoutplaster or imbosture, because it is to be intended that it is as well tobe built of studde and plaster, as of lime and stone, or if timber benot plentifull it may be built of courser woode, and couered with limeand haire, yet if a man would bestow cost in this modell, the foureinward corners of the hall would be conuenient for foure turrets, andthe foure gauell ends, being thrust out with bay windowes might beformed in any curious manner: and where I place a gate and a plainepale, might be either a tarrisse, or a gatehouse: of any fashionwhatsoeuer, besides all those windowes which I make plaine might be madebay windowes, either with battlements, or without, but the scope of mybooke tendeth onely to the vse of the honest Husbandman, and not toinstruct men of dignitie, who in Architecture are able wonderfully tocontrole me; therefore that the Husbandman may know the vse of this_facsimile_, he shall vnderstand it by this which followeth. 

_A. _ Signifieth the great hall. 

_B. _ The dining Parlor for entertainment of strangers. 

_C. _ An inward closset within the Parlor for the Mistrisses vse, fornecessaries. 

_D. _ A strangers lodging within the Parlor. 

_E. _ A staire-case into the roomes ouer the Parlor. 

_F. _ A staire-case into the Good-mans roomes ouer the Kitchin andButtery. 

_G. _ The Skréene in the hall. 

_H. _ An inward cellar within the buttery, which may serue for a Larder. 

_I. _ The Buttery. 

_K. _ The Kitchin, in whose range may be placed a bruing lead, andconuenient Ouens, the bruing vessels adioyning. 

_L. _ The Dairy house for necessary businesse. 

_M. _ The Milke house. 

_N. _ A faire sawne pale before the formost court. 

_O. _ The great gate to ride in at to the hall dore. 

_P. _ A place where a Pumpe would be placed to serue the offices of thehouse. 

{Illustration: This figure signifieth the dores of the house. }

{Illustration: This figure signifieth the windowes of the house. }

{Illustration: This figure signifieth the Chimnies of the house. }

Now you shall further vnderstand that on the South side of your house, you shall plant your Garden and Orchard, as wel for the prospect thereofto al your best roomes, as also because your house will be a defenceagainst the Northerne coldnesse, whereby your fruits will much betterprosper. You shall on the West side of your house, within your inwarddairy and kitchin court, fence in a large base court, in the midstwhereof would be a faire large Pond, well ston'd and grauelled in thebottome, in which your Cattell may drinke, and horses when necessitieshall vrge be washt: for I doe by no meanes alow washing of horses afterinstant labour. Néere to this Pond you shall build your Doue-coate, forPigions delight much in the water: and you shall by no meanes make yourDoue-house too high, for Pigions cannot endure a high mount, but youshall build it moderately, cleane, neate, and close, with waterpentisses to kéepe away vermine. On the North side of your base-courtyou shall build your Stables, Oxe-house, Cow-house, and Swine-coates, the dores and windowes opening all to the South. On the South side ofthe base-court, you shall builde your Hay-barnes, Corne-barnes, pullen-houses for Hennes, Capons, Duckes, and Géese, your french Kilne, and Malting flowres, with such like necessaries: and ouer crosse betwixtboth these sides, you shall build your bound houels, to cary your Pease, of good and sufficient timber, vnder which you shall place when they areout of vse your Cartes, Waynes, Tumbrels, Ploughs, Harrowes, and suchlike, together with Plough timber, and axletrées: all which would verycarefully be kept from wet, which of all things doth soonest rot andconsume them. And thus much of the Husbandmans house, and thenecessaries there to belonging. 

CHAP. III. 

_Of the seuerall parts and members of an ordinarie Plough, and of theioyning of them together. _

If a workeman of any trade, or mistery, cannot giue directions how, andin what manner, the tooles where with he worketh should be made orfashioned, doubtlesse hée shall neuer worke well with them, nor knowwhen they are in temper and when out. And so it fareth with theHusbandman, for if hée know not how his Plough should be made, nor theseuerall members of which it consisteth, with the vertue and vse ofeuery member, it is impossible that euer hée should make a good furrow, or turne ouer his ground in Husbandly manner: Therefore that eueryHusbandman may know how a well shaped Plough is made, he shallvnderstand that the first member thereof, as being the strongest andmost principallest péece of timber belonging to the same, is called thePlough-beame, being a large long péece of timber much bending, accordingto the forme of this figure. 

{Illustration}

This beame hath no certaine length nor thicknesse, but is proportionedaccording to the ground, for if it be for a clay ground the length isalmost seauen foote, if for any other mixt or lighter earth, then fiueor sixe foote is long inough. 

The second member or part of the Plough, is called the skeath, and is apéece of woode of two foote and a halfe in length, and of eight inchesin breadth, and two inches in thicknesse: it is driuen extreamly hardinto the Plough-beame, slopewise, so that ioyned they present thisfigure. 

{Illustration}

The third part is called the Ploughes principall hale, and doth belongto the left hand being a long bent péece of woode, some what strong inthe midst, and so slender at the vpper end that a man may easily gripeit, which being fixed with the rest presenteth this figure. 

{Illustration}

The fourth part is the Plough head, which must be fixed with the sheath& the head all at one instant in two seuerall mortisse holes: it is aflat péece of timber, almost thrée foote in length if it be for clayground, otherwise shorter, of breadth seauen inches, and of thicknessetoo inches and a halfe, which being ioyned to the rest presenteth thisfigure. 

{Illustration}

The fift part is the Plough spindels, which are two small round piecesof woode, which coupleth together the hales, as in this figure. 

{Illustration}

The sixt part is the right hand hale, through which the other end of thespindels runne, and is much slenderer then the left hand hale, for it isput to no force, but is onely a stay and aide to the Plough houlder whenhée cometh to heauy, stiffe, and strong worke, and being ioyned with therest presenteth this figure. 

{Illustration}

The seauenth part is the Plough-rest, which is a small péece of woode, which is fixt at one end in the further nicke of the Plough head, andthe other end to the Ploughs right-hand hale, as you may sée by thisfigure. 

{Illustration}

The eight part is called the shelboard, and is a broad board of morethen an inche thicknesse, which couereth all the right side of thePlough, and is fastned with two strong pinnes of woode through thesheath, and the right-hand hale, according to this figure. 

{Illustration}

The ninth part is the coulture, which is a long péece of Iron, madesharpe at the neather end, and also sharpe on one side and being for astiffe clay it must be straight without bending, which passeth by amortisse-hole through the beame, and to this coulture belongeth an Ironring, which windeth about the beame and kéepeth it in strength frombreaking as may appeare by this figure. 

{Illustration}

The tenth part of a compleate Plough, is the share; which is fixed tothe Plough head, and is that which cutteth and turneth vp the earth: ifit be for a mixt earth then it is made without a wing, or with a verysmall one, but if it be for a déepe, or stiffe clay, then it is madewith a large wing, or an outward point, like the figure following. 

{Illustration}

The eleuenth part of a perfect Plough is called the Plough foote, and isthrough a mortisse-hole fastned at the farre end of all the beame with awedge or two, so as the Husbandman may at his discretion set it higheror lower, at his pleasure: the vse of it is to giue the Plough earth, orput it from the earth, as you please, for the more you driue itdowneward, the more it raiseth the beame from the ground, and maketh theIrons forsake the earth, and the more you driue it vpward the more itletteth downe the beame, and so maketh the Irons bite the sorer; thefigure whereof is this. 

{Illustration}

Thus haue you all the parts and members of a Plough, and how they beknit and ioyned together, wherein I would wish you to obserue to makeyour Plough-wright euer rather giue your Plough land then put her fromthe land, that is, rather leaning towards the earth and biting sore, then euer slipping out of the ground: for if it haue two much earth theHusbandman may help it in the houlding, but if it haue too little, thenof necessitie it must make foule worke: but for as much as the error andamends lye both in the office of the Plough-wright, I will not troublethe Husbandman with the reformation thereof. 

Now you shall vnderstand that there is one other thing belonging to thePlough, which albe it be no member thereof, yet is it so necessary thatthe Husbandman which liueth in durty and stiffe clayes can neuer goe toPlough without it, and it is called the Aker-staffe, being a prettybigge cudgell, of about a yarde in length, with an Iron spud at the end, according to this figure:

{Illustration}

This Akerstaffe the Husbandman is euer to carry within his Plough, andwhen at any time the Irons, shelboard, or Plough, are choaked with durt, clay, or filth, which will cling about the ould stubble, then with thisAkerstaffe you shall put the same off (your Plough still going) and sokéepe her cleane and smooth that your worke may lye the handsomer; andthis you must euer doe with your right hand: for the Plough choaketheuer on the shelboard side, and betwéene the Irons. And thus muchtouching the perfect Plough, and the members thereof. 

CHAP. IIII. 

_How the Husbandman shall temper his Plough, and make her fit for hisworke. _

A Plough is to a Husbandman like an Instrument in the hand of aMusition, which if it be out of tune can neuer make good Musicke, and soif the Plough, being out of order, if the Husbandman haue not thecunning to temper it and set it in the right way, it is impossible thateuer his labour should come to good end. 

It is very necessary then that euery good Husbandman know that a Ploughbeing perfectly well made, the good order or disorder thereof consistethin the placing of the Plough-Irons and the Plough-foote. Know then, thatfor the placing of the Irons, the share would be set to looke a littleinto the ground: and because you shall not bruise, or turne, the pointthereof, you shall knocke it fast vpon the head, either with a crookedRams-horne, or else with some piece of soft Ash woode: and you shallobserue that it stand plaine, flat, and leuell, without wrying orturning either vpward or downeward: for if it runne not euen vpon theearth it will neuer make a good furrow, onely as before I said, thepoint must looke a little downeward. 

Now, for the coulture, you must place it slopewise through the beame, soas the point of it and the point of the share may as it were touch theground at one instant, yet if the coulture point be a little thought thelonger it shall not be amisse: yet for a more certaine direction and totry whether your Irons stand true I or no, you shall take a string, andmeasure from the mortisse-hole through which the coulture passeth, tothe point of the coulture, and so kéeping your vpper hand constant laythe same length to the of point your share, and if one measure seruethem both right, there being no difference betwéene them, then the Ironsstand true for their length, otherwise they stand false. 

Now your coulture albe it stand true for the length, yet it may standeither too much to the land, or too much from the land, either of whichis a great errour, and will kéepe the Plough from going true: yourcoulture therefore shall haue certaine wedges of ould dry Ash woode, that is to say, one before the coulture on the vpper side the beame, andanother on the land side, or left side, the coulture on the vpper sidethe beame also; then you shall haue another wedge behinde the coulturevnderneath the beame, and one on the furrow side, or right side, thebeame vnderneath also. Now, if your coulture haue too much land, thenyou shall driue in your vpper side wedge and ease the contrary: if ithaue too little land, then you shall contrarily driue in your right sidevnder wedge and ease the other: If your coulture stand too forward, thenyou shall driue in your vpper wedge which standeth before the coulture;and if it stand too backward and too néere your share, then you shalldriue in your vnder wedge which standeth behinde the coulture: if yourcoulture standeth awry any way, then are either your side wedges toosmall, or else not euen and plaine cut, which faults you must amend, andthen all will be perfect. Now, when your Irons are iust and truelyplaced, then you shall driue in euery wedge hard and firme, that noshaking or other straine may loosen them: as for the Plough foote italso must haue a wedge or two, which when your Plough goeth right and toyour contentment (for the foote will kéepe it from sinking or rising)then you shall also driue them in hard, that the foote may not stirrefrom the true place where you did set it. And that these things when aman commeth into the field may not be to séeke, it is the office ofeuery good Husbandman neuer to goe forth with his Plough but to haue hisHatchet in a socket, fixt to his Plough beame, and a good piece of hardwedge woode, in case any of your wedges should shake out and be lost. 

{SN: Of holding the Plough. }When your Plough is thus ordered and tempered in good manner, and madefit for her worke, it then resteth that you know the skill andaduantages in holding thereof, which indéed are rules of muchdiuersitie, for if it be a stiffe, blacke clay which you Plow, then canyou not Plow too déepe, nor make your furrowes too bigge: if it be arich hassell ground, and not much binding, then reasonable furrowes, laid closse, are the best: but if it be any binding, stony, or sandyground, then you cannot make your furrowes too small. As touching thegouerning of your Plough, if you sée shée taketh too much land, then youshall writh your left hand a little to the left side and raise yourPlough rest somewhat from the ground: if shée taketh too little earth, then you shall raise vp your left hand, and carry your Plough as in adirect line: If your Plough-Irons forbeare and will not bite on theearth at all, then it is a signe that you hang too heauy on the Ploughhales, raising the head of the Plough from the ground, which errour youmust amend, and of the two rather raise it vp behind then before, but todoe neither is best, for the Plough hale is a thing for the hand togouerne, and not to make a leaning stocke of: And thus much touching thetempring of the Plough and making her fit for worke. 

CHAP. V. 

_The manner of Plowing the rich, stiffe, blacke Clay, his Earings, Plough, and other Instruments. _

Of all soyles in this our kingdome there is none so rich and fruitfull, if it be well handled and Husbanded, as is that which we call thestiffe, blacke, Clay, and indeed is more blacker to looke on then anyother soyle, yet some times it will turne vp very blewish, with manywhite vaines in it, which is a very speciall note to know hisfruitfulnesse; for that blewish earth mixt with white is nothing elsebut very rich Marle, an earth that in Cheshire, Lanckashire, and manyother countries, serueth to Manure and make fat their barrainest land insuch sort that it will beare Corne seauen yeeres together. This blackeclay as it is the best soyle, well Husbanded, so it is of all soyles theworst if it be ill Husbanded: for if it loose but one ardor, orseasenable Plowing, it will not be recouered in foure yéeres after, butwill naturally of it selfe put forth wilde Oates, Thistels, and allmanner of offensiue wéedes, as Cockle, Darnell, and such like: hislabour is strong, heauy, and sore, vnto the cattell that tilleth it, butto the Husbandman is more easie then any other soyle, for this askethbut foure times Plowing ouer at the most, where diuers other soyles askefiue times, and sixe times, as shalbe shewed hereafter. But to come tothe Plowing of this soyle, I hold it méete to beginne with the beginningof the yéere, which with Husbandmen is at Plow-day, being euer the firstMunday after the Twelft-day, at which time you shall goe forth with yourdraught, & begin to plow your Pease-earth, that is, the earth where youmeane to sow your Pease, or Beanes: for I must giue you to vnderstand, that these Clayes are euer more naturall for Beanes then Pease, not butthat they will beare both alike, only the Husbandman imployeth them morefor Beanes, because pease & fitches wil grow vpon euery soyle, butBeanes wil grow no where but on the clayes onely. This Pease-earth iseuer where barley grew the yéere before, & hath the stubble yetremayning thereon. You shal plow this Pease-earth euer vpward, that is, you shall beginne on the ridge of the land, & turne all your furrowesvp, one against another, except your lands lye too high (which seldomecan be séene) and then you shall begin at the furrow, & cast downe yourland. 

Now, when you haue plowed all your Pease-ground, you shall let it solye, till it haue receiued diuers Frosts, some Raine, and then a fayreseason, which betwixt plow-day and Saint _Valentines_ day you shalbesure to inioy: and this is called, _The letting of Land lye to baite_:for without this rest, and these seasons, it is impossible to make theseClayes harrow, or yéelde any good mould at all. After your Land hathreceiued his kindely baite, then you shall cast in your séede, ofBeanes, or Pease: but in my conceit, an equall mixture of them is thebest séede of all, for if the one faile, the other will be sure to hit:and when your land is sowne you shall harrow it with a harrow that hathwoodden téeth. 

The next Ardor after this, is the sowing of your Barley in your fallowfield: the next is the fallowing of your ground for Barley the nextyéere: the next Ardor is the Summer-stirring of that which you fallowed:the next is the foyling of that which you Summer-stirde: and the last isthe Winter rigging of that which you foil'd: of all which Ardors, andthe manner of Plowing them, with their seasons, I haue writtensufficiently in the first Chapter of the next part; where I speake ofsimple earths vncompounded. 

Now whereas I told you before that these clayes were heauy worke foryour Cattell, it is necessary that I shew you how to ease them, andwhich way they may draw to their most aduantage, which onely is bydrawing in beare-geares, an inuention the skilfull Husbandman hath foundout, wherein foure horses shall draw as much as sixe, and sixe as eight, being geard in any other contrary fashion. Now because the name onelybettereth not your knowledge, you shall heare behould the figure andmanner thereof. 

{Illustration}

Now you shall vnderstand the vse of this Figure by the figures thereincontayned, that is to say, the figure

(1) presenteth the plough-cleuisse, which being ioyned to theplough-beame, extendeth, with a chaine, vnto the first Toastrée: andtouching this Cleuisse, you shall vnderstand, that it must be made withthrée nickes in the midst thereof, that if the Plough haue too much landgiuen it in the making, that is, if it turne vp too much land, then thechaine shall be put in the outwardmost nicke to the land side, that is, the nicke towards your right hand: but if it take too little land, thenit shall be put in the nicke next the furrow, that is, towards the righthand: but if it goe euen and well, then you shall kéepe it in the middlenicke, which is the iust guide of true proportion. And thus thisCleuisse is a helpe for the euill making or going of a plough. 

(2) Is the hind-most Toastrée, that is, a broad piece of Ash woode, thrée inches broad, which going crosse the chaine, hath the Swingletréesfastned vnto it, by which the horses draw. Now you shall vnderstand thatin this Toastrée is great helpe and aduantage: for if the two horseswhich draw one against the other, be not of equall strength, but thatthe one doth ouer-draw the other, then you shall cause that end of theToastrée by which the weaker horse drawes, to be longer from the chainethen the other, by at least halfe a foote, and that shall giue theweaker horse such an aduantage, that his strength shall counterpoysewith the stronger horse. Now there be some especiall Husbandmen thatfinding this disaduantage in the Toastrée, and that by the vncertaineshortening, and lenthening of the Toastrée, they haue sometimes moredisaduantaged the strong horse, then giuen helpe to the weake, thereforethey haue inuented another Toastrée, with a double chaine, and a roundring, which is of that excellent perfection in draught, that if a Foaledraw against an olde horse, yet the Foale shall draw no more then theabilitie of his owne strength, each taking his worke by himselfe, as ifthey drew by single chaines. Now because this Toastrée is such a notableImplement both in Plough, Cart, or Waine, and so worthy to be imitatedof all good husbands, I thinke it not amisse to shew you the figurethereof. 

{Illustration: The Toastree with double chaines. }

(3) The Swingletrées, being pieces of Ash wood cut in proportionafore-shewed, to which the Treates, by which the horses draw, arefastned with strong loopes. 

(4) The Treates by which the horses draw, being strong cords made of thebest Hempe. 

(5) The place betwéene the Treats, where the horses must stand. 

(6) The Hames, which girt the Collers about, to which the other end ofthe Treats are fastned, being compassed pieces of wood, eyther cleaneAsh, or cleane Oake. 

(7) The round Withes of wood, or broad thongs of leather, to put aboutthe horses necke, to beare the maine chayne from the ground, that ittrouble not the horses in their going. 

(8) The Single-linckes of Iron, which ioyne the Swingle-trées vnto theToastrées. 

(9) The Belly-bands, which passe vnder the belly of the horse, and aremade fast to both sides of the Treates, kéeping them downe, that whenthe horse drawes, his coller may not choake him: being made of goodsmall line or coard. 

(10) The Backe-bands, which going ouer the horses backe, and being madefast to both sides of the Treates, doe hold them, so as when the horsesturne, the Treates doe not fall vnder their féete. 

{SN: How many beasts in a plough. }Thus I haue giuen you the perfect portraiture of a well yoakt Plough, together with his Implements, and the vse of them, being the best whichhath yet béene found out by any of our skilfullest English Husbandmen, whose practise hath béene vpon these déepe, stiffe, blacke clayes. Nowyou shall vnderstand, that for the number of Cattell to be vsed in theseploughes, that in fallowing your land, and plowing your Pease-earth, eight good Cattell are the best number, as being the strongest, andwithin the compasse of gouernment, whereas more were but troublesome, and in all your other Ardors, sixe good beasts are sufficient, yet if itbe so, that eyther want of abilitie, or other necessity vrge, you shallknow that sixe beasts will suffice eyther to fallow, or to plowPease-earth, and foure beasts for euery other Ardor or earing: and lessethen this number is most insufficient, as appeares by daily experience, when poore men kill their Cattell onely by putting them to ouer-muchlabour. And thus much touching the plowing of the blacke clay. 

CHAP. VI. 

_The manner of plowing the white or gray Clay, his Earings, Plough, andInstruments. _

Now as touching the white or gray clay, you shall vnderstand that it isof diuers and sundry natures, altering according to his tempers of wetor drynesse: the wet being more tough, and the dry more brittle: hismixture and other characters I haue shewed in a former Chapter, wherefore for his manner of plowing (obseruing my first methode, whichis to beginne with the beginning of the yéere, I meane at Christmas) itis thus:

{SN: Of sowing of Pease and Beanes. }If you finde that any of this white or gray clay, lying wet, haue lessemixture of stone or chaulke in it, and so consequently be more tough, asit doth many times fall out, and that vpon such land, that yéere, youare to sow your Pease and Beanes: for as in the former blacke clay, soin this gray clay you shall begin with your Pease-earth euer: thenimmediately after Plow-day, you shall plow vp such ground as you findeso tough, in the selfe-same manner as you did plow the blacke clay, andso let it lye to baite till the frost haue seasoned it, and then sow itaccordingly. But if you haue no such tough land, but that it holdes itowne proper nature, being so mixt with small stones and chaulke, that itwill breake in reasonable manner, then you shall stay till the latterend of Ianuary, at what time, if the weather be seasonable, andinclining to drynesse, you shall beginne to plow your Pease-earth, inthis manner: First, you shall cause your séedes-man to sow the land withsingle casts, as was shewed vpon the blacke clay, with this caution, that the greater your séede is, (that is, the more Beanes you sow) thegreater must be your quantitie: and being sowne, you shall bring yourplough, and beginning at the furrow of the land, you shall plow eueryfurrow downeward vpon the Pease and Beanes: which is called sowing ofPease vnder furrow: and in this manner you shall sow all your Pease andBeanes, which is cleane contrary to your blacke clay. Besides, whereasvpon the stiffe clay it is conuenient to take as large furrowes as youplease, vpon this kinde of gray clay you shall take as small furrowes asis possible. Now the reason for this manner of plowing your Pease-earth, is, because it is a light kinde of breaking earth, so that should it besowne according to the stiffe blacke clay, it would neuer couer yourPease, but leaue them bare, both to be destroyed by the Fowles of theayre, and the bitternesse of the weather. As soone as your Pease andBeanes are risen a fingers length aboue the earth, then if you findethat any of your lands doe lye very rough, and that the clods be great, it shall not be amisse, to take a payre of woodden Harrowes, and harrowouer all your rough lands, the benefit whereof is this, that it willboth breake the hard clots, and so giue those Pease leaue to sproutthrough the earth, which before lay bound in and drowned, and also layyour lands smooth and cleane, that the Mowers when they come to moweyour Pease and Beanes, shall haue better worke, and mowe them with moreease, and much better to the owners profit. For you must vnderstand thatwhere you sow Beanes, there it is euer more profit to mowe them withSythes, then to reape them with Hookes, and much sooner, and with lessecharge performed. The limitation of time for this Ardor of earing, isfrom the latter end of Ianuary vntill the beginning of March, notforgetting this rule, that to sow your Pease and Beanes in a shower, soit be no beating raine is most profitable: because they, as Wheat, takedelight in a fresh and a moyst mould. 

{SN: Of sowing of Barley. }After the beginning of March, you shall beginne to sow your Barley vponthat ground which the yéere before did lye fallow, and is commonlycalled your tilth, or fallow field: and if any part of it consist ofstiffe and tough ground, then you shall, vpon such ground, sow yourBarley vnder furrow, in such manner and fashion as I described vnto youfor the sowing of your stiffe blacke clay: but if it be (as for the mostpart these gray and white clayes are) of a much lighter, and as it were, fussie temper, then you shall first plow your land vpward, cleane andwell, without baukes or stiches: and hauing so plowed it, you shall thensow it with Barley, that is to say, with double casts, I meane, bestowing twise so many casts of Barley, as you would doe if you were tosow it with Pease. And as soone as you haue sowne your Barley, you shalltake a payre of woodden Harrowes, and harrow it as small as is possible:and this is called sowing aboue furrow. 

{SN: Of sowing Oates. }Now if you haue any land, which eyther through the badnesse of thesoyle, or for want of manure, is more barrayne, and hard to bring forththen generally the rest of your land is, then you shall not bestowBarley thereupon, but sow it with Oates, in such manner and fashion asis appointed for the sowing of Pease, that is to say, if it be stiffeground you shall sow it aboue furrow, if it be light ground, then youshall sow it vnder furrow, knowing this for a rule, that the barraynestground will euer beare indifferent Oates, but if the ground haue anysmall hart, then it will beare Oates in great abundance: neither néedeyou to be very precise for the oft plowing of your ground before you sowyour Oates, because Oates will grow very well if they be sowne vponreasonable ground, at the first plowing: whence it comes to passe thatmany Husbandmen doe oft sow their Oates where they should sow theirPease, and in the same manner as they doe sow their Pease, and it isheld for a rule of good husbandry also: because if the ground be heldany thing casuall for Pease, it is better to haue good Oates thennaughty Pease: besides, your Oates are both a necessary graine in thehouse, as for Oate-meale, for the pot, for Puddings, and such like, andalso for the stable, for Prouender, and the féeding of all manner ofPoultry. The time for sowing of your Barley and Oates, is from from thefirst of March till the first of Aprill, obseruing euer to sow yourOates first, and your Barley after, for it being onely a Summer graine, would participate as little as may be with any part of the Winter. 

{SN: Of Fallowing. }{SN: Of sleighting Barley. }About the middest of Aprill you shall beginne to fallow that part ofyour ground, which you entend shall take rest that yéere, and so becomeyour fallow or tilth-field. And in fallowing this gray or white clay, you shall obserue all those rules and ceremonies, which are formerlydescribed for the fallowing of the stiffe blacke clay, knowing thatthere is in this worke no difference betwéene the blacke clay, and thegray clay, but both to be plowed after one manner, that is to say, tohaue all the furrowes cast downeward, and the ridges of the lands laidlargely open, and of a good depth, onely the furrowes which you turnevpon this gray clay must be much smaller and lesse then those which youturne vpon your stiffe blacke clay, because this earth is more naturallyinclined to binde and cleaue together then that of the blacke clay. Thetime for fallowing of this ground, is from the middest of Aprill vntillthe middest of May: at what time you shall perceiue your Barley toappeare aboue the ground, so that then you shall beginne to sleight andsmooth it: but not with backe Harrowes, as was described for the blackeclay, because this gray clay being not so fat and rich, but moreinclined to fastnesse and hardnesse, therefore it will not sunder andbreake so easily as the other: wherefore when you will smooth or sleightthis ground, you shall take a round piece of wood, being in compasseabout at least thirty inches, and in length sixe foote, hauing at eachend a strong pinne of Iron, to which making fast two small poales, bywhich the horse shall draw, yet in such sort that the round piece ofwood may roule and turne about as the horse drawes it: and with this youshall roule ouer all your Barley, and by the waight of the round pieceof wood bruise and breake all the hard clots asunder. This is calledamongst Husbandmen a Rouler, and is for this purpose of sleighting andsmoothing of grounds of great vse and profit. Now you shall vnderstandthat you must not at any time sleight or smooth your Corne, but after ashower of Raine, for if the mould be not a little moistned the roulerwill not haue power to breake it. 

Now for as much as this rouler is of so good vse and yet not generallyvsed in this kingdome, I thinke it not amisse to shew you the figurethereof. 

{Illustration: The great Rouler. }

As soone as you haue roulled ouer your Barley, & laid it so smooth asyou can with your rouler, if then you perceiue any hard clots, such asthe rouler cannot breake, then you shal send forth your seruants withlong clotting béetels, made broad and flat, and with them you shallbreake asunder all those hard clots, and so lay your Barley as smoothand cleane as is possible: the profit whereof you shall both finde inthe multiplying of your Corne and also in the sauing of your sithesfrom breaking, at such time as you shall come to mowe your Corne, andgather in your Haruest. 

{SN: Of Summer-stirring. }{SN: Of weeding. }{SN: Of stone gathering. }Your Barley being thus laide smooth, you shall then follow your othernecessary businesses, as preparing of your fewell, and other néedementsfor houshould, vntill the beginning of Iune, at which time you shallbeginne to Summer-stirre your fallow field, which shalbe done in allpoints after the same manner as you did Summer-stirre your blacke Clay, that is to say, you shall beginne in the ridge of the land, and as whenyou fallowed your land you turned your furrowes downeward, so now inSummer-stirring, you shall turne your furrowes vpward and close theridge of you land againe. As soone as this Ardor is finished, or whenthe vnseasonablenesse of the weather, as either too much wet, or toomuch drynesse shall hinder you from Plowing, you shall then looke intoyour Cornefields, that is to say: first into your Wheate and Rye field, and if there you shall finde any store of wéedes, as Thistell, Darnell, Tare-Cockle, or such like, you shall with weede-hookes, or nippers ofwoode, cut, or plucke them vp by the rootes; and also if you finde anyannoyance of stones, which hinders the growth of your Corne, asgenerally it happens in this soyle, you shall then cause some Boyes andGirles, or other waste persons, to gather them vp and lay them in heapesat the lands ends, to be imployed either about the mending of high wayesor other occasions, and for this purpose their is a generall custome inmost Villages, that euery houshoulder is bound to send out one seruantto be imployed about this businesse: whence it comes to passe, that itis called common worke, as being done at the generall charge of thewhole Parish. After you haue wéeded your Wheate and Rye, you shall thenwéede your Barley also, which being finished about the midst of Iuly, you shall then beginne to looke into your medowes and to the preparingof your Hay haruest. 

{SN: Of foyling. }Now at such time as either the vnseasonablenesse of the weather, or thegrowth of your grasse shall hinder you from following that businesse ofHaruest, you shall then looke into your fallow or tilth field againe, and whereas before at your Summer-stirring you Plowed your land vpward, now you shall beginne to foile, that is to say, you shall cast your landdowne againe, and open the ridge: and this Ardor of all other Ardors youmust by no meanes neglect vpon the gray, white clay, because it beingmost subiect vnto wéede, and the hardest to bring to a fine mould, thisArdor of all others, doth both consume the one and makes perfect theother, and the drier season you doe foile your land in, the better itis, and the more it doth breake and sunder the clots in pieces: for asin Summer-stirring the greater clots you raise vp, and the rougher yourland lies the better it is, because it is a token of great store ofmould, so when you foile, the more you breake the clots in pieces thebetter season will your land take, and the richer it wilbe when theséede is sowne into it: And the season for the foiling of this soile isfrom the midst of Iuly till the midst of September. 

{SN: Of Manuring. }Now albe I haue omitted the Manuring of this land in his due place, asnamely, from the midst of Aprill, till the end of May, yet you shallvnderstand that of all other things it is not in any wise to beneglected by the carefull Husbandman, both because the soyle being notso rich as the blacke Clay, will very hardly bring forth his séedewithout Manure, and also because it is for the most part subiect vntomuch wet, and stones, both which are signes of cold and barrainenesse. Now for those Manures, which are best and most proper for this soile, you shall vnderstand that all those which I formerlie described for theblacke Claies, as namely, Oxe or Cowes dung, Horse dung and Shéepesdung, are also very good for this soile, and to be vsed in the samemanner as is specified in the former Chapter: but if you haue not suchstore of this Manure as will serue to compasse your whole land, youshall then vnderstand, that the blacke mud, or durt which lies in thebottome of olde ponds, or else standing lakes, is also a very goodmanure for this soile, or else straw which is spread in high-wayes, andso rotted by the great concourse or vse of much trauelling, and after inthe Spring-time shouelled vp in great heapes, is a good manure for thisearth: but if you finde this soile to be subiect to extraordinary wetand coldnesse, you shall then know that the ashes eyther of wood, coale, or straw, is a very good manure for it. But aboue all other, and thenwhich there is no manure more excellent for cold barraine clayes of thisnature, the Pigions dung, or the dung of houshold Pullen, as Capons, Hennes, Chickens, Turkies, and such like, so there be no Goose-dungamongst it, is the best of all other: but not to be vsed in such sort asthe other manures, that is to say, to be laid in great heapes vpon theland, or to be spread from the Cart vpon the land, for neyther is theresuch abundance of such manure to be gotten, nor if there were, it wouldnot be held for good husbandrie to make lauish hauocke of a thing soprecious. 

{SN: The vse of Pigion or Pullen-dung. }You shall then know that for the vse of Pigion or Pullen-dung, it isthus: you shall first with your hand breake it as small as may be, andthen put it into the Hopper, in such sort as you put your corne when yousow it: and then looke how you sow your corne, in such sort you shallsow your Pigion or Pullen-dung: which done, you shall immediately putyour Barley into the same Hopper, and so sow it after the Pigions orPullen-dung: by which you are to vnderstand that this kinde of manuringis to be vsed onely in Séede-time, and at no other season. This manureis of the same nature that shéepes manure is, and doth last but onelyfor one yéere, onely it is much hotter, as being in the greatestextremitie of heate. Now if it happen that you cannot get any of thisPigions or Pullen-dung, because it is scarce, and not in euery manspower, if then you take Lime and sow it vpon your land in such sort asis before said of the Pigions-dung, and then sow your corne after it, you shall finde great profit to come thereon, especially in colde wetsoiles, such as for the most part, these gray white clayes are. 

{SN: Of sowing Wheate. }After your land is foild, which worke would be finished by the middestof September, then you shall beginne to sow your Wheate, Rye, andMaslin, which in all things must be done as is before set downe for theblacke clay, the choice of séede, and euery obseruation being all one:for Wheate not taking delight in a very rich ground, doth prosper bestvpon this indifferent soile. Whence it comes that in these gray whiteclayes, you shall for the most part, sée more Wheate sowne then anyother Graine whatsoeuer. But as touching your Rye and Maslin, that euerdesires a rich ground and a fine mould, and therefore you shall makechoise of your better earth for that Séede, and also obserue to helpe itwith manure, or else shéepes folding, in such manner as is described inthe former Chapter, where I spake of the sowing of Wheate, Rye, andMaslin. 

{SN: Of winter-ridging. }As soone as you haue sowne your Wheate, Rye, and Maslin, you shall thenabout the latter end of October, beginne to Winter ridge, or set vp yourland for the whole yéere: which you shall doe in all points, as you doevpon the blacke clay, without any change or alteration. And thelimitation for this Ardor is, from the latter end of October vntill thebeginning of December, wherein your yéeres worke is made perfect andcompleate. 

{SN: Obseruations. }Now you shall vnderstand, that although I haue in this generall sortpassed ouer the Ardors and seuerall Earings of this white or gray clay, any of which are in no wise to be neglected: yet there are sundry otherobseruations to be held of the carefull Husbandman, especially in thelaying of his land: as thus, if the soile be of good temper, fruitfull, drie, and of a well mixed mould, not being subiect to any naturallspring or casting forth of moisture, but rather through the natiuewarmth drying vp all kinde of fluxes or colde moistures, neyther bindingor strangling the Séede, nor yet holding it in such loosenesse, that itloose his force of increasing, in this case it is best to lay yourlands flat and leuell, without ridges or furrowes, as is done in manyparts of Cambridge-shire, some parts of Essex, and some parts ofHartford-shire: but if the clay be fruitfull and of good temper, yeteither by the bordering of great hils, the ouer-flow of small brookes, or some other casuall meanes it is subiect to much wet or drowning, inthis case you shall lay your lands large and high, with high ridges anddéepe furrowes, as generally you sée in Lincolne-shire, Nottingham-shire, Huntington-shire, and most of the middle Shires inEngland. But if the land be barraine, colde, wet, subiect to muchbinding, and doth bring forth great store of wéedes, then you shall layyour land in little stiches, that is to say, not aboue thrée or fourefurrowes at the most together, as is generally séene in Middlesex, Hartford-shire, Kent and Surrey: for by that meanes neither shall theland binde and choake the Corne, nor shall the wéede so ouer-runne it, but that the Husbandman may with good ease helpe to strengthen andclense it, the many furrowes both giuing him many passages, whereby hemay correct those enormities, and also in such sort conuaying away thewater and other moistures, that there cannot be made any land morefruitfull. 

{SN: Of the Plough. }Now to speake of the Plough which is best and most proper for this grayor white clay, of which we now speake, you shall vnderstand that itdiffereth excéeding much from that of which we spake concerning theblacke clay: I, and in such sort, that there is but small alliance oraffinitie betwéene them: as thus for example:

First, it is not so large and great as that for the blacke clay: for thehead thereof is not aboue twentie inches in length, and not aboue oneinch and a halfe in thicknesse, the maine beame thereof is not abouefiue foot long, & the rest is broader by an inch and more then that forthe blacke clay: this Plough also hath but one hale, & that is onely theleft hand Hale: for the Plough-staffe, or Aker-staffe serueth euer instead of the right hand Hale, so that the Rough-staues are fixed, thevpper vnto the shelboard, and the neather vnto the Plough-rest, as foryour better vnderstanding you may perceiue by this figure. 

{Illustration: The Plough with one Hale. }

Now you shall vnderstand that the especiall care which is to be held inthe making of this Plough, is, that it be wide and open in the hinderpart, that it may turne and lay the furrowes one vpon another: whereasif it should be any thing straitned in the hinder part, considering thatthis clay naturally is somewhat brittle of it selfe, and that thefurrowes which you plow must of necessitie be very narrow and little, itwere not possible so to lay them, but that they would fall downe backeagaine, and inforce the Plow-man to lose his labour. Also you shallvnderstand that whereas in the former plough, which is for the blackeclay, you may turne the shelboard, that is, when the one end is worne, you may eftsoones turne the other, and make it serue the like season: inthis Plough you must neuer turne the shelboard, because the rising wingof the Share will so defend it, that it will euer last as long as thePlough-head, without change or turning. 

Now for the Irons belonging vnto this Plough, which is the Share andCoulture, there is more difference in them then in the Plough: for tospeake first of the Share, whereas the former Share for the blacke clay, was made broad, plaine, and with a large wing, this Share must be madenarrow, sharpe, and small, with no wing at all, hauing from the vpperpart thereof, close by the shelboard, a certaine rising wing, or broadpiece of Iron, which comming vp and arming that part of the shelboardwhich turnes ouer the land, defends the wood from the sharpe mould, which hauing the mixture of pible stone in it, would otherwise in lessethen one dayes worke consume the shelboard vnto nothing, forcing thePlow-man to much trouble and double cost. The fashion of the Share ispresented in this Figure following. 

{Illustration: The Share. }

This Share is onely made that it may take a small furrow, and so bybreaking the earth oftner then any other Share, causeth the land toyéeld a good and plentifull mould, and also kéepe it from binding orchoaking the séede when it is cast into it. 

Now for the Coulture, it differeth from the former Coulture both inbreadth and thicknesse, but especially in compasse: for whereas theformer Coulture for the blacke clay, was made straight, narrow, andthicke, this must be compassed like an halfe bent bow: it must bebroader then thrée fingers, and thinner then halfe an inche, accordingto this Figure. 

{Illustration: The Coulture. }

Now when these Irons, the Shelboard, and other implements are fixed vntothe Plough, you shall perceiue that the Plough will carry the proportionof this Figure following. 

{Illustration: The Plough for the gray Clay. }

Hauing thus shewed you the substance, difference, and contraries ofthese two Ploughs, which belong to these two seuerall clayes, the blackeand gray, you shall vnderstand that there is no clay-ground whatsoeuer, which is without other mixture, but one of these Ploughs willsufficiently serue to eare and order it: for all clayes are of one ofthese tempers. 

{SN: The vse and handling. }Now for the vse and manner of handling or holding this Plough, itdiffereth nothing in particular obseruation from the vse and handlingof the Plough formerly described, more then in the largenesse andsmalnesse of the furrowes: for as before I said, whereas the blacke claymust be raised with a great furrow, and a broad stitch, this gray claymust be raised with a small furrow, and a narrow stitch: and althoughthis plough haue nothing but a left hand Hale, yet considering thePlough-staffe, vpon which the Plow-man resteth his right hand, it is allone as if he had a right. And indéede, to make your knowledge the moreperfect, you shall know that these gray clayes are generally in theirowne natures so wet, tough, and slimy, and doe so clogge, cleaue, andchoake vp the Plough, that hée which holds it shall haue enough to doewith his right hand onely to clense and kéepe the Plough from choaking, insomuch that if there were another Hale, yet the Plow-man should haueno leasure to hold it. 

{SN: Of the draught or Teame. }Now for the Draught or Teame which should draw this Plough, they oughtin all points, as well in strength as tryuing to be the same with thosebefore shewed for the vse of the blacke clay: as namely, eyther Oxen orHorse, or Horse and Oxen mixt together, according to the custome of thesoile wherein the Plow-man liues, or his abilitie in prouision, obseruing euer to kéepe his number of beasts for his Plough certaine, that is to say, for fallowing, and Pease-earth, neuer vnder sixe, andfor all other Ardors foure at the least. And thus much for the plowingof this gray or white clay. 

CHAP. VII. 

_The manner of plowing the red-Sand, his Earings, Plough, and Implements. _

Next vnto these Clayes, which are soiles simple and vncompound, as beingperfect in their owne natures, without the helpe of other mixtures, Iplace the Sand soiles, as being of like qualitie, not borrowing anything but from their owne natures, nor bréeding any defects more thentheir owne naturall imperfections: and of Sands, sith the red Sand isthe best and most fruitfull, therefore it is fit that it take prioritieof place, and be here first spoken of. 

You shall then vnderstand that this red Sand, albeit it is the best ofSands, yet it is the worst of many soiles, as being of it selfe of sucha hot and drie nature, that it scorcheth the séede, and dryeth vp thatnutriment and fatnesse which should occasion increase: whereby it comesto passe, that the Barley which growes vpon this red Sand is euer moreyealow, leane and withered, then that which growes vpon the clayes orother mixt earths. This Sand especially taketh delight in Rye, becauseit is a Graine which loues warmth aboue all other, and yetnotwithstanding, if it be well ordered, manured and plowed, it willbring forth good store of Barley, albeit the Barley be not so good asClay-Barley, either for the colour, or for the yéeld, whether it be inmeale or in Malt. 

{SN: Of Fallowing. }Now for the manner of Earing or plowing this redde Sand, it differethmuch from both the former soyles, insomuch that for your bettervnderstanding, I must in many places alter my former methode, yet solittle as may be, because I am loath to alter or clogge the memory ofthe Reader: wherefore to pursue my purpose. As soone as Christmas isended, that is to say, about the middest of Ianuary, you shall goe withyour Plough into that field where the Haruest before did grow your Rye, and there you shall in your plowing cast your lands downe-ward, and openthe ridges well, for this yéere it must be your fallow field: for as inthe former soiles, wée did diuide the fields either into thrée parts, that is, one for Barley and Wheate, another for Pease, and the thirdfallow, which is the best diuision: or into foure parts, that is, onefor Wheate and Rye, another for Barley, a third for Pease, and a fourthfallow, which is the worst diuision and most toilesome, so in this redSand soile, we must euer diuide it into thrée parts, that is, one forBarley, another for Rye, and a third fallow. For this Sand-soile beinghot, drie, and light, will neither bring forth good Beanes nor goodPease, and therefore that Ardor is in this place but onely to be spokeof by way of discourse in vrgent necessitie. 

Wherefore (as before I said) about the middest of Ianuary you shallbeginne to lay fallow that field, where formerly did grow your Rye, themanner of plowing whereof differeth nothing from the manner of plowingthe clayes before written of, onely that the discretion of the Plow-manmust thus farre forth gouerne him, that in as much as this soile islighter, dryer, and of a more loose temper, by so much the more he mustbe carefull to make his furrowes lesse, and to lay them the closertogether: & also in as much as this soile, through his naturall warmthand temperate moisture, is excéeding apt to bring forth much wéede, especially Brakes, Ling, Brambles, and such like, therefore the Plow-manshall be very carefull to plow all his furrowes very cleane, withoutbaukes or other impediments by which may be ingendred any of theseinconueniences. 

{SN: Of Spring-foyling. }After you haue thus broke vp and fallowed your fallow or tilth-field, the limitation of which time is from the middest of Ianuary vntill themiddest of February, you shall then at the middest of February, when theclay-men begin to sow their Beanes and Pease, goe with your plough intoyour other fallow-field, which all the yéere before hath laine fallowand already receiued at your hands at least foure seuerall Ardors; asFallowing, Summer-stirring, Foyling, and Winter-rigging; and there youshall plow all that field ouer the fift time, which is called theSpring-foyling: and in this Ardor you shall plow all your lands vpward, in such sort as when you Winter-ridge it, by which meanes you shall plowvp all those wéedes which haue sprung forth in the Winter season. Foryou must vnderstand that in these light, hot, sandy soiles, there is acontinuall spring (though not of good fruits) yet of wéeds, quicks, andother inconueniences: for it is a rule amongst Husbandmen, that warmesoiles are neuer idle, that is, they are euer bringing forth something. 

{SN: Of Sowing March-Rye. }Now the limitation for this Ardor is from the middest of Februarievntill the middest of March, at which time you shall, by comparingformer experience with your present iudgement, take into yourconsideration the state, goodnesse, and powerfulnesse of your land, Imeane especially of this fallow-field, which hath laine fallow the yéerebefore, and hath now receiued fiue Ardors: and if you finde any part ofit, either for want of good ordoring in former times, or for want ofmanure in the present yéere, to be growne so leane and out of hart, thatyou feare it hath not strength enough to beare Barley, you shall then atthis time, being the middest of March, sow such land with Rye, which ofHusbandmen is called the sowing of March-Rye: and this Rye is to besowne and harrowed in such sort as you did sow it vpon the clay soiles, that is to say, aboue furrow, and not vnder furrow, except the land bevery full of quickes, that is, of Brakes, Ling, Brambles, Dockes, orsuch like, and then you shall first with a paire of Iron harrowes, thatis, with harrowes that haue Iron téeth, first of all harrow the landouer, and by that meanes teare vp by the rootes all those quickes, andso bring them from the land: which done, you shall sow the land ouerwith Rye, and then plow it downeward which is vnder furrow: & as sooneas it is plowed, you shall then with a paire of Iron Harrowes harrow itall ouer so excéedingly, that the mould may be made as fine, and theland lie as smooth as is possible. 

{SN: Of the harrow. }Now because I haue in the former Chapters spoke of Harrowes andharrowing, yet haue not deliuered vnto you the shape and proportionthereof, and because both the woodden harrow and the Iron harrow haueall one shape, and differ in nothing but the téeth onely, I thinke itnot amisse before I procéede any further to shew you in this Figure thetrue shape of a right Harrow. 

{Illustration: The Harrow. }

The parts of this Harrow consisteth of buls, staues, and téeth: of buls, which are broad thicke pieces eyther of well seasoned Willow, or Sallow, being at least thrée inches euery way square, into which are fastned thetéeth: of staues, which are round pieces of well seasoned Ash, beingabout two inches and a halfe about, which going thorow the buls, holdethe buls firmely in equall distance one from the other: and of téeth, which are either long pinnes of wood or Iron, being at least fiueinches in length, which are made fast, and set slope-wise through thebuls. 

{SN: The diuersitie of Harrowes. }Now you shall vnderstand that Harrowes are of two kindes, that is, single and double: the single Harrow is called of Husbandmen theHorse-harrow, and is not aboue foure foote square: the double Harrow iscalled the Oxe-harrow, and it must be at least seauen foote square, andthe téeth must euer be of Iron. Now whereas I spake of the Horse-harrowand the Oxe-harrow, it is to be vnderstood that the single Harrow dothbelong to the Horse, because Horses drawing single, doe draw each aseuerall Harrow by himselfe, albeit in the common vse of harrowing, wecouple two horses euer together, and so make them draw two singleHarrowes: but Oxen not being in good Husbandry to be separated, becauseeuer two must draw in one yoake, therefore was the double Harrowdeuised, containing in substance and worke as much as two singleHarrowes. 

{SN: The vse of Harrowes. }Now for the vse of Harrowes. The woodden Harrow which is the Harrow withwoodden téeth, is euer to be vsed vpon clay grounds and light grounds, which through drynesse doth grow loose, and fals to mould of it ownenature, as most commonly Sand grounds doe also: and the Iron Harrowwhich is the Harrow with Iron téeth, is euer to be vsed vpon bindinggrounds, such as through drynesse grow so hard that they will not besundered, and through wet turne soone to mire and loose durt. Nowwhereas there be mingled earths, which neither willingly yéeld to mould, nor yet bindes so sore, but small industry breaks it, of which earth Ishall speake hereafter, to such grounds the best Husbands vse a mixture, that is to say, one woodden Harrow, and one Iron Harrow, that thewoodden Harrow turning ouer and loosening the loosest mould, the IronHarrow comming after, may breake the stiffer clots, and so consequentlyturne all the earth to a fine mould. And thus much for Harrowes. 

{SN: Of the sowing of Pulse. }{SN: Of Pease, Lentles, and Lupines. }Now to returne to my former purpose touching the tillage of this redSand: if (as before I said) you finde any part of your fallow-field tooweake to beare Barley, then is your March-Rye, a graine which will takevpon a harder earth: but if the ground be too weake either for Barley orRye, (for both those Séedes desire some fatnesse of ground) then shallyou spare plowing it at all vntill this time of the yéere, which ismid-March, and then you shall plow it, and sow it with either thesmallest Pease you can get, or else with our true English Fitches, whichby forraine Authors are called _Lentles_, that is, white Fitches, or_Lupines_, which are red Fitches: for all these thrée sorts of Pulsewill grow vpon very barraine soiles, and in their growth doe manure andmake rich the ground: yet your Pease desire some hart of ground, your_Lentles_, or white Fitches, lesse, and your _Lupines_, or red Fitches, the least of all, as being apt to grow vpon the barrainest soile: solikewise your Pease doe manure barraine ground well, your _Lentles_better and your _Lupines_ the best of all. 

Now for the nature and vse of these graines, the Pease as all Husbandmenknow, are both good for the vse of man in his bread, as are vsed inLeicester-shire, Lincolne-shire, Nottingham-shire, and many otherCountries: and also for Horses in their Prouender, as is vsed generallyouer all England: for _Lentles_, or white Fitches, or the _Lupines_which are redde Fitches, they are both indifferent good in bread forman, especially if the meale be well scalded before it be knodden (forotherwise the sauour is excéeding rancke) or else they are a very goodfoode being sodden in the manner of Leaps-Pease, especially at Sea, inlong iourneyes where fresh meate is most exceeding scarce: so thatrather then your land should lye idle, and bring forth no profit, Iconclude it best to sow these Pulses, which both bring forth commoditie, and also out of their owne natures doe manure and inrich your ground, making it more apt and fit to receiue much better Séede. 

For the manner of sowing these thrée sorts of Pulse: you shall sow themeuer vnder furrow, in such sort as is described for the sowing of Peaseand Beanes vpon the white or gray clay which is of indifferent drinesseand apt to breake. 

{SN: Of Manuring. }Now the limitation for this Ardor or séede time, is from the middest ofMarch, till the middest of Aprill: then from the middest of Aprill, tillthe middest of May, you shall make your especiall worke, to be onely theleading forth of your Manure to that field which you did fallow, or laytilth that present yéere immediatelie after Christmas, and of which Ifirst spake in this Chapter. And herein is to be vnderstood, that thebest and principallest Manure for this redde-sand, is the ouldest Manureof beasts which can be-gotten, which you shall know by the excéedingblacknesse and rottennesse thereof, being in the cutting both soft andsmooth, all of one substance, as if it were well compact morter, withoutany shew of straw or other stuffe which is vnrotted, for this dung is ofall the fattest and coolest, and doth best agrée with the nature of thishot sand. Next to the dung of beasts, is the dung of Horses if it be oldalso, otherwise it is somewhat of the hottest, the rubbish of oldhouses, or the swéepings of flowres, or the scowrings of old Fish-ponds, or other standing waters where beasts and horses are vsed to drinke, orbe washt, or wherevnto the water and moisture of dunghills haue recourseare all good Manures for this redde-sand: as for the Manure of Shéepevpon this redde-sand, it is the best of all in such places as you meaneto sow Rie, but not fully so good where you doe intend to sow yourBarley: if it be a cold moist redde-sand (which is seldome found but insome particular low countries) then it doth not amisse to Manure it mostwith Shéepe, or else with Chaulke, Lime, or Ashes, of which you can getthe greatest plentie: if this soile be subiect to much wéede andquickes, as generally it is, then after you haue torne vp the wéedes andquickes with Harrowes, you shall with rakes, rake them together, andlaying them in heapes vpon the land, you shall burne them and thenspreading the ashes they will be a very good Manure, and in short spacedestroy the wéedes also; likewise if your land be much ouergrowne withwéedes, if when you sheare your Rie you leaue a good long stubble, andthen mowing the stubble burne it vpon the land, it is both a good Manureand also a good meanes to destroy the wéedes. 

{SN: Of sowing Barley. }After your Manure is lead forth and either spread vpon the lands, or setin great heapes, so as the land may be couered ouer with Manure (for itis to be obserued that this soile must be throughly Manured) then aboutthe middest of May, which is the time when this worke should befinished, you shall repaire with your Plough into the other fallowfield, which was prepared the yéere before for this yéeres Barley, &there you shall sow it all ouer with Barley aboue furrow, that is tosay, you shall first Plough it, then sow it, and after Harrow it, makingthe mould as fine and smooth as may be, which is done with easie labour, because this sand of it owne nature is as fine as ashes. 

{SN: Of Summer-stirring. }{SN: Of sleighting. }Now the limitation for this séede time, is from the middest of May, tillthe middest of Iune, wherein if any man demand why it should not besowne in March and Aprill, according as it is sowne in the formersoiles, I answere, that first this redde-sand cannot be prepared, orreceiue his full season in weather, and earings, before this time of theyéere, and next that these redde-sands, by how much they are hotter anddrier then the other claies, by so much they may wel stay the longerbefore they receiue their séede, because that so much the sooner theséede doth sprout in them, & also the sooner ripen being kept warmer atthe roote then in any could soile whatsoeuer. As soone as the middest ofIune approacheth, you shall then beginne to Summer-stirre your fallowfield, and to turne your Manure into your land, in such sort as you didvpon your clay soiles, for this Ardor of Summer-stirring altereth in nosoile, and this must be done from the middest of Iune, till the middestof Iuly, for as touching sleighting, clotting, or smoothing of thisBarley field, it is seldome in vse, because the finenesse of the sandwill lay the land smooth inough without sleighting: yet if you findethat any particular land lieth more rough then the rest, it shall not beamisse, if with your backe Harrowes you smooth it a little within a dayor two after it is sowne. 

{SN: Of Foiling. }{SN: Of sowing Rye. }From the middest of Iuly vntill the middest of August, you shall foileand throw downe your fallow field againe, if your lands lie well and ingood order, but if any of your lands doe lie in the danger of water, orby vse of Plowing are growne too flat, both which are hinderances to thegrowth of Corne, then when you foile your lands you shall Plow themvpward, and so by that meanes raise the ridges one furrow higher. Afteryou haue foiled your land, which must be about the middest of August, then will your Barley be ready to mowe, for these hot soiles haue eueran earely haruest, which as soone as it is mowne and carried into theBarne, forthwith you shall with all expedition carry forth such Manureas you may conueniently spare, and lay it vpon that land from whence youreceiued your Barley, which is most barraine: and if you want cartManure, you shall then lay your fould of Shéepe thereupon, and as sooneas it is Manured, you shall immediately Plow both it & the rest, whichArdor should be finished by the middest of September, and so suffered torest vntill the beginning of October, at which time you shall beginne tosow all that field ouer with Rye in such sort as hath béene spoken of informer places. 

{SN: Obiection. }Now in as much as the ignorant Husbandman may very easiely imagine thatI reckon vp his labours too thicke, and therein leaue him no leasure forhis necessarie businesses, especially because I appoint him to foile hisland from the middest of Iuly, till the middest of August, which is botha busie time for his Hay haruest, and also for his Rye shearing. 

{SN: Answere. }To this I make answere, that I write not according to that which pooremen are able (for it were infinit to looke into estates) but accordingas euery good Husband ought, presupposing that he which will liue by thePlough, ought to pursue all things belonging vnto the Plough, and thenhe shall finde that there is no day in the yéere, but the Saboth, but itis necessarie that the Plough be going: yet to reconcile the poore andthe rich together, they shall vnterstand, that when I speake of Plowingin the time of Haruest, I doe not meane that they should neglect anypart of that principall Worke, which is the true recompence of theirlabour: but because whilst the dew is vpon the ground, or when there iseither raine or mizling there is then no time for Haruest Worke, then mymeaning is that the carefull Husbandman shall take those aduantages, andrising earelier in the mornings, be sure to be at his Plough two howersbefore the dew be from the ground, knowing that the getting but of onehower in the day compasseth a great worke in a month, neither shall héenéede to feare the ouer toiling of his cattell, sith at that time of theyéere Grasse being at greatest plenty, strongest and fullest of hart, Corne scattered almost in euery corner, and the mouth of the beast notbeing muzeld in his labour, there is no question but he will indure andworke more then at any other season. 

{SN: Of Winter ridging. }In the beginning of Nouember, you shall beginne to Winter-ridge yourfallow, or tilth-field, which in all points shalbe done according to theforme described in the former soiles: for that Ardor of all other neueraltereth, because it is as it were a defence against the latter spring, which else would fill the lands full of wéedes, and also against therigor of Winter, and therefore it doth lay vp the furrow close together, which taking the season of the frost, winde, and weather makes the mouldripe, mellow, and light: and the limitation for this Ardor, is from thebeginning of Nouember, vntill the middest of December. 

{SN: Of the Plough. }{SN: Of the coulture. }Now as touching the Plough which is best and most proper for thisredde-sand, it differeth nothing in shape and composure of members fromthat Plough which is described for the blacke Clay, hauing necessarilytwo hales, because the ground being loose and light, the Plough willwith great difficulty hold land, but with the least disorder be euerready to runne into the furrow, so that a right hand hale is mostnecessarie for the houlding of the plough euen, onely the difference ofthe two Ploughes consisteth in this, that the plough for this red-sand, must be much lesse then the plough for the blacke Clay houlding in thesizes of the timber the due proportion of the plough for the white orgray clay, or if it be somewhat lesse it is not amisse, as the headbeing eightéene inches, the maine beame not aboue foure foote, andbetwéene the hinder part of the rest, and the out-most part of theplough head in the hinder end not aboue eight inches. Now for thePlough-Irons which doe belong vnto this plough, the Coulture is to bemade circular, in such proportion as the coulture for the gray, or whiteclay, and in the placing, or tempering vpon the Plough it is to be setan inch at least lower then the share, that it may both make way beforethe share, and also cut déeper into the land, to make the furrow hauemore easie turning. 

{SN: Of the share. }Now for the share, it differeth in shape from both the former shares, for it is neither so large nor out-winged, as that for the gray Clay, for this share is onely made broad to the Plough ward, and small to thepoint of the share, with onely a little peake and no wing according tothis figure. 

{Illustration: The share. }

{SN: Of the plough-slip. }These Plough-irons, both coulture and share, must be well stéeled andhardned at the points, because these sandy soiles being full of moistureand gréete, will in short space weare and consume the Irons, to thegreat hinderance and cost of the Husbandman, if it be not preuented bystéele and hardning, which notwithstanding will waste also in thesesoiles, so that you must at least twise in euery Ardor haue your Ironsto the Smith, and cause him to repaire them both with Iron and stéele, besides these Irons, of coulture and share, you must also haue a longpiece of Iron, which must be iust of the length of the Plough head, andas broad as the Plough head is thicke, and in thicknesse a quarter of aninch: and this piece of Iron must be nailed vpon the outside of thePlough head, next vnto the land, onely to saue the Plough head fromwearing, for when the Plough is worne it can then no longer hould theland, and this piece of Iron is called of Husbandmen the Plough-slip andpresenteth this figure. 

{Illustration: The Plough-slip. }

{SN: Of Plough clouts. }Ouer and besides this Plough-slip, their are certaine other pieces ofIron which are made in the fashion of broad thinne plates, and they becalled Plough clouts, and are to be nailed vpon the shelboard, to defendit from the earth or furrow which it turneth ouer, which in very shortspace would weare the woode and put the Husbandman to double charge. 

{SN: The houlding of the Plough. }Thus hauing shewed you the parts, members, and implements, belonging tothis Plough, it rests that I procéede vnto the teame or draught: for tospeake of the vse and handling of this Plough, it is néedelesse, becauseit is all one with those Ploughes, of which I haue spoken in the formerChapters, and he which can hould and handle a Plough in stiffe clayesmust néedes (except he be excéeding simple) hould a Plough in theselight sands, in as much as the worke is much more easie and the Plough agreat deale lesse chargeable. 

{SN: Of the draught. }Now for the Draught or Teame, they ought to be as in the former Soiles, Oxen or Horses, yet the number not so great: for foure Beasts aresufficient to plow any Ardor vpon this soile, nay, thrée Horses if theybe of reasenable strength will doe as much as sixe vpon either of theClay-soiles: asfor their attire or Harnessing, the Beare-geares, beforedescribed, are the best and most proper. And thus much concerning thisred Sand, wherein you are to take this briefe obseruation with you, thatthe Graines which are best to be sowne vpon it, are onely Rye, Barley, small Pease, _Lentles_ and _Lupines_, otherwise called Fitches, and thegraines to which it is aduerse, are Wheat, Beanes and Maslin. 

CHAP. VIII. 

_The manner of plowing the white Sand, his Earings, Plough, andImplements. _

Next vnto this red Sand, is the white sand, which is much more barrainethen the red Sand, yet by the industry of the Husbandman in plowing, andby the cost of Manure it is made to beare corne in reasonable plentie. Now of white Sands there be two kindes, the one a white Sand mixt with akinde of Marle, as that in Norffolke, Suffolke, and other such likeplaces butting vpon the Sea-coast: the other a white Sand with Pible, asin some parts of Surrey, about Ancaster in Lincolne shire, and aboutSalisbury in Wil-shire. 

{SN: Of the white Sand with Pible. }Now for this white Sand with Pible, it is the barrainest, and leastfruitfull in bringing forth, because it hath nothing but a hot dustiesubstance in it. For the manner of Earing thereof, it agréeth in allpoints with the redde Sand, the Ardors being all one, the Tempers, Manurings and all other appurtenances: the Séede also which it delightsin is all one with the red Sand, as namely, Rye, Barley, Pease andFitches. Wherefore who so shall dwell vpon such a soile, I must referrehim to the former Chapter of the red Sand, and therein he shall findesufficient instruction how to behaue himselfe vpon this earth:remembring that in as much as it is more barraine then the red Sand, byso much it craueth more care and cost, both in plowing and manuringthereof, which two labours onely make perfect the ill ground. 

{SN: Of the white Sand with Marle. }Now for the white Sand which hath as it were a certaine mixture, ornature of Marle in it, you shall vnderstand that albeit vnto the eye itbe more dry and dustie then the red Sand, yet it is fully as rich as thered Sand: for albe it doe not beare Barley in as great plenty as the redSand, yet it beareth Wheate abundantly, which the red Sand seldome orvery hardly bringeth forth. 

{SN: Of Fallowing. }Wherefore to procéede to the Earings or tillage of this white Marlysand, you shall vnderstand that about the middest of Ianuary is fit timeto beginne to fallow your field which shall be tilth and rest for thisyéere: wherein by the way, before I procéede further, you shall takethis obseruation with you, that whereas in the former soiles I diuidedthe fields into thrée & foure parts, this soile cannot conueniently, ifit be well husbanded, be diuided into any more parts then two, that isto say, a fallow field, and a Wheat-field: in which Wheate-field if youhaue any land richer then other, you may bestow Barley vpon it, vpon thesecond you may bestow Wheat, vpon the third sort of ground Rye, and vponthe barrainest, Pease or Fitches: and yet all these must be sowne withinone field, because in this white sand, Wheate and Rye will not growafter Barley or Pease, nor Barley and Pease after Wheate or Rye. Yourfields being then diuided into two parts, that is, one for corne, theother for rest, you shall as before I said, about the middest of Ianuarybeginne to fallow your Tith-field, which in all obseruations you shalldoe according as is mentioned for the red sand. 

{SN: Of sowing Pease. }About the middest of March, if you haue any barraine or wasted groundwithin your fallow field, or if you haue any occasion to breake vp anynew ground, which hath not béene formerly broake vp, in eyther of thesecases you shall sow Pease or Fitches thereupon, and those Pease orFitches you shall sow vnder furrow as hath béene before described. 

{SN: Of Spring-fallowing. }About the middest of Aprill you shall plow your fallow-field oueragaine, in such manner as you plowed when you fallowed it first: andthis is called Spring-fallowing, and is of great benefit because at thattime the wéedes and quickes beginning to spring, nay, to flowrish, byreason that the heate of the climbe puts them forth sooner then in othersoyles, if they should not be plowed vp before they take too strongroote, they would not onely ouer-runne, but also eate out the hart ofthe Land. 

{SN: Of sowing Barley. }About the middest of May you shall beginne to sow your Barley vpon therichest part of your old fallow-field, which at the Michaelmas before, when you did sow your Wheate, and Rye, and Maslin, you did reserue forthat purpose: and this Barley you shall sow in such sort as is mentionedin the former Chapter of the red Sand, in so much that this Ardor beingfinished, which is the last part of your Séede-time, your whole fieldshall be furnished eyther with Wheate, if it hold a temperate fatnesse, or with Wheate and Barley, if it be rich and richer, or with Wheate, Barley and Pulse, if it be rich, poore or extreame barraine: and themanner of sowing all these seuerall séedes is described in the Chaptersgoing before. 

{SN: Of Summer-stirring. }About the middest of Iune you shall beginne to Summer-stirre yourfallow-field, in such sort as was spoken of in the former Chaptersconcerning the other soiles: for in this Ardor there is no alteration ofmethode, but onely in gouernment of the Plough, considering theheauinesse and lightnesse of the earth. During this Ardor you shallbusily apply your labour in leading forth your Manure, for it may atgreat ease be done both at one season, neyther the Plough hindering theCart, nor the Cart staying the Plough: for this soile being more lightand easie in worke then any other soile whatsoeuer, doth euer preserueso many Cattell for other imployment that both workes may goe forwardtogether, as shall be shewed when wee come to speake of the Plough, andthe Teame which drawes it. 

{SN: Of Manuring. }Now as touching the Manures most fit for this soyle, they be all thoseof which we haue formerly written, ashes onely excepted, which being ofan hot nature doe scald the Séede, and detaine it from allfruitfulnesse, being mixt with this hot soile, so is likewise Lyme, andthe burning of stubble: other Manures are both good and occasion muchfertilitie, as being of a binding and coole nature, and holding togetherthat loosenesse which in his too much separation taketh all nutrimentfrom the earth. 

{SN: Of Weeding. }After you haue ledde forth your Manure, and Summer-stird your Land, youshall then about the beginning of Iulie looke into your Corne-field, andif you perceiue any Thistles, or any other superfluous wéedes to annoyyour Corne, you shall then (as is before said) either cut, or pluckethem vp by the rootes. 

{SN: Of Foyling. }About the middest of August you shall beginne to foile or cast downeyour fallow-field againe, and in that Ardor you shall be very carefullto plow cleane and leaue no wéedes vncut vp: for in these hot soiles ifany wéedes be left with the least roote, so that they may knit and bringforth séede, the annoyance thereof will remaine for at least foureyéeres after, which is a double fallowing. And to the end that you maycut vp all such wéedes cleane, although both your Share and Coulturemisse them, you shall haue the rest of your Plough in the vnder partwhich strokes alongst the earth filled all full of dragges of Iron, thatis, of olde crooked nailes or great tenter-hookes, such as vpon theputting downe of your right hand when you come néere a wéed shall catchhold thereof and teare it vp by the rootes, as at this day is vsed bemany particular Husbands in this kingdome, whose cares, skils, andindustries are not inferiour to the best whatsoeuer. 

{SN: Of Sowing Wheate and Rye. }{SN: The choise of Seede. }About the middest of September, you shall beginne to sow your Wheate andRye vpon your fallow field, which Graine vpon this soile is to bereckoned the most principall: and you shall sow it in the same mannerthat is described in the former Chapters, wherein your especiallest careis the choise of your séede: for in this soile your whole-straw Wheate, nor your great Pollard taketh any delight, neither your Organe, for allthose thrée must haue a firme and a strong mould: but yourChilter-wheate, your Flaxen-wheate, your White-pollard, and yourRed-wheate, which are the Wheates which yéeld the purest and finestmeale, (although they grow not in so great abundance) are the séedeswhich are most proper and naturall for this soile. As for Rye or Maslin, according to the goodnesse of the ground so you shall bestow your séede:for it is a generall rule, that wheresoeuer your Wheate growes, therewill euer Rye grow, but Rye will many times grow where Wheate will notprosper; and therefore for the sowing of your Rye, it must be accordingto the temper of the earth, and the necessitie of your houshold: forWheate being a richer graine then Rye, if you be assured that yourground will beare Wheate well, it is small Husbandrie to sow more Rye orMaslin then for your house: but if it be too hot for Wheate, and kindlyfor Rye, then it is better to haue good Rye, then ill Wheate. Now forthe sowing of your Rye or Maslin in this soile, it differeth nothingfrom the former soiles, either in plowing or any other obseruation, thatis to say, it must be plowed aboue furrow: for Rye being the most tendergraine, it can neither abide the waight of earth, nor yet moisture; theone, as it were, burying, and the other drowning the vigour and strengthof the séede. 

{SN: Of Winter-ridging. }About the beginning of Nouember you shall Winter-ridge your fallowfield, I meane that part which you doe preserue for Barley (for theother part is furnished with séede) and this Winter-ridging differethnothing from the Winter ridging of other soiles, onely you shall alittle more precisely obserue to set vp your lands more straight andhigh then in other soiles, both to defend them from wet, which thissoile is much subiect vnto, because commonly some great riuer is neareit, and also for the preseruing of the strength and goodnesse of theManure within the land which by lying open and vnclosed would soone bewasht forth and consumed. 

{SN: Of the clensing of lands, or drawing of water-furrowes. }Now sith I haue here occasion to speake something of the draining oflands, and the kéeping of them from the annoyance of superfluous wet, whether it be by invndation or otherwise, you shall vnderstand that itis the especiall office and dutie of euery good Husbandman, not onely inthis soile, but in all other whatsoeuer, to haue a principall respect tothe kéeping of his land dry, and to that end hée shall diligently (assoone as he hath Winter-rigged his land) take a carefull view how hislands lie, which way the descent goes from whence annoyance or water maypossibly come, and so consequently from those obseruations, with a Spadeor strong Plough, of extraordinary greatnesse, draw certaine déepefurrowes from descent vnto descent, by which meanes all the water may beconuayed from his lands, eyther into some common Sewer, Lake, Brooke, orother maine Riuer: and to this end it is both a rule in the common Lawesof our Land, and a laudable custome in the Common-wealth of euery Towne, that for as much as many Townes haue their lands lie in common, that isto say, mixed neighbour with neighbour, few or none hauing aboue two orthree lands at the most lying together in one place, therefore euery manshall ioyne, and make their water-furrowes one from another, vntill suchtime as the water be conuayed into some common issue, as well hée whoselands be without all danger, as he that is troubled with the greatestannoyance, and herein euery one shall beare his particular charge: whichis an Act of great vertue and goodnesse. 

{SN: Of the Plough. }Now for the Plough which is to plow this white sand it doth differnothing in size, proportion, and vse of handling from the Ploughdescribed for the red Sand, onely it hath one addition more, that is tosay, at the further end of the maine Beame of the Plough, where youfixe your Plough-foote, there you shall place a little paire of roundwhéeles, which bearing the Beame vpon a loose mouing Axletrée, beingiust the length of two furrows and no more, doth so certainly guide thePlough in his true furrow that it can neither lose the land by swaruing(as in these light soiles euery Plough is apt to doe) nor take too muchland, eyther by the gréedinesse of the plough or sharpnesse of theIrons, neither can it drownd through the easie lightnesse of the earth, nor runne too shallow through the fussinesse of the mould, but thewhéeles being made of a true proportion, which should not be abouetwelue inches from the centre, the Plough with a reasonable hand ofgouernment shall runne in a direct and euen furrow: the proportion ofwhich Plough is contained in this Figure. 

{Illustration: The Plough with Wheeles. }

This plough of all others I hold to be most ancient, and as being themodell of the first inuention, and at this day is preserued both inFrance, Germany, & Italy, and no other proportion of Ploughes knowne, both as we perceiue by our experience in séeing them plow, & also byreading of their writings: for neither in _Virgil_, _Columella_, _Xenophon_, nor any olde Writer: nor in _Heresbachius_, _Steuens_, nor_Libault_, being later Writers, finde wée any other Plough bequeathedvnto our memories. Yet it is most certaine, that in many of our Englishsoiles, this Plough is of little profit, as we finde by daily experienceboth in our clayes, and many of our mixt earths: for in truth thisPlough is but onely for light, sandy, or grauelly soiles, as for themost part these forraine Countries are, especially about the sea-coast, or the borders of great Cities, from whence these Writers most generallytooke the presidents for their writings. 

{SN: Of the plough-Irons. }Now for the parts of this Plough, it consisteth of the same memberswhich the former Ploughs doe, onely that in stead of the Plough-foote ithath a paire of whéeles. It hath also but one Hale, in such sort as thePlough for the gray or white clay. The beame also of this Plough is muchmore straight then the former, by which meanes the Skeath is not full solong. The Irons belonging vnto this Plough are of the fashion of theformer Irons, onely they be somewhat lesse, that is to say, the Coultureis not so long, neyther so full bent as that for the red Sand, nor sostraight as that for the blacke clay, but as it were holding a meanebetwéene both: so likewise the Share is not fully so broad as that forthe red sand, nor so narrow as that for the gray clay, but holds as itwere a middle size betwéene both, somewhat leaning in proportion to theshape of that for the blacke clay. As for the Plough-slip, Plough-clouts, and other implements which are to defend the wood fromthe hardnesse of the earth, they are the same, and in the same wise tobe vsed as those for the red Sand. 

{SN: Of the draught. }Now for the Draught or Teame which drawes this Plough, they are as inall other Draughts, Oxen or Horses, but for the number thereof theydiffer much from those which are formerly written of: for you shallvnderstand that in this white sandy soile, which is of all soiles thelightest, eyther two good Horses, or two good Oxen are a numbersufficient to plow any Ardor vpon this soile whatsoeuer, as by dailyexperience we may sée in those countries whose soile consists of thiswhite light Sand, of which wée haue now written: neyther shall thePlow-man vpon this soile néede any person to driue or order his Ploughmore then himselfe: for the soile being so light and easie to cut, thePlough so nimble, and the Cattell so few and so neare him, hauing euerhis right hand at libertie (because his plough hath but onely a lefthand Hale) he hath liberty euer to carry a goade or whip in his righthand, to quicken and set forward his Cattell, and also a line whichbeing fastned to the heads of the Beasts, hée may with it euer when héecomes to the lands end, stop them and turne them vpon which hand hepleases. And thus much for the tillage and ordering of this white Sand. 

CHAP. IX. 

_The manner of plowing the Grauell with Pible stones, or the Grauell withFlint, their Earings, Plough, and implements. _

Hauing in the plainest manner I can written sufficiently already of thefoure simple and vncompounded soiles, to wit, two Clayes, blacke andgray, and two Sands, red and white, it now rests that I also giue yousome perfect touch or taste of the mixt or compounded soiles, as namely, the grauell which is a kinde of hard sand, clay and stone mixt together:and of Grauels there be two kindes, that is to say, one that is mixtwith little small Pible stones, as in many parts of Middlesex, Kent, andSurry: and the Grauell mixt with broad Flints, as in many parts ofHartford-shire, Essex, and sundry such places. These Grauels are both, in generall, subiect to much barrainnesse, especially if they beaccompanied with any extraordinary moisture, yet with the good labour ofplowing, and with the cost of much Manure, they are brought toreasonable fruitfulnesse, where it comes to passe that the Plow-manwhich is master of such a soile, if either he liue not neare some Citieor Market-towne, where great store of Manure, by the concourse ofpeople, is daily bred, and so consequently is very cheape, or else hauenot in his owne store and bréede, meanes to raise good store of Manure, hée shall seldome thriue and prosper thereupon. Now although in thesegrauell soiles there is a diuersity of mixture, as the one mingled withsmall Pibles, which indéede is the worst mixture, the other with broadFlints, which is the better signe of fruitfulnesse: yet in their orderof tillage or Earings, in their wéeding and cleansing, and in all otherardors and obseruations, they differ nothing at all, the beginning andending of each seuerall worke being all one. 

Now for the manner of worke belonging vnto these two soiles, it alterethin no respect nor obseruation eyther in Plough, plowing, manuring, weeding, or any other thing whatsoeuer, from that of the white sand, thesame times of the yéere, the same Séedes, and the same Earings beingeuer to be obserued, wherefore it shall be needlesse to write so amplyof these soiles as of the former, because being all one with the whiteSand, without alteration, it were but to write one thing twice, andtherefore I referre the Reader to the former Chapter, and also theHusbandman that shall liue vpon either of these soiles, onely with thesefew caueats: First, that for the laying his lands, hée shall lay them inlittle small stitches, that is, not hauing aboue foure furrowes laidtogether, as it were for one land, in such sort as you sée inHartford-shire, Essex, Middlesex, Kent and Surry: for this soile beingfor the most part subiect to much moisture and hardnesse, if it shouldbe laid in great lands, according to the manner of the North parts, itwould ouer-burden, choake and confound the séed which is throwne intoit. Secondly, you shall not goe about to gather off the stones whichséeme as it were to couer the lands, both because the labour is infiniteand impossible, as also because those stones are of good vse, and as itwere a certaine Manuring and helpe vnto the ground: for the nature ofthis Grauell being colde and moist, these stones doe in the winter time, defend and kéepe the sharpnesse of the Frosts and bleake windes fromkilling the heart or roote of the séedes, and also in the Summer itdefends the scorching heate of the Sunne from parching and drying vp theSéede, which in this grauelly soile doth not lie so well couered, as inother soyles, especially if this kinde of earth be inuironed with anygreat hils (as most commonly it is) the reflection whereof makes theheate much more violent. And lastly, to obserue that there is no manurebetter or more kindly for this kinde of earth then Chaulke, white Marle, or Lyme: for all other matters whatsoeuer the former Chapter of thewhite Sand, will giue you sufficient instructions. 

CHAP. X. 

_The manner of plowing the blacke Clay mixt with red Sand, and the whiteClay mixt with white Sand, their Earings, Plough and Implements. _

Next to these grauelly soiles, there be also two other compoundedearths, as namely, the blacke Clay mixt with red Sand, and the whiteClay mixt with white sand, which albe they differ in composition ofmould, yet they hold one nature in their Tillage and Husbandry:wherefore first to speake of the blacke Clay mixt with red Sand, which(as before I said) is called of Husbandmen an hassell earth, you shallvnderstand that it is a very rich and good soile, very fruitfull bothfor Corne and Grasse: for Corne, being apt to beare any séedewhatsoeuer: and for Grasse, as naturally putting it forth very earely inthe yéere, by which your Cattell shall get reliefe sooner then in othersoiles of colder nature: for both the blacke and white claies doeseldome flowrish with any store of Grasse before Iune, which is thetime of wood-seare, and this soile will boast of some plenty about thebeginning of Aprill at the furthest: but for Grasse we shall speake inhis proper place. 

{SN: Of fallowing. }Now for his tillage it is thus: you shall about the middest of Ianuary, beginne to fallow that field which you intend that yéere shall lye atrest or tilth, and you shall fallow it in such sort as is specified inthe Chapter of the blacke clay: onely you shall raise small furrowes andPlow the land cleane, being sure to open and cast the land downeward ifthe land lie high and round, otherwise you shall neuer at any time castthe land downe but ridge it vp, that is to say, when you fallow it, youshall cast the first furrow downeward, and so likewise the second, whichtwo furrowes being cleane ploughed, will lay the land open inough, thatis, there wilbe no part of the ridge vnploughed: which done, by changingyour hand and the gate of your Plough, you shall plough those furrowesbacke againe and lay them vpward, and so plough the whole land vpward, also laying it round and high: the reason for this manner of plowingbeing this, that for as much as this land being mixt of clay and sand, must néedes be a sore binding land, therefore if it should be laid flat, if any great raine or wet should fall, and a present drought follow it, neither should you possibly force your Plough to enter into it andbreake it, or being broken should you get so much mould as to couer yourCorne and giue the séede comfort, whereas vpon the contrary part, if itbe laid high and vpright, it must necessarily be laid hollow and light, in so much that you may both Plough it at your pleasure, and also begetso perfect a mould as any other soile whatsoeuer, both because the wethath liberty to auoide through the hollownesse, and also because theSunne and weather hath power to enter and season it, wherefore inconclusion you shall fallow this field downeward if it lye high andvpright, otherwise you shall fallow it vpward as the meanes to bring itto the best Ardor. 

Now for this fallow field it must euer be made where the yéere beforeyou did reape your Pease, in case you haue but thrée fields, or whereyou did reape your Wheate, Rye, and Maslin, in case you haue fourefields, according to the manner of the blacke clay. 

{SN: Of sowing Pease. }About the middest of February, which is within a day or two of Saint_Valentines_ day, if the season be any thing constant in fairenesse anddrinesse, you shall then beginne to sow your Pease, for you mustvnderstand that albeit this soile will beare Beanes, yet they arenothing so naturall for it as Pease, both because they are an hungryséede and doe much impaire and wast the ground, and also because theyprosper best in a fat, loose, and tough earth, which is contrary to thishard and drie soile: but especially if you haue foure fields, you shallforbeare to sow any Beanes at all, least you loose two commodities, thatis, both quantitie of graine (because Beanes are not so long andfruitfull vpon this earth, as vpon the clayes) and the Manuring of yourground, which Pease out of their owne natures doe, both by thesmoothering of the ground and their owne fatnesse, when your Beanes doepill and sucke the hart out of the earth. 

Now for the manner of sowing your Pease, you shall sow them abouefurrow, that is, first plough the land vpward, then immediately sow yourPease, and instantly after Harrow them, the Plough, the Séedes-man, andthe Harrower, by due course, following each other, and so likewise youmay sow Oates vpon this soile. 

{SN: Of sowing Barley. }About the middest of March, which is almost a fortnight before our Ladyday, you shall beginne to sow your Barley, which Barley you shall sowneither vnder-furrow nor aboue, but after this order: first, you shallplow your land downeward, beginning at the furrow and so assendingvpward to the ridge of the land, which as soone as you haue opened, youshall then by pulling the plough out of the earth, and laying theshelboard crosse the ridge, you shall fill the ridge in againe with thesame mould which you plowed vp: this done, your séedes-man shall bringhis Barley and sow the land aboue furrow: after the land is sowne, youshall then Harrow it as small as may be, first with a paire of wooddenHarrowes, and after with a paire of Iron Harrowes, or else with a doubleOxe Harrow, for this earth being somewhat hard and much binding, willaske great care and dilligence in breaking. 

{SN: Of sleighting. }After your Barley is sowne, you shall about the latter end of Aprillbeginne to smooth and sleight your land, both with the backe Harrowesand with the rouler, and looke what clots they faile to breake, youshall with clotting beetles beate them asunder, making your mould asfine and laying your land as smooth as is possible. 

{SN: Of Summer-stirring. }About the middest of May, you shall, if any wet fall, beginne toSummer-stirre your land, or if no wet fall, you shall doe your indeauourto Summer-stirre your land, rather aduenturing to breake two ploughes, then to loose one day in that labour, knowing this, that one landSummer-stird in a dry season, is better then thrée Summer-stird in a wetor moist weather, both because it giues the earth a better temper, andkils the wéedes with more assurednesse, and as I speake ofSummer-stirring, so I speake of all other Ardors, that the drier theyare done the better they are euer done: and in this season you shallalso gather the stones from your ground. 

{SN: Obiection. }Now it may be obiected, that if it be best to plough in drie seasons, itis then best to fallow also in a dry season, and by that meanes not tobeginne to fallow vntill the beginning of May, as is prescribed for theblacke clay, and so to deferre the Summer-stirring till the next monthafter, sith of necessitie Ianuary must either be wet or else vnkindely. 

{SN: Answere. }To this I make answere, that most true it is, that the land which islast fallowed is euer the best and most fruitfull, yet this mixt earthwhich is compound of sand and clay, is such a binding earth, that if itbe not taken and fallowed in a moist-time of the yéere, as namely, inIanuary or February, but suffered to lye till May, at which time thedrought hath so entered into him, that the greatest part of his moistureis decaied, then I say, the nature of the ground is such and so hard, that it wilbe impossible to make any plough enter into it, so that youshall not onely aduenture the losse of that speciall Ardor, but also ofall the rest which should follow after, and so consequently loose theprofit of your land: where contrary wise if you fallow it at thebeginning of the yéere, as in Ianuary, and February, albe they be wet, yet shall you lay vp your furrowes and make the earth more loose, bywhich meanes you shall compasse all the other Earings which belong toyour soile: for to speake briefely, late fallowing belongs vnto claies, which by drought are made loose and light, and earely fallowings vntomixt soiles, such as these which by drinesse doe ingender and bindeclose together. 

{SN: Of weeding. }About the middest of Iune, you shall beginne to wéede your Corne, insuch sort as hath béene before described in the former Chapters: andalthough this soile naturally of it selfe (if it haue receiued his wholeArdor in due seasons, and haue béene Ploughed cleane, according to theoffice of a good Husband) doth neither put forth Thistle or other wéede, yet if it want either the one or the other, it is certaine that it putsthem forth in great abundance, for by Thistles and wéedes, vpon thissoile, is euer knowne the goodnesse and dilligence of the Husbandman. 

{SN: Of Foiling. }About the middest of Iuly, you shall beginne to foile your land, in suchsort also as hath béene mentioned in the former Chapters, onely withthis obseruation that if any of your lands lie flat, you shall then, inyour foiling, plough those lands vpward and not downeward, holding yourfirst precept that in this soile, your lands must lie high, light, andhollow, which if you sée they doe, then you may if you please in yourfoiling cast them downeward, because at Winter ridging you may set themvp againe. 

{SN: Of Manuring. }Now for as much as in this Chapter I haue hitherto omitted to speake ofManuring this soile, you shall vnderstand that it is not because I holdit so rich that it néedeth no Manure, but because I know there isnothing more néedfull vnto it then Manure, in so much that I wish notthe Husbandman of this ground to binde himselfe vnto any one particularseason of the yéere for the leading forth of his Manure, but to bestowall his leasurable houres and rest from other workes onely vpon thislabor, euen through the circuit of the whole yéere, knowing this mostprecisely, that at what time of the yéere so euer you shall lay Manurevpon this earth it will returne much profit. 

As for the choise of Manures vpon this soile they are all thosewhatsoeuer, of which I haue formerly intreated in any of the otherChapters, no Manure whatsoeuer comming amisse to this ground: prouidedthat the Husbandman haue this respect to lay vpon his moystest andcoldest ground his hottest Manures, and vpon his hottest and driestearth his coolest and moistest Manures: the hot Manures beingShéepes-dung, Pigions-dung, Pullen-dung, Lyme, Ashes, and such like: thecoole being Oxe-dung, Horse-dung, the scowrings of Ponds, Marle, andsuch like. 

{SN: Of Winter-ridging. }About the middest of September you shall beginne to Winter-ridge yourLand, which in all points you shall doe according as is mentioned in theformer Chapters of the Clayes: for in this Ardor there is neuer anydifference, onely this one small obseruation, that you may aduenture toWinter-ridge this mixt earth sooner then any other: for many of our bestEnglish Husbandmen which liue vpon this soile doe hold this opinion, that if it be Winter-ridged so earely in the yéere, that through thevertue of the latter spring it put forth a certaine gréene wéede likemosse, bring short and soft, that the land is so much the bettertherefore, being as they imagine both fed and comforted by such aslender expression which doth not take from the land any hart, but likea warme couering doth ripen and make mellow the mould, and this cannotbe effected but onely by earely Winter-ridging. 

{SN: Of Sowing of Wheate, Rye, and Maslin. }At the end of September you shall beginne to sow your Wheate, Rye, andMaslin, all which Graines are very naturall, good, and profitable vponthis soile, and are to be sowne after the same manner, and with the sameobseruations which are specified in the former Chapter of the blackeclay, that is to say, the Wheate vnder furrow, and vnharrowed, the Ryeand Maslin aboue furrow, and well harrowed. And herein is also to beremembred all those precepts mentioned in the Chapter of the blackeClay, touching the diuision of the fields, that is to say, if you hauethree fields, you shall then sow your Wheate, Rye and Maslin in yourfallow-field, and so saue both the Foyling and double manuring of somuch earth: but if you haue foure fields, then you shall sow thosegraines vpon that land from whence the same yéere you did reape yourPease; your Wheate hauing no other Manure then that which came by thePease, your Rye hauing, if possible, eyther Manure from the Cart, orfrom the Folde, in such sort as hath béene shewed in the Chapter of theblacke Clay, and this of Husbandmen is called Inam-wheate or Inam-rye, that is, white-corne sowne after white-corne, as Barley after Barley, orhard-corne after hard-corne, which is wheate after Pease. 

{SN: Of the plough. }Now for the Plough which is most proper for this soile it is to be madeof a middle size betwixt that for the blacke Clay, and that for the redSand, being not all out so bigge and vnwieldy as the first, nor soslender and nimble as the latter, but taking a middle proportion fromthem both, you shall make your Plough of a competent fitnesse. 

{SN: Of the plough-Irons. }As for the Irons, the Share must be of the same proportion that theShare for the red Sand is, yet a little thought bigger, and the Coultureof the fashion of that Coulture, onely not full so much bent, butall-out as sharpe and as long: and these Irons must be euer wellmaintained with stéele, for this mixt earth is euer the hardest, andweareth both the Plough and Irons soonest, and therefore it is agréedby all Husbandmen that this Plough must not at any time want hisPlough-slip, except at the first going of the Plough you shall findethat it hath too much land, that is to say, by the crosse setting on ofthe beame, that it runneth too gréedily into the land, which to helpe, you shall let your Plough goe without a plough-slip, till theplough-head be so much worne, that it take no more but an ordinaryfurrow, and then you shall set on your Plough-slips and Plough cloutsalso: but I write this in case there be imperfection in the Plough, which if it be otherwise, then this obseruation is néedlesse. 

{SN: Of the Teame. }Now for the Teame or Draught which shall draw this Plough, they are asthe former, Oxen or Horses, and their number the same that is prescribedfor the blacke Clay, as namely, eight or sixe Beasts for Pease-earth, for Fallowing, and Summer-stirring, and sixe or foure for all otherArdors: for you must vnderstand that this mixt and binding soile, through his hardnesse, and glutenous holding together, is as hard toplow as any clay-soile whatsoeuer, and in some speciall seasons more bymany degrées. 

{SN: Of the white clay with white Sand. }Now for the white clay mixt with white sand, it is an earth much morebarraine, then this former mixt earth, and bringeth forth nothingwithout much care, diligence, and good order: yet, for his manner ofEarings, in their true natures euery way doe differ nothing from theEarings of this blacke clay and red Sand, onely the Séede which must besowne vpon this soile differeth from the former: for vpon this soile instead of Barley you must sow most Oates, as a Graine which will takemuch strength from little fertilitie: and in stead of Rye you shall sowmore Wheate and more Pease, or in stead of Pease then you shall sowFitches of eyther kinde which you please, and the increase will be(though not in abundance, yet) so sufficient as shall well quit thePlow-mans labour. 

{SN: Of Manuring. }Now for the Manuring of this ground, you shall vnderstand that Marle isthe chiefest: for neyther will any man suppose that this hard soileshould bring vp cattell sufficient to manure it, nor if it would, yetthat Manure were not so good: for a barraine clay being mixt with a mostbarraine sand, it must consequently follow that the soile must be of allthe barenest, insomuch that to giue perfect strength and life vnto it, there is nothing better then Marle, which being a fat and strong clay, once incorporated within these weake moulds, it must néedes giue themthe best nourishment, loosening the binding substance, and binding thatweaknesse which occasioneth the barrainnesse: but of this Marle I shallhaue more occasion to speake hereafter in a particular Chapter, onelythus much I must let you vnderstand, that this soile, albe it be notwithin any degrée of praise for the bringing forth of Corne, yet it isvery apt and fruitfull for the bréeding of grasse, insomuch that it willbeare you corne for at least nine yéeres together (without the vse ofany fallow or Tilth-field) if it be well marled, and immediately afterit will beare you very good bréeding grasse, or else reasonable Medowfor as many yéeres after, as by daily experience we sée in the Countriesof Lancaster and Chester. So that the consequence being considered, thisground is not but to be held indifferent fruitfull: for whereas othersoiles afore shewed (which beare abundance of Graine) are bound to bemanured once in thrée yéeres, this soile, albe it beare neither so richgraine, nor so much plenty, yet it néedes marling not aboue once insixtéene or eightéene yéeres: and albe Marle be a Manure of the greatestcost, yet the profit by continuance is so equall that the labour isneuer spent without his reward, as shall more largely appeare hereafter. 

{SN: Of the Plough. }As touching the Plough, it is the same which is mentioned in the othersoile of the blacke Clay, and red Sand, altering nothing eyther inquantitie of timber, or strength of Irons: so that to make any largedescription thereof, is but to double my former discourses, and make mywritings tedious. 

For to conclude briefely, these two soiles differ onely but in fatnesseand strength of nature, not in Earing, or plowing, so that the laboursof tillage being equall there is not any alteration more then the truediligence of much manuring, which will bréede an affinitie or alyancebetwixt both these soiles. And thus much for this blacke Clay and redSand, or white Clay and white Sand. 

{Illustration}

 THE FIRST PART OF THE ENGLISH Husbandman: Contayning, the manner of plowing and Manuring all sorts of Soyles, together with the manner of planting and setting of Corne. 

CHAP. I. 

_Of the manner of plowing all simple Earths, which are vncompounded. _

That many famous and learned men, both in Fraunce, Spaine, Italy andGermany, haue spent all their best time in shewing vnto the world theexcellencie of their experiences, in this onely renowned Arte ofHusbandry, their large and learned Volumes, most excellently written, inthat kinde, are witnesses: from whence we by translations haue gottensome contentment, though but small profit; because those forraineclymates, differing much from ours, both in nature of earth, and temperof Ayre, the rules and obseruations belonging vnto them can be littleauailable to vs, more then to know what is done in such parts, a thingmore appertaining to our conference then practise. But now, that otherkingdomes may sée though wée write lesse yet wée know as much asbelongeth to the office of the English Husbandman, I, though the meanestof many millions, haue vndertaken to deliuer vnto the world all the truerudiments, obseruations and knowledges what soeuer, which hath anyaffinitie or alliance with English Husbandry. And for as much as thebest and principallest part of Husbandry consisteth in the plowing andearring of the ground (for in that onely _Adam_ began his first labours)I thinke it not vnméete, first to treate of that subiect, procéeding sofrom braunch to braunch, till I haue giuen euery one sufficientknowledge. 

To speake then first of the Tilling of Grounds. You shall wellvnderstand, that it is the office of euery good Husbandman before he puthis plough into the earth, truly to consider the nature of his Grounds, and which is of which quallitie and temper. To procéede then to ourpurpose; all soyles what soeuer, in this our kingdome of England, arereduced into two kindes onely, that is to say, Simple or Compound. Simple, are those which haue no mixture with others of a contraryquallitie, as are your stiffe clayes, or your loose sands: your stiffeclayes are likewise diuers, as a blacke clay, a blew clay, and a claylike vnto Marble. Your sands are also diuers, as a red sand, a whitesand, a yellow sand, and a sand like vnto dust. Your mixt earths arewhere any of these clayes and sands are equally or vnindifferently mixedtogether, as shalbe at large declared hereafter. Now as touching thetilling of your simple clayes, it is to be noted, that the blacke clay, of all earth, is the most fruitfull, and demandeth from the Husbandmanthe least toyle, yet bringeth forth his increase in the greatestabundance: it will well and sufficiently bring forth thrée crops, eareit desire rest: namely, the first of Barly, the second of Pease, and thethird of Wheate: It doth not desire much Manure, for it is naturally ofit selfe so fat, rich, and fruitfull, that if you adde strength vnto hisstrength, by heaping Manure or Compasse thereupon, you make it eitherblast, and mildew the Corne that growes, with the too much fatnesse ofthe earth, or else through his extreame rankenesse, to bring it vp insuch abundance that it is not able to stand vpright when it is shot vp, but falling downe flat to the ground, and the eares of Corne smotheringone another, they bring forth nothing but light Corne, like an emptiehuske, without a kirnell. The best Manure or Compasse therefore that youcan giue such ground, is then to plow it in orderly and dew seasons, asthus: you shall begin to fallow, or breake vp this soyle, at thebeginning of May, at which time you shall plow it déepe, & take vp alarge furrow, and if your Lands lye any thing flat, it shalbe méete thatyou begin on the ridge of the land, and turne all your furrowes vpward, but if your Lands lye high and vpright, then shall you begin in thefurrow and turne all your furrowes downeward, which is called ofHusbandmen, the casting downe of Land. This first plowing of ground, oras Husbandmen tearme it, the first ardor, is called fallowing: thesecond ardor, which we call stirring of ground, or sommer stirring, youshall begin in Iuly, which is of great consequence, for by meanes of ityou shall kill all manner of wéedes and thistells that would annoy yourLand. In this ardor you must oft obserue that if when you fallowed youdid set vp your Land, then now when you stirre you must cast downe yourLand, and so contrarily, if before you did cast downe, then now you mustset vp: your third ardor, which is called of Husbandmen, winterridgeing, or setting vp Land for the whole yéere, you shall begin at thelatter end of September, and you must euer obserue that in this thirdardor you doe alwaies ridge vp your Land, that is to say, you most turneeuery furrow vpward and lay them as close together as may be, forshould you doe otherwise, that is to say, either lay them flat orloosely, the winter season would so beat and bake them together, thatwhen you should sow your séede you would hardly get your plough into theground. 

Now your fourth and last ardor, which must be when you sow your séede, you shall begin euer about the midst of March, at least one wéeke beforeour Ladies day, commonly called the Annunciation of _Mary_, and thisardor you shall euer plow downeward, laying your ridges very well open, and you shall euer obserue in this ardor, first to sow your séede, andthen after to plow your ground, turning your séede into the earth, whichis called of Husbandmen, sowing vnderfurrow: as soone as your ground isplowed you shall harrow it with an harrow whose téeth are all of wood, for these simple earths are of easie temper and will of themselues fallto dust, then after you haue thus sowne your ground, if then thereremaine any clots or lumpes of earth vnbroken, you shall let them resttill after the next shower of raine, at which time you shall either witha heauie rouler, or the backside of your harrowes, runne ouer yourLands, which is called the sleighting of ground, and it will not onelybreake such clots to dust, but also lay your Land plaine and smoth, leauing no impediment to hinder the Corne from sprouting and commingforth. In this same ordor as you are appointed for this blacke clay, inthis same manner you shall ordor both your blew clay & your clay whichis like vnto marble. Now as touching the plough which is fittest forthese clayes, it must be large and strong, the beame long and wellbending, the head thicke and large, the skéeth broad, strong, and wellsloaping, the share with a very large wing, craueing much earth, and thecoulter long, thicke and very straight. 

Now touching those lands which are simple and vncompounded, you shallvnderstand that euery good Husbandman must begin his first ardor (whichis to fallow them) at the beginning of Ianuary, hée must sooner stirrethem, which is the second ardor, at the latter end of Aprill, he shallcast them downe againe, which is called foyling of Land, at thebeginning of Iuly, which is the third ardor, and wherein is to be noted, that how soeuer all other ardors are plowed, yet this must euer be castdownward: the fourth ardor, which is winter-stirring or winter-ridgeing, must euer begin at the end of September, and the fift and last ardormust be performed when you sow your ground, which would be at themiddest of May, at the soonest, and if your leasure and abilitie willgiue you leaue, if you turne ouer your ground againe in Ianuary, it willbe much better, for these sands can neuer haue too much plowing, nor toomuch Manure, and therefore for them both, you shall apply them so oft asyour leasure will conueniently serue, making no spare when either theway or opportunitie will giue you leaue. Now for as much as all sands, being of a hot nature, are the fittest to bring foorth Rye, which is agraine delighting in drynesse onely, you shall vnderstand, that then youshall not néed to plow your ground aboue foure times ouer, that is, youshall fallow, sommer stirre, foyle, and in September sow your Corne: andas these ardors serue the red sand, so are they sufficient for yourwhite sand, and your yealow sand also. As touching the ploughes fit forthese light earths, they would be little and strong, hauing a shortslender beame and a crooked; a narrow and thinne head, a slender skéeth, a share without a wing, a coulter thinne and very crooked, and a paireof hales much bending forward towards the man; and with this manner ofplough you may plow diuers mixt and compounded earths, as the blackeclay and red sand, or the red sand and white grauell: and thus much astouching earths that are simple and vncompounded. 

CHAP. II. 

_Of the manner of plowing the blacke clay mixt with white sand, and thewhite clay mixt with red sand: their Earrings, Plough, and Implements. _

As touching the mixture of these two seuerall soyles, that is to say, the blacke clay with white sand, and the white clay with red sand, theydiffer not in the nature of plowing, sowing, or in Manuring, from thesoyle which is mixt of a blacke clay and red sand, of which I hauesufficiently intreated before: onely thus much you shall vnderstand, that the blacke clay mixt with white sand is so much better and richerthen the white clay mixt with red sand, by as much as the blacke clay isbetter then the white clay: and although some Husbandmen in our Land, hould them to be both of one temper and goodnesse, reasoning thus, thatby how much the blacke clay is better then the white, by so much the redsand is better then the white sand, so that what the mixture of the oneaddeth, the mixture of the other taketh away, and so maketh them all onein fruitfulnesse and goodnesse: but in our common experience it doth notso fall out, for wée finde that the blacke clay mixt with white sand, ifit be ordered in the forme of good Husbandry, that is to say, be plowedouer at least foure times, before it come to be sowne, and that it beManured and compassed in Husbandly fashion, which is to allow at leasteight waine-load to an Aker, that if then vpon such Land you shall soweither Organe Wheat (in the south parts called red Wheat) or flaxen, orwhite Pollard Wheat, that such Wheat will often mildew, and turne asblacke as soote, which onely showeth too much richnesse and fatnesse inthe earth, which the white clay mixt with red sand hath neuer beeneséene to doe, especially so long as it is vsed in any Husbandlyfashion, neither will the white clay mixt with red sand indure to bedeuided into foure fields, that is to say, to beare thrée seuerallcrops, one after another, as namely, Barly, Pease, and Wheat, withoutrest, which the blacke clay mixt with white sand many times doth, andthereby againe showeth his better fruitfulnesse: neuerthelesse, ingeneralitie I would not wish any good Husbandman, and especially such ashaue much tillage, to deuide either of these soyles into any more thenthrée fields, both because hee shall ease himselfe and his Cattell ofmuch toyle, shall not at any time loose the best seasons for his bestworkes, and make his commodities, and fruit of his hands labours, bymany degrées more certaine. 

You shall also vnderstand, that both these soyles are very much binding, especially the white clay with red sand, both because the clay, procéeding from a chaukie and limie substance, and not hauing in it muchfatnesse or fertillitie (which occasioneth seperation) being mixt withthe red sand, which is of a much more hardnesse and aptnesse to knittogether, with such tough matter, it must necessarilie binde and cleauetogether, and so likewise the blacke clay, from whence most naturallyprocéedeth your best limestone, being mixt with white sand, doth alsobinde together and stifle the séede, if it be not preuented by goodHusbandry. 

You shall therefore in the plowing and earring of these two soyles, obserue two especiall notes; the first, that by no meanes you plow it inthe wet, that is, in any great glut of raine: for if you either lay itvp, or cast it downe, when it is more like morter then earth, if thenany sunshine, or faire weather, doe immediately follow vpon it, it willso drie and bake it, that if it be sowne, neither will the séede hauestrength to sprout thorrow it, nor being in any of your other summerardors, shall you by any meanes make your plough enter into it againe, when the season falleth for other plowing. The second, that you hauegreat care you lay your Land high and round, that the furrowes, as itwere standing vpright one by another, or lying light and hollow, onevpon another, you may with more ease, at any time, enter in your plough, and turne your moulde which way you please, either in the heate ofSommer, or any other time of the yéere whatsoeuer. 

Now as touching the plough, which is most best and proper for thesesoyles, it would be the same in sise which is formerly directed for thered sand, onely the Irons must be altered, for the Coulter would be morelong, sharpe, and bending, and the share so narrow, sharpe, and small ascan conueniently be made, according as is formerly expressed, that nothauing power to take vp any broad furrow, the furrowes by reason ofthere slendernesse may lye many, and those many both hollow, light andat any time easily to be broken. 

As for the Teame which is best to worke in this soyle, they may beeither Horses or Oxen, or Oxen and Horse mixt together, according to theHusbandmans abillitie, but if hée be a Lord of his owne pleasure and maycommaund, and haue euery thing which is most apt and proper, then inthese two soyles, I preferre the Teame of Horses single, rather thenOxen, especially in any winter or moist ardor, because they doe nottread and foyle the ground making it mirie and durtie as the Oxe doth, but going all in one furrow, doe kéepe the Land in his constantfirmenesse. 

As touching the clotting, sleighting, wéeding, and dressing of these twosoyles, they differ in nothing from the former mixt earths, but desireall one manner of dilligence: and thus much for these two soyles theblacke clay mixt with white sand, and the white clay with white redsand. 

CHAP. III. 

_A comparison of all the former soyles together, and most especiall notesfor giuing the ignorant Husbandman perfect vnderstanding, of what iswritten before. _

The reason why I haue thus at large discoursed of euery seuerall soyle, both simple and compounded, is to show vnto the industrious Husbandman, the perfect and true reason of the generall alteration of our workes inHusbandry, through this our Realme of England: for if all our Land, asit is one kingdome, were likewise of one composition, mixture, andgoodnesse, it were then excéeding preposterous to sée those diuersities, alterations, I, and euen contrary manners of procéedings in Husbandry, which are daily and hourely vsed: but euery man in his owne worke knowesthe alteration of clymates. Yet for so much as this labour of Husbandry, consisteth not for the most part in the knowing and vnderstandingbreast, but in the rude, simple, and ignorant Clowne, who onely knowethhow to doe his labour, but cannot giue a reason why he doth such labour, more then the instruction of his parents, or the custome of theCountrie, where it comes to passe (and I haue many times séene the sameto mine admiration) that the skillfullest Clowne which is bred in theclay soyles, when hée hath béene brought to the sandy ground, hée couldneither hould the plough, temper the plough, nor tell which way in goodorder to driue the Cattell, the heauinesse of the one labour being socontrary to the lightnesse of the other, that not hauing a temperance, or vnderstanding in his hands, hée hath béene put euen vnto his wittesends; therefore I thinke it conuenient, in this place, by a slightcomparison of soyles together, to giue the simplest Husbandman suchdirect & plaine rules that he shall with out the study of his braines, attaine to absolute knowledge of euery seuerall mixture of earth: andalbeit hée shall not be able distinctly to say at the first that it iscompounded of such and such earths, yet hée shall be very able todeliuer the true reason and manner how such ground (of what naturesoeuer) shall be Husbanded and tilled. 

Therefore to begin the Husbandman, is to vnderstand, that generallythere are but two soyles for him to regard, for in them consisteth thewhole Arte of Husbandry: as namely, the open and loose earth, and theclose and fast binding earth, and these two soyles being meare oppositesand contraries, most necessarily require in the Husbandman a doublevnderstanding, for there is no soyle, of what simplicitie or mixturesoeuer it be, but it is either loose or fast. 

Now to giue you my meaning of these two words, _loose_ and _fast_, itis, that euery soyle which vpon parching and dry weather, euen when theSunne beames scorcheth, and as it were baketh the earth, if then theground vpon such excéeding drought doe moulder and fall to dust, so thatwhereas before when it did retaine moisture it was heauie, tough, andnot to be seperated, now hauing lost that glewinesse it is light, loose, and euen with a mans foote to be spurnd to ashes, all such grounds aretearmed loose and open grounds, because at no time they doe binde in orimprison the séede (the frost time onely excepted, which is byaccidence, and not from the nature of the soyle:) and all such groundsas in their moisture or after the fall of any sodaine raine are soft, plyable, light, and easie to be wrought, but after when they come toloose that moistnesse and that the powerfulnesse of the Sunne hath as itwere drid vp their veynes, if then such earths become hard, firme, andnot to be seperated, then are those soyles tearmed fast and bindingsoyles, for if there ardors be not taken in their due times, and theirséede cast into them in perfect and due seasons, neither is it possiblefor the Plowman to plow them, nor for the séede to sprout through, theearth being so fastned and as it were stone-like fixt together. Nowsithence that all soyles are drawne into these two heads, fastnes, andloosenesse, and to them is annexed the diuersitie of all tillage, I willnow show the simple Husbandman which earths be loose, and which fast, and how without curiositie to know and to distinguish them. 

Breifely, all soyles that are simple and of themselues vncompounded, asnamely, all claies, as blacke, white, gray, or blew, and all sands, aseither red, white, or blacke, are open and loose soyles: the claiesbecause the body and substance of them being held together by moistnes, that moisture being dryed vp, their strength and stifnesse decayeth, andsands by reason of their naturall lightnesse, which wanting a more moistand fixt body to be ioyned with them doe loose all strength of bindingor holding together. Now all mixt or compound earths (except thecompositions of one and the same kinds, as clay with clay, or sand withsand) are euer fast and binding earths: for betwixt sand and clay, orclay & grauell, is such an affinitie, that when they be mixt togetherthe sand doth giue to the clay such hardnesse and drynesse, and the clayto the sand such moisture and coldnesse, that being fixt together theymake one hard body, which through the warmth of the Sunne bindeth andcleaueth together. But if it be so that the ignorance of the Husbandmancannot either through the subtiltie of his eye sight, or theobseruations gathered from his experience, distinguish of these soyles, and the rather, sith many soyles are so indifferently mixt, and thecolour so very perfect, that euen skill it selfe may be deceiued: asfirst to speake of what mixture some soyles consist, yet for as much asit is sufficient for the Husbandman to know which is loose and which isbinding, hée shall onely when he is perplext with these differences, vsethis experiment, hée shall take a good lumpe of that earth whosetemperature hée would know, and working it with water and his wethands, like a péece of past, he shall then as it were make a cakethereof, and laying it before an hot fire, there let it lye, till allthe moisture be dried & backt out of it, then taking it into your handsand breaking it in péeces, if betwéene your fingers it moulder and fallinto a small dust, then be assured it is a loose, simple, andvncompounded earth, but if it breake hard and firme, like a stone, andwhen you crumble it betwéene your fingers it be rough, gréetie, andshining, then be assured it is a compounded fast-binding earth, and iscompounded of clay and sand, and if in the baking it doe turne red orredish, it is compounded of a gray clay and red sand, but if it bebrowne or blewish, then it is a blacke clay & white sand, but if whenyou breake it you finde therein many small pibles, then the mixture isclay and grauell. Now there be some mixt soyles, after they are thusbak't, although they be hard and binding, yet they will not be soexcéeding hard and stone-like as other soyles will be, and that is wherethe mixture is vnequall, as where the clay is more then the sand, or thesand more then the clay. 

When you haue by this experiment found out the nature of your earth, andcan tell whether it be simple or compounded, you shall then looke to thefruitfulnesse thereof, which generally you shall thus distinguish. First, that clayes, simple and of themselues vncompounded, are of allthe most fruitfull, of which, blacke is the best, that next to clayes, your mixt earths are most fertill, and the mixture of the blacke clayand red sand, called a hasell earth, is the best, and that your sandsare of all soyles most barraine, of which the red sand for profit hatheuer the preheminence. 

Now for the generall tillage and vse of these grounds, you shallvnderstand that the simple and vncompounded grounds, being loose andopen (if they lye frée from the danger of water) the Lands may be laydthe flattest and greatest, the furrowes turned vp the largest andclosest, and the plough and plough-Irons, most large and massie, onelythose for the sandy grounds must be more slender then those for theclayes and much more nimble, as hath béene showed before. Now for themixt earths, you shall lay your Lands high, round, and little, set yourfurrowes vpright, open, and so small as is possible, and make yourplough and plow Irons most nimble and slender, according to the mannerbefore specified: and thus I conclude, that hée which knoweth the looseearth and the binding earth, can either helpe or abate the strength ofthe earth, as is néedfull, and knowes how to sorte his ploughes to eachtemper, knowes the ground and substance of all tillage. 

CHAP. IIII. 

_Of the planting or setting of Corne, and the profit thereof. _

Not that I am conceited, or carried away with any nouelty or strangepractise, vnusually practised in this kingdome, or that I will ascribevnto my selfe to giue any iudiciall approbation or allowance to thingsmearely vnfrequented, doe I publish, within my booke, this relation ofthe setting of Corne, but onely because I would not haue our EnglishHusbandman to be ignorant of any skill or obscure faculty which iseither proper to his profession, or agréeable with the fertillitie andnature of our clymates, and the rather, since some few yéeres agoe, this(as it then appeared secret) being with much admiration bruted throughthe kingdome, in so much that according to our weake accustomeddispositions (which euer loues strange things best) it was held soworthy, both for generall profit and perticular ease, that very fein(except the discréet) but did not alone put it in practise, but did euenground strong beleifes to raise to themselues great common-wealthes bythe profits thereof; some not onely holding insufficient arguments, ingreat places, of the invtilitie of the plough, but euen vtterlycontemning the poore cart Iade, as a creature of no necessitie, so thatPoulters and Carriers, were in good hope to buy Horse-flesh as theybought egges, at least fiue for a penie; but it hath proued otherwise, and the Husbandman as yet cannot loose the Horses seruice. But toprocéede to the manner of setting or planting of Corne, it is in thismanner. 

{SN: Of setting Wheate. }Hauing chosen out an aker of good Corne ground, you shall at thebeginning of March, appoint at least sixe diggers or laborers withspades to digge vp the earth gardenwise, at least a foote and thréeinches déepe (which is a large spades graft) and being so digged vp, torest till Iune, and then to digge it ouer againe, and in the digging totrench it and Manure it, as for a garden mould, bestowing at leastsixtéene Waine-load of Horse or Oxe Manure vpon the aker, and the Manureto be well couered within the earth, then so to let it rest vntill thebeginning of October, which being the time for the setting, you shallthen digge it vp the third time, and with rakes and béetells breake themoulde somewhat small, then shall you take a board of sixe foot square, which shalbe bored full of large wimble holes, each hole standing ingood order, iust sixe inches one from another, then laying the boardvpon the new digged ground, you shall with a stick, made for thepurpose, through euery hole in the board, make a hole into the ground, at least fore inches déepe, and then into euery such hole you shall dropa Corne of Wheate, and so remouing the board from place to place, goeall ouer the ground that you haue digged, and so set each seuerall Cornesixe inches one from another, and then with a rake you shall rake ouerand couer all the holes with earth, in such sort that they may not bediscerned. And herein you are to obserue by the way that a quarte ofWheate will set your aker: which Wheate is not to be taken as it fallesout by chance when you buy it in the market, but especially culd andpickt out of the eare, being neither the vppermost Cornes which grow inthe toppes of the eares, nor the lowest, which grow at the setting on ofthe stalke, both which, most commonly are light and of small substance, but those which are in the midst, and are the greatest, fullest, androundest. 

{SN: Of setting Barly, or Pease. }Now in the selfe-same sort as you dresse your ground for your Wheate, inthe selfe same manner you shall dresse your ground for Barly, onely thefirst time you digge it shalbe after the beginning of May, the secondtime and the Manuring about the midst of October, wherein you shall notethat to your aker of Barly earth, you shall alow at least foure andtwentie Waine-load of Manure, and the last time of your digging andsetting shalbe at the beginning of Aprill. 

Now for the dressing of your earth for the setting of Pease, it is inall things answerable to that for Barly, onely you may saue the onehalfe of your Manure, because a dosen Waine-load is sufficient, and thetime for setting them, or any other pulse, is euer about the midst ofFebruary. 

{SN: Of the profit of setting Corne. }Now for the profit which issueth from this practise of setting of Corne, I must néeds confesse, if I shall speake simply of the thing, that is, how many foulds it doubleth and increaseth, surely it is both great andwonderfull: and whereas ingenerall it is reputed that an aker of setCorne yéeldeth as much profit as nine akers of sowne Corne, for mineowne part I haue séene a much greater increase, if euery Corne set in anaker should bring forth so much as I haue séene to procéede from somethrée or foure Cornes set in a garden, but I feare me the generalitiewill neuer hould with the particular: how euer, it is most certaine thatearth in this sort trimmed and inriched, and Corne in this sort set andpreserued, yéeldeth at least twelue-fold more commoditie then that whichby mans hand is confusedly throwne into the ground from the Hopper:whence it hath come to passe that those which by a few Cornes in theirgardens thus set, séeing the innumerable increase, haue concluded apublique profit to arise thereby to the whole kingdome, not looking tothe intricacie, trouble, and casualtie, which attends it, being such andso insupportable that almost no Husbandman is able to vndergoe it: towhich we néed no better testimony then the example of those which hauingout of meare couetousnesse and lucre of gaine, followed it with allgréedinesse, séeing the mischiefes and inconueniences which hathincountred their workes, haue euen desisted, and forgotten that euerthere was any such practise, and yet for mine owne part I will not sovtterly condemne it, that I will depriue it of all vse, but rather leaueit to the discretion of iudgement, and for my selfe, onely hould thisopinion, that though it may very wel be spared from the generall vse ofWheat and Barly in this kingdome, yet for hastie-Pease, French Beanes, and such like pulse, it is of necessary imployment, both in rich andpoore mens gardens. And thus much for the setting of Corne. 

CHAP. V. 

_Of the choice of seede-Corne, and which is best for which soyle. _

Hauing thus showed vnto you the seuerall soyles and temperatures of ourEnglish land, together with the order of Manuring, dressing and tillageof the same, I thinke it méete (although I haue in generall writsomething already touching the séede belonging to euery seuerall earth)now to procéede to a particular election and choice of séede-Corne, inwhich there is great care and diligence to be vsed: for as in Men, Beasts, Fowle, & euery mouing thing, there is great care taken for thechoice of the bréeders, because the creatures bred doe so muchparticipate of the parents that for the most part they are séene notonely to carry away their outward figures and semblances, but euen theirnaturall conditions and inclinations, good issuing from good, and euillfrom euill: so in the choise of séede-Corne, if their be any neglect orcarelessenesse, the crop issuing of such corrupt séede must of forcebring forth a more corrupt haruest, by as much as it excéedeth in themultiplication. 

{SN: The choise of seede Wheate. }To procéede therefore to the choise of séede-Corne, I will begin withWheate, of which there are diuers kindes, as your whole straw Wheate, the great browne Pollard, the white Pollard, the Organe or red Wheate, the flaxen Wheate, and the chilter Wheate. Your whole straw Wheate, andbrowne Pollard, are knowne, the first, by his straw, which is full ofpith, and hath in it no hollownesse (whence it comes that Husbandmenestéeme it so much for their thacking, allowing it to be as good anddurable as réede:) the latter is knowne by his eare, which is great, white, and smooth, without anes or beard vpon it: in the hand they areboth much like one to another, being of all Wheates the biggest, roundest and fullest: they be somewhat of a high colour, and haue vponthem a very thicke huske, which making the meale somewhat browne causeththe Baker not all together to estéeme them for his purest manchet, yetthe yéeld of flower which cometh from them is as great and greater thenany other Wheate whatsoeuer. These two sortes of Wheate are to be sownevpon the fallow field, as crauing the greatest strength and fatnesse ofground, whence it comes that they are most commonly séene to grow vponthe richest and stiffest blacke clayes, being a graine of that strengththat they will seldome or neuer mildew or turne blacke, as the othersortes of Wheate will doe, if the strength of the ground be not abatedbefore they be throwne into the earth. Now for the choise of these twoWheates, if you be compelled to buy them in the market, you must regardthat you buy that which is the cleanest and fairest, being vtterlywithout any wéedes, as darnell, cockell, tares or any other foulnessewhatsoeuer: you shall looke that the Wheate, as neare as may be, houldall of one bignesse and all of one colour, for to beholde it contrary, that is to say, to see some great Cornes, some little, some highcoloured, some pale, so that in their mixture they resemble changeabletaffata, is an apparant signe that the Corne is not of one kinde butmixt or blended, as being partly whole-straw, partly Pollard, partlyOrgane, and partly Chelter. For the flaxen, it is naturally so whitethat it cannot be mixt but it may easily be discerned, and these mixtséedes are neuer good, either for the ground or the vse of man. Againeyou shall carefully looke that neither this kinde of Wheate, nor anyother that you buy for séede be blacke at the ends, for that is a signethat the graine comming from too rich a soyle was mildewed, and then itwill neuer be fruitfull or proue good séede, as also you shall take carethat it be not too white at the ends, showing the Corne to be as it wereof two colours, for that is a signe that the Wheate was washt and driedagaine, which vtterly confoundeth the strength of the Corne and takesfrom it all abilitie of bringing forth any great encrease. Now if it beso that you haue a crop of Wheate of your owne, so that you haue no néedof the market, you shall then picke out of your choisest sheafes, andvpon a cleane floare gently bat them with a flaile, and not thresh themcleane, for that Corne which is greatest, fullest, and ripest, willfirst flie out of the eare, and when you haue so batted a competentquantitie you shall then winnow it and dresse it cleane, both by thehelpe of a strong winde and open siues, and so make it fit for yourséede. 

I haue séene some Husbands (and truely I haue accounted them both goodand carefull) that haue before Wheate séede time both themselues, wiues, children, and seruants at times of best leasure, out of a great Wheatemow or bay, to gleane or pull out of the sheafes, eare by eare, the mostprincipall eares, and knitting them vp in small bundells to bat them andmake their séede thereof, and questionlesse it is the best séede of allother: for you shall be sure that therein can be nothing but thecleanest and the best of the Corne, without any wéedes or foulnesse, which can hardly be when a man thresheth the whole sheafe, and althoughsome men may thinke that this labour is great and troblesome, especiallysuch as sowe great quantities of Wheate, yet let them thus farreencourage themselues, that if they doe the first yéere but gleane abushell or two (which is nothing amongst a few persons) and sowe it vpon good Land, the encrease of it will the next yéere goe farre in thesowing the whole crop: for when I doe speake of this picking of Wheate, eare by eare, I doe not intend the picking of many quarters, but of somuch as the increase thereof may amount to some quarter. 

Now there is also another regarde to be had (as auailable as any of theformer) in chusing of your séede Wheate, and that is to respect thesoyle from whence you take your séede, and the soyle into which you putit, as thus. 

If the ground whereon you meane to sowe your Wheat be a rich, blacke, clay, stiffe and full of fertillitie, you shall then (as neare as youcan) chuse your séede from the barrainest mixt earth you can finde (sothe Wheate be whole-straw or Pollard) as from a clay and grauell, or aclay and white sand, that your séede comming from a much more barraineearth then that wherein you put it, the strength may be as it wereredoubled, and the encrease consequently amount to a higher quantitie, as we finde it proueth in our daylie experience; but if these barrainesoyles doe not afforde you séede to your contentment, it shall not thenbe amisse (you sowing your Wheate vpon fallow or tilth ground) if youtake your séede-Wheate either from an earth of like nature to your owne, or from any mixt earth, so that such séede come from the niams, that is, that it hath béene sowne after Pease, as being the third crop of theLand, and not from the fallow or tilth ground, for it is a maxiomeamongst the best Husbands (though somewhat proposterous to common sence)bring to your rich ground séede from the barraine, and to the barraineséede from the rich, their reason (taken from their experience) beingthis, that the séede (as before I said) which prospereth vpon a leaneground being put into a rich, doth out of that superfluitie of warmth, strength and fatnesse, double his increase; and the séede which commethfrom the fat ground being put into the leane, hauing all the vigour, fulnesse and iuyce of fertilnes, doth not onely defend it selfe againstthe hungrinesse of the ground but brings forth increase contrary toexpectation; whence procéedeth this generall custome of good Husbands inthis Land, that those which dwell in the barraine woode Lands, heathesand high mountaine countries of this kingdome, euer (as néere as theycan) séeke out their séede in the fruitfull low vales, and very gardensof the earth, & so likewise those in the vales take some helpes alsofrom the mountaines. 

Now for your other sortes of Wheate, that is to say, the white Pollardand the Organe, they are graines nothing so great, full, and large, asthe whole straw, or browne Pollard, but small, bright, and very thinlyhuskt: your Organe is very red, your Pollard somewhat pale: these twosorts of Wheate are best to be sowne vpon the third or fourth field, that is to say, after your Pease, for they can by no meanes endure anouer rich ground, as being tender and apt to sprout with small moisture, but to mildew and choake with too much fatnesse, the soyles most apt forthem are mixt earths, especially the blacke clay and red sand, or whiteclay and red sand, for as touching other mixtures of grounds, they arefor the most part so barraine, that they will but hardly bring forthWheate vpon their fallow field, and then much worse vpon a fourth field. Now for any other particular choise of these two séedes, they are thesame which I shewed in the whole straw, and great Pollard. As for theflaxen Wheate, and chilter Wheate, the first, is a very white Wheateboth inward and outward, the other a pale red or déepe yellow: they arethe least of all sorts of Wheate, yet of much more hardnes andtoughnesse in sprouting, then either the Organe or white Pollard, andtherefore desire somewhat a more richer soyle, and to that end they arefor the most part sowne vpon fallow fields, in mixt earths, of whatnatures or barrainenesse soeuer, as is to be séene most generally ouerall the South parts of this Realme: and although vncompounded sands outof their owne natures, doe hardly bring forth any Wheate, yet vpon someof the best sands and vpon the flintie grauels, I haue séene these twoWheates grow in good abundance, but being seldome it is not so much tobe respected. 

{SN: The choise of seede Rye. }After your Wheate you shall make choise of your Rie, of which there isnot diuers kindes although it carrie diuers complections, as someblackish, browne, great, full and long as that which for the most partgrowes vpon the red sand, or red clay, which is thrée parts red sandmixt with blacke clay, and is the best Rie: the other a pale gray Rie, short, small, and hungry, as that which growes vpon the white sand, orwhite clay and white sand, and is the worst Rie. Now you shallvnderstand that your sand grounds are your onely naturall grounds forRie, as being indéede not principally apt for any other graine, therefore when you chuse your Rie for séede, you shall chuse that whichis brownest, full, bould, and longest, you shall haue great care that itbe frée from wéedes or filth, sith your sand grounds, out of their ownenaturall heat, doth put forth such store of naughtie wéeds, that excepta man be extraordinarily carefull, both in the choise and dressing ofhis Rie, he may easily be deceiued and poyson his ground with thosewéedes, which with great difficultie are after rooted out againe. Nowfor your séedes to each soyle, it is euer best to sow your best sand-Rievpon your best clay ground, and your best clay-Rie vpon your best sandground, obseruing euer this generall principle, not onely in Rie, buteuen in Wheat, Barly, Pease and other graine of account, that is, eueronce in thrée yéeres, to change all your séede, which you shall findeboth to augment your encrease and to returne you double profit. 

{SN: The choise of seede-Barly. }Now for the choise of your séede-Barly, you shall vnderstand, that foras much as it is a graine of the greatest vse, & most tendernesse, therefore there is the greatest diligence to be vsed in the electionthereof. Know then that of Barly there be diuers sorts, as namely, thatwhich wée call our common Barly, being long eares with two rankes ofCorne, narrow, close, and vpright: another called spike orbatteldore-Barly, being a large eare with two rankes of Corne, broad, flat, and in fashion of a batteldore: and the third called beane-Barly, or Barly big, being a large foure-square eare, like vnto an eare ofWheate. 

Of these thrée Barlyes the first is most in vse, as being most apt andproper to euery soyle, whether it be fruitfull or barraine, in this ourkingdome, but they haue all one shape, colour and forme, except thesoyle alter them, onely the spike-Barly is most large and plentifull, the common Barly hardest and aptest to grow, and the beane-Barly least, palest, & tenderest, so that with vs it is more commonly séene ingardens then in fields, although in other Countries, as in Fraunce, Ireland, and such like, they sowe no other Barly at all, but with vs itis of no such generall estimation, and therefore I will neither giue itprecedencie nor speake of it, otherwise then to referre it to thediscreation of him who takes delight in many practises: but for thecommon Barly, or spike-Barly, which our experience findes to beexcellent and of great vse, I will knit them in one, and write, my fullopinion of them, for their choise in our séede. You shall know then thatwhen you goe into the market to chuse Barly for your séede, you shall toyour best power elect that which is whitest, fullest, and roundest, being as the ploughman calles it, a full bunting Corne, like the nebbeor beake of a Bunting, you shall obserue that it be all of one Corne, and not mingled, that is, clay Barly, and sand Barly together, which youshall distinguish by these differences: the clay Barly is of a palish, white, yellow colour; smoth, full, large, and round, and the sand Barlyis of a déepe yellow, browne at the neather end, long, slender, and asit were, withered, and in generall no sand Barly is principall good forséede: but if the Barly be somewhat of a high colour, and browne at theneather end, yet notwithstanding is very full, bould, and bigge, then itis a signe that such Barly comes not from the sand, but rather from anouer fat soyle, sith the fatnesse of the earth doth euer alter thecomplection of the Barly; for the whiter Barly euer the leaner soyle, and better séede: you shall also obserue, that there be not in it anylight Corne, which is a kinde of hungry graine without substance, whichalthough it filleth the séeds-mans hand, yet it deceiueth the ground, and this light Corne will commonly be amongst the best Barly: for wherethe ground is so rich that it bringeth forth the Barly too rankely, there the Corne, wanting power to stand vpon roote, falleth to theground, and so robde of kindly ripening, bringeth forth much light andinsufficient graine. Next this, you shall take care that in yourséede-Barly there be not any Oates, for although they be in this caseamongst Husbandmen accounted the best of wéede, yet are they such adisgrace, that euery good Husband will most diligently eschew them, andfor that cause onely will our most industrious Husbands bestow thetedious labour of gleaning their Barly, eare by eare, by whichgleanings, in a yéere, or two, they will compasse their whole séede, which must infallibly be without either Oates or any wéede whatsoeuer:and although some grounds, especially your richest blacke clayes, willout of the abundance of their fruitfulnesse (as not induring to be Idle)bring forth naturally a certaine kinde of wilde Oates, which makes someignorant Husbands lesse carefull of their séede, as supposing that thosewilde ones are a poisoning to their graine, but they are infinetlydeceiued: for such wilde Oates, wheresoeuer they be, doe shake and fallaway long before the Barly be ready, so that the Husbandman doth carryof them nothing into the Barne, but the straw onely. Next Oates, youmust be carefull that there be in your Barly no other foule wéede: forwhatsoeuer you sow, you must looke for the increase of the like nature, and therefore as before I said in the Wheate, so in the Barly, I wouldwish euery good Husband to imploy some time in gleaning out of his Mowthe principall eares of Barly, which being batted, drest, and sowne, byit selfe, albeit no great quantitie at the first, yet in time it mayextend to make his whole séede perfect, and then hée shall finde hisprofit both in the market, where hée shall (for euery vse) sell with thedéerest, and in his owne house where he shall finde his yeeld redoubled. 

Now for fitting of seuerall séedes to seuerall soyles, you shallobserue, that the best séede-Barly for your clay field, is ninam Barly, sowne vpon the clay field, that is to say, Barly which is sowne whereBarly last grew, or a second crop of Barly: for the ground hauing hispride abated in the first croppe, the second, though it be nothing néereso much in quantitie, yet that Corne which it doth bring forth is mostpure, most white, most full, and the best of all séedes whatsoeuer, andas in case of this soyle, so in all other like soyles which doe houldthat strength or fruitfulnesse in them that they are either able ofthemselues, or with some helpe of Manure in the latter end of the yéere, to bring forth two croppes of Barly, one after the other: but if eitheryour soyle deny you this strength, or the distance of place bereaue youof the commoditie thereof, then you shall vnderstand that Barly from ahasell ground is the best séede, for the clay ground, and Barly from theclay ground is the best séede, not onely for the hasell earth, but euenfor all mixt earths whatsoeuer, and the Barly which procéedes from themixt earths is the best séede for all simple and vncompounded sands orgrauells, as wée finde, both by their increasings and dayly experience. 

{SN: The choise of seede-Beanes, Pease, and Pulse. }Now for the choise of séede-Beanes, Pease, or other Pulse, the scrupleis nothing néere so great as of other séedes, because euery one thatknowes any graine, can distinguish them when hée sées them: besides theyare of that massie waight, and so well able to indure the strength ofthe winde, that they are easie to be seuered from any wéede or filthwhatsoeuer: it resteth therefore that I onely giue you instruction howto imploy them. 

You shall vnderstand therefore, that if your soyle be a stiffe, blacke, rich, clay, that then your best séede is cleane Beanes, or at the leastthrée partes Beanes, and but one part Pease: if it be a gray, or whiteclay, then Beanes and Pease equally mixt together: if the best mixtearths, as a blacke clay and red sand, blacke clay and white sand, orwhite clay and red sand, then your séede must be cleane Pease onely: ifit be white clay and white sand, blacke clay and blacke sand, then yourséede must be Pease and Fitches mixt together: but if it be grauell orsand simple, or grauell and sand compounded, then your séede must beeither cleane Fitches, cleane Bucke, or cleane Tares, or else Fitches, Bucke and Tares mixt together. 

{SN: The choise of seede-Oates. }Now to conclude with the choise of your Oates. You shall vnderstand thatthere be diuers kindes of them, as namely, the great long white Oate, the great long blacke Oate, the cut Oate, and the skegge: the two firstof these are knowne by their greatnesse and colours, for they are long, full, bigge, and smooth, and are fittest to be sowne vpon the best ofbarraine grounds, for sith Oates are the worst of graine, I will giuethem no other prioritie of place. The next of these, which is the cutOate, it is of a pale yealow colour, short, smooth, and thicke, theincrease of them is very great, and they are the fittest to be sownevpon the worst of best grounds, for most commonly where you sée them, you shall also sée both good Wheate, good Barly, and good Beanes andPease also. Now for the skegge Oate, it is a little, small, hungry, leane Oate, with a beard at the small end like a wilde Oate, and is goodfor small vse more then Pullen onely: it is a séede méete for thebarrainest and worst earth, as fit to grow but there where nothing ofbetter profit will grow. And thus much for those séedes which are aptand in vse in our English soyles: wherein if any man imagine me guiltieof errour, in that I haue omitted particularly to speake of the séede ofblend-Corne, or Masline, which is Wheate and Rye mixt together, Ianswere him, that sith I haue shewed him how to chuse both the bestWheate and the best Rye, it is an easie matter to mixe them according tohis owne discretion. 

CHAP. VI. 

_Of the time of Haruest and the gathering in of Corne. _

{SN: The getting in of Masline. }{SN: The getting in of Wheate. }Next vnto plowing, it is necessary that I place Reaping, sith it is theend, hope, and perfection of the labour, and both the merit andincouragement which maketh the toyle both light and portable: then toprocéede vnto the time of Haruest. You shall vnderstand that it isrequisite for euery good Husband about the latter end of Iuly, if thesoyle wherein he liueth be of any hot temper, or about the beginning ofAugust, if it be of temperate warmth, with all dilligence constantly tobeholde his Rye, which of all graines is the first that ripeneth, and ifhe shall perceiue that the hull of the eare beginneth to open, and thatthe blacke toppes of the Corne doth appeare, he may then be assured thatthe Corne is fully ripe, and ready for the Sickle, so that instantly heshall prouide his Reapers, according to the quantitie of his graine: forif hée shall neglect his Rye but one day more then is fit, it is such ahasty graine, that it will shale forth of the huske to the ground, tothe great losse of the Husbandman. When hée hath prouided his shearers, which he shall be carefull to haue very good, he shall then looke thatneither out of their wantonnesse nor emulation, they striue which shallgoe fastest, or ridd most ground, for from thence procéedeth many errorsin their worke, as namely, scattering, and leauing the Corne vncutbehind them, the cutting the heads of the Corne off so that they are notpossible to be gathered, and many such like incommodities, but let themgoe soberly and constantly, and sheare the Rye at least fourtéene inchesaboue the ground. Then he must looke that the gatherers which follow theReapers doe also gather cleane, & the binders binde the Sheafes fastfrom breaking, then if you finde that the bottomes of the Sheafes befull of gréenes, or wéedes, it shall not be amisse to let the Sheafeslye one from another for a day, that those gréenes may wither, but ifyou feare any Raine or foule weather, which is the onely thing whichmaketh Rye shale, then you shall set it vp in Shockes, each Shockecontaining at least seauen Sheafes, in this manner: first, you shallplace foure Sheafes vpright close together, and the eares vpwards, thenyou shall take other thrée Sheafes and opening them and turning theeares downeward couer the other foure Sheafes that stoode vpwards, andso let them stand, vntill you may with good conueniencie lead them home, which would be done without any protraction. Next after your cleane Rye, you shall in the selfe-same sort reape your blend-Corne, or Masline: andalbeit your Wheate will not be fully so ripe as your Rye, yet you shallnot stay your labour, being well assured that your Rye is ready, becauseWheate will harden of it selfe after it is shorne, with lying onely. After you haue got in your Rye and blend-Corne, you shall then lookevnto your cleane Wheate, and taking heare and there an eare thereof, rubbe them in your hand, and if you finde that the Corne hath allperfection saue a little hardning onely, you shall then forthwith setyour Reapers vnto it, who shall sheare it in all things as they didsheare your Rye, onely they shall not put it in Shockes for a day ormore, but let the Sheafes lye single, that the winde and Sunne may bothwither the gréenes, and harden the Corne: which done, you shall put theSheafes into great Shockes, that is to say, at least twelue orfouretéene Sheafes in a Shocke, the one halfe standing close togetherwith the eares vpward, the other halfe lying crosse ouerthwart thoseeares, and their eares downeward, and in this sort you shall let yourWheate stand for at least two dayes before you lead it. 

Now it is a custome in many Countries of this kingdome, not to shearetheir Wheate, but to mow it, but in my conceit and in generallexperience, it is not so good: for it both maketh the Wheate foule, andfull of wéede, and filleth vp a great place with little commoditie, asfor the vse of thacking, which is the onely reason of such disorderlycutting, there is neither the straw that is shorne, nor the stubblewhich is left behinde, but are both of sufficiencie inough for such animployment, if it passe through the hands of a workman, as we sée indayly experience. 

{SN: The getting in of Barly. }Next to your Wheate, you shall haue regard to your Barly, for itsodainely ripeneth, and must be cut downe assoone as you perceiue thestraw is turned white, to the bottome, and the eares bended downe to thegroundward. Your Barly you shall not sheare, although it is a fashion insome Country, both because it is painefull and profitlesse, but youshall Mowe it close to the ground, and although in generall it be thecustome of our kingdome, after your Barly is mowen and hath lyne a dayor two in swathe, then with rackes to racke it together, and make itinto great cockes, and so to leade it to the Barne, yet I am of thisopinion that if your Barly be good and cleane without thistles orwéedes, that if then to euery sitheman, or Mower you alot two followers, that is to say, a gatherer, who with a little short rake and a smallhooke shall gather the Corne together, and a binder, who shall makebands and binde vp the Barly in smale Sheafes, that questionlesse youshall finde much more profit thereby: and although some thinke thelabour troublesome and great, yet for mine owne part, I haue séene verygreat croppes inned in this manner, and haue séene two women, that withgreat ease, haue followed and bound after a most principall Mower, whichmade me vnderstand that the toyle was not so great as mine imagination;and the profit ten-fold greater then the labour: but if your Corne beill Husbanded, and full of thistles, wéedes, and all filthinesse, thenthis practise is to be spared, and the loose cocking vp of your Corne ismuch better. Assoone as you haue cleansed any Land of Barly, you shallthen immediatly cause one with a great long rake, of at least thirtietéeth, being in a sling bound bauticke-wise crosse his body, to draw itfrom one end of the Land to the other, all ouer the Land, that he maythereby gather vp all the loose Corne which is scattered, and carry itwhere your other Corne standeth, obseruing euer, as your cheifest rule, that by no meanes you neither leade Barly, nor any other grainewhatsoeuer, when it is wet, no although it be but moistned with the dewonely: for the least dankishnesse, more then the sweate which itnaturally taketh, will soone cause it to putrifie. 

{SN: The getting in of Oates. }Now for the gathering in of your Oates, they be a graine of suchincertaintie, ripening euer according to the weather, & not after anysetled or naturall course, that you are to looke to no constant season, but to take them vpon the first show of ripenesse, and that with suchdiligence that you must rather take them before, then after they beripe, because if they tarry but halfe a day too long, they will shedvpon the ground, & you shal loose your whole profit. The time thenfittest to cut your Oates is, assoone as they be somewhat more thenhalfe changed, but not altogether changed, that is, when they are morethen two parts white, and yet the gréene not vtterly extinguished, thebest cutting of them is to mow them (albeit I haue séene them shorne insome places) & being mowen to let them dry and ripen in the swathe, asnaturally they will doe, and then if you bind them vp in Sheafes, as youshould binde your Barly, it is best: for to carry them in the loosecocke, as many doe, is great losse and hindrance of profit. 

{SN: The getting in of Pulse. }After you haue got in your white Corne, you shall then looke vnto yourPulse, as Beanes, Pease, Fitches, and such like, which you shall know tobe ready by the blacknesse of the straw: for it is a rule, whensoeuerthe straw turnes, the Pulse is ripe. If then it be cleane Beanes, orBeanes and Pease mixt, you shall mowe them, and being cleane Beanes rakethem into heapes, and so make them vp into cockes, but if they be mixtyou shall with hookes fould the Beanes into the Pease, and make littleround reapes thereof, which after they haue béene turned and dryed, youmay put twenty reapes together, and thereof make a cocke, and so leadthem, and stacke them: but if they be cleane Pease, or Pease andFitches, then you shall not mowe them, but with long hookes cut themfrom the ground, which is called Reaping, and so foulding them togetherinto small reapes, as you did your Pease and Beanes, let them be turnedand dryed, and so cocked, and carried either to the Barne, stacke, orhouell. 

Now hauing thus brought in, and finished your Haruest, you shall thenimmediately mowe vp the stubble, both of your Wheate, Rye, and Masline, and with all expedition there-with thacke, and couer from Raine andweather, all such graine as for want of house-roome, you are compeld tolay abroad, either in stacke, or vpon houell: but if no such necessitiebe, and that you haue not other more necessary imployment for yourstubble, it shall be no part of ill Husbandry to let the stubble rotvpon the Land, which will be a reasonable Manuring or fatting of theearth. 

Now hauing brought your Corne into the Barne, it is a lesson néedlesseto giue any certaine rules how to spend or vtter it forth, sith eueryman must be ruled according to his affaires, and necessitie, yet sith inmine owne experience I haue taken certaine setled rules from those whohaue made themselues great estates by a most formall and strickt coursein their Husbandry, I thinke it not amisse to show you what I haue notedfrom them, touching the vtterance and expence of their graine: first, for your expence in your house, it is méete that you haue euer so muchof euery seuerall sort of graine thresht, as shall from time to timemaintaine your family: then for that which you intend shall returne toparticular profit, you shall from a fortnight before Michaelmas, till afortnight after, thresh vp all such Wheate, Rye, & Masline, as youintend to sell for séede, which must be winnowed, fand, and drest socleane as is possible, for at that time it will giue the greatest price;but as soone as séede-time is past, you shall then thresh no more ofthose graines till it be neare Midsummer, but begin to thresh vp allsuch Barly as you intend to conuert and make into Malt, and so fromMichaelmas till Candlemas, apply nothing but Malting, for in that timegraine is euer the cheapest, because euery Barne being full, some mustsell for the payment of rents, some must sell to pay seruants wages, andsome for their Christmas prouisions: in which time Corne abating andgrowing scarse, the price of necessitie must afterwards rise: atCandlemas you shall begin to thresh all those Pease which you intend tosell for séede, because the time being then, and euery man, out ofnecessitie, inforced to make his prouision, it cannot be but they mustnéedes passe at a good price and reckoning. 

After Pease séede-time, you shall then thresh vp all that Barly whichyou meane to sell for séede, which euer is at the dearest reckoning ofany graine whatsoeuer, especially if it be principally good and cleane. After your séede-Barly is sould, you may then thresh vp all such Wheate, Rye, and Masline, as you intend to sell: for it euer giueth the greatestprice from the latter end of May vntill the beginning of September. InSeptember you shall begin to sell your Malt, which being old and hauinglyne ripening the most part of the yéere, must now at the latter end ofthe yéere, when all old store is spent, and the new cannot be come toany perfection, be most deare, and of the greatest estimation: and thusbeing a man of substance in the world, and able to put euery thing tothe best vse, you may by these vsuall obseruations, and the helpe of abetter iudgement, imploy the fruits of your labours to the best profit, and sell euery thing at the highest price, except you take vpon you togiue day and sell vpon trust, which if you doe, you may then sell atwhat vnconscionable reckoning you will, which because such vnnaturallexactions neither agrée with charitie, nor humanitie, I will forbeare togiue rules for the same, and referre euery man that is desirous of suchknowledge, to the examples of the world, wherein he shall findepresidents inough for such euill customes. And thus much for the firstpart of this worke, which containeth the manner of Plowing and tillageonely. 

 THE SECOND PART OF THE FIRST BOOKE OF the English Husbandman, Contayning the Art of Planting, Grafting and Gardening, either for pleasure or profit; together with the vse and ordering of Woodes. 

CHAP. I. 

_Of the Scyte, Modell, Squares, and Fashion of a perfect Orchard. _

Although many authors which I haue read, both in Italian, French, andDutch, doe make a diuersitie and distinguishment of Orchardes, asnamely, one for profit, which they fashion rudely and without forme, theother for delight, which they make comely, decent, and with all goodproportion, deuiding the quarters into squares, making the alleyes of aconstant breadth, and planting the fruit-trées in arteficiall rowes: yetfor as much as the comelinesse and well contriuing of the ground, dothnothing abate, but rather increase the commoditie, I will thereforeioyne them both together, and make them onely but one Orchard. Now forthe scyte and placing of this Orchard, I haue in the modell of myCountry house, or Husbandmans Farme, shewed you where if it be possibleit should stand, and both what Sunne & ayre it should lye open vpon: butif the scyte or ground-plot of your house will not giue you leaue toplace your Orchard according to your wish, you shall then be content tomake a vertue of necessitie, and plant it in such a place as is mostconuenient, and nearest alyed to that forme before prescribed. 

{Illustration}

Now when you haue found out a perfect ground-plot, you shall then castit into a great large square, which you shall fence in either with astone or bricke wall, high, strong pale, or great ditch with aquicke-set hedge, but the wall is best and most durable, and that wallwould haue vpon the inside within twelue or fourtéene foote on ofanother, Iames or outshoots of stone or bricke, betweene which you mayplant and plash those fruit-trées which are of greatest tendernesse, theSouth and West Sunne hauing power to shine vpon them. 

When you haue thus fenc'st in this great square, you shall then castfoure large alleyes, at least fourtéene foote broad, from the wall roundabout, and so likewise two other alleyes of like breadth, directlycrosse ouerthwart the ground-plot, which will deuide the great squareinto foure lesser squares, according to the figure before set downe. 

The figure 1. Sheweth the alleyes which both compasse about, and alsocrosse ouer the ground-plot, and the figure 2. Sheweth the fourequarters where the fruit-trées are to be planted. 

Now if either the true nature and largnesse of the ground be sufficient, or your owne abilitie of pursse so great that you may compasse yourdesires in these earthly pleasures, it shall not be amisse, but a matterof great state, to make your ground-plot full as bigge againe, that isto say, to containe eight large quarters, the first foure being made ofan euen leuell, the other foure being raysed at least eight foote higherthen the first, with conuenient stayres of state for ascending to thesame, to be likewise vpon another euen leuell of like forme, and if inthe center of the alleyes, being the mid-point betwéene the squares, might be placed any quaint fountaines or any other antique standard, theplatforme would be more excellent and if vpon the ascent from one leuellto another there might be built some curious and arteficiall banquettinghouse, it would giue luster to the Orchard. 

Now for the planting and furnishing of these quarters: you shallvnderstand that if your Orchard containe but foure quarters, then thefirst shalbe planted with Apple-trées of all sorts, the second withPeares and Wardens of all sorts, the third with Quinces & Chesnutes, thefourth with Medlars & seruices. Against the North side of your Orchardwall against which the South sunne reflects, you shall plant theAbricot, Verdochio, Peach, and Damaske-plumbe: against the East side ofthe wall, the whit Muskadine Grape, the Pescod-plumbe, and theEmperiall-plumbe: against the West side the grafted Cherries, and theOliue-trée: and against the South side the Almond, & Figge trée. Roundabout the skirts of euery other outward or inward alley, you shallplant, the Wheate-plumbe, both yealow & redde, the Rye-plumbe, theDamson, the Horse-clog, Bulleys of all kindes, ordinary french Cherryes, Filberts, and Nuts of all sorts, together with the Prune-plumbe, andother such like stone fruits. But if your Orchard be of state andprospect, so that it containe eight quarters or more (according to thelimitation of the earth) then you shall in euery seuerall quarter planta seuerall fruit, as Apple-trées in one quarter, Peares in another, Quinces in another, Wardens in another, and so forth of the rest. Alsoyou shall obserue in planting your Apples, Peares, and Plumbes, that youplant your summer or early fruit by themselues, and the Winter or longlasting fruit by themselues. Of Apples, your Ienitings, Wibourns, Pomederoy, and Quéene-Apples are reckoned the best earely fruits, although their be diuers others, and the Pippin, Peare-maine, Apple-Iohn, and Russetting, your best Winter and long lasting fruit, though there be a world of other: for the tastes of Apples are infinite, according to there composition and mixture in grafting. Of Peares yourgolden Peare, your Katherine-Peare, your Lording, and such like, are thefirst, and your stone-Peare, Warden-Peare, and choake-Peare, those whichindure longest. And of Plumbes the rye-plumbe is first, yourWheate-plumbe next, and all the other sorts of plumbes ripen all mosttogether in one season, if they haue equall warmth, and be all of likecomfortable standing. 

{Illustration}

Now for the orderly placing of your trées, you shall vnderstand thatyour Plumbe-trées (which are as it were a fence or guard about yourgreat quarters) would be placed in rowes one by one, aboue fiue footedistance one from another, round about each skirt of euery alley: yourApple-trées & other greater fruit which are to be planted in thequarters, would be placed in such arteficiall rowes that which waysoeuer a man shall cast his eyes yet hée shall sée the trées euery waystand in rowes, making squares, alleyes, and deuisions, according to amans imagination, according to the figure before, which I would haueyou suppose to be one quarter in an Orchard, and by it you may easilycompound the rest: wherein you shall vnderstand that the lesser prickesdoe figure your Plumbe-trées, & the greater prickes your Apple trées, and such other large fruit. 

Now you shall vnderstand that euery one of these great trées whichfurnish the maine quarter, shall stand in a direct line, iust tweluefoote one from another, which is a space altogether sufficient inoughfor there spreading, without waterdropping or annoying one another;prouided that the Fruiterer, according to his duty, be carefull topreserue the trees vpright and to vnderprope them when by the violenceof the winde they shall swarue any way. Vpon the ascent or rising fromone leuell to another, you may plant the Barberry-trées, Feberries, andRaspberries, of all sorts, which being spreading, thorny and sharpetrées, take great delight to grow thicke and close together, by whichmeanes often times they make a kinde of wall, hedge, or fencing, wherethey stand. 

Hauing thus shewed you the ground-plot and proportion of your Orchard, with the seuerall deuisions, ascents, and squares, that should becontained therein, and the fruits which are to furnish euery such squareand deuision, and their orderly placing, it now rests that youvnderstand that this Orchard-plot, so neare as you can bring it topasse, doe stand most open and plaine, vpon the South and West sunne, and most defended from the East and North windes and bitternesse, whichbeing obserued your plot is then perfect and absolute. 

Now forasmuch as where nature, fruitfulnesse, and situation doe takefrom a man more then the halfe part of his industrie, and by a directand easie way doth lead him to that perfection which others cannotattaine to without infinit labour and trauell: and whereas it is nothingso commendable to maintaine beautie, as to make deformitie beautifull, Iwill speake something of the framing of Orchard-plots there where bothnature, the situation, and barrainnesse, doe vtterly deny the enioyingof any such commoditie, as where the ground is vneuen, stonie, sandy, orin his lownesse subiect to the ouerflow of waters, all being apparantenemies to these places of pleasure and delight. First, for thevneuennesse of the ground, if that be his vttermost imperfection, youshall first not onely take a note with your eye, but also place a markevpon the best ascent of the ground to which the leuell is fittest to bedrawne, and then plowing the ground all ouer with a great common plough, by casting the furrowes downward, séeke to fill in and couer the lesserhollownesses of the ground, that their may not any thing appeare but themaine great hollowes, which with other earth which is frée from stones, grauell, or such like euils, you shall fill vp and make leuell with thatpart where your marke standeth, and being so leuelled, forthwith drawthe plot of your Orchard: but if the ground be not onely vneuen but alsobarraine, you shall then to euery loade of earth you carry to theleuelling adde a loade of Manure, either Oxe Manure, or Horse Manure, the rubbish of houses, or the clensings of olde ditches, or standingpooles, and the earth will soone become fertill and perfect; but if theground be stonie, that is, full of great stones, as it is in Darbishireabout the Peake or East Mores, for small pibbles or small lime-stonesare not very much hurtfull, then you shall cause such stones to be digdvp, and fill vp the places where they lay either with marle, or otherrich earth, which after it hath béene setled for a yéere or two youshall then plough, and leuell it, and so frame forth the plot of yourOrchard. If the ground be onely a barraine sand, so that it wantethstrength either to maintaine or bring forth, you shall then first diggethat earth into great trenches, at least foure foote déepe, and fillingthem vp with Oxe Manure, mixe it with the sand, that it may change somepart of the colour thereof and then leuelling it fashion out yourOrchard. But lastly, and which is of all situations the worst, if youhaue no ground to plant your Orchard vpon, but such as either throughthe neighbourhood of riuers, descent of Mountaines, or the earths ownenaturall quallitie in casting and vomiting out water and moysture, issubiect to some small ouerflowes of water, by which you cannot attaineto the pleasure you séeke, because fruit-trées can neuer indure thecorruption of waters, you shall then in the dryest season of the yéere, after you haue marked out that square or quantitie of ground which youintend for your Orchard, you shall then cast therein sundry ditches, atleast sixtéene foote broad, and nine foote déepe, and not aboue tweluefoote betwixt ditch and ditch, vpon which reserued earth casting theearth that you digged vp, you shall raise the banckes at least seauenfoote high of firme earth, and kéepe in the top the full breadth oftwelue foote, with in a foote or little more: and in the casting vp ofthese bankes you shall cause the earth to be beaten with maules andbroad béetels that it may lye firme, fast, and leuell, and after thesebankes haue rested a yéere or more, and are sufficiently setled, you maythen at the neather end of the banke, neare to the verge of the waterplant store of Osyers, which will be a good defence to the banke, andvpon the top and highest part of the banke you shall plant your Orchardand fruit-trées, so that when any inundation of water shall happen, theditches shalbe able inough to receiue it; or else making a passage fromyour Orchard into some other sewer, the water excéeding his limits mayhaue a frée current or passage: besides these ditches being neatly kept, and comforted with fresh water, may make both pleasant and commodiousfish-ponds. Also you must be carefull in casting these bankes that youdoe not place them in such sort that when you are vpon one you cannotcome to the other, but rather like a maze, so that you may at pleasurepasse from the one to the other round about the ground, making of diuersbankes to the eye but one banke in substance, and of diuers ponds inappearance, but one in true iudgement. And thus much for the plot orsituation of an Orchard. 

CHAP. II. 

_Of the Nurserie where you shall set all manner of Kernels, and Stones, for the furnishing of the Orchard. _

Although great persons, out of their greatnesse and abilitie, doe buytheir fruit trées ready grafted, and so in a moment may plant an Orchardof the greatest quantitie, yet sith the Husbandman must raise euerything from his owne indeauours, and that I onely write for his profit, Itherefore hould it most conuenient to beginne with the nursery orstore-house of fruits, from whence the Orchard receiueth his beauty andriches. 

This Nursery must be a piece of principall ground, either through Art orNature, strongly fenced, warme, and full of good shelter: for in it isonely the first infancy and tendernesse of fruit-trées, because therethey are first kernells, or stones, after sprigs, and lastly trées. 

Now for the manner of chusing, sowing, and planting them in thisnursery, I differ some thing from the french practise, who would chusethe kernells from the cider presse, sow them in large bedds of earth, and within a yeere after replant them in a wilde Orchard: now for mineowne part, though this course be not much faulty, yet I rather chusethis kinde of practise, first: to chuse your kernells either of Apples, Peares, or Wardens, from the best and most principallest fruit you cantaste, for although the kernell doe bring forth no other trée but theplaine stocke vpon which the fruit was grafted, as thus, if the graftwere put into a Crab-stocke the kernell brings forth onely a Crab-trée, yet when you taste a perfect and delicate Apple, be assured both thestocke and graft were of the best choise, and so such kernells of bestreckoning. When you haue then a competent quantitie of such kernells, you shall take certaine large pots, in the fashion of milke-boules, allfull of hoales in the bottome, through which the raine and superfluousmoysture may auoyde, and either in the Months of March or Nouember (forthose are the best seasons) fill the pots three parts full of thefinest, blackest, and richest mould you can get, then lay your kernellsvpon the earth, about foure fingars one from another, so many as thevessell can conueniently containe, and then with a siue sift vpon themother fine moulds almost thrée fingars thicke, and so let them rest, filling so many pots or vessells as shall serue to receiue yourquantitie of kernells of all sorts. Now if any man desire to know myreason why I rather desire to set my kernells rather in vessells then inbeds of earth, my answere is, that I haue often found it in mineexperience, that the kernell of Apples, Peares, Quinces, and such like, are such a tender and dainty séede that it is great oddes but the wormeswill deuoure and consume them before they sprout, who naturally delightin such séedes, which these vessels onely doe preuent: but to proceede. 

After your kernells are sprouted vp and growne to be at least seauen oreight inches high, you shall then within your nursery digge vp a borderabout two foote and an halfe broad, more then a foote déepe, and of suchconuenient length as may receiue all your young plants, and hauing madethe mould fine and rich with Manure, you shall then with your whole handgripe as much of the earth that is about the plant as you canconueniently hould, and so take both the plant and the mould out of thevessell, and replant it in the new drest border: and you shall thus doeplant after plant, till you haue set euery one, and made them firme andfast in the new mould: wherein you are to obserue these two principles, first that you place them at least fiue foote one from another, andsecondly, that such kernells as you set in your vessels in March, thatyou replant them in borders of earth in Nouember following, and such asyou set in Nouember to replant in March following, and being soreplanted to suffer them to grow till they be able to beare grafts, during which time you shall diligently obserue, that if any of themchance to put forth any superfluous branches or cyons, which may hinderthe growth of the body of the plant, that you carefully cut them away, that thereby it may be the sooner inabled to beare a graft: for it iseuer to be intended that whatsoeuer procéedeth from kernells are onelyto be preserued for stockes to graft on, and for no other purpose. 

Now for the stones of Plumbes, & other stone fruit, you shall vnderstandthat they be of two kindes, one simple and of themselues, as theRye-plumbe, Wheate-plumbe, Damson, Prune-plumbe, Horse-clogge, Cherry, and such like, so that from the kernells of them issueth trées of likenature and goodnesse: the other compounded or grafted plumbes, as theAbricot, Pescod, Peach, Damaske, Verdochyo, Emperiall, and such like, from whose kernells issueth no other trées but such as the stockes werevpon which they were grafted. Now, for the manner of setting the first, which are simple and vncompounded, you shall digge vp a large bedde ofrich and good earth a month or more before March or Nouember, and hauingmade the mould as fine as is possible, you shall flat-wise thrust euerystone, a foote one from another, more then thrée fingars into the mould, and then with a little small rake, made for the purpose, rake the beddeouer and close vp the holes, and so let them rest till they be of ayéeres groath, at which time you shall replant them into seuerallborders, as you did your Apple-trée plants and others. 

Now for the kernells of your compounded or grafted Plumbes, you shallboth set them in beddes and replant them into seuerall borders, in thesame manner as you did the other kernells of Plumbes, onely you shallfor the space of eight and forty houres before you set them stéepe themin new milke, forasmuch as the stones of them are more hard, and withgreater difficulty open and sprout in the earth, then any other stonewhatsoeuer: and thus hauing furnished your Nursery of all sorts offruits and stockes, you shall when they come to full age and bignessegraft them in such order as shalbe hereafter declared. 

CHAP. III. 

_Of the setting or planting of the Cyons or Branches of most sorts ofFruit-trees. _

As you are to furnish your nursery with all sorts of kernells andstones, for the bréeding of stockes where on to graft the daintiestfruits you can compasse, so shall you also plant therein the cyons andbranches of the best fruit trées: which cyons and branches doe bringforthe the same fruit which the trées doe from whence they are taken, and by that meanes your nursery shall euer afford you perfect trées, wherewith either to furnish your owne grounds, or to pleasure yourneighbours. And herein by the way you shall vnderstand that some tréesare more fit to be set then to be sowne, as namely, the Seruice-trée, the Medler, the Filbert and such like. Now for the Seruice-trée, hée isnot at all to be grafted, but set in this wise: take of the bastardcyons such as be somewhat bigger then a mans thumbe, and cutting awaythe branches thereof, set it in a fine loose moulde, at least a footedéepe, and it will prosper exceedingly, yet the true nature of this tréeis not to be remoued, and therefore it is conuenient that it be plantedwhere it should euer continue: in like manner to the Seruice-tree, soyou shall plant the bastard cyons of the Medlar-trée either in March orOctober, and at the waine of the moone. 

Now for the Filbert, or large Hassell-nut, you shall take the smallestcyons or wands, such as are not aboue two yéeres groath, being full ofshort heauie twigges, and grow from the roote of the maine trée, and setthem in a loose mould, a foote déepe, without pruning or cutting awayany of the branches, and they will prosper to your contentment. Now forall sorts of Plumbe-trées, Apple-trées or other fruit-trées which arenot grafted, if you take the young cyons which grow from the rootescleane from the rootes, and plant them either in the spring, or fall, ina fresh and fine mould, they will not onely prosper, but bring forthfruit of like nature and qualitie to the trées from whence they weretaken. 

Now for your grafted fruit, as namely, Apples, Plumbes, Cherryes, Mulberries, Quinces, and such like, the cyons also and branches of themalso will take roote and bring forth fruit of the same kinde that thetrées did from whence they were taken: but those cyons or branches musteuer be chosen from the vpper parts of the trées, betwixt the feast ofall-Saints and Christmas, they must be bigger then a mans finger, smooth, straight, and without twigges: you shall with a sharpe chissellcut them from the body or armes of the trée with such care, that by nomeanes you raise vp the barke, and then with a little yealow waxe couerthe place from whence you cut the cyon: then hauing digged and dungedthe earth well where you intend to plant them, and made the mould easie, you shall with an Iron, as bigge as your plant, make a hoale a footedéepe or better, and then put in your cyon and with it a few Oates, longstéept in water, and so fixe it firme in the mould, and if after itbeginneth to put forth you perceiue any young cyons to put forth fromthe root thereof, you shall immediatly cut them off, & either cast themaway or plant them in other places, for to suffer them to grow maybréede much hurt to the young trées. Now where as these cyons thusplanted are for the most part small and weake, so that the smallestbreath of winde doth shake and hurt their rootes, it shalbe good topricke strong stakes by them, to which, fastning the young plant with asoft hay rope it may the better be defended from stormes and tempests. 

Next to these fruit-trées, you shall vnderstand that your bush-trées, as Barberryes, Gooseberryes, or Feberryes, Raspberryes, and such like, will also grow vpon cyons, without rootes, being cut from their mainerootes in Nouember, & so planted in a new fresh mould. And here by theway I am to giue you this note or caueat, that if at any time you findeany of these cyons which you haue planted not to grow and flourishaccording to your desire, but that you finde a certaine mislike orconsumption in the plant, you shall then immediatly with a sharpe knifecut the plant off slope-wise vpward, about three fingars from theground, and so let it rest till the next spring, at which time you shallbeholde new cyons issue from the roote, which will be without sicknesseor imperfection; and from the vertue of this experiment I imagine thegardners of antient time found out the meanes to get young cyons fromolde Mulberry-trées, which they doe in this manner: first, you must takesome of the greatest armes of the Mulberry-trée about the midst ofNouember, and with a sharpe sawe to sawe them into bigge truncheons, about fiuetéene inches long, and then digging a trench in principallgood earth, of such depth that you may couer the truncheons, being setvp on end, with Manure and fine mould, each truncheon being a foote onefrom another, and couerd more then foure fingars aboue the wood, notfayling to water them whensoeuer néede shall require, and to preseruethem from wéeds and filthinesse, within lesse then a yéeres space youshall behold those truncheons to put forth young cyons, which as sooneas they come to any groath and be twigged, then you may cut them fromthe stockes, and transplant them where you please, onely the truncheonsyou shall suffer to remaine still, and cherish them with fresh dunge, and they will put forth many moe cyons, both to furnish your selfe andyour friends. And thus much for the planting and setting of cyons orbranches. 

CHAP. IIII. 

_Of the ordinary and accustomed manner of Grafting all sorts ofFruit-trees. _

{SN: The mixing of Stockes and Grafts. }As soone as your nursery is thus amply furnished of all sorts ofstockes, procéeding from kernells and of all sorts of trées procéedingfrom cyons, branches or vndergrowings, and that through strength ofyéeres they are growne to sufficient abilitie to receiue grafts, whichis to be intended that they must be at the least sixe or eight inches incompasse, for although lesse many times both doth and may receiuegrafts, yet they are full of debilitie and danger, and promise noassurance to the worke-mans labour, you shall then beginne to graft yourstockes with such fruits as from art and experience are méete to beconioyned together, as thus: you shall graft Apples vpon Apples, as thePippin vpon the great Costard, the Peare-maine vpon the Ienetting, andthe Apple-Iohn or blacke annet vpon the Pomewater or Crab-trée: toconclude, any Apple-stocke, Crab-tree, or wilding, is good to graftApples vpon, but the best is best worthy. So for Peares, you shall graftthem vpon Peare stockes, Quinces vpon Quinces or Crab-trées, and notaccording to the opinion of the frenchman, vpon white thorne or willow, the Medlar vpon the Seruice-trée, and the Seruice vpon the Medlar, alsoCherryes vpon Cherryes, & Plumbes vpon Plumbes, as the greater Abricotsvpon the lesser Abricots, the Peach, the Figge, or the Damson-trée, andto speake generally without wasting more paper, or making a longcircumstance to slender purpose, the Damson-trée is the onely principallbest stocke whereupon to graft any kinde of Plumbe or stone fruitwhatsoeuer. 

{SN: The choise of Grafts. }After you haue both your stockes ready, and know which grafts to ioynewith which stockes, you shall then learne to cut and chuse your graftsin this manner: looke from what trée you desire to take your grafts, youshall goe vnto the very principall branches thereof, and looke vp to thevpper ends, and those which you finde to be fairest, smoothest, andfullest of sappe, hauing the little knots, budds, or eyes, standingclose and thicke together, are the best and most perfect, especially ifthey grow vpon the East side of the trée, whereon the Sunne firstlooketh; these you shall cut from the trée in such sort that they mayhaue at least thrée fingars of the olde woode ioyning to the youngbranch, which you shall know both by the colour of the barke, as also bya little round seame which maketh as it were a distinction betwixt theseuerall growths. Now you shall euer, as néere as you can, chuse yourgrafts from a young trée, and not from an olde, and from the tops of theprincipall branches, and not from the midst of the trée, or any othersuperfluous arme or cyon; now if after you haue got your grafts you hauemany dayes Iourneys to carry them, you shall fould them in a few freshmouldes, and binde them about with hay, and hay ropes, and so carry themall day, and in the night bury them all ouer in the ground and they willcontaine their goodnesse for a long season. 

{SN: How to graft in the Cleft. }Hauing thus prepared your grafts, you shall then beginne to graft, whichworke you shall vnderstand may be done in euery month of the yéere, except Nouember and October, but the best is to beginne about Christmasfor all earely and forward fruit, and for the other, to stay till March:now hauing all your implements and necessaryes about you, fit for theGrafting, you shall first take your grafts, of what sort soeuer they be, and hauing cut the neather ends of them round and smoth without raysingof the barke, you shall then with a sharp knife, made in the proportionof a great pen-knife slice downe each side of the grafts, from the seameor knot which parts the olde woode from the new, euen to the neatherend, making it flat and thinne, cheifely in the lowest part, hauingonely a regardfull eye vnto the pith of the graft, which you may by nomeanes cut or touch, and when you haue thus trimmed a couple of grafts, for moe I doe by no meanes alow vnto one stocke, although sundry otherskilfull workmen in this Art alow to the least stocke two grafts, to theindifferent great thrée, and to the greatest of all foure, yet I affirmetwo are sufficiently inough for any stocke whatsoeuer, and albeit theyare a little the longer in couering the head, yet after they hauecouered it the trée prospereth more in one yéere then that whichcontayneth foure grafts shall doe in two, because they cannot haue sapinough to maintaine them, which is the reason that trées for want ofprosperitie grow crooked and deformed: but to my purpose. When you hauemade your grafts ready, you shall then take a fine thinne sawe, whosetéeth shalbe filed sharpe and euen, and with it (if the stocke beexcéeding small) cut the stocke round off within lesse then a foote ofthe ground, but if the stocke be as bigge as a mans arme, then you maycut it off two or thrée foote from the ground, and so consequently thebigger it is the higher you may cut it, and the lesser the nearer vntothe earth: as soone as you haue sawne off the vpper part of the stocke, you shall then take a fine sharpe chissell, somewhat broader then thestocke, and setting it euen vpon the midst of the head of the stockesomewhat wide of the pith, then with a mallet of woode you shall strickeit in and cleaue the stocke, at least foure inches déepe, then puttingin a fine little wedge of Iron, which may kéepe open the cleft, youshall take one of your grafts and looke which side of it you intend toplace inward, and that side you shall cut much thinner then the outside, with a most héedfull circumspection that by no meanes you loosenor rayse vp the barke of the graft, cheifly on the out side, then youshall take the graft, and wetting it in your mouth place it in one sideof the cleft of the stocke, and regard that the very knot or seame whichgoes about the graft, parting the olde woode from the new, do restdirectly vpon the head of the stocke, and that the out side of thegraft doe agrée directly with the out side of the stocke, ioyning barkevnto barke, and sappe vnto sappe, so euen, so smooth, and so close, thatno ioyners worke may be discerned to ioyne more arteficially: whichdone, vpon the other side of the stocke, in the other cleft, you shallplace your other graft, with full as much care, diligence, and eueryother obseruation: when both your grafts are thus orderly andarteficially placed, you shall then by setting the haft of your chissellagainst the stocke, with all lenitie and gentlenesse, draw forth yourwedge, in such sort that you doe not displace or alter your grafts, andwhen your wedge is forth you shall then looke vpon your grafts, and ifyou perceiue that the stocke doe pinch or squize them, which you maydiscerne both by the straitnesse and bending of the outmost barke, youshall then make a little wedge of some gréene sappy woode, and driuingit into the cleft, ease your grafts, cutting that wedge close to thestocke. When you haue thus made both your grafts perfect, you shall thentake the barke of either Apple-trée, Crab-trée or Willow-trée, and withthat barke couer the head of the stocke so close that no wet or otherannoyance may get betwixt it and the stocke, then you shall take aconuenient quantitie of clay, which indéede would be of a bindingmingled earth, and tempering it well, either with mosse or hay, lay itvpon the barke, and daube all the head of the stocke, euen as low as thebottome of the grafts, more then an inch thicke, so firme, close, andsmooth as may be, which done, couer all that clay ouer with soft mosse, and that mosse with some ragges of wollen cloath, which being gentlybound about with the inward barkes of Willow, or Osyar, let the graftrest to the pleasure of the highest: and this is called grafting in thecleft. 

{SN: Notes. }Now there be certaine obseruations or caueats to be respected ingrafting, which I may not neglect: as first, in trimming and preparingyour grafts for the stocke: if the grafts be either of Cherry, orPlumbe, you shall not cut them so thinne as the grafts of Apples, Quinces, or Medlars, because they haue a much larger and rounder pith, which by no meanes must be toucht but fortefied and preserued, onely tothe neather end you may cut them as thinne as is possible, the pithonely preserued. 

Secondly, you shall into your greatest stockes put your greatest grafts, and into your least, the least, that there may be an equall strength andconformitie in their coniunction. 

Thirdly, if at any time you be inforced to graft vpon an olde trée, thatis great and large, then you shall not graft into the body of that trée, because it is impossible to kéepe it from putrifaction and rottingbefore the grafts can couer the head, but you shall chuse out some ofthe principall armes or branches, which are much more slender, and graftthem, as is before shewed, omitting not dayly to cut away all cyons, armes, branches, or superfluous sprigs which shall grow vnder thosebranches which you haue newly grafted: but if there be no branch, smallor tender inough to graft in, then you shall cut away all the mainebranches from the stocke, and couering the head with clay and mosse, letit rest, and within thrée or foure yéeres it will put forth new cyons, which will be fit to graft vpon. 

Fourthly, if when you either sawe off the top of your stocke, or elsecleaue the head, you either raise vp the barke or cleaue the stocke toodéepe, you shall then sawe the stocke againe, with a little morecarefulnesse, so much lower as your first errour had committed a fault. 

Fiftly, you shall from time to time looke to the binding of the heads ofyour stockes, in so much that if either the clay doe shrinke away or theother couerings doe losen, by which defects ayre, or wet, may get intothe incission, you shall presently with all spéede amend and repaire it. 

Lastly, if you graft in any open place where cattell doe graze, youshall not then forget as soone as you haue finisht your worke to bush orhedge in your graft, that it may be defended from any such negligentannoyance. And thus much for this ordinary manner of grafting, whichalthough it be generall and publike to most men that knoweth any thingin this art, yet is it not inferiour, but the principallest and surestof all other. 

CHAP. V. 

_Of diuers other wayes of grafting, their vses and purposes. _

Although for certainty, vse, and commodity, the manner of graftingalready prescribed is of sufficiency inough to satisfie any constant orreasonable vnderstanding, yet for nouelty sake, to which our nation isinfinitly addicted, and to satisfie the curious, who thinke theiriudgements disparaged if they heare any authorised traueller talke ofthe things which they haue not practised, I will procéede to some othermore quaint manners of grafting, and the rather because they are notaltogether vnnecessary, hauing both certainety in the worke, pleasure inthe vse, and benefit in the serious imploying of those howers which elsemight challenge the title of idlenesse, besides they are very wellagréeing with the soyles and fruits of this Empyre of great Brittaineand the vnderstandings of the people, for whose seruice or benefit, Ionely vndergoe my trauell. 

You shall vnderstand therefore, that there is another way to graft, which is called grafting betwéene the barke and tree, and it is to beput in vse about the latter end of February, at such time as the sappebeginnes to enter into the trées: and the stockes most fit for thismanner of grafting are those which are oldest and greatest, whose grainebeing rough and vneuen, either through shaking or twinding, it is athing almost impossible to make it cleaue in any good fashion, so thatin such a case it is meete that the grafter exercise this way ofgrafting betwixt the barke and the trée, the manner whereof is thus. 

{SN: Grafting betweene the barke. }First, you shall dresse your grafts in such sort as was before discribedwhen you grafted in the cleft, onely they shall not be so long from theknot or seame downeward by an inch or more, neither so thicke, but asthinne as may be, the pith onely preserued, and at the neather end ofall you shall cut away the barke on both sides, making that end smallerand narrower then it is at the ioynt or seame, then sawing off the headof the stocke, you shall with a sharpe knife pare the head round about, smooth and plaine, making the barke so euen as may be, that the barke ofyour grafts and it may ioyne like one body, then take a fine narrowchissell, not excéeding sharpe, but somewhat rebated, and thrust it harddowne betwixt the barke and the trée, somewhat more then two inches, according to the iust length of your graft, and then gently thrust thegraft downe into the same place, euen close vnto the ioynt, hauing greatcare that the ioynt rest firme and constant vpon the head of the stocke, and thus you shall put into one stocke not aboue thrée grafts at themost, how euer either other mens practise, or your owne reading doeperswade you to the contrary. After your grafts are fixt and placed, youshall then couer the head with barke, clay, and mosse, as hath béeneformerly shewed: also you shall fasten about it some bushes of thorne, or sharpe whinnes, which may defend and kéepe it from the annoyance ofPye-annats, and such like great birds. 

There is another way of grafting, which is called grafting in thescutchion, which howsoeuer it is estéemed, yet is it troublesome, incertaine, and to small purpose: the season for it is in summer, fromMay till August, at what time trées are fullest of sappe and fullest ofleaues, and the manner is thus: take the highest and the principallestbranches of the toppe of the trée you would haue grafted, and withoutcutting it from the olde woode chuse the best eye and budding place ofthe cyon, then take another such like eye or budde, being great andfull, and first cut off the leafe hard by the budde, then hollow it withyour knife the length of a quarter of an inch beneath the budde, roundabout the barke, close to the sappe, both aboue and below, then slit itdowne twice so much wide of the budde, and then with a small sharpechissell raise vp the scutchion, with not onely the budde in the midstbut euen all the sappe likewise, wherein you shall first raise that sidewhich is next you, and then taking the scutchion betwéene your fingars, raise it gently vp without breaking or brusing, and in taking it offhould it hard vnto the woode, to the end the sappe of the budde mayabide in the scutchion, for if it depart from the barke and cleaue tothe woode, your labour is lost, this done you shall take another likecyon, and hauing taken off the barke from it, place it in the othersplace, and in taking off this barke you must be carfull that you cut notthe woode, but the barke onely, and this done you shall couer it allouer with redde waxe, or some such glutenous matter; as for the bindingof it with hempe and such trumpery it is vtterly dissalowed of all goodgrafters: this manner of grafting may be put in practise vpon all mannerof cyons, from the bignesse of a mans little fingar to the bignesse of aslender arme. 

{SN: Grafting with the Leafe. }Not much vnlike vnto this, is the grafting with the Leafe, and of likeworth, the art whereof is thus: any time betwixt midst May, vntill themidst of September, you shall chuse, from the toppe of the sunne-side ofthe trée, the most principall young cyon you can sée, whose barke issmoothest, whose leaues are greatest, and whose sappe is fullest, thencutting it from the trée note the principall leafe thereof, and cut awayfrom it all the woode more then about an inch of each side of the leafe, then cutting away the vndermost part of the barke with your knife, takepéece meale from the barke all the woode and sappe, saue onely thatlittle part of woode and sappe which féedeth the leafe, which in anywise must be left behind, so that the graft will carry this figure. 

{Illustration}

Then goe to the body, arme, or branch of that trée which you intend tograft, which is to be presupposed must euer haue a smooth and tenderbarke, and with a very sharpe knife slit the barke, two slits at least, two inches long a péece, and about halfe an inch or more distancebetwéene the two slits: then make another slit crosse-wise ouerthwart, from long slit to long slit, the figure whereof will be thus:

{Illustration}

Then with your knife raise the barke gently from the trée, withoutbreaking, cracking, or brusing: then take your graft, and putting itvnder the barke lay it flat vnto the sappe of the trée, so as thatlittle sappe which is left in the leafe, may without impediment cleaueto the sappe of the trée, then lay downe the barke close againe andcouer the graft, and with a little vntwound hempe, or a soft wollenlist, binde downe the barke close to the graft, and then couer all theincisions you haue made with greene waxe: by this manner of grafting youmay haue vpon one trée sundry fruits, as from one Apple-tree, bothPippins, Peare-maines, Russettings and such like, nay, you may haue vponone tree, ripe fruit all summer long, as Ienettings from one branch, Cislings from another, Wibourns from another, Costards and Quéene-Applesfrom others, and Pippens and Russettings, from others, which bringethboth delight to the eye, and admiration to the sence, and yet I wouldnot haue you imagine that this kinde of grafting doth onely worke thiseffect, for as before I shewed you, if you graft in the cleft (which isthe fastest way of all grafting) sundry fruits vpon sundry armes orbowes, you shall likewise haue procéeding from them sundry sorts offruits, as either Apples, Plumbes, Peares or any other kind, accordingto your composition and industry; as at this day we may dayly sée inmany great mens Orchards. 

{SN: Grafting on the toppes of trees. }There is yet another manner of grafting, and it is of all otherespecially vsed much in Italy, and yet not any thing disagréeable withour climate, and that is to graft on the small cyons which are on thetoppes of fruit trées, surely an experience that carryeth in it bothdificulty and wonder, yet being put to approbation is no lesse certainethen any of the other, the manner whereof is thus: you shall first afteryou haue chosen such and so many grafts as you doe intend to graft, andtrimd them in the same manner as you haue béene taught formerly forgrafting within the cleft, you shall then mount vp into the toppe of thetrée, vpon which you meane to graft, and there make choise of thehighest and most principallest cyons (being cleane barkt and round)that you can perceiue to grow from the trée, then laying the graft, andthe cyon vpon which you are to graft, together, sée that they be both ofone bignesse and roundnesse: then with your grafting knife cut the cyonoff betwéene the olde woode and the new, and cleaue it downe an inch andan halfe, or two inches at the most: then put in your graft (which graftmust not be cut thinner on one side, then on the other, but all of onethicknesse) and when it is in, sée that the barke of the graft bothaboue and below, that is, vpon both sides, doe ioyne close, euen, andfirme with the barke of the branch or cyon, and then by foulding alittle soft towe about it, kéepe them close together, whilst with clay, mosse, and the in-most barke of Osyars you lappe them about to defendthem from ayre, winde, and tempests. And herein you shall obserue tomake your graft as short as may be, for the shortest are best, as thegraft which hath not aboue two or thrée knots, or buddes, and no more. You may, if you please, with this manner of grafting graft vpon eueryseuerall cyon, a seuerall fruit, and so haue from one trée many fruits, as in case of grafting with the leafe, and that with much more spéede, by as much as a well-growne graft is more forward and able then a weaketender leafe. And in these seuerall wayes already declared, consisteththe whole Art and substance of Grafting: from whence albeit many curiousbraines may, from preuaricating trickes, beget showes of other fashions, yet when true iudgement shall looke vpon their workes, he shall euerfinde some one of these experiments the ground and substance of alltheir labours, without which they are able to doe nothing that shallturne to an assured commoditie. 

{SN: The effects of Grafting. }Now when you haue made your selfe perfect in the sowing, setting, planting and grafting of trées, you shall then learne to know theeffects, wonders, and strange issues which doe procéede from many quaintmotions and helpes in grafting, as thus: if you will haue Peaches, Cherryes, Apples, Quinces, Medlars, Damsons, or any Plumbe whatsoeuer, to ripen earely, as at the least two months before the ordinary time, and to continue at least a month longer then the accustomed course, youshall then graft them vpon a Mulberry stocke: and if you will haue thefruit to tast like spice, with a certaine delicate perfume, you shallboyle Honey, the powder of Cloues and Soaxe together, and being coldannoynt the grafts there-with before you put them into the cleft, if yougraft Apples, Peares, or any fruit vpon a Figge-tree stocke, they willbeare fruit without blooming: if you take an Apple graft, & a Pearegraft, of like bignesse, and hauing clouen them, ioyne them as one bodyin grafting, the fruit they bring forth will be halfe Apple and halfePeare, and so likewise of all other fruits which are of contrary tastesand natures: if you graft any fruit-tree, or other trée, vpon the Hollyor vpon the Cypresse, they will be greene, and kéepe their leaues thewhole yéere, albeit the winter be neuer so bitter. 

If you graft either Peach, Plumbe, or any stone-fruit vpon a Willowstocke, the fruit which commeth of them will be without stones. 

If you will change the colour of any fruit, you shall boare a holeslope-wise with a large auger into the body of the trée, euen vnto thepith, and then if you will haue the fruit yealow you shal fill the holewith Saferne dissolued in water: if you will haue it redde, then withSaunders, and of any other colour you please, and then stoppe the holevp close, and couer it with red or yealow waxe: also if you mixe thecoulour with any spice or perfume, the fruit will take a rellish or tastof the same: many other such like conceits and experiments are practisedamongst men of this Art, but sith they more concerne the curious, thenthe wise, I am not so carefull to bestow my labour in giuing moresubstantiall satisfaction, knowing curiosity loues that best whichprocéedes from their most paine, and am content to referre theirknowledge to the searching of those bookes which haue onely strangnessefor their subiect, resolued that this I haue written is fully sufficientfor the plaine English husbandman. 

CHAP. VI. 

_Of the replanting of Trees, and furnishing the Orchard. _

As soone as your séedes, or sets, haue brought forth plants, thoseplants, through time, made able, and haue receiued grafts, and thosegrafts haue couered the heads of the stockes and put forth goodlybranches, you shall then take them vp, and replant them, (because thesooner it is done the better it is done) in those seuerall places ofyour Orchard which before is appointed, and is intended to be prepared, both by dungging, digging, and euery orderly labour, to receiue eueryseuerall fruit. And herein you shall vnderstand, that as the best timesfor grafting are euery month (except October and Nouember) and at thechange of the moone, so the best times for replanting, are Nouember andMarch onely, vnlesse the ground be cold and moist and then Ianuary, orFebruary must be the soonest all wayes, excepted that you doe notreplant in the time of frost, for that is most vnholsome. 

{SN: The taking vp of trees. }Now when you will take vp your trées which you intend to replant in yourOrchard, you shall first with a spade bare all the maine branches of theroote, and so by degrées digge and loosen the earth from the roote, insuch sort that you may with your owne strength raise the young trée fromthe ground, which done, you shall not, according to the fashion ofFraunce, dismember, or disroabe the trée of his beauties, that is tosay, to cut off all his vpper branches and armes, but you shalldiligently preserue them: for I haue séene a trée thus replanted afterthe fall of the leafe to bring forth fruit in the summer following: butif the trée you replant be olde then it is good to cut off the mainebranches with in a foote of the stocke, least the sappe running vpward, and so forsaking the roote too sodainely doe kill the whole trée. 

When you haue taken your trée vp, you shall obserue how, and in whatmanner, it stoode, that is, which side was vpon the South and receiuedmost comfort from the sunne, and which side was from it and receiuedmost shadow and bleaknesse, and in the same sort as it then stoode, soshall you replant it againe: this done you shall with a sharpecutting-knife, cut off all the maine rootes, within halfe a foote of thetrée, onely the small thriddes or twist-rootes you shall not cut at all:then bringing the plant into your Orchard, you shall make a round holein that place where you intend to set your trée (the rankes, manner, distance and forme whereof hath béene all ready declared, in the firstChapter:) and this hole shalbe at least foure foote ouerthwart eueryway, and at least two foote déepe, then shall you fill vp the holeagaine, fiftéene inches déepe, with the finest blacke mould, temperedwith Oxe dunge that you can get, so that then the hole shalbe but nineinches déepe, then you shall take your trée and place it vpon thatearth, hauing care to open euery seuerall branch and thrid of the roote, & so to place them that they may all looke downe into the earth, and notany of them to looke backe and turne vpward: then shall you take of theearth from whence your trée was taken, and tempering it with a fourthpart of Oxe dunge and slekt sope-asshes (for the killing of wormes)couer all the roote of your trée firmely and strongly: then with gréenesoddes, cut and ioyned arteficially together, so sodde the place thatthe hole may hardly be discerned. Lastly take a strong stake, anddriuing it hard into the ground neare vnto the new planted trée, witheither a soft hay rope, the broad barke of Willow, or some such likevnfretting band, tye the trée to the stake, and it will defend it fromthe rage of winde and tempests, which should they but shake or troublethe roote, being new planted, it were inough to confound and spoyle thetrée for euer. 

Now, although I haue vnder the title and demonstration of replantingone trée giuen you a generall instruction for the replanting of alltrées whatsoeuer, yet, for as much as some are not of that strength andhardnesse to indure so much as some others will, therefore you shal takethese considerations by the way, to fortefie your knowledge with. 

First, you shall vnderstand that all your dainty and tender graftedPlumbes, and fruits, as Abricots, Peaches, Damaske-Plumbes, Verdochyos, Pescods, Emperialls, and diuers such like, together with Orrenges, Cytrons, Almonds, Oliues, and others, which indéede are not familiarwith our soyles, as being nearer neighbours to the sunne, doe delight ina warme, fat, earth, being somewhat sandy, or such a clay whosecoldnesse by Manure is corrected, and therefore here with vs in thereplanting of them you cannot bestow too much cost vpon the mould: asfor the Damson, and all our naturall english Plumbes, they loue a fat, cold, earth, so that in the replanting of them if you shall lay too muchdunge vnto their roote, you shall through the aboundant heate, doe greathurt vnto the trée. The cherry delighteth in any clay, so that vpon suchsoyle you may vse lesse Manure, but vpon the contrary you cannot lay toomuch. The Medlar estéemeth all earths alike, and therefore whether it beManured or no it skilles not, sunne and shadow, wet and drinesse, beingall of one force or efficacy. The Peare and Apple-trée delights in astrong mixt soyle, and therfore indureth Manure kindly, so doth also theQuince and Warden: lastly the Filbert, the Hasell, and the Chesnut, louecold, leane, moist, and sandy earths, in so much that there is nogreater enimy vnto them then a rich soyle: so that in replanting of themyou must euer séeke rather to correct then increase fertillity. 

You shall also vnderstand that all such fruit-trées as you doe plantagainst the walles of your Orchard (of which I haue spoken already &deciphered out their places) you shall not suffer to grow as ofthemselues, round, and from the wall, but at the times of pruning anddressing of them (which is euer at the beginning of the spring andimmediately after the fall) you shall as it were plash them, and spreadthem against the wall, foulding the armes in loopes of leather, andnayling them vnto the wall: and to that end you shall place them of sucha fit distance one from another, that they may at pleasure spread andmount, without interruption: the profit whereof is at this day seenealmost in euery great mans Orchard: and although I haue but onelyappointed vnto the wall the most quaint fruits of forraine nations; yetthere is no fruit of our owne, but if it be so ordered it will prosperand bring forth his fruit better and in greater abundance. And thus muchfor the replanting of trées and furnishing of a well proportionedOrchard. 

CHAP. VII. 

_Of the Dressing, Dungging, Proyning, and Preseruing of Trees. _

Sith after all the labour spent of ingendring by séede, of fortefyingand inabling by planting, and of multiplying by grafting it is to littleor no purpose if the trées be not maintained and preserued by dressing, dungging and proyning, I will therefore in this place shew you whatbelongs to that office or duty, and first, for the dressing of trees:you shall vnderstand that it containeth all whatsoeuer is méete for thegood estate of the trée, as first, after your trée is planted, orreplanted, if the season shall fall out hot, dry, and parching, insomuchthat the moisture of the earth is sucked out by the atraction of theSunne, and so the trée wanteth the nutriment of moisture, in this caseyou shall not omit euery morning before the rising of the sunne, andeuery euening after the set of the sunne, with a great watring-potfilled with water, to water & bath the rootes of the trées, if they beyoung trées, and newly planted, or replanted, but not otherwise: for ifthe trées be olde, and of long growth, then you shall saue that labour, and onely to such olde trées you shall about the midst of Nouember, witha spade, digge away the earth from the vpper part of the rootes and laythem bare vntill it be midde-March, and then mingling such earth as ismost agréeable with the fruit and Oxe-dunge and sope-ashes together, socouer them againe, and tread the earth close about them: as for thevncouering of your trées in summer I doe not hold it good, because thereflection of the sunne is somewhat too violent and dryeth the roote, from whence at that time the sappe naturally is gone: you shall alsoeuery spring and fall of the leafe clense your fruit trées from mosse, which procéeding from a cold and cankerous moisture, bréedeth dislike, and barrainenesse in trées: this mosse you must take off with the backeof an olde knife and leaue the barke smooth, plaine, and vnraced: alsoif you shall dunge such trées with the dunge of Swine, it is a ready wayto destroy the mosse. 

{SN: Proyning of Trees. }After you haue drest and trimmed your trées, you shall then proyne them, which is to cut away all those superfluous branches, armes, or cyons, which being either barraine, bruised or misplaced, doe like drones, steale-away that nutriment which should maintaine the better deseruingsinewes, and you shall vnderstand that the best time for proyning oftrées, is in March and Aprill, at which time the sappe assending vpward, causeth the trées to budde: the branches you shall cut away are all suchas shall grow out of the stocke vnderneath the place grafted, or allsuch as by the shaking of tempests shall grow in a disorderly and illfashioned crookednesse, or any other, that out of a well temperediudgement shall séeme superfluous and burdensome to the stocke fromwhence it springs, also such as haue by disorder béene brooken, ormaimed, and all these you shall cut away with a hooke knife, close bythe trée, vnlesse you haue occasion by some misfortune to cut away someof the maine and great armes of the trée, and then you shall not vseyour knife for feare of tearing the barke, but taking your sawe youshall sawe off those great armes close by the trée, neither shall yousawe them off downeward but vpward, least the waight of the arme breakethe barke from the body: And herein you shall also vnderstand that foras much as the mischances which beget these dismembrings doe happen atthe latter end of Summer, in the gathering of the fruit, and that it isnot fit such maymed and broken boughes hang vpon the trée till theSpring, therefore you shall cut them off in the Winter time, but notclose to the trée by almost a foote, and so letting them rest vntill thespring, at that time cut them off close by the trée. Now if you findethe superfluitie of branches which annoy your trées to be onely smallcyons, springing from the rootes of the trées, as it often hapneth withall sorts of Plumbe-trées, Cherry-trées, Nut-trées, and such like, thenyou shall in the winter, bare the rootes of those trées, and cut offthose cyons close by the roote: but if your trées be broused or eaten bytame-Deare, Goates, Shéepe, Kine, Oxen, or such like, then there is nohelp for such a misfortune but onely to cut off the whole head and graftthe stocke anew. 

{SN: Of Barke-bound. }Next to the proyning of trées, is the preseruing, phisicking, and curingof the diseases of trées: to which they are subiect as well as ournaturall bodyes: and first of all, there is a disease calledBarke-bound, which is when the barke, through a mislike and leperousdrynesse, bindeth in the trée with such straitnesse that the sappe beingdenied passage the body growes into a consumption: it is in nature likevnto that disease which in beasts is called hide-bound, and the cure isthus: at the beginning of March take a sharpe knife, and from the toppeof the body of the trée, to the very roote, draw downe certaine slits, or incissions, cleane through the barke, vnto the very sappe of thetrée, round about the trée, & then with the backe of your knife openthose slits and annoint them all through with Tarre, and in short spaceit will giue libertie vnto the trée to encrease & grow: this diseasecommeth by the rubbing of cattell against the trée, especially Swine, who are very poyson vnto all plants. 

{SN: Of the Gall. }There is another disease in fruit-trées, called the Gall, and it eatethand consumeth the barke quit away, and so in time kills the trée: thecure is to cut and open the barke which you sée infected, and with achissell to take away all that is foule and putrefied, and then toclappe Oxe dunge vpon the place, and it will helpe it, and this must bedone euer in winter. 

{SN: Of the Canker. }The Canker in fruit trées is the consumption both of the barke and thebody, & it commeth either by the dropping of trées one vpon another, orelse when some hollow places of the trée retaineth raine water in them, which fretting through the barke, poysoneth the trée: the cure is to cutaway all such boughes as by dropping bréede the euill, and if the hollowplaces cannot be smooth and made euen, then to stoppe them with clay, waxe, and sope-ashes mixt together. 

{SN: Of worme-eaten barkes. }If the barkes of your trées be eaten with wormes, which you shallperceiue by the swelling of the barke, you shall then open the barke andlay there-vpon swines dunge, sage, and lime beaten together, and boundwith a cloath fast to the trée, and it will cure it: or wash the tréewith cowes-pisse and vinegar and it will helpe it. 

{SN: Of Pismiers and Snailes. }If your young trées be troubled with Pismiers, or Snailes, which arevery noysome vnto them, you shall take vnsleckt lime and sope-ashes andmingling them with wine-lées, spread it all about the roote of the tréesso infected, and annoint the body of the trée likewise therewith, and itwill not onely destroy them but giue comfort to the trée: the soote of achimney or Oake sawe-dust spread about the roote will doe the same. 

{SN: Of Caterpillers, and Earewigges. }If Caterpillers doe annoy your young trées, who are great deuourers ofthe leaues and young buddes, and spoylers of the barke, you shall, if itbe in the summer time, make a very strong brine of water and salt, andeither with a garden pumpe, placed in a tubbe, or with squirts whichhaue many hoales you shall euery second day water and wash your trées, and it will destroy them, because the Caterpiller naturally cannotindure moisture, but if neuerthelesse you sée they doe continue stillvpon your trees in Winter, then you shall when the leaues are falne awaytake dankish straw and setting it on fire smeare and burne them from thetrée, and you shall hardly euer be troubled with them againe vpon thesame trées: roules of hay layd on the trées will gather vp Earewiggesand kill them. 

{SN: Of the barrainenesse of Trees. }If your trées be barraine, and albeit they flourish and spread thereleaues brauely, yet bring forth no fruit at all, it is a greatsicknesse, and the worst of all other: therefore you shall vnderstand itprocéedeth of two causes: first, of two much fertillitie, and fatnesseof the ground, which causeth the leafe to put forth and flourish in suchvnnaturall abundance, that all such sappe and nutriment as should knitand bring forth fruit, turnes onely vnto leafe, cyons, and vnprofitablebranches, which you shall perceiue both by the abundance of the leauesand by the colour also, which will be of a more blacker and déepergréene, and of much larger proportion then those which haue but theirnaturall and proper rights: and the cure thereof is to take away theearth from the roote of such trées and fill vp the place againe withother earth, which is of a much leaner substance: but if your trée haueno such infirmitie of fatnesse, but beareth his leaues and branches ingood order and of right colour and yet notwithstanding is barraine andbringeth forth little or no fruit, then that disease springeth from somenaturall defect in the trée, and the cure thereof is thus: first, youshall vnbare the roote of the trée, and then noting which is thegreatest and principallest branch of all the roote, you shall with agreat wimble boare a hole into that roote and then driue a pinne of oldedry Ashe into the same (for Oake is not altogether so good) and thencutting the pinne off close by the roote, couer all the head of thepinne with yealow waxe, and then lay the mould vpon the roote of thetrée againe, and treade it hard and firmely downe, and there is nodoubte but the trée will beare the yéere following: in Fraunce they vsefor this infirmitie to boare a hoale in the body of the tréeslope-wise, somewhat past the hart, and to fill vp the hoale with lifehoney and Rose-water mixt together, and incorporated for at leastxxiiij. Howers, and then to stoppe the hole with a pinne of the onewoode: also if you wash the rootes of your trées in the drane waterwhich runneth from your Barley when you stéepe it for Malt, it will curethis disease of barrainenesse. 

{SN: Of the bitternesse of Fruit. }If the fruit which is vpon your trées be of a bitter and sootie tast, tomake it more pleasant and swéet you shall wash your trée all ouer withSwines dunge and water mixt together, & to the rootes of the trées youshall lay earth and Swines dunge mixt together, which must be done inthe month of Ianuary and February onely, and it will make the fruit tastpleasantly. And thus much for the dressing and preseruing of trées. 

CHAP. VIII. 

_Of the Vine, and of his ordering. _

For as much as the nature, temperature, and clymate, of our soyle is notso truely proper and agréeing with the Vine as that of Fraunce, Italy, Spaine, and such like, and sith wée haue it more for delight, pleasure, and prospect, then for any peculyar profit, I will not vndertake_Monsiuer Lybaults_ painefull labour, in discribing euery curiousperfection or defect that belongs thereunto, as if it were the onelyiewell and commoditie of our kingdome, but onely write so much as isfitting for our knowledge touching the maintaynance, increase, andpreseruation thereof, in our Orchards, Gardens, and other places ofrecreation. 

{SN: Of planting or setting the Vine. }First then to speake of the planting or setting of the Vine, yourgreatest diligence must be to séeke out the best plants, and if thatwhich is most strange, rare, great and pleasant be the best, then isthat grape which is called the Muskadine, or Sacke grape, the best, andhaue their beginning either from Spaine, the Canary Ilands, or such likeplaces: next to them is the French grape, of which there be many kindes, the best whereof is the grape of Orleance, the next the grape ofGascoynie, the next of Burdeaux, and the worst of Rochell, and not anyof these but by industry will prosper in our English gardens: whentherefore you chuse your plants, you shall chuse such of the young cyonsas springing from the olde woode, you may in the cutting cut at least aioynt or two of olde woode with the young: for the olde will takesoonest, and this olde woode must be at least seauen or eight incheslong, and the young cyon almost a yard, and the thicker and closer theioynts of the young cyon are, so much the better they are: and the fittime for cutting and gathering these sets are in midde-Ianuary, thenhauing prepared, digged, and dunged your earth the winter before, youshall at the latter end of Ianuary take two of these sets, or plants, placing them according to this figure:

{Illustration}

And lay them in the earth slope-wise, at least a foote déepe, leauingout of the earth, vncouered, not aboue foure or fiue ioynts, at themost, and then couer them with good earth firmely, closely, andstrongly, hauing regard to raise those cyons which are without the earthdirectly vpward, obseruing after they be set, once in a month to wéedethem, and kéepe them as cleane as is possible: for nothing is morenoysome vnto them then the suffocating of wéeds: also you shall notsuffer the mould to grow hard or bind about the rootes, but with a smallspade once in a fortnight to loosen and breake the earth, because thererootes are so tender that the least straytning doth strangle andconfound them. If the season doe grow dry, you may vse to water them, but not in such sort as you water other plants, which is to sprincklewater round about the earth of the rootes, but you shall with a roundIron made for the purpose somewhat bigger then a mans fingar, makecertaine holes into the earth, close vpon the roote of the Vine, andpowre therein either water, the dregges of strong-Ale, or the lées ofWine, or if you will you may mixe with the lées of Wine eitherGoats-milke, or Cowes-milke, and power it into the holes and it willnourish the Vine excéedingly, and not the Vine onely, but all sorts ofdainty grafted Plumbes, especially Peaches. 

{SN: Of proyning the Vine. }Now for proyning the Vine, you shall vnderstand that it is euer to bedone after the fall of the leafe, when the sappe is desended downeward, for if you shall proyne, or cut him, either in the spring, or when thesappe is aloft, it will bléede so excéedingly, that with greatdifficulty you shall saue the body of the trée from dying: and, inproyning of the Vine you shall obserue two things, the first, that youcut away all superfluous cyons and branches, both aboue and below, whicheither grow disorderly aboue, or fruitlessely below, and in cutting themyou shall obserue, neither to cut the olde woode with the young cyon, nor to leaue aboue one head or leader vpon one branch: secondly, youshall in proyning, plash and spread the VINE thinnely against the wall, giuing euery seuerall branch and cyon his place, and passage, and notsuffer it to grow loosely, rudely, or like a wilde thorne, out of alldecency and proportion: for you must vnderstand that your Grapes doegrow euer vpon the youngest cyons, and if of them you shall preserue toomany, questionlesse for want of nourishment they will lose their vertue, and you your profit. Now if your Vine be a very olde Vine, and that hisfruit doth decay, either in quantitie or proportion; if then you findehe haue any young cyons which spring from his roote, then when youproyne him you shall cut away all the olde stocke, within lesse then anhandfull of the young cyons, and make them the leaders, who will prosperand continue in perfection a long time after, especially if you trimmethe rootes with fresh earth, and fresh dunge. Againe, if you be carefullto looke vnto your Vine, you shall perceiue close by euery bunch ofgrapes certaine small thridde-like cyons, which resemble twound wyars, curling and turning in many rings, these also take from the grapes verymuch nutriment, so that it shall be a labour very well imployd to cutthem away as you perceiue them. 

{SN: Experiments of the Vine. }Now from the Vine there is gathered sundry experiments, as to haue ittast more pleasant then the true nature of the grape, and to smell inthe mouth odoriferously, or as if it were perfumed, which may be done inthis sort: Take damaske-Rose-water and boyle therein the powder ofCloaues, Cynamon, thrée graines of Amber, and one of Muske, and when itis come to be somewhat thicke, take a round goudge and make a hole inthe maine stocke of the Vine, full as déepe as the hart thereof, andthen put therein this medicine, then stopping the hole with Cypresse, orIuniper, lay gréene-waxe thereupon, and binde a linnen cloath about it, and the next grapes which shall spring from that Vine will tast as ifthey were preserued or perfumed. 

If you will haue grapes without stones, you shall take your plants andplant the small ends downeward and be assured your desire is attained. 

The Vine naturally of himselfe doth not bring forth fruit till it hauebéene thrée yéeres planted: but if euening and morning for the firstmonth you will bath his roote with Goats-milke or Cowes-milke, it willbeare fruit the first yéere of his planting. Lastly, you may if youplease graft one Vine vpon another, as the swéet vpon the sower, as theMuskadine grape, or gréeke, vpon the Rochell or Burdeaux, the Spanish, or Iland grape, on the Gascoyne, and the Orleance vpon any at all: andthese compositions are the best, and bring forth both the greatest andpleasantest grapes: therefore whensoeuer you will graft one grape vponanother, you shall doe it in the beginning of Ianuary, in this sort:first, after you haue chosen and trimmed your grafts, which in all sortsmust be like the grafts of other fruits, then with a sharpe knife, youshall cleaue the head of the Vine, as you doe other stockes and then putin your graft, or cyon, being made as thinne as may be and sée that thebarkes and sappes ioyne euen and close together, then clay it, mosse it, and couer it, as hath béene before declared. 

{SN: The medicining of the Vine. }If your Vine grow too ranke and thicke of leaues, so that the sappe dothwast it selfe in them, and you thereby lose the profit of the fruit, youshall then bare all the rootes of the Vine, and cast away the earth, filling vp the place againe with sand & ashes mingled together: but ifthe Vine be naturally of it selfe barraine, then with a goudge you shallmake a hole halfe way through the maine body of the Vine, and driue intothe hole a round pible stone, which although it goe straitly in, yet itmay not fill vp the hole, but that the sicke humour of the Vine maypasse thorrow thereat: then couer the roote with rich earth, and Oxedunge mixt together, and once a day for a month water it with oldepisse, or vrine of a man, and it will make the trée fruitfull: if theVine be troubled with Wormes, Snailes, Ants, Earewigges, or such like, you shall morning and euening sprinckle it ouer with cowes-pisse andvinegar mixt together & it will helpe it: & thus much for ordering theVine. 

CHAP. IX. 

_The office of the Fruiterrer, or the Gatherer, and keeper, of Fruit. _

After you haue planted euery seuerall quarter, allye, and border withinyour Orchard, with euery seuerall fruit proper vnto his place, and thatyou haue placed them in that orderly and comely equipage which may giuemost delight to the eye, profit to the trée, and commendations to theworkeman, (according to the forme and order prescribed in the firstChapter) and that now the blessing of the highest, time, and yourindeuours hath brought forth the haruest and recompence of your trauell, so that you behould the long-expected fruit hang vpon the trées, as itwere in their ripenesse, wooing you to plucke, tast, and to deliuer themfrom the wombes of their parents, it is necessary then that you learnethe true office of the Fruiterer, who is in due season and time togather those fruits which God hath sent him: for as in the husbanding ofour grayne if the Husbandman be neuer so carefull, or skilfull, inploughing, dungging, sowing, wéeding and preseruing his crop, yet in thetime of haruest be negligent, neither regarding the strength or ripnessethereof, or in the leading and mowing respects not whether it be wet ordry, doth in that moments space loose the wages of his whole yéerestrauell, getting but durt from durt, and losse from his negligence: soin like case houlds it with all other fruits, if a man with neuer sogreat care and cost procure, yet if he be inrespectiue in the gathering, all his former businesse is vaine and to no purpose; and therefore Ihould nothing more necessary then the relation of this office of theFruiterer, which is the consummation and onely hope of our cost, anddiligence, teaching vs to gather wisely what wée haue planted wearily, and to eate with contentment what we haue preserued with care. 

{SN: Of gathering and preseruing Cherries. }Know then, that of all fruits (for the most part) the Cherry is thesoonest ripe, as being one of the oldest children of the summer, andtherefore first of all to be spoken of in this place, yet are not allCherries ripe at one instant, but some sooner then other some, accordingto the benefit of the Sunne, the warmth of the ayre, and the strength ofsappe in the branch on which the Cherry hangeth: they are a fruit tenderand pleasant, and therefore much subiect to be deuoured and consumedwith Byrds of the smallest kindes, as Sparrowes, Robins, Starlings, andsuch like, especially the Iay, and the Bull-finch, who deuoure themstones and all, euen so fast as they rypen: for preuention whereof; ifyou haue great abundance of Cherry trées, as maine holts that be eitherone or many akers in compasse, you shall then in diuers places of yourholts, as well in the midst, as out-corners, cause to be errected vpcertaine long poales of Fyrre, or other woode, which may mount somewhataboue the toppes of the trées, and one the toppes of those poales youshall place certaine clappe-milles made of broken trenchers ioynedtogether like sayles, which being moued and carryed about with thesmallest ayre, may haue vnderneath the sayles a certaine loose littleboard, against which euery sayle may clap and make a great noyse, whichwill afright and scare the Byrds from your trées: these milles you shallcommonly sée in Husbandmens yards placed on their stackes or houells ofCorne, which doth preserue them from fowle and vermine: but for want ofthese clap-milles you must haue some boy or young fellow that must euerymorning from the dawning of the day till the Sunne be more then an hourehigh, and euery euening from fiue of the clocke till nine, runne vp anddowne your ground, whooping, showtying, and making of a great noyse, ornow and then shooting of some Harquebush, or other Péece: but by nomeanes to vse slings or throwing of stones, least by the miscarriage ofhis hand hée either beate downe the fruit or bruise the trees. In thissort hauing preserued your Cherries from destruction, you shall thenknow there ripenesse by their colours, for euer those which are mostred, are most ripe, and when you sée any that are ripe, you shall take alight ladder, made either of fyrre or sallow, and setting it carefullyagainst the branches, so as you neither bruise them nor the fruit, youshall gather those you finde ripe, not taking the fruit from the stalke, but nipping the stalke and fruit both together from the trée: also youshall be carefull in gathering to handle or touch the Cherry so littleas may be, but the stalke onely, especially if your hands be hot, orsweaty, for that will change the colour of your Cherries, and make themlooke blacke: if there be any ripe Cherries which hang out of the reachof your hands, then you shall haue a fine small gathering hooke ofwoode, whose bout shall be made round, and smooth, for nipping the barkeof the branches, and with it you shall gently pull vnto you thosebranches you cannot reach: you shall also haue a little round basket ofalmost a foote déepe, made with a siue bottome, hauing a handle thwartethe toppe, to which a small hooke being fastned, you shall with thathooke hang the basket by you on some conuenient cyon, and as you gatherthe Cherries, gently lay them downe into the same, and when you hauefilled your basket you shall descend and empty it into larger greatbaskets made of the same fashion, with siue bottomes, and hauingvnderneath two broad lathes or splinters, at least thrée fingers broad apéece, within foure inches one of the other, and going both one waycrosse ouerthwart the basket, that if either man or woman shall carrythem vpon their heads, which is the best manner of cariage, then thesplinters may defend the bottome of the basket from the head of theparty, and kéepe the Cherries from hurt or bruising, and if you haueoccasion to carry your Cherries farre, and that the quantitie growbeyond the support of a man, then you shall packe them in hampers orpanniers made with false bottoms like siues, and finely lyned on theout side with white straw, and so being closely trust on each side aHorses-backe, to carry them whether you please. You shall by no meanessuffer your Cherries to lye in any great or thicke heapes one vponanother, but vntill you sell them, or vse them, lay them as thinne asmay be, because they are apt of themselues to sweat and catch heate, andthat heate doth soone depriue them of the glory of their colour. Whenyou gather any Cherries to preserue, you shall gather those which arethe greatest, the ripest, you shall pull them from their stalkes one byone, and vse them at furthest within xxiiij. Howers after the time theyare gotten. 

{SN: The gathering of stone Fruit. }{SN: Of gathering hard Plumbes. }{SN: Of keeping of Plumbes. }For the gathering of Plumbes in generall, it is in the same manner asyou did gather your Cherries, both with such a like ladder, such a likehooke, and such like vessels, onely some more speciall obseruations areto be obserued in gathering your dainty grafted Plumbes, then of theothers, which are of a more hard and induring nature. You shall knowthen that for gathering of Abricots, Peaches, Date-Plumbes, and suchlike grafted Plumbes, you shall duely consider when they are perfectlyripe, which you shall not iudge by their dropping from the trée, whichis a signe of ouer-much ripnesse, tending to rottennesse, but by thetrue mixture of their colour, and perfect change from their firstcomplexion: for when you shall perceiue that there is no gréenenesse norhardnesse in their out-sides, no, not so much as at the setting on ofthe stalke, you may then iudge that they are ready to be gathered, andfor a perfecter tryall thereof you may if you please, take one which youthinke ripest from the trée, and opening it if you sée the stone comescleane and dry away and not any of the in-part of the fruit cleauingvnto it, then you may assure your selfe that the fruit is ready to begathered, which you shall with great deligence and care gather, not byany meanes laying one Plumbe vpon another, but each seuerally byanother, for these dainty Plumbes are naturally so tender that the leasttouch, though of themselues, doth bruise them, and occasionrottennesse. Now when you haue gathered them, if either you haue desireto send them any iourney, as in gratulation to your friends, or forother priuate commoditie, you shall take some close, smooth, boxe, answerable to the store of fruit you are to send, and first line itwithin all ouer with white paper, then lay your Plumbes one by one allouer the bottome of the boxe, then couering them all ouer with whitepaper, lay as many moe vpon the toppe of them, and couer them likewisewith paper, as before, and so lay row vpon row with papers betwéenethem, vntill the boxe be sufficiently filled, and then closing it vpsende it whether you please, and they will take the least hurt, whereasif you should line the boxe either with hay or straw, the very skinnesare so tender that the straw would print into them and bruise themexcéedingly, and to lay any other soft thing about them, as either woollor bumbast, is excéeding euill, because it heateth the Plumbes, andmaketh them sweat, through which they both loose their colour and rotspéedily. As touching the gathering of Plumbes when they are hard, andto ripen them afterward by laying them vpon nettles, to which consenteththe most of our London-Fruiterrers, I am vtterly against the opinion, because I both know Nature to be the perfectest worke-Mistris, and whereshe is abridged of her power there euer to follow disorders andimperfections, as also that when such things are done, as it werethrough an ouer-hasty constraint, there cannot procéede any thing butabortiuenesse, and a distastfull rellish: from whence I thinke it comesto passe that in London a man shall very seldome tast a delicate or wellrellisht Plumbe, vnlesse it be from such as hauing fruit of their owne, make no commoditie thereof more then their owne pleasures: yet thus muchI would perswade euery one, that if they haue moe Plumbes ripe at oncethen they can vse, or spend, that then after they are gathered, tospread them thinnely vpon Nettles or Vine-trée leaues, and it willpreserue them sound and well coloured a long time together, but if yourstore be so superabundant that in no reasonable time you can spendthem, then what you doe not preserue, or make Godiniake, or Maruuladeof, the rest you shall take and sprinkling them ouer with swéet-worte, or growt, and then laying them one by one (yet so as they may not touchone another) vpon hurdles or fleakes made of wands, or twigges, and putthem into an Ouen after bread or Pyes haue béene taine thereout, and soleasurely dry them, and they will not onely last, but tast pleasantlyall the yéere after: and in this sort you may vse all kindes of Plumbes, or Peares, whatsoeuer. Now for the gathering of the other ordinary sortsof vngrafted Plumbes, which haue both much stronger rindes, and arelesse subiect to rotting, you shall gather them, carry, or transportthem, in the same manner that you did your Cherries, onely in these, asin all other sorts of fruit whatsoeuer, you shall not omit neuer togather, or pull them from the trée, till the dewe be dryed cleane bothfrom the grasse and from the trées, and that the day be dry, faire, andfull of sunne-shine: for the least wet or moisture doth canker and rotthe fruit. 

{SN: Of the gathering of Peares. }As touching the gathering of Peares, though sundry Fruiterrers obseruesundry wayes in gathering them, as some making more hast thengood-spéed, as either to haue the first tast, or the first profit, somevsing more negligence, thincking their store so great it will neuer beconsumed, and some so curious that they will not gather till the Pearesfall into their bosomes, all which are dispraiseable fashions, yet I formy part would euer aduise all diligent husbands to obserue amediocritie, and take the fittest season for the gathering of his fruit:as thus for example. If because you are vnexperienced or vnacquaintedwith the fruit you doe not know the due time of his ripening, you shallobserue the colour of the Peare, and if you sée it doe alter, either inpart, or in all, you shall be assured the fruit is neare ripening, forPeares doe neuer change their colours, but when they doe desire to betaken from the trée: and of all fruit the Peare may be gathered thehardest, because both his owne naturall heate and peculiar quallittiewill ripen him best with lying: yet to be more strongly fortefied in theknowledge of the ripenesse of your fruit, and because it is better toget a day too late, then an hower to earely, you shall before you gatheryour Peares, whether they be Summer fruit or Winter fruit, or whetheryou meane to spend them soone or preserue them long, take one of themfrom the trée, which is neither the ripest nor the gréenest, but betwixtboth, and cut it through the midst with your knife, not longwise, butouerthwart, and then looke into the coare where the kirnells lye, and ifit be hollow so as the kirnells lye as it were hollow therein, theneather ends thereof being turned either blacke, or blackish, albeit thecomplexion of the Peare be little, or not at all altered, yet the Peareshaue their full growth, and may very well be gathered: then laying themeither vpon a bedde of ferne, or straw, one vpon another, in greatthicknesse, their owne naturall heate will in short space ripen them, which you shall perceiue both by the spéedy changing of their colour, &the strength of their smell, which will be excéeding suffocating, whichas soone as you perceiue, you shall then spread them thinner andthinner, vntill they be all ripe, and then lay them one by one, in suchsort as they may not touch one another, and then they will last much thelonger, you shall also after they be ripe, neither suffer them to hauestraw nor ferne vnder them, but lay them either vpon some smooth table, boards or fleakes of wands, and they will last the longer. 

{SN: Of transporting, or carrying of Peares farre. }If you be to carry or transport Peares farre, you shall then gather themso much the sooner, and not suffer any ripe one to be amongst them, andthen lyning great wicker baskets (such as will hould at least quarters apéece) finely within with white-straw, fill them vp with Peares, andthen couer them with straw, and corde them aboue, and you may eithertransport them by land or Sea, whether you please, for they will ripenin their cariage: but when you come to your place of residence, then youmust néeds vnpacke them and spread them thinner, or else they will rotand consume in a sodaine. 

{SN: Of gathering diuersly. }There be sundry wayes of gathering Peares, or other fruit, as namely, toclimbe into the trée and to haue a basket with a line fastned thereto, and so when it is filled to let it downe, and cause it to be emptied, which labour though some of our southerne Fruiterers doe not muchcommend, yet for mine owne part I doe not sée much errour therein, butthat it is both allowable and conuenient, both because it neitherbruiseth the fruit, nor putteth the gatherer to any extraordinarylabour, onely the imaginary euill is, that by climbing vp into the trée, hée that gathereth the fruit may indanger the breaking, slipping, anddisbranching of many of the young cyons, which bréedeth much hurt anddamage to the trée, but iudgement, and care, which ought to beapropriate to men of this quallitie, is a certaine preuenter of all suchmischeifes. Now for such as in gathering of their fruit doe euery timethat the basket is full bring it downe themselues from the trée, andempty it by powring the fruit rudely, and boystrously forth, or forbeating of fruit downe with long poales, loggets, or such like, they areboth most vilde and preposterous courses, the first being full of toomuch foolish and carelesse trouble, the latter of too much disorder, &cruelty, ruyning in a moment what hath béene many yéeres in building: asfor the climbing the trée with a ladder, albeit it be a very good wayfor the gathering of fruit, yet if it be neuer so little indiscréetlyhandled, it as much hazardeth the breaking and bruising both of thefruit and the small cyons, as either climbing the trée, or any other waywhatsoeuer. 

{SN: The gathering of Apples. }Now for the gathering of your Apples: you shall vnderstand that yoursummer fruit, as your Ieniting, Wibourne, and such like, are first to begathered, whose ripenesse, you may partly know by the change of colour, partly by the pecking of Birds, but cheifely by the course formerlydiscribed for your knowledge of the ripenesse of the Peare, which is thehollownesse of coare, and liberty of the kirnell onely, and when youdoe perceiue they are ripe, you shall gather them in such wise as hathbéene declared for the gathering of your Peares, without respecting thestate of the Moone, or any such like obseruation, but when you come togather your Winter-fruit, which is the Pippin, Peare-maine, Russetting, Blacke-annat, and such like, you shall in any wise gather them in thewane of the Moone, and, as before I said, in the dryest season that maybe, and if it be so that your store be so great that you cannot gatherall in that season, yet you shall get so much of your principall fruit, the youngest and fairest, as is possible to be gotten, and preserue itfor the last which you intend either to spend, or vtter. Now for themanner of gathering your Apples I doe not thinke you can amend orapproue a better way then that which hath béene discribed for thegathering of Peares, yet some of our late practitioners (who thinkethemselues not cunning if they be not curious) dislike that way, andwill onely haue a gathering apron, into which hauing gathered theirfruit, they doe empty it into larger vessells: this gathering apron is astrong péece of Canuas at least an ell euery way, which hauing the vpperend made fast about a mans necke, & the neather end with thrée loopes, that is, one at each corner, & one in the midst, through which you shallput a string, and binde it about your waste, in so much that both thesides of your apron being open you may put your fruit therein with whichhand you please: this manner of gathering Apples is not amisse, yet inmy conceit the apron is so small a defence for the Apples, that if itdoe but knocke against the boughes as you doe moue your selfe, it cannotchuse but bruise the fruit very much, which ought euer to be auoyded:therefore still I am of this opinion, there is no better way, safer, normore easie, then gathering them into a small basket, with a long linethereat, as hath béene before declared in the gathering of Peares. Nowyou shall carefully obserue in empting one basket into another, that youdoe it so gently as may be, least in powring them out too rudely thestalkes of the fruit doe pricke one another, which although it doeappeare little or nothing at the first, yet it is the first ground, cause, and beginning of rottennesse, and therefore you shall to yourvttermost power gather your Apples with as small stalkes as may be, sothey haue any at all, which they must néedes haue, because that as toobigge stalkes doth pricke and bruise the fruit, so to haue none at allmakes the fruit rot first in the place where the stalke should be: youshall also kéepe your fruit cleane from leaues, for they being gréeneand full of moisture, when by reason of their lying close together theybeginne to wither they strike such an heate into the Apples, that theymil-dew and rot instantly. 

{SN: Of Fallings. }{SN: Of carriage and keeping Fruit. }As touching your Fallings, which are those Apples which fall from yourtrées, either through too much ripenesse, or else through the violenceof winde, or tempests, you shall by no meanes match them, or mixe them, with your gathered fruit, for they can by no meanes last or indure solong, for the latter which falleth by force of winde, wanting the truenourishment of the earth and the kindly ripening vpon the trée, mustnecessarily shrinke wither, and grow riuelled, so that your best courseis to spend them presently, with all spéede possible: for the otherwhich hath too much ripenesse from the earth, and the trée, though it bemuch better then the other, yet it cannot be long lasting, both becauseit is in the falling bruised, and also hath too much ripenesse, which isthe first steppe to rottennesse, so that they must likewise be spentwith all expedition. For the carriage of your Apples, if the place benot farre whether you should carry them, you shall then in those largebaskets into which you last emptied them, carry them vpon cole-staues, or stangs, betwixt two men, and hauing brought them carefully into yourApple-loft, power them downe gently vpon bedds of ferne or straw, andlay them in reasonable large heapes, euery sort of Apples seuerall bythemselues, without mixture, or any confusion: and for such Apples asyou would haue to ripen soone, you shall couer them all ouer with fernealso, but for such as you would haue take all possible leasure inripening, those you shall lay neither vpon ferne, nor straw, but vponthe bare boards, nay, if you lay them vpon a plaster floare (which is ofall floares the coldest) till Saint Andrewes tide, it is not amisse, butvery profitable, and the thinner you lay them so much the better. Now ifyou haue any farre iourney to carry your Apples, either by land, or bywater, then trimming and lyning the insides of your baskets with ferne, or wheat-straw wouen as it were cleane through the basket, you shallpacke, couer, and cord vp your Apples, in such sort as you did yourPeares, and there is no danger in the transportation of them, be it byshippe, cart, waggon, or horse-backe. If you be inforced to packe sundrysorts of Apples in one basket, sée that betwixt euery sort you lay adiuision of straw, or ferne, that when they are vnpackt, you may laythem againe seuerally: but if when they are vnpackt, for want of roomeyou are compeld to lay some sorts together, in any wise obserue to mixethose sorts together which are nearest of taste, likest of colour, andall of one continuance in lasting: as for the packing vp of fruit inhogsheads, or shooting them vnder hatches when you transport them bySea, I like neither of the courses, for the first is too close, andnothing more then the want of ayre doth rot fruit, the other is subiectto much wet, when the breach of euery Sea indangereth the washing of theApples, and nothing doth more certainely spoyle them. The times mostvnseasonable for the transporting of fruit, is either in the month ofMarch, or generally in any frosty weather, for if the sharpe coldenesseof those ayres doe touch the fruit, it presently makes them lookeblacke, and riuelled, so that there is no hope of their continuance. 

The place where you shall lay your fruit must neither be too open, nortoo close, yet rather close then open, it must by no meanes be low vponthe ground, nor in any place of moistnesse: for moisture bréedesfustinesse, and such naughty smells easily enter into the fruit, andtaint the rellish thereof, yet if you haue no other place but some lowcellar to lay your fruit in, then you shall raise shelues round about, the nearest not within two foote of the ground, and lay your Applesthereupon, hauing them first lyned, either with swéet Rye-straw, Wheate-straw, or dry ferne: as these vndermost roomes are not the best, so are the vppermost, if they be vnséeld, the worst of all other, because both the sunne, winde, and weather, peircing through the tiles, doth annoy and hurt the fruit: the best roome then is a well séeldchamber, whose windowes may be shut and made close at pleasure, euerobseruing with straw to defend the fruit from any moist stone wall, ordusty mudde wall, both which are dangerous annoyances. 

{SN: The seperating of Fruit. }Now for the seperating of your fruit, you shall lay those nearest hand, which are first to be spent, as those which will last but tillAlhallontide, as the Cisling, Wibourne, and such like, by themselues:those which will last till Christmas, as the Costard, Pome-water, Quéene-Apple, and such like: those which will last till Candlemas, asthe Pome-de-roy, Goose-Apple, and such like, and those which will lastall the yéere, as the Pippin, Duzin, Russetting, Peare-maine, and suchlike, euery one in his seuerall place, & in such order that you maypasse from bed to bed to clense or cast forth those which be rotten orputrefied at your pleasure, which with all diligence you must doe, because those which are tainted will soone poyson the other, andtherefore it is necessary as soone as you sée any of them tainted, notonely to cull them out, but also to looke vpon all the rest, and deuidethem into thrée parts, laying the soundest by themselues, those whichare least tainted by themselues, and those which are most tainted bythemselues, and so to vse them all to your best benefit. 

Now for the turning of your longest lasting fruit, you shall know thatabout the latter end of December is the best time to beginne, if youhaue both got and kept them in such sort as is before sayd, and not mixtfruit of more earely ripening amongst them: the second time you shallturne them, shall be about the end of February, and so consequently onceeuery month, till Penticost, for as the yéere time increaseth in heateso fruit growes more apt to rot: after Whitsontide you shall turne themonce euery fortnight, alwayes in your turning making your heapes thinnerand thinner; but if the weather be frosty then stirre not your fruit atall, neither when the thaw is, for then the fruit being moist may by nomeanes be touched: also in wet weather fruit will be a little dankish, so that then it must be forborne also, and therefore when any suchmoistnesse hapneth, it is good to open your windowes and let the ayredry your fruit before it be turned: you may open your windowe any timeof the yéere in open weather, as long as the sunne is vpon the skye, butnot after, except in March onely, at what time the ayre and winde is sosharpe that it tainteth and riuelleth all sorts of fruits whatsoeuer. 

{SN: To keepe Fruit in frost. }If the frost be very extreame, and you feare the indangering your fruit, it is good to couer them somewhat thicke with fine hay, or else to laythem couered all ouer either in Barley-chaffe, or dry Salte: as for thelaying them in chests of Iuniper, or Cipresse, it is but a toy, and notworth the practise: if you hang Apples in nettes within the ayre of thefire it will kéepe them long, but they will be dry and withered, andwill loose their best rellish. 

{SN: Of Wardens. }Now for the gathering, kéeping, ordering, and preseruing of Wardens, they are in all sorts and in all respects to be vsed as you doe vse yourPeares, onely you are to consider that they are a fruit of a muchstronger constitution, haue a much thicker skinne, and will endure muchharder season: neither ought you to séeke to ripen them in hast, orbefore the ordinary time of their owne nature, and therefore to them youshall vse neither straw, ferne, nor hay, but onely dry boards to laythem vpon, and no otherwise. 

{SN: Of Medlars and Seruices. }For your Medlars, you shall gather them about the midst of October, after such time as the frost hath nipt and bitten them, for before theywill not be ready, or loosen from the stalke, and then they will benothing ripe, but as hard as stones, for they neuer ripen vpon the trée, therefore as soone as you haue gathered them, you shall packe them intosome close vessell, and couer them all ouer, and round about, withthicke woollen cloathes, and about the cloathes good store of hay, andsome other waight of boards, or such like vpon them, all which mustbring them into an extreame heate, without which they will neuer ripenkindely, because their ripenesse is indéed perfect rottennesse: andafter they haue layne thus, at least a fornight, you shall then lookevpon them, and turning them ouer, such as you finde ripe you shall takeaway, the rest you shall let remaine still, for they will not ripen allat once, and those which are halfe ripe you shall also remoue into athird place, least if you should kéepe them together, they shouldbeginne to grow mouldy before the other were ready; and in the selfesame manner as you vse your Medlars, so you shall vse your Seruices, andthey will ripen most kindely: or if you please to sticke them betwixtlarge clouen stickes, and to sprinckle a little olde beare vpon them, and so set them in a close roome, they will ripen as kindely as anyother way whatsoeuer. 

{SN: Of Quinces. }Now for Quinces, they are a fruit which by no meanes you may place neareany other kinde of fruit, because their sent is so strong and peircing, that it will enter into any fruit, and cleane take way his naturallrellish: the time of their gathering is euer in October, and the méetestplace to lay them in is where they may haue most ayre, so they may lyedry (for wet they can by no meanes indure, ) also they must not lyeclose, because the smell of them is both strong & vnwholsome: the bedswhereon they must lye must be of swéet straw, and you must both turnethem and shift them very often, or else they will rot spéedily: for thetransporting or carying them any long iourney, you must vse them in allthings as you vse your Peares, & the carriage will be safe. 

{SN: Of Nuts. }For Nuts, of what sort soeuer they be, you shall know they are ripe assoone as you perceiue them a little browne within the huske, or as itwere ready to fall out of the same, the skill therefore in preseruing ofthem long from drynesse, is all that can be desired at the Fruiterershands: for as touching the gathering of them, there is no scruple to beobserued, more then to gather them cleane from the trée, with the helpeof hookes and such like, for as touching the bruising of them, the shellis defence sufficient. After they be gathered, you shall shale them, andtake them cleane out of their huskes, and then for preseruing them fromeither Wormes or drynesse, it shall be good to lay them in some lowcellar, where you may couer them with sand, being first put into greatbagges or bladders: some french-men are of opinion that if you put theminto vessels made of Wal-nut-trée, and mixe Iuy-berries amongst them, itwill preserue them moist a long time: others thinke, but I haue found itvncertaine, that to preserue Nuts in Honey will kéepe them all the yéereas gréene, moist, and pleasant, as when they hung vpon the trée: TheDutch-men vse (and it is an excellent practise) to take the crushtCrabbes (after your verdiuyce is strained out of them) and to mixe itwith their Nuts, and so to lay them in heapes, and it will preserue themlong: or otherwise if they be to be transported, to put them intobarrells and to lay one layre of crusht Crabbes, and another of Nuts, vntill the barrell be filled, and then to close them vp, and set themwhere they may stand coole. But aboue all these foresayd experiments, the best way for the preseruing of Nuts is to put them into cleaneearthen pots, and to mixe with them good store of salt and then closingthe pots close, to set them in some coole cellar, and couer them allouer with sand, and there is no doubt but they will kéepe coole, pleasant, and moist, vntill new come againe, which is a time fullyconuenient. 

{SN: Of Grapes. }Now to conclude, for the kéeping of Grapes, you shall first vnderstandthat the best time for their gathering is in the wane of the Moone, andabout the midst of October, as for the knowledge of his ripenesse it iseuer at such time as his first colour is cleane altered, for all Grapesbefore they be ripe are of a déepe, thicke, greene, colour, but afterthey be ripe, they are either of a blewish redde, or of a bright shiningpale gréene. Now for the preseruing them for our english vse, which isbut onely for a fruit-dish at our Tables, for neither our store, nor oursoyle, affords vs any for the wine-presse, some thinke it good, afterthey are gotten, to lay them in fine dry sand, or to glasse them vp inclose glasses, where the ayre cannot peirce, will kéepe them long, bothfull, plumpe, and swéet, but in my conceit the best course is after theyare gotten to hang them vpon strings bunch by bunch, in such places ofyour house as they may take the ayre of the fire, and they will lastlongest, and kéepe the swéetest. 

CHAP. X. 

_Of the making of Cyder, or Perry. _

Cyder is a certaine liquor or drinke made of the iuyce of Apples, andPerrye the like, made of Peares, they are of great vse in France, andvery wholsome for mans body, especially at the Sea, and in hotCountries: for they are coole and purgatiue, and doe preuent burningagues: with vs here in England Cyder is most made in the West parts, asabout Deuon-shire & Cornwaile, & Perry in Worcester-shire, Glocester-shire, & such like, where indéede the greatest store of thosekindes of fruits are to be found: the manner of making them is, afteryour fruit is gotten, you shall take euery Apple, or Peare, by it selfe, and looking vpon them, picke them cleane from all manner of filthinesse, as bruisings, rottennesse, worme-eating, and such like, neither leauevpon them any stalkes, or the blacke buddes which are and grow vpon thetops of the fruit, which done you shall put them in to some very cleanevessell, or trough, and with béetells, made for the purpose, bruise orcrush the Apples or Peares in péeces, & so remoue them into other cleanevessells, till all the fruit be bruised: then take a bagge ofhayre-cloath, made at least a yard, or thrée quarters, square, andfilling it full of the crusht fruit, put it in a presse of woode, madefor the purpose, and presse out all the iuyce and moisture out of thefruit, turning and tossing the bagge vp and downe, vntill there be nomore moisture to runne forth, and so baggefull after baggefull cease notvntill you haue prest all: wherein you are especially to obserue, thatyour vessells into which you straine your fruit be excéeding neate, swéet, and cleane, and there be no place of ill fauour, or annoyanceneare them, for the liquour is most apt, especially Cyder, to take anyinfection. As soone as your liquor is prest forth and hath stoode tosettle, about twelue houres, you shall then turne it vp into swéethogsheads, as those which haue had in them last, either White-wine orClarret, as for the Sacke vessell it is tollerable, but not excellent:you may also if you please make a small long bagge of fine linnencloath, and filling it full of the powder of Cloues, Mace, Cynamon, Ginger, and the dry pils of Lemons, and hang it with a string at thebung-hole into the vessell, and it will make either the Cyder, or Perry, to tast as pleasantly as if it were Renish-wine, and this being done youshall clay vp the bung-hole with clay and salt mixt together, so closeas is possible. And thus much for the making of Perry or Cyder. 

CHAP. XI. 

_Of the Hoppe-garden, and first of the ground and situation thereof. _

{SN: Fit ground for Hoppes. }That the Hoppe is of great vse and commoditie in this kingdome, both theBeare, which is the generall and perfect drinke of our Nation, and ourdayly traffique, both with France, the low-Countries, and other nations, for this commoditie, is a continuall testimony, wherefore the firstthing to be considered of in this worke, is the goodnesse and aptnesseof the ground for the bringing forth of the fruit thereof, wherein Ithus farre consent with Maister _Scot_, that I doe not so much respectthe writings, opinions, and demonstrations, of the Gréeke, Latine, orFrench authors, who neuer were acquainted with our soyles, as I doe thedayly practise and experience which I collect, both from my owneknowledge, and the labours of others my Countrymen, best séene andapproued in this Art: therefore to come to my purpose, you shalvnderstand that the light sand, whether it be redde or white, beingsimple and vnmixed is most vnfit for the planting of Hoppes, becausethat through the barrainenesse, it neither hath comfort for the roote, nor through his seperate lightnesse, any strong hould to maintaine andkéepe vp the poales: likewise the most fertill rich, blacke clay, whichof all soyles is the best and most fruitfull, is not to be allowed for aHoppe garden, because his fatnesse and iuyce is so strong that the rootebeing as it were ouer-fedde, doth make the branches bring forth leauesin such infinite abundance that they leaue neither strength nor placefor the fruit, either to knit, or put forth his treasure, as I haueséene by experience in many places: as for the earth which is of amorish, blacke, wet nature, and lyeth low, although I haue often timesséene good Hoppes to grow thereupon, being well trencht, and the hilscast high to the best aduantage, yet it is not the principall ground ofall others, because it is neuer long lasting, but apt to decay and growpast his strength of bearing. The grounds then which I haue generallyséene to beare the best Hoppes, and whose natures doe the longestcontinue with such fruit, are those mixt earthes which are clayes withclayes, as blacke with white, or clayes and sands of any sorts, whereinthe soyle is so corrected as neither too much fatnesse doth suffocate, nor too much leannesse doth pine: for I had euer rather haue myHoppe-garden desire increase, then continually labour in abatement. Andalthough some doe excéedingly condemne the chauke-ground for this vse, yet I haue not at any time séene better Hoppes, or in more plenty, thenin such places, as at this day may be séene in many places aboutHartford-shire. To conclude, though your best mixt earths bring forththe best Hoppes, yet there is no soyle, or earth, of what nature soeuerit be (if it lye frée from inundation) but will bring forth good Hoppes, if it be put into the hands of an experienced workman. 

{SN: Of the Situation. }Now, for the situation or site of your Hoppe-garden: you shall so neareas you can place it neare some couer or shelter, as either of hils, houses, high-walles, woodes or trées, so those woodes or trées be not soneare that they may drop vpon your Hoppe hils, for that will kill them:also the nearer it is planted to your dwelling house it is somuch thebetter, both because the vigilance of your owne eye is a good guardethereunto, and also the labours of your work-Maister will be morecarefull and diligent. A Hop-garden as it delighteth much in thepleasantnesse of the sunne, so it cannot endure by any meanes, thesharpenesse of the windes, frosts, or Winter weather, and therefore youronely care is your defence and shelter. For the bignesse of your ground, it must be ordered according to your abillitie or place of trade forthat commoditie, for if you shall haue them but for your owne vse, thena roode or two roodes will be inough, albeit your house kéeping matchwith Nobillitie: but if you haue them for a more particuler profit, then you may take an Aker, two or thrée, according to your ownediscretion; wherein you shall euer kéepe these obseruations: that onemans labour cannot attend aboue two thousand fiue hundred hils, thateuery roode will beare two hundred and fiftie hils, euery hill beare atleast two pounds and an halfe of Hoppes, (which is the iust quantitiethat will serue to brew one quarter of Malt) and that euery hundredwaight of Hoppes, is at the least, in a reasonable yéere, worthfoure-nobles the hundred: so that euery roode of ground thus imployed, cannot be lesse worth, at the meanest reckoning, then sixe pounds by theyéere: for if the ground be principall good for the purpose, and wellordered, the profit will be much greater, in as much as the bells of theHoppes will be much greater, full, and more waighty: And thus much forthe ground and situation. 

CHAP. XII. 

_Of the ordering of the Garden, and placing of the Hils. _

As soone as you haue chosen out your platforme of ground, you shaleither by ploughing, or digging, or by both, make it as flat & leuell asis possible, vnlesse it be any thing subiect vnto water, and then youshall giue it some small desent, and with little trenches conuaye thewater from annoying it: you shall also the yéere before you either makehill or plant it with Hoppe-rootes, sowe it all ouer with hempe, whichwill not onely kill, and stifle all sorts of wéeds, but also rot thegréene-swarth, and make the mould mellow, and apt to receiue the rooteswhen they come to be planted. 

Now, as soone as your ground is thus prepared, you shall then take aline, and with it measure your ground ouerthwart, and to euery hillallow at least thrée foote of ground euery way, and betwixt hill andhill, at the least sixe foote distance: and when you haue marked thusthe number of thirty or forty places, where your hils shall be placed, intending euer that the time of yéere for this worke must be about thebeginning of Aprill, you shall then in the center, or midde part ofthese places made for the site of your hils, digge small square holes ofa foote square each way, and a full foote déepe, and in these holes youshall set your Hoppe-rootes, that is to say, in euery hole at leastthrée rootes, and these thrée rootes you shall ioyne together in suchwise that the toppes of them may be of one equall height, and agréeingwith the face or vpper part of the earth, you shall set them straightand vpright, and not seperating them, as many doe, and setting at eachcorner of the hole a roote, neither shall you twist them, and set bothends vpward, nor lay them flat or crosse-wise in the earth, neithershall you make the hils first and set the rootes after, nor immediatelyvpon the setting cast great hils vpon them, all which are very vildewayes for the setting of Hoppes, but, as before I sayd, hauing ioynedyour rootes together, you shall place them straight and vpright, and soholding them in one hand, with the other put the moulds close, firme, and perfectly about them, especially to each corner of the hole, whichdone you shall likewise couer the sets themselues all ouer with finemoulds, at least two fingers thicke, and in this sort you shall plantall your garden quite ouer, making the sites for your hill to stand inrowes and rankes, in such order that you may haue euery way betwéene thehils small alleyes and passages, wherein you may goe at pleasure fromhill to hill, without any trouble or annoyance, according to that formewhich I haue before prescribed touching the placing of your Apple-tréesin each seuerall quarter in your Orchard: and herein you are tovnderstand, that in this first yéere of planting your Hoppe-garden youshall by no meanes fashion or make any great hils, but onely raise thatpart of the earth where your plants are set, some two or thrée fingershigher then the ordinary ground. 

{SN: The choise of Rootes. }Now, before I procéede any further, I thinke it not amisse to speakesome thing touching the choise, gathering and trimming of Hoppe-rootes:wherefore you shall vnderstand that about the latter end of March is thebest gathering of Hoppe-rootes, which so neare as you can you shallselect out of some garden of good reputation, which is both carefullykept, and by a man of good knowledge, for there euery thing beingpreserued in his best perfection, the rootes will be the greatest andmost apt to take: and in the choise of your rootes you shall euer chusethose which are the greatest, as namely, such as are at the least thréeor foure inches about, & ten inches long, let euery roote containe aboutthrée ioynts, and no more, and in any case let them be the cyons of thelast yéeres growth: if they be perfectly good they haue a great gréenestalke with redde streakes, and a hard, broad, long, gréene, bell; ifthey be otherwise, as namely, wilde-Hoppes, then they are small andslender, like thriddes, their colour is all redde, euen when it is atleast thrée yards high, whereas the best Hoppe carieth his reddishcolour not thrée foote from the earth. Now hauing gotten such rootes asare good and fit for your purpose, if the season of the weather, orother necessitie hinder you from presently setting them, you shall theneither lay them in some puddle, neare to your garden, or else bury themin the ground, vntill fit time for their planting: and of the two it isbetter to bury them then lay them in puddle, because if you so let themlye aboue xxiiij. Houres, the rootes will be spoyled. 

Now after you haue in manner aforeshewed, planted your garden withrootes, it shall not be amisse, if the place be apt to such annoyance, to pricke vpon the site of euery hill a few sharpe Thornes to defendthem from the scratching of poultry, or such like, which euer are busieto doe mischeife: yet of all house-fowle Géese be the worst, but if yourfence be as it ought, high, strong, and close, it will both preuenttheir harme and this labour. 

{SN: Of Poales. }Next vnto this worke is the placing of Poales, of which we will firstspeake of the choise thereof, wherein if I discent from the opinion ofother men, yet imagine I set downe no Oracle, but referre you to theexperience or the practise, and so make your owne discreation thearbiter betwéene our discentions. It is the opinion of some, thatAlder-poales are most proper and fit for the Hoppe-garden, both that theHoppe taketh, as they say, a certaine naturall loue to that woode, asalso that the roughnesse of the rinde is a stay & benefit to the growthof the Hoppe: to all which I doe not disagrée, but that there should befound Alder-poales of that length, as namely, xvj. Or xviij. Foote long, nine, or ten, inches in compasse, and with all rush-growne, straight, and fit for this vse, séemeth to mée as much as a miracle, because in mylife I haue not beheld the like, neither doe I thinke our kingdome canafford it, vnlesse in some such especiall place where they are purposelykept and maintained, more to shew the art of their maintenance, then theexcellency of their natures: in this one benefit, and doutlesse wherethey are so preserued, the cost of their preseruation amounteth to morethan the goodnesse of their extraordinary quallitie, which mine authordefends to the contrary, giuing them a larger prerogatiue, in that theyare cheaper to the purse, more profitable to the plant, and lesseconsumption to the common-wealth: but I greatly doubt in theapprobation, and therefore mine aduise is not to rely onely vpon theAlder, and for his preheminence imagine all other poales insufficient:but be assured that either, the Oake-poale, the Ashe, the Béeche, theAspe, or Maple, are euery way as good, as profitable, and by manydegrées much longer lasting. 

{SN: The proportion of the Poale. }{SN: Of cutting and erecting Poales. }Now, if it be so that you happen to liue in the champian Country, as forthe most part Northampton shire, Oxford-shire, some parts of Leycesterand Rutland are, or in the wet and low Countries, as Holland, and Kestenin Lincolne-shire, or the Ile of Elye in Cambridge-shire, all whichplaces are very barraine of woode, and yet excellent soyles to beareHoppes, rather then to loose the commoditie of the Hoppe-garden I wishyou to plant great store of Willowes, which will afforde you poales assufficient as any of the other whatsoeuer, onely they are not so longlasting, and yet with carefull and dry keeping, I haue séene them lastfull out seauen yéeres, a time reasonably sufficient for any youngwoode, for such a vse. Thus you sée the curiositie is not very great ofwhat woode so euer your poale be, so it be of young and cleane growth, rush-growne, (that is to say, biggest at the neather end) eightéenefoote in length, and ten inches in compasse. These poales you shall cutand prepare betwixt the feast of Al-Saints, and Christmas, and so pilethem vp in some dry place, where they may take no wet, vntill it bemidde-Aprill, at which time (your Hoppes being shot out of the ground atleast thrée quarters of a yarde, so that you may discerne the principallcyons which issue from the principall rootes) you shall then bring yourpoales into the garden, and lay them along in the alleyes, by euery hillso many poales as shall be sufficient for the maine branches, whichhappely the first yéere will not be aboue two or thrée poales at themost to a hill, but in processe of time more, as foure or fiue, according to the prosperitie of the plants, and the largenesse of thehils. After you haue thus layd your poales, you shall then beginne toset them vp in this sort: first, you shall take a gaue-locke, or crow ofiron, and strike it into the earth so neare vnto the roote of the Hoppeas is possible, prouided alwayes that you doe not bruise, or touch theroote, and so stroake after stroake, cease not striking till you hauemade a hoale at least two foote déepe, and make them a little slantwiseinward towards the hill, that the poales in their standing may shooteoutwards and hould their greatest distance in the toppes: this done youshall place the poales in those hoales, thus made with the iron crow, and with another péece of woode, made rammer-wise, that is to say, asbigge at the neather end as the biggest part of the poale, or somewhatmore, you shall ramme in the poales, and beate the earth firme and hardabout them: alwayes prouided, that you touch not any branch, or aslittle as you may beate with your rammer within betwéene the poales, onely on the out-side make them so fast that the winde, or weather, maynot disorder or blow them downe: then lay to the bottome of euery poalethe branch which shall ascend it, and you shall sée in a short space, how out of their owne natures, they will imbrace and climbe about them. 

Now, if it happen after your Hoppes are growne vp, yet not come to theirfull perfection, that any of your poales chance to breake, you shallthen take a new poale, and with some soft gréene rushes, or the inmostgréene barke of an Alder-trée, tye the toppe of the Hoppe to the toppeof the new poale, then draw the broken poale out of the Hoppe (I meanethat part which being broken lyeth vpon the ground) and as you saw itdid winde about the olde poale (which is euer the same way that thesunne runnes) so you shall winde it about the new poale: then looseningthe earth a little from the neather part of the broken poale, you maywith your owne strength pull it cleane out of the earth, and place thenew poale in his roome. Now, there be some which are excéeding curiousin pulling vp these olde poales, and rather then they will shake theearth, or loosen the mould, they will make a paire of large pincers, ortarriers of iron, at least fiue foote long with sharpe téeth, and aclasping hooke to hould the téeth together, when they haue taken fasthould vpon the poale so neare the earth as is possible, and then layinga peice of woode vnder the tarriers, and poysing downe the other ends torest the poale out of the earth without any disturbance, the modell orfashion of which instrument is contained in this figure:

{Illustration}

This instrument is not to be discommended, but to be held of good vse, either in binding grounds where the earth hardneth and houldeth thepoale more then fast, or in the strength and heate of summer, when thedrynesse of the mould will by no meanes suffer the poale to part fromit: but otherwise it is néedlesse and may without danger be omitted. 

As soone as you haue sufficiently set euery hill with poales, and thatthere is no disorder in your worke, you shall when the Hoppes beginne toclimbe, note if their be any cyons or branches which doe forsake thepoales, and rather shoote alongst the ground then looke vp to theirsupporters, and all such as you shall so finde, you shall as before Isayd, either with soft gréene rushes, or the gréene barke of Elder, tyethem gently vnto the poales, and winde them about, in the same coursethat the sunne goes, as oft as conueniently you can: and this you shalldoe euer after the dew is gone from the ground, and not before, and thismust be done with all possible speede, for that cyon which is thelongest before it take vnto the poale is euer the worst and brings forthhis fruit in the worst season. 

{SN: Of the Hils. }Now, as touching the making of your hils, you shall vnderstand thatalthough generally they are not made the first yéere, yet it is notamisse if you omit that scruple, and beginne to make your hils as sooneas you haue placed your poales, for if your industry be answerable tothe desert of the labour, you shall reape as good profit the firstyéere, as either the second or the third. To beginne therefore to makeyour hils, you shall make you an instrument like a stubbing Hoe, whichis a toole wherewith labourers stubbe rootes out of decayed woode-landgrounds, onely this shall be somewhat broader and thinner, somewhat infashion (though twice so bigge) vnto a Coopers Addes, with a shaft atleast foure foote long: some onely for this purpose vse a fine paringspade, which is euery way as good, and as profitable, the fashion ofwhich is in this figure. 

{Illustration}

With this paring spade, or hoe, you shall pare vp the gréene-swarth andvppermost earth, which is in the alleyes betwéene the hils, and lay itvnto the rootes of the Hoppes, raising them vp like small Mole-hils, andso monthly increasing them all the yéere through, make them as large asthe site of your ground will suffer, which is at least foure or fiuefoote ouerthwart in the bottome, and so high as conueniently that heightwill carry: you shall not by any meanes this first yéere decay any cyonsor branches which spring from the hils, but maintaine them in theirgrowth, and suffer them to climbe vp the poales, but after the firstyéere is expired you shall not suffer aboue two or thrée cyons, at themost, to rise vpon one poale. After your hils are made, which as beforeI sayd would be at least foure or fiue foote square in the bottome, andthrée foote high, you shall then diligently euery day attend yourgarden, and if you finde any branches that being risen more then halfeway vp the poales, doe then forsake them and spread outward, danglingdowne, then you shall either with the helpe of a high stoole, on whichstanding you may reach the toppe of the poale, or else with a smallforckt sticke, put vp the branch, and winde it about the poale: youshall also be carefull that no wéeds or other filthinesse grow about therootes of your Hoppes to choake them, but vpon the first discouery todestroy them. 

CHAP. XIII. 

_Of the gathering of Hoppes, and the preseruing of the Poales. _

Touching the gathering of Hoppes you shall vnderstand that after Saint_Margarets_ day they beginne to blossome, if it be in hot and richsoyles, but otherwise not till Lammas: likewise in the best soyles theybell at Lammas, in the worst at Michaelmas, and in the best earth theyare full ripe at Michaelmas, in the worst at Martillmas; but to knowwhen they are ripe indeede, you shall perceiue the séede to loose hisgréene colour, and looke as browne as a Hares backe, wherefore then youshall with all dilligence gather them, and because they are a fruit thatwill endure little or no delay, as being ready to fall as soone as theybe ripe, and because the exchange of weather may bréede change in yourworke, you shall vpon the first aduantage of faire weather, euen sosoone as you shall sée the dewe exhaled and drawne from the earth, getall the ayde of Men, Women, and children which haue any vnderstanding, to helpe you, and then hauing some conuenient empty barne, or shedde, made either of boards or canuas, neare to the garden, in which you shallpull your Hoppes, you shall then beginne at the nearest part of thegarden, and with a sharpe garden knife cut the stalkes of the Hoppesasunder close by the toppes of the hils; and then with a straite forkeof iron, made broad and sharpe, for the purpose, shere vp all theHoppes, and leaue the poales naked. Then hauing labouring persons forthe purpose, let them cary them vnto the place where they are to bepuld; and in any case cut no more then presently is caryed away as fastas they are cut, least if a shower of raine should happen to fall, andthose being cut and taking wet, are in danger of spoyling. You shallprouide that those which pull your Hoppes be persons of good discretion, who must not pull them one by one, but stripe them roundly through theirhands into baskets, mixing the young budds and small leaues with them, which are as good as any part of the Hoppe whatsoeuer. After you hauepulled all your Hoppes and carried them into such conuenient dry roomesas you haue prepared for that purpose, you shall then spread them vponcleane floares, so thinne as may be, that the ayre may passe thorrowthem, least lying in heapes they sweat, and so mould, before you canhaue leasure to dry them. After your Hoppes are thus ordered, you shallthen cleanse your garden of all such Hoppe-straw, and other trash, as inthe gathering was scattered therein: then shall you plucke vp all yourHoppe-poales, in manner before shewed, and hauing either some dryboarded house, or shed, made for the purpose, pile then one vponanother, safe from winde or weather, which howsoeuer some that wouldhaue their experience, like a Collossus, séeme greater then it is, doedisalow, yet it is the best manner of kéeping of poales, and well worthythe charge: but for want of such a house, it shall not be amisse to takefirst your Hoppe-straw, and lay it a good thicknesse vpon the ground, and with sixe strong stakes, driuen slant-wise into the earth, so as thevppermost ends may be inward one to another, lay then your Hoppe-poalesbetwéene the stakes, and pile them one vpon another, drawing themnarrower and narrower to the top, and then couer them all ouer with moreHoppe-straw, and so let them rest till the next March, at which timeyou shall haue new occasion to vse them. 

{SN: Winter businesse. }As soone as you haue piled vp your Hoppe-poales, dry and close, then youshall about mid-Nouember following throw downe your hils, and lay allyour rootes bare, that the sharpenesse of the season may nip them, andkéepe them from springing too earely: you shall also then bring into thegarden olde Cow-dunge, which is at least two yéeres olde, for no newdunge is good, and this you shall lay in some great heape in someconuenient place of the garden vntill Aprill, at which time, after youhaue wound your Hoppes about your poales, you shall then bestow vponeuery hill two or thrée spade-full of the Manure mixt with earth, whichwill comfort the plant and make it spring pleasantly. 

After your hils are puld downe, you shall with your garden spade, oryour hoe, vndermine all the earth round about the roote of the Hoppe, till you come to the principall rootes thereof, and then taking theyoungest rootes in your hand, and shaking away the earth, you shall séehow the new rootes grow from the olde sets, then with a sharpe knife cutaway all those rootes as did spring the yéere before, out of your sets, within an inch and an halfe of the same, but euery yéere after the firstyou shall cut them close by the olde rootes. Now, if you sée any rooteswhich doe grow straight downward, without ioynts, those you shall notcut at all, for they are great nourishers of the plant, but if they growoutward, or side-wayes, they are of contrary natures, and mustnecessarily be cut away. If any of your Hoppes turne wilde, as oft ithappens, which you shall know by the perfect rednesse of the branch, then you shall cut it quite vp, and plant a new roote in his place. After you haue cut and trimmed all your rootes, then you shall couerthem againe, in such sort as you were taught at the first planting them, and so let them abide till their due time for poaling. 

CHAP. XIIII. 

_Of drying, and not drying of Hoppes, and of packing them when they aredried. _

Although there be much curiositie in the drying of Hoppes as well in thetemperature of heate (which hauing any extremitie, as either of heate, or his contrary, bréedeth disorder in the worke) as also in the framingof the Ost or furnace after many new moulds and fashions, as variable asmens wits and experiences, yet because innouations and incertainty dothrather perplexe then profit, I will shunne, as much as in me lyeth, fromloading the memory of the studious Husbandman with those stratagemswhich disable his vnderstanding from the attaining of better perfection, not disalowing any mans approued knowledge, or thinking that becausesuch a man can mend smoking Chimnyes, therefore none but hée shall hauelicense to make Chimnyes, or that because some men can melt Mettallwithout winde, therefore it shall be vtterly vnlawfull to vse bellowes:these violent opinions I all together disacknowledge, and wish euery onethe liberty of his owne thoughts, and for mine English Husband, I willshew him that way to dry his Hoppes which is most fit for his profit, safe, easie, and without extraordinary expences. 

First then to speake of the time which is fittest for the drying of yourHoppes, it is immediately as soone as they are gotten, if more vrgentoccasions doe not delay the businesse, which if they happen, then youhaue a forme before prescribed how to preserue them from mouldinesse andputrifaction till you can compasse fit time to effect the worke in. Themanner of drying them is vpon a Kilne, of which there be two sorts, thatis to say, an English Kilne, and a French Kilne: the English Kilne beingcomposed of woode, lath, and clay, and therefore subiect to some dangerof fire, the French, of bricke, lime, and sand, and therefore safe, close, and without all perill, and to be preferred much before theother: yet because I haue hereafter more occasion to speake of thenature, fashion, and edifice of Kilnes in that part of this Volumnewhere I intreate of Malting, I will cease further to mention them thento say that vpon a Kilne is the best drying your Hoppes, after thismanner, hauing finely bedded your Kilne with Wheate-straw, you shall layon your hayre cloath, although some disallow it, but giue no reasontherefore, yet it cannot be hurtfull in any degrée, for it neitherdistasteth the Hoppes, nor defendeth them from the fire, making theworke longer then it would, but it preserueth both the Hoppes fromfilthynesse, and their séede from losse: when your hayre-cloath isspread, you shall cause one to deliuer you vp your Hoppes in baskets, which you shall spread vpon the cloath, all ouer the Kilne, at the leasteight inches thicke, and then comming downe, and going to the hole ofthe Kilne, you shall with a little dry straw kindle the fire, and thenmaintaining it with more straw, you shall kéepe a fire a little moreferuent then for the drying of a kilne-full of Malt, being assured thatthe same quantitie of fuell, heate, and time, which dryeth a kilne-fullof Malt, will also dry a kilne-full of Hoppes, and if your Kilne willdry twenty strikes, or bushels of Malt at one drying, then it will dryforty of Hoppes, because being layd much thicker the quantitie can be nolesse then doubled, which is a spéede all together sufficient, and mayvery well serue to dry more Hoppes then any one man hath growing in thiskingdome. 

Now, for as much as some men doe not alow to dry Hoppes with straw, butrather preferre woode, and of woode still to chuse the gréenest, yet Iam of a contrary opinion, for I know by experience that the smoake whichprocéedeth from woode, (especially if it be greene woode) being a strongand sharpe vapour, doth so taint and infect the Hoppes that when thoseHoppes come to be brewed with, they giue the drinke a smoakie taste, euen as if the Malt it selfe had beene woode-dryed: the vnpleasantnessewhereof I leaue to the iudgement of them that haue trauelled inYork-shire, where, for the most part, is nothing but woode-dryed Maltonely. 

That you may know when your Hoppes are dry inough, you shall take asmall long sticke, and stirring the Hoppes too and fro with it, if theHoppes doe russell and make a light noyse, each as it were seperatingone from another, then they are altogether dry inough, but if in anypart you finde them heauy or glewing one to another, then they haue notinough of the fire: also when they are sufficiently and moderately dryedthey are of a bright-browne colour, little or nothing altered from thatthey held when they were vpon the stalke, but if they be ouer dryed, then their colour will be redde: and if they were not well orderedbefore they were dryed, but suffered either to take wet or mould, thenthey will looke blacke when they are dry. 

{SN: Of the drying Hoppes. }There be some which are of opinion that if you doe not dry your Hoppesat all, it shall be no losse, but it is an errour most grose, for ifthey be not dryed, there is neither profit in their vse, nor safty inpreseruing them. 

As soone as your Hoppes are sufficiently dryed, you shall by theplucking vp of the foure corners of your hayre-cloath thrust all yourHoppes together, and then putting them into baskets, carry them intosuch dry places as you haue prepared of purpose to lay them in, asnamely, either in dry-fats, or in garners, made either of plaster, orboards: and herein you shall obserue to packe them close and hardtogether, which will be a meanes that if any of them be not dry, yet theheate they shall get by such lying will dry them fully and make them fitfor seruice. 

{SN: Of packing Hoppes. }Now to conclude, if your store of Hoppes be so great that you shalltrade or make Marchandize of them, then either to conuay them by land orSea, it is best that you packe them into great bagges of canuas, made infashion of those bagges which woole-men vse, and call them pockets, butnot being altogether so large: these bagges you shall open, and eitherhang vp betwéene some crosse-beames, or else let downe into some lowerfloare, and then putting in your Hoppes cause a man to goe into thebagge and tread downe the Hoppes, so hard as is possible, pressing downebasket-full after basket-full, till the bagge be filled, euen vnto thetoppe, and then with an extraordinary packe-thriede, sowing the open endof the bagge close together, let euery hollow place be crammed withHoppes, whilst you can get one hand-full to goe in, and so hauing madeeuery corner strong and fast, let them lye dry till you haue occasioneither to shippe or cart them. And thus much for the ordering of Hoppes, and their vses. 

CHAP. XV. 

_The office of the Gardiner, and first of the Earth, Situation, andfencing of a Garden for pleasure. _

There is to be required at the hands of euery perfect Gardiner thréeespeciall vertues, that is to say, _Diligence_, _Industry_, and _Art_:the two first, as namely, _Diligence_ (vnder which word I comprehend hisloue, care, and delight in the vertue hee professeth) and _Industry_(vnder which word I conclude his labour, paine, and study, which are theonely testimonies of his perfection) hée must reape from Nature: for, ifhée be not inclined, euen from the strength of his blood to this loueand labour, it is impossible he should euer proue an absolute gardiner:the latter, which containeth his skill, habit, and vnderstanding in whathée professeth, I doubt not but hée shall gather from the abstracts orrules which shall follow hereafter in this Treatise, so that wherenature, and this worke shall concurre in one subiect, there is no doubtto be made, but the professor shall in all points, be able to dischargea sufficient dutie. 

Now, for as much as all our antient and forraine writers (for wée arevery sleightly beholding to our selues for these indeauours) areexcéeding curious in the choise of earth, and situation of the plot ofground which is méete for the garden: yet I, that am all EnglishHusbandman, and know our soyles out of the worthinesse of their ownenatures doe as it were rebell against forraine imitation, thinking theirowne vertues are able to propound their owne rules: and the rather whenI call into my remembrance, that in all the forraine places I haueséene, there is none more worthy then our owne, and yet none orderedlike our owne, I cannot be induced to follow the rules of Italie, vnlesse I were in Italie, neither those of France, vnlesse I dwelt inFrance, nor those of Germany except in Germany I had my habitation, knowing that the too much heate of the one, or the too much coldnesse ofthe other, must rather confound then help in our temperate climate:whence it comes, that our english booke-knowledge in these cases is bothdisgraced and condemned, euery one fayling in his experiments, becausehe is guided by no home-bredde, but a stranger; as if to reade theenglish tongue there were none better then an Italian Pedant. This toauoide, I will neither begge ayde nor authoritie from strangers, butreuerence them as worthies and fathers of their owne Countries. 

{SN: Of the ground. }To speake therefore first of the ground which is fit for the garden, albeit the best is best worthy, the labour least, and the profit mostcertaine, yet it is not méete that you refuse any earth whatsoeuer, bothbecause a garden is so profitable, necessary, and such an ornament andgrace to euery house and house-kéeper, that the dwelling place is lameand maymed if it want that goodly limbe, and beauty. Besides, if nogardens should be planted but in the best and richest soyles, it wereinfinite the losse we should sustaine in our priuate profit, and in thedue commendations, fit for many worthy workmen, who haue reduced theworst and barrainest earths to as rare perfection and profit as if theyhad béene the onely soyles of this kingdome: and for mine owne part, Idoe not wonder either at the worke of Art or Nature, when I behould in agoodly, rich, and fertill soyle, a garden adorned with all the delightsand delicacies which are within mans vnderstanding, because the naturallgoodnesse of the earth (which not induring to be idle) will bring forthwhatsoeuer is cast into her: but when I behould vpon a barraine, dry, and deiected earth, such as the Peake-hils, where a man may behould Snowall summer, or on the East-mores, whose best hearbage is nothing butmosse, and iron stone, in such a place, I say, to behould a delicate, rich, and fruitfull garden, it shewes great worthinesse in the owner, and infinite Art and industry in the workeman, and makes me both admireand loue the begetters of such excellencies. 

But to returne to my purpose touching the choise of your earth for agarden, sith no house can conueniently be without one, and that ourEnglish Nation is of that great popularitie, that not the worst placethereof but is abundantly inhabited, I thinke it méete that you refuseno earth whatsoeuer to plant your garden vpon, euer obseruing this rule, that the more barraine it is, the more cost must be bestowed vpon it, both in Manuring, digging, and in trenching, as shall be shewedhereafter, and the more rich it is, lesse cost of such labour, and morecuriositie in wéeding, proyning, and trimming the earth: for, as thefirst is too slow, so the latter is too swift, both in her increase andmultiplication. 

Now, for the knowledge of soyles, which is good, and which is badde, Ihaue spoken sufficiently already in that part which intreateth ofTillage, onely this one caueat I will giue you, as soone as you hauemarkt out your garden-plot, you shall turne vp a sodde, and taking somepart of the fresh mould, champe it betwéene your téeth in your mouth, and if it taste swéetish then is the mould excellent good and fit toreceiue either seedes or plants, without much Manuring, but if it tastesalt or bitter, then it is a great signe of barrainenesse, and must ofnecessitie be corrected with Manure: for saltnesse sheweth muchwindinesse, which choaketh and stifleth the séede, and bitternesse thatvnnaturall heate which blasteth it before it sprout. 

{SN: Of the situation. }Now, for the situation of the garden-plot for pleasure, you shallvnderstand that it must euer be placed so neare vnto the dwelling houseas is possible, both because the eye of the owner may be a guard andsupport from inconueniences, as also that the especiall roomes andprospects of the house may be adorned, perfumed, and inriched, with thedelicate proportions, odorifferous smells, and wholsome ayres whichshall ascend and vaporate from the same, as may more amply be séene inthat former Chapter, where modelling forth the Husbandmans house, I shewyou the site and place for his Garden, onely you must diligentlyobserue, that neare vnto this garden doe not stand any houells, stackesof hay, or Corne, which ouer-pearing the walls, or fence, of the same, may by reason of winde, or other occasion, annoy the same with straw, chaffe, séedes, or such like filthinesse, which doth not onely blemishthe beauty thereof, but is also naturally very hurtfull and cankerous toall plants whatsoeuer. Within this garden plot would be also either someWell, Pumpe, Conduit, Pond, or Cesterne for water, sith a garden, atmany times of the yéere, requireth much watering: & this place for wateryou shall order and dispose according to your abillitie, and the natureof the soyle, as thus: if both your reputation, and your wealth be ofthe lowest account, if then your garden aford you a plaine Well, comelycouered, or a plaine Pump, it shall be sufficient, or if for want ofsuch springs you digge a fayre Pond in some conuenient part thereof, orelse (which is much better) erect a Cesterne of leade, into which bypippes may discend all the raine-water which falls about any part of thehouse, it will serue for your purpose: but if God haue bestowed vpon youa greater measure of his blessings, both in wealth & account, if theninsteade of either Well, Pumpe, Pond, or Cesterne, you erect Conduits, or continuall running Fountaines, composed of Antique workes, accordingto the curiositie of mans inuention, it shall be more gallant andworthy: and these Conduits or water-courses, you may bring in pippes ofleade from other remote or more necessary places of water springs, standing aboue the leuell of your garden, as euery Artist in theprofession of such workes can more amply declare vnto you, onely for méelet it be sufficient to let you vnderstand that euery garden would beaccompanied with water. 

Also you shall haue great care that there adioyne not vnto yourgarden-plot any common-shewers, stinking or muddy dikes, dung-hils, orsuch like, the annoyance of whose smells and euill vapors doth not onelycorrupt and bréede infection in man, but also cankereth, killeth andconsumeth all manner of plants, especially those which are mostpleasant, fragrant, and odorifferous, as being of tenderest nature andqualitie: and for this cause diuers will not alow the moating ofgarden-plots about, imagining that the ouer great moistnesse thereof, and the strong smells which doe arise from the mudde in the Summerseason, doe corrupt and putrifie the hearbes and plants within thecompasse of the same, but I am not altogether of that opinion, for ifthe water be swéet, or the channell thereof sandy or grauelly, thenthere is no such scruple to be taken: but if it be contrary, then it iswith all care to be auoyded, because it is euer a Maxime in this case, that your garden-plot must euer be compassed with the pleasantest andswéetest ayre that may be. 

The windes which you shall generally defend from your garden, are theEasterne windes and the Northerne, because they are sharpest, coldest, and bring with them tempers of most vnseasonablenesse, & albeit inItalie, Spaine, and such like hot Countries, they rather defend away theWesterne and Southerne winde, giuing frée passage to the East and North, yet with England it may not be so, because the naturall coldenes of ourClimate is sufficient without any assistance to further bitternesse, our best industry being to be imployed rather to get warmth, which maynourish and bring forth our labours, then any way to diminish or weakenthe same. 

This plot of ground also would lye, as neare as you can, at the foote orbottome of an hill, both that the hill may defend the windes and sharpeweather from the same, as also that you may haue certaine ascents orrisings of state, from leuell to leuell, as was in some sort beforeshewed in the plot for the Orchard, and shall be better declared in thenext Chapter. 

{SN: Of fencing the garden. }Now lastly for the fencing or making priuate the garden-plot, it is tobe done according to your abillitie, and the nature of the climatewherein you liue: as thus, if your reuenewes will reach thereunto, andmatter be to be got, for that purpose, where you liue, then you shallvnderstand that your best fence is a strong wall, either of Bricke, Ashler, rough-Stone, or Earth, of which you are the best-owner, or canwith least dammage compasse: but for want either of earth to makebricke, or quarries out of which to get stone, it shall not then beamisse to fence your garden with a tall strong pale of seasoned Oake, fixt to a double parris raile, being lined on the inside with a thickequicke-set of white-Thorne, the planting whereof shall be more largelyspoken of where I intreate of fencing onely. But if the place where youliue in, be so barraine of timber that you cannot get sufficient for thepurpose, then you shall make a studde wall, which shall be splinted andlomed both with earth and lime, and hayre, and copt vpon the toppe (todefend away wet) either with tile, slate, or straw, and this wall isboth beautifull, and of long continuance, as may be séene in the mostparts of the South of this kingdome: but if either your pouerty orclimate doe deny you timber for this purpose, you shall then first makea small trench round about your garden-plot, and set at least fourerowes of quicke-set of white-Thorne, one aboue another, and then roundabout the outside, to defend the quick-set, make a tall fence of deadwoode, being either long, small, brushy poales prickt into the earth, and standing vpright, and so bound together in the wast betwéene twoother poales, according to the figure set downe, {Illustration}

being so high that not any kinde of Pullen may flie ouer the same, orelse an ordinary hedge of common woode, being beyrded vpon the toppewith sharpe Thornes, in such wise that not any thing may dare toaduenture ouer it: and this dead fence you shall repaire and maintaineas occasion shall require from time to time, till your quicke-set begrowne vp, and, by continuall plashing and interfouldings, be made ableand sufficient to fence and defend your garden, which will be withinfiue or seauen yeeres at the most, and so continue with good order foreuer. And thus much for the situation of gardens. 

CHAP. XVI. 

_Of the fashion of the garden-plot for pleasure, the Alleyes, Quarters, Digging and Dungging of the same. _

{SN: The fashion. }After you haue chosen out and fenced your garden-plot, according as isbefore sayd, you shall then beginne to fashion and proportion out thesame, sith in the conuayance remaineth a great part of the gardinersart. And herein you shall vnderstand that there be two formes ofproportions belonging to the garden, the first, onely beautifull, as theplaine, and single square, contayning onely foure quarters, with hislarge Alleyes euery way, as was discribed before in the Orchard: theother both beautifull and stately, as when there is one, two or thréeleuelled squares, each mounting seauen or eight steppes one aboueanother, and euery square contayning foure seuerall Quarters with theirdistinct and seuerall Alleyes of equall breadth and proportion; placingin the center of euery square, that is to say, where the foure corners ofthe foure Quarters doe as it were neighbour and méete one another, either a Conduit of antique fashion, a Standard of some vnusuall deuise, or else some Dyall, or other Piramed, that may grace and beautifie thegarden. And herein I would haue you vnderstand that I would not haue youto cast euery square into one forme or fashion of Quarters or Alleyes, for that would shew little varytie or inuention in Art, but rather tocast one in plaine Squares, another in Tryangulars, another inroundalls, & so a fourth according to the worthinesse of conceite, as insome sort you may behould by these figures, which questionlesse whenthey are adorned with their ornaments, will breed infinite delight tothe beholders. 

{Illustration: The Plaine Square. }

{Illustration: The Square Triangular or circular. }

{Illustration: The Square of eight Diamonds. }

From the modell of these Squares, Tryangles, and Rounds, anyindustrious braine may with little difficulty deriue and fashion tohimselfe diuers other shapes and proportions, according to the natureand site of the earth, which may appeare more quaint and strange thenthese which are in our common vse, albeit these are in the truth ofworkmanship the perfect father and mother of all proportions whatsoeuer. 

{SN: The ordering of Alleyes. }Now, you shall vnderstand that concerning the Alleyes and walkes in thisgarden of pleasure, it is very méete that your ground, being spaciousand large, (which is the best beauty) that you cut through the midst ofeuery Alley an ample and large path or walke, the full depth of theroote of the gréene-swarth, and at least the breadth of seauen or eightfoote: and in this path you shall strow either some fine redde-sand, ofa good binding nature, or else some fine small grauell, or for want ofboth them you may take the finest of your pit-coale-dust, which willboth kéepe your Alleyes dry and smooth, and also not suffer any grasseor gréene thing to grow within them, which is disgracefull, if it besuffered: the French-men doe vse, to couer their Alleyes, either withthe powder of marble, or the powder of slate-stone, or else paue themeither with Pit-stone, Frée-stone, or Tiles, the first of which is toohard to get, the other great cost to small purpose, the rather sith ourowne grauell is in euery respect as beautifull, as dry, as strong, andas long lasting: Onely this héedfulnesse you must diligently obserue, that if the situation of your garden-plot be low and much subiect tomoisture, that then these middle-cut paths or walkes must be heightnedvp in the midst, and made in a proportionall bent or compasse: whereinyou shall obserue that the out most verdges of the walke must be leuellwith the gréene-swarth which holded in each side, and the midst so trulyraised vp in compasse, that the raine which falles may haue a passage toeach side of the gréene-swarth. Now, the lesse this compasse is made (soit auoyde the water, and remaine hard) the better it is, because bythat meanes both the eye shall be deceiued (which shewes art in theworkman) and the more leuell they are, the more ease vnto them whichshall continually walke vpon them. 

{SN: Obiection. }Now, if any shall obiect, why I doe not rather couet to haue theseAlleyes or walkes rather all gréene, then thus cut and deuided, sith itis a most beautifull thing to see a pleasant gréene walke, my answere isthis, that first the mixture of colours, is the onely delight of the eyeaboue all other: for beauty being the onely obiect in which it ioyeth, that beautie is nothing but an excellent mixture, or consent of colours, as in the composition of a delicate woman the grace of her chéeke is themixture of redde and white, the wonder of her eye blacke and white, andthe beauty of her hand blewe and white, any of which is not sayd to bebeautifull if it consist of single or simple colours: and so in thesewalkes, or Alleyes, the all gréene, nor the all yealow cannot be sayd tobe most beautifull, but the gréene and yealow, (that is to say, thevntroade grasse, and the well knit grauell) being equally mixt, giue theeye both luster and delight beyonde all comparison. 

Againe, to kéepe your walkes all gréene, or grassy, you must of forceeither forbeare to tread vpon them, (which is the vse for which theywere onely fashioned, ) or treading vpon them you shall make so manypathes and ilfauored wayes as will be most vglie to the eye: besides thedewe and wet hanging vpon the grasse will so annoy you, that if you doenot select especiall howers to walke in, you must prouide shooes orbootes of extraordinary goodnesse: which is halfe a depriuement of yourliberty, whereas these things of recreation were created for a contrarypurpose. 

Now, you shall also vnderstand that as you make this sandy and smoothwalke through the midst of your Alleyes, so you shall not omit but leaueas much gréene-swarth, or grasse ground of eache side the plaine path asmay fully counteruaile the breadth of the walke, as thus for example: ifyour sandy walke be sixe foote broad, the grasse ground of each sideit, shall be at least sixe foote also, so that the whole Alley shall beat least eightéene foote in breadth, which will be both comely andstately. 

{SN: Of the Quarters. }Your Alleyes being thus proportioned and set forth, your next workeshall be the ordering of your Quarters, which as I sayd before, you mayframe into what proportions you please, as into Squares, Tryangles andRounds, according to the ground, or your owne inuention: and hauingmarked them out with lines, and the garden compasse, you shall thenbeginne to digge them in this manner: first, with a paring spade, thefashion whereof is formerly shewed, you shall pare away all thegréene-swarth, fully so déepe as the roote of the grasse shall goe, andcast it away, then with other digging spades you shall digge vp theearth, at least two foote and a halfe, or thrée foote déepe, in turningvp of which earth, you shall note that as any rootes of wéedes, or otherquickes shall be raised or stirred vp, so presently with your hands togather them vp, and cast them away, that your mould may (as neare asyour dilligence can performe it) be cleane from either wilde rootes, stones, or such like offences: & in this digging of your Quarters youshall not forget but raise vp the ground of your Quarters at least twofoote higher then your Alleyes, and where by meanes of such reasure, youshall want mould, there you shall supply that lacke by bringing mouldand cleane earth from some other place, where most conueniently you mayspare it, that your whole Quarter being digged all ouer, it may rise inall parts alike, and carry an orderly and well proportioned leuellthrough the whole worke. 

{SN: Of Dunging. }The best season for this first digging of your garden mould is inSeptember: and after it is so digged and roughly cast vp, you shall letit rest till the latter end of Nouember, at what time you shall digge itvp againe, in manner as afore sayd, onely with these additions, that youshall enter into the fresh mould, halfe a spade-graft déeper thenbefore, and at euery two foote breadth of ground, enlarging the trenchboth wide and déepe, fill it vp with the oldest and best Oxe orCow-Manure that you can possibly get, till such time that increasingfrom two foote to two foote, you haue gone ouer and Manured all yourquarters, hauing a principall care that your dunge or Manure lye bothdéepe and thicke, in so much that euery part of your mould mayindifferently pertake and be inriched with the same Manure. 

{SN: Diuersitie of Manures. }Now, you shall vnderstand that although I doe particularly speake but ofOxe or Cow-Manure, because it is of all the fattest and strongest, especially being olde, yet their are diuers respects to be had in theManuring of gardens: as first, if your ground be naturally of a good, fat, blacke, and well tempered earth, or if it be of a barraine, sandy, hot, yet firme mould, that in either of these cases your Oxe, Cow, orbeast Manure is the best & most sufficient, but if it be of a colde, barraine, or spewing mould then it shall be good to mixe your Oxe-dungewith Horse-dunge, which shall be at least two yéeres olde, if you canget it, otherwise such as you can compasse: if your ground be good andfertill yet out of his drynesse in the summer-time it be giuen to riueand chappe as is séene in many earths; you shall then mixe yourOxe-dunge well with Ashes, orts of Lime, and such like: lastly, if yourearth be too much binding and colde therewithall, then mixe yourOxe-dunge with chalke or marle and it is the best Manure. And thus muchfor the generall vse of earths. 

Now, for perticular vses you shall vnderstand that for Hearbs or Flowersthe Oxe and Horse-dunge is the best, for rootes or Cabbages, mans ordureis the best, for Harty-chockes, or any such like thisly-fruit, Swines-dunge is most sufficient, and thus according to your setleddetermination you shall seuerally prouide for euery seuerall purpose, and so, God assisting, seldome faile in your profit. And this dunge youshall bring into your garden in little drumblars or whéele-barrowes, made for the purpose, such as being in common vse in euery Husbandmansyarde it shall be néedlesse here either to shew the figure orproportion thereof. And thus much for the fashion, digging, and dungingof gardens. 

CHAP. XVII. 

_Of the adornation and beautifying of the Garden for pleasure. _

The adornation and beautifying of gardens is not onely diuers but almostinfinite, the industry of mens braines hourely begetting and bringingforth such new garments and imbroadery for the earth, that it isimpossible to say this shall be singular, neither can any man say thatthis or that is the best, sith as mens tastes so their fancies arecarried away with the varietie of their affections, some being pleasedwith one forme, some with another: I will not therefore giuepreheminence to any one beauty, but discribing the faces and glories ofall the best ornaments generaly or particularly vsed in our Englishgardens, referre euery man to the ellection of that which shall bestagrée with his fancy. 

{SN: Of Knots and Mazes. }To beginne therefore with that which is most antient and at this day ofmost vse amongst the vulgar though least respected with great ones, whofor the most part are wholy giuen ouer to nouelties: you shallvnderstand that Knots and Mazes were the first that were receiued intoadmiration, which Knots or Mazes were placed vpon the faces of eachseuerall quarter, in this sort: first, about the verdge or square of thequarter was set a border of Primpe, Boxe, Lauandar, Rose-mary, or suchlike, but Primpe or Boxe is the best, and it was set thicke, at leasteightéene inches broad at the bottome & being kept with cliping bothsmooth and leuell on the toppe and on each side, those borders as theywere ornaments so were they also very profitable to the huswife for thedrying of linnen cloaths, yarne, and such like: for the nature of Boxeand Primpe being to grow like a hedge, strong and thicke, together, theGardiner, with his sheares may kéepe it as broad & plaine as himselfelisteth. Within this border shall your knot or maze be drawne, it beingeuer intended that before the setting of your border your quarter shallbe the third time digged, made exceeding leuell, and smooth, withoutclot or stone, and the mould, with your garden rake of iron, so brokenthat it may lye like the finest ashes, and then with your garden mauls, which are broad-boards of more then two foote square set at the ends ofstrong staues, the earth shall be beaten so hard and firme together thatit may beare the burthen of a man without shrinking. And in the beatingof the mould you shall haue all diligent care that you preserue andkéepe your leuell to a hayre, for if you faile in it, you faile in yourwhole worke. 

{Illustration}

Now for the time of this labour, it is euer best about the beginning ofFebruary, and indifferent, about the midst of October, but for thesetting of your Primpe, or Boxe-border, let the beginning of Nouember beyour latest time, for so shall you be sure that it will haue takenroote, and the leafe will flourish in the spring following: at whichtime your ground being thus artificially prepared, you shall begin todraw forth your knot in this manner: first, with lines you shall drawthe forme of the figure next before set downe, and with a smallinstrument of iron make it vpon the earth. 

{Illustration}

Which done, from the order and proportion of these lines you shall drawyour single knots or plaine knots of the least curiositie, as mayappeare by this figure, being one quarter of the whole Knot: euerproportioning your Trayles and windings according to the lines therediscribed, which will kéepe your worke in iust proportion. 

But if you desire to haue knots of much more curiositie being moredouble and intricate, then you shall draw your first lines after thisproportion here figured, pinning downe euery line firme to the earthwith a little pinne made of woode. 

{Illustration}

Which done you shall draw your double and curious knots after the mannerof the figure following, which is also but one quarter of the wholeknot, for looke in what manner you doe one knot in like sort will theother thrée quarters succéede, your lines kéeping you in a continualleuen proportion. 

{Illustration}

And in this manner as you draw these knots, with the like helps andlines also you shall draw out your Mazes, and laborinths, of what sortor kind soeuer you please, whether they be round or square. But for asmuch, as not onely the _Country-farme_, but also diuers other translatedbookes, doe at large describe the manner of casting and proportioningthese knots, I will not persist to write more curiously vpon them, butwish euery painefull gardiner which coueteth to be more satisfiedtherein, to repaire to those authors, where hée shall finde more largeamplifications, and greater diuersities of knots, yet all tending to nomore purpose then this which I haue all ready written. 

Now, as soone as you haue drawne forth and figured your knot vpon theface of your quarter, you shall then set it either with Germander, Issoppe, Time or Pinke-gilly-flowers, but of all hearbes Germander isthe most principall best for this purpose: diuers doe vse in knots toset Thrift, and in time of néed it may serue, but it is not so good asany of the other, because it is much subiect to be slaine with frost, and will also spread vpon the earth in such sort that, without verypainefull cutting, it will put your knot out of fashion. 

{SN: Yeallow. }{SN: White. }{SN: Blacke. }{SN: Red. }{SN: Blew. }{SN: Greene. }Now there is another beautifying or adorning of Gardens, and it is mostgenerally to be séene in the gardens of Noblemen and Gentlemen, whichmay beare coate-armor, and that is, instead of the knots and mazesformerly spoken of, to draw vpon the faces of your quarters such Armes, or Ensines, as you may either beare your selfe, or will preserue for thememory of any friend: and these armes being drawne forth in plainelines, you shall set those plaine shadowing lines either with Germander, Issop, or such like hearbes: and then for the more ample beautiethereof, if you desire to haue them in their proper and liuely colours(without which they haue but one quarter of their luster) you shallvnderstand that your colours in Armory are thus to be made. First, foryour mettalls: you shall make your Yeallow, either of a yeallow clay, vsually to be had almost in euery place, or the yeallowest sand, or forwant of both, of your Flanders Tile, which is to be bought of eueryIron-monger or Chandelor; and any of these you must beate to dust: foryour White you shall make it of the coursest chalke beaten to dust, orof well burnt plaister, or, for necessity, of lime, but that will soonedecay: your Blacke is to be made of your best and purest coale-dust, well clensed and sifted: your Red is to be made of broken vselessebrickes beaten to dust, and well clensed from spots: your Blew is to bemade of white-chalke, and blacke coale dust mixed together, till theblacke haue brought the white to a perfect blewnes: lastly your Gréene, both for the naturall property belonging to your Garden, as also forbetter continuance and long lasting, you shall make of Camomill, wellplanted where any such colour is to be vsed, as for the rest of thecolours, you shall sift them, and strow them into their proper places, and then with a flat beating-Béetell you shall beate it, and incorporateit with the earth, and as any of the colours shall decay, you shalldiligently repaire them, and the luster will be most beautifull. 

There is also another beautifying of gardens, which although it last notthe whole yéere, yet it is most quaint, rare, and best eye-pleasing, andthus it is: you shall vpon the face of your quarter draw a plaine doubleknot, in manner of billet-wise: for you shall vnderstand that in thiscase the plainest knot is the best, and you shall let it be more then afoote betwixt line and line (for in the largenesse consists much beauty)this knot being scored out, you shall take Tiles, or tileshreds and fixethem within the lines of your knot strongly within the earth, yet so asthey may stand a good distance aboue the earth and this doe till youhaue set out all your knot with Tile: then precisely note the seuerallpassages of your knot, and the seuerall thrids of which it consisteth, and then betwixt your tiles, (which are but as the shadowing lines ofyour knot) plant in euery seuerall third, flowers of one kinde andcolour, as thus for example: in one thrid plant your carnationGilly-flower, in another your great white Geli flower, in another yourmingle-coloured Gilly-flower, and in another your blood-redGilly-flower, and so likewise if you can compasse them you may in thissort plant your seueral coloured Hyacinths, as the red, the blew, andthe yealow, or your seuerall coloured _Dulippos_, and many other Italianand french flowers: or you may, if you please, take of euery seuerallplant one, and place them as afforesaid; the grace of all which is, thatso soone as these flowers shall put forth their beauties, if you stand alittle remote from the knot, and any thing aboue it, you shall sée itappeare like a knot made of diuers coloured ribans, most pleasing andmost rare. 

Many other adornations and beautifyings there are which belong to thesetting forth of a curious garden, but for as much as none are morerare or more estéemed then these I haue set downe, being the bestornaments of the best gardens of this kingdome, I thinke them tastessufficient for euery husbandman, or other of better quality whichdelighteth in the beauty and well trimming of his ground. 

CHAP. XVIII. 

_How for the entertainment of any great Person, in any Parke, or otherplace of pleasure, where Sommer-bowers are made, to make a compleatGarden in two or three dayes. _

If the honest English husbandman, or any other, of what quallity soeuer, shall entertaine any Noble personage, to whom hee would giue the delightof all strange contentment, either in his Parke, or other remote placeof pleasure, néere vnto Ponds, Riuer, or other waters of cléerenesse, after hée hath made his arbors and Summer-bowers to feast in, thefashion whereof is so common that euery labourer can make them, héeshall then marke out his garden-plot, bestowing such sleight fencethereon as hée shall thinke fit: then hée shall cast forth his alleys, and deuide them from his quarters, by paring away the gréene-swarth witha paring spade, finely, and euen, by a direct line (for a line must euerbe vsed in this worke) then hauing store of labourers (after thevpper-most swarth is taken away) you shall cast vp the quarters, andthen breaking the mould and leuelling it, you shall make sad the earthagaine, then vpon your quarters you shall draw forth either Knots, Armes, or any other deuise which shall be best pleasing to your fancie, as either knots with single or double trayles, or other emblemicalldeuise, as Birds, Beasts, and such like: and in your knots where youshould plant hearbes, you shall take gréene-sods of the richest grasse, and cutting it proportionably to the knot, making a fine trench, youshall lay in your sod, and so ioyning sod to sod close and arteficially, you shall set forth your whole knot, or the portrayture of your armes, or other deuise, and then taking a cleane broome that hath not formerlybéene swept withall, you shall brush all vncleanenesse from the grasse, and then you shall behold your knot as compleat, and as comely as if ithad béene set with hearbes many yéeres before. Now for the portraytureof any liuing thing, you shall cut it forth, ioyning sod vnto sod, andthen afterward place it into the earth. Now if within this plot ofground which you make your garden piece there be either naturall orarteficiall mounts or bankes vpon them, you may in this selfe-samemanner with gréene sods set forth a flight, either at field or riuer, orthe manner of hunting of any chase, or any story, or other deuise thatyou please, to the infinit admiration of all them which shall behold it:onely in working against mounts or bankes you must obserue to haue manysmall pinnes, to stay your worke and kéepe your sods from slipping onefrom another, till such time as you haue made euery thing fast withearth, which you must rame very close and hard: as for Flowers, or suchlike adorments, you may the morning before, remoue them with their earthfrom some other garden, and plant them at your best pleasure. And thusmuch for a garden to be made in the time of hasty necessity. 

CHAP. XIX. 

_How to preserue Abricots, or any kinde of curiousoutlandish-stone-fruit, and make them beare plentifully be the Spring orbeginning of Summer neuer so bitter. _

I haue knowne diuers Noblemen, Gentlemen & men of vnder quallitie, thathaue béene most laborious how to preserue these tender stone-fruits fromthe violence of stormes, frost and windes, and to that end haue béene atgreat cost and charges yet many times haue found much losse in theirlabours, wherefore in the end, through the practise of many experiments, this hath béene found (which I will here set downe) the most approuedstway to make them beare without all kinde of danger. After you haueplanted your Abricot, or other delicate fruit, and plasht him vp againsta wall in manner as hath béene before declared, you shall ouer the topsof the trées all along the wall, build a large pentisse, of at leastsixe or seauen foote in length: which pentisse ouer-shaddowing thetrées, will, as experience hath found out, so defend them, that theywill euer beare in as plentifull manner as they haue done any particularyéere before. There be many that will scoffe, or at least, giue nocredit to this experiment, because it carrieth with it no morecuriositie, but I can assure thée that art the honest EnglishHusbandman, that there is nothing more certaine and vnfallible, for Ihaue séene in one of the greatest Noblemens gardens in the kingdome, where such a pentisse was made, that so farre as the pentisse went, sofarre the trées did prosper with all fruitfulnesse, and where thepentisse ended, not one trée bare, the spring-time being most bitter andwonderfull vnseasonable. 

Now I haue séene some great Personages (whose pursses may buy theirpleasures at any rate) which haue in those pentisses fixed diuers stronghookes of Iron, and then made a canuasse of the best Poldauie, with moststrong loopes, of small corde, which being hung vpon the Iron hookes, hath reacht from the pentisse to the ground, and so laced with corde andsmall pulleys, that like the saile of a ship it might be trust vp, andlet downe at pleasure: this canuasse thus prepared is all the Spring andlatter end of Winter to be let downe at the setting of the Sunne, and tobe drawne vp at the rising of the Sunne againe. The practise of this Ireferre to such as haue abillitie to buy their delight, without losse, assuring them that all reason and experience doth finde it most probableto be most excellent, yet to the plaine English Husbandman I giuecertaine assurance that the pentisse onely is sufficient enough and willdefend all stormes whatsoeuer. And thus much for the preseruation andincrease of all tender Stone-fruit, of what nature, or climbe bred, soeuer. 

CHAP. XX. 

_How to make Grapes grow as bigge, full, and as naturally, and to ripenin as due season, and be as long lasting as either in Fraunce or Spaine. _

Diuers of our English Gardiners, and those of the best and mostapproued'st iudgements, haue béene very industrious to bring Grapes, inour kingdome, to their true nature and perfection: and some greatpersons I know, that with infinit cost, and I hope prosperous successe, hath planted a Vineyard of many Acres, in which the hands of the bestexperienced french-men hath béene imploied: but for those great workesthey are onely for great men, and not for the plaine English Husbandman, neither will such workes by any meanes prosper in many parts of ourkingdome, especially in the North parts: and I that write for thegenerall vse, must treate of vniuersall Maximes: therefore if you desireto haue Grapes in their true and best kinde, most earely and longestlasting, you shall in the most conuenient part of your garden, which iseuer the center or middle point thereof, build a round house, in thefashion of a round Doue-coate, but many degrées lower, the ground workewhereof shalbe aboue the ground two or thrée brickes thickenesse, vponthis ground-plot you shall place a groundsell, and thereon, fine, yetstrong studs, which may reach to the roofe: these studs shalbe placedbetter then foure foote one from another, with little square bars ofwoode, such as you vse in glasse windowes, two betwixt euery two studs, the roofe you may make in what proportion you will, for this house mayserue for a delicate banqueting house, and you may either couer it withLeade, Slate or Tile, which you please. Now, from the ground to the top, betwéene the studs, you shall glase it, with very strong glasse, made inan excéeding large square pane, well leaded and cimented. This housethus made, you shall obserue that through the bricke worke there bemade, betwéene euery two studs, square holes, cleane through into thehouse; then on the out-side, opposite against those holes, you shallplant the roote of your Vine, hauing béene very carefull in the electionand choise thereof: which done, as your Vine groweth you shall draw itthrough those holes, and as you vse to plash a Vine against a wall, soyou shall plash this against the glasse window, on the in-side, and sosoone as it shall beginne to beare Grapes you shall be sure to turneeuery bunch, so that it may lye close to the glasse, that the reflectionof the Sunne heating the glasse, that heate may hasten on the ripening, & increase the groath of your Grapes: as also the house defending offall manner of euill weather, these Grapes will hang ripe, vnrotted orwithered, euen till Christmas. Thus haue I giuen you a tast of some ofthe first parts of English Husbandry, which if I shall findethankefully accepted, if it please God to grant mée life, I will in mynext Volumne, shew you the choise of all manner of Garden Hearbes andFlowers, both of this and other kingdomes, the seasons of theirplantings, their florishings and orderings: I will also shew you thetrue ordering of Woodes, both high and low, as also the bréeding andféeding of all manner of Cattell, with the cure of all diseases incidentvnto them, together with other parts of Husbandry, neuer beforepublished by any Author: this I promise, if God be pleased: to whom beonely ascribed the glory of all our actions, and whose name be praisedfor euer. Amen. 

 * * * * *

FINIS. 

[Transcriber's notes

The following changes have been made and anomalies noted. 

 A Former Part

 Chap. II. 

 'adicted to nouelty and curiouity' changed to 'adicted to nouelty and curiousity'

 Chap. III. 

 'Plough houlder when hée cometh to' scan is unclear

 'two much earth' probable misprint for 'too much earth'

 Chap. IIII. 

 'the of point your share' changed to 'the point of your share'

 Chap. V. 

 'of that which you soil'd:' changed to 'of that which you foil'd:'

 Chap. VI. 

 'the ridge of you land againe. ' probable misprint for 'the ridge of your land againe. '

 'Tare-Cockle, or such like, ' scan is unclear

 'After your land is soild, ' changed to 'After your land is foild, '

 Chap. VII. 

 'and if you ffnde' changed to 'and if you finde'

 'Manure of beasts which can be-gotten' probable misprint for 'Manure of beasts which can be gotten'

 'your fould of Séepe' changed to 'your fould of Shéepe'

 'frost, winde, and weathe, rmakes' changed to 'frost, winde, and weather, makes'

 'no wing accoridng' changed to 'no wing according'

 Chap. IX. 

 'much barrainnesse, espcially' changed to 'much barrainnesse, especially'

 'it shall be needlesse to write' scan is unclear

 The First Part

 Chap. I. 

 'you most turne euery furrow' probable misprint for 'you must turne euery furrow'

 'hée must sooner stirer' changed to 'hée must sooner stirre'. Scan is unclear. 

 Chap. II. 

 'euery thing with is most apt' changed to 'euery thing which is most apt'

 Chap. III. 

 'their naturall lighnesse' changed to 'their naturall lightnesse'

 'as hath, béene showed before' changed to 'as hath béene showed before'

 Chap. IIII. 

 'it is most, certaine' changed to 'it is most certaine'

 'Cornes in their gardens thus, set seeing' changed to 'Cornes in their gardens thus set, seeing'

 Chap. V. 

 'vpon the or fourth field' changed to 'vpon the third or fourth field'

 'is ninam Barly, ' probable misprint for 'is niam Barly, '

 Chap. VI. 

 'as we sée in dayly experience, ' changed to 'as we sée in dayly experience. '

 The Second Part of the First Booke

 Chap. I. 

 'perfect ground-plot, you' scan is unclear

 'twelue or fourtéene foote on of another, ' probable misprint for 'twelue or fourtéene foote one of another, '

 'thorny and sharpe, trées, ' changed to 'thorny and sharpe trées, '

 Chap. IIII. 

 'you shall tak one of your grafts' changed to 'you shall take one of your grafts'

 Chap. V. 

 'Grafting betweene the barke. ' scan is unclear in sidenote

 'not aboue trée grafts at the most' changed to 'not aboue thrée grafts at the most'

 'Grafting on the toppes of trees. ' scan is unclear in sidenote

 'and to contincu' changed to 'and to continue'

 Chap. VI. 

 'Of the replanting of Trees, and furnishing the Orchard, ' changed to 'Of the replanting of Trees, and furnishing the Orchard. '

 Chap. VII. 

 'it is a ready away' changed to 'it is a ready way'

 'two much fertillitie' probable misprint for 'too much fertillitie'

 'stéepe it Mfor alt' changed to 'stéepe it for Malt'

 Chap. VIII. 

 'for any peculyar pofit' changed to 'for any peculyar profit'

 Chap. IX. 

 'and growriuelled' changed to 'and grow riuelled'

 'they can by meanes indure, ' changed to 'they can by no meanes indure, '

 Chap. XI. 

 'then contiunally labour' changed to 'then continually labour'

 Chap. XII

 'Of Poales. ' scan is unclear in sidenote

 Chap. XIIII

 'dry more Hoppes then any one man' scan is unclear

 Chap. XVII. 

 'then betwxit your tiles' changed to 'then betwixt your tiles'

 Chap. XVIII. 

 'CHAP: XVIII. ' changed to 'CHAP. XVIII. '

 'single or double trayles, ' scan unclear

 Chap. XIX. 

 'to the pliane English Husbandman' changed to 'to the plaine English Husbandman'

]