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Title: The English Husbandman

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

Author: Gervase Markham

Release Date: October 12, 2007 [EBook

#22973]

Language: English

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EBOOK THE ENGLISH HUSBANDMAN ***

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Transcriber's note

Spellings are inconsistent, especially theuse of ée and ee. Notes of changes thathave been made for obvious misprints,and of other anomalies, are listed at theend of this etext and are indicated in thetext.

The following table of contents has beenadded for the reader's convenience.

Contents

To the Right Honovrable, and his singulargood Lord, the Lord Clifton, Baron

of Layton.

The Epistle to the generall and gentleReader.

A Former Part, before the first Part: Beingan absolute perfect Introductioninto all the Rules of trueHusbandry; and must first of all beread, or the Readers labour will befrustrate.

Chap. I. The Proem of the Author.What a Husbandman is: HisVtilitie and Necessitie.

Chap. II. Of the situation of theHusbandmans house; thenecessaries there tobelonging, together with themodell thereof.

Chap. III. Of the seuerall parts andmembers of an ordinarie

Plough, and of the ioyning ofthem together.

Chap. IIII. How the Husbandmanshall temper his Plough, andmake her fit for his worke.

Chap. V. The manner of Plowing therich, stiffe, blacke Clay, hisEarings, Plough, and otherInstruments.

Chap. VI. The manner of plowingthe white or gray Clay, hisEarings, Plough, andInstruments.

Chap. VII. The manner of plowingthe red-Sand, his Earings,Plough, and Implements.

Chap. VIII. The manner of plowingthe white Sand, his Earings,Plough, and Implements.

Chap. IX. The manner of plowingthe Grauell with Pible stones,or the Grauell with Flint,their Earings, Plough, andimplements.

Chap. X. The manner of plowing theblacke Clay mixt with redSand, and the white Claymixt with white Sand, theirEarings, Plough andImplements.

The First Part of the EnglishHusbandman: Contayning, themanner of plowing and Manuringall sorts of Soyles, together withthe manner of planting and settingof Corne.

Chap. I. Of the manner of plowingall simple Earths, which arevncompounded.

Chap. II. Of the manner of plowingthe blacke clay mixt withwhite sand, and the whiteclay mixt with red sand: theirEarrings, Plough, andImplements.

Chap. III. A comparison of all theformer soyles together, andmost especiall notes forgiuing the ignorantHusbandman perfectvnderstanding, of what iswritten before.

Chap. IIII. Of the planting or settingof Corne, and the profitthereof.

Chap. V. Of the choice of seede-Corne, and which is best forwhich soyle.

Chap. VI. Of the time of Haruest andthe gathering in of Corne.

The Second Part of the First Booke of theEnglish Husbandman, Contayningthe Art of Planting, Grafting andGardening, either for pleasure orprofit; together with the vse andordering of Woodes.

Chap. I. Of the Scyte, Modell,Squares, and Fashion of aperfect Orchard.

Chap. II. Of the Nurserie where youshall set all manner ofKernels, and Stones, for thefurnishing of the Orchard.

Chap. III. Of the setting or plantingof the Cyons or Branches ofmost sorts of Fruit-trees.

Chap. IIII. Of the ordinary and

accustomed manner ofGrafting all sorts of Fruit-trees.

Chap. V. Of diuers other wayes ofgrafting, their vses andpurposes.

Chap. VI. Of the replanting of Trees,and furnishing the Orchard.

Chap. VII. Of the Dressing,Dungging, Proyning, andPreseruing of Trees.

Chap. VIII. Of the Vine, and of hisordering.

Chap. IX. The office of theFruiterrer, or the Gatherer,and keeper, of Fruit.

Chap. X. Of the making of Cyder, orPerry.

Chap. XI. Of the Hoppe-garden, andfirst of the ground andsituation thereof.

Chap. XII. Of the ordering of theGarden, and placing of theHils.

Chap. XIII. Of the gathering ofHoppes, and the preseruingof the Poales.

Chap. XIIII. Of drying, and notdrying of Hoppes, and ofpacking them when they aredried.

Chap. XV. The office of theGardiner, and first of theEarth, Situation, and fencingof a Garden for pleasure.

Chap. XVI. Of the fashion of thegarden-plot for pleasure, the

Alleyes, Quarters, Diggingand Dungging of the same.

Chap. XVII. Of the adornation andbeautifying of the Garden forpleasure.

Chap. XVIII. How for theentertainment of any greatPerson, in any Parke, or otherplace of pleasure, whereSommer-bowers are made, tomake a compleat Garden intwo or three dayes.

Chap. XIX. How to preserueAbricots, or any kinde ofcurious outlandish-stone-fruit, and make them beareplentifully be the Spring orbeginning of Summer neuerso bitter.

Chap. XX. How to make Grapesgrow as bigge, full, and asnaturally, and to ripen in asdue season, and be as longlasting as either in Fraunceor Spaine.

THE

ENGLISHHVSBANDMAN

The first Part:

CONTAYNINGthe Knowledge of the true Nature

of euery Soyle within this Kingdome:how to Plow it; and the manner of the

Plough, and other Instrumentsbelonging thereto.

TOGETHER WITH THE

Art of Planting, Grafting, and Gardeningafter 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

at his shop in Saint Dunstanes Church-yard.1613.

[ ¶ 2 ]

TO THE RIGHTHONOVRABLE,

and his singular goodLord,

the Lord Clifton, Baron ofLAYTON.

t was a custome (right Honorable, andmy most singular good Lord) both

amongst the auntient Romans, and alsoamongst the wise Lacedemonians, thateuery idle person should giue anaccount of the expence of his howers:Now I that am most idle, and leastimployed in your Familie, present herevnto your Lordships hands an accountof the expence of my idle time, whichhow well, or ill, it is, your Noblewisedome must both iudge and correct;onely this I am acertain'd, that for thegenerall rules and Maximes of thewhole worke, they are most infalliblytrue, and perfectly agreeing with our

English climate. Now if your Lordshipshall doubt of the true tast of the liquorbecause it proceedeth from such avessell as my selfe, whom you mayimagine vtterly vnseasoned vvith anyof these knowledges, beleeue it (mymost best Lord) [ ¶ 3 ] that for diuersyeeres, wherein I liued most happily, Iliued a Husbandman, amongstHusbandmen of most excellentknowledge; during all which time I letno obseruation ouer-slip me: for I haueeuer from my Cradle beene naturallygiuen to obserue, and albe I haue not

that oylie tongue of ostentation whichloueth euer to be babling all, andsomewhat more then it knoweth,drawing from ignorance admiration,and from wisedome laughter, fillingmeale-times with much vnprofitablenoyse; yet I thanke my maker I haue abreast which containeth contentmentinough for my selfe, and I hope muchbenefit for the whole Kingdome; howeuer or whatsoeuer it is, it is all yourLordships, vnder the couert of whosefauourable protection if it may findegrace it is the vttermost aime

whereunto my wishes aspire, nor shall Ifeare the malignitie of the curious, forit is not to them but the honest plaineEnglish Husbandman, I intend mylabours, vvhose defender you haue euerbeene, and for whose Honorableprosperitie both they and I willcontinually pray.

Your honours in allseruiceablehumblenesse,

G. M.

[ A ]

The Epistle to thegenerall andgentle Reader.

lthough (generall reader) the nature ofthis worst part of this last age hathconuerted all things to such vildnessethat whatsoeuer is truely good is nowesteemed most vitious, learning beingderided, fortitude drawne into so many

definitions that it consisteth in meerewords onely, and although nothing ishappy or prosperous, but meere fashion& ostentation, a tedious fustian-tale ata great mans table, stuft with biggewords, with out sence, or a mimickeIester, that can play three parts in one;the Foole, the Pandar and the Parasit,yet notwithstanding in this apostateage I haue aduentured to thrust into theworld this booke, which nothing at allbelongeth to the silken scorner, but tothe plaine russet honest Husbandman,for whose particular benefit, and the

kingdomes generall profit, I haue withmuch paine, care, and industry, passedthrough the same. Now for the motiueswhich first drew me to vndertake theworke, they were diuers: as first, whenI saw one man translate andparaphrase most excellently vponVirgils Georgickes, a worke onelybelonging to the Italian climbe, &nothing agreeable with ours anothertranslates Libault & Steuens, a workeof infinit excellency, yet onely properand naturall to the French, and not tovs: and [ A1v ] another takes collections

f r o m Zenophon, and others; allforrainers and vtterly vnacquaintedwith our climbes: when this I beheld,and saw with what good liking theywere entertained of all men; and thateuery man was dumbe to speake anything of the Husbandry of our ownekingdome, I could not but imagine it aworke most acceptable to men, andmost profitable to the kingdome, to setdowne the true manner and nature ofour right English Husbandry, our soylebeing as delicate, apt, and fit forincrease as any forraine soyle

whatsoeuer, and as farre out-goingother kingdomes in some commoditie,as they vs in other some. Hence, andfrom these considerations, I began thisworke, of which I haue here sent theebut a small tast, which if I findeaccepted, according to mine intent, Iwill not cease (God permitting meelife) to passe through all manner ofEng l i s h Husbandry and Huswiferywhatsoeuer, without omission of theleast scruple that can any way belongto either of their knowledges. Nowgentle reader whereas you may be

driuen to some amazement, at two titleswhich insue in the booke, namely, aformer part before the first, and thefirst part, you shall vnderstand thatthose first sheetes were detained bothfrom the Stationer and me, till thebooke was almost all printed; and myselfe by extreame sicknesse kept fromouer-viewing the same, wherefore Imust intreate your fauour in thisimpression and the rather in as muchas there wanteth neither any of thewords or matter whatsoeuer: Farewell.

ThineG. M.

[ A2 ]

AFORMER PART,

before the first Part:Being an absolute

perfect Introduction into allthe

Rules of true Husbandry; andmust 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 and Necessitie.

t is a common Adage in our Englishspéech, that a man generally séene inall things can bée particularly perfect

or compleate in none: Which Prouerbethere is no question will both by thecurious and enuious be heauilyimposed vpon my backe, because inthis, and other workes, I haue delt withmany things of much importance, andsuch as any one of them would requirea whole liues experience, whereasneither my Birth, my Education, northe generall course of my life canpromise no singularitie in any part ofthose Artes they treate of: but forsuggestions (the liberty whereof thewisedome of Kings could neuer bridle)

let them poison themselues with their [A2v ] owne gall, they shall not so muchas make me looke ouer my shoulderfrom my labour: onely to the curteousand well meaning I giue thissatisfaction, I am but onely a publiqueNotary, who record the most true andinfallible experience of the bestknowing Husbands in this land.

Besides, I am not altogether vnséene inthese misteries I write of: for it is wellknowne I followed the profession of aHusbandman so long my selfe, as well

might make mee worthy to be agraduate in the vocation: wherein mysimplicitie was not such but I bothobserued well those which wereestéemed famous in the profession, andpreserued to my selfe those rules whichI found infallible by experience. Virgillwas an excellent Poet, and a seruant, oftrusty account, to Augustus, whosecourt and study-imployments wouldhaue said he should haue littleknowledge in rurall businesse, yet whohath set downe more excellently themanner of Italian Husbandry then

himselfe, being a perfect lanthorne,from whose light both Italie and othercountries haue séene to trace into thetrue path of profit and frugallitie?Steuens and Libault, two famousPhisitions, a profession that neuermedleth with the Plough, yet who hathdone more rarely! nay, their workes arevtterly vncontrolable touching allmanner of french Husbandrywhatsoeuer; so my selfe although byprofession I am onely a horse-man, itbeing the predominant outward vertue Ican boast of, yet why may not I, hauing

the sence of man, by the ayde ofobseruation and relation, set downe allthe rules and principles of our EnglishHusbandry in as good and as perfectorder as any of the former? there is nodoubt but I may and this I dare bouldlyassure vnto all Readers that there is notany rule prescribed through this wholeworke, but hath his authoritie from asgood and well experienced men, in theArt of which the rule treateth, as anythis kingdome can produce: neitherhaue I béene so hasty, or willing, topublish this part as men may

imagining, for it is well knowne it hath [ A3 ] laine at rest this many yéeres, andonely now at the Instigation of many ofmy friends is bolted into the world, totry the censure of wits, and to giue aideto the ignorant Husbandman.Wherefore to leaue off any furtherdigression, I will fall to mine intendedpurpose: and because the whole scopeof my labour hath all his aime andreuerence to the English Husbandman,I will first shew you what aHusbandman is.

The definition of a Husbandman. AHusbandman is he which withdiscretion and good order tilleth theground in his due seasons, making itfruitfull to bring forth Corne, andplants, meete for the sustenance ofman. This Husbandman is he to whomGod in the scriptures giueth manyblessings, for his labours of all otherare most excellent, and therefore to bea Husbandman is to be a good man;whence the auntients did baptise, andwée euen to this day doe seriouslyobserue to call euery Husbandman,

both in our ordinary conference andeuery particular salutation, goodmansuch a one, a title (if wée rightlyobserue it) of more honour andvertuous note, then many whichprecede it at feasts and in gaudy places.

The Vtillitie of the Husbandman. AHusbandman is the Maister of theearth, turning sterillitie andbarrainenesse, into fruitfulnesse andincrease, whereby all common wealthsare maintained and upheld, it is hislabour which giueth bread to all men

and maketh vs forsake the societie ofbeasts drinking vpon the water springs,féeding vs with a much morenourishing liquor. The labour of theHusbandman giueth liberty to allvocations, Arts, misteries and trades, tofollow their seuerall functions, withpeace and industry, for the filling andemptying of his barnes is the increaseand prosperitie of all their labours. Toconclude, what can we say in this worldis profitable where Husbandry iswanting, it being the great Nerue andSinew which houldeth together all the

ioynts of a Monarchie?

Of the necessitie of a Husbandman. Now forthe necessitie, the profit inferreth itwithout any larger amplification: for ifof all things it be most profitable, [ A3v ]

then of all things it must néeds be mostnecessary, sith next vnto heauenlythings, profit is the whole aime of ourliues in this world: besides it is mostnecessary for kéeping the earth inorder, which else would grow wilde,and like a wildernesse, brambles andwéeds choaking vp better Plants, and

nothing remayning but a Chaos ofconfusednesse. And thus much of theHusbandman his vtillity and necessitie.

CHAP. II.

Of the situation of theHusbandmans house; the

necessaries there tobelonging, together with the

modell thereof.

ince couerture is the most necessariestthing belonging vnto mans life, andthat it was the first thing that euer maninuented, I thinke it not amisse first tobeginne, before I enter into any otherpart of Husbandry, with theHusbandmans house, without which noHusbandry can be maintained orpreserued. And albeit the generallHusbandman must take such a house ashée can conueniently get, andaccording to the custome and abillitie

of the soyle wherein he liueth, formany countries are very muchvnprouided of generall matter for wellbuilding: some wanting timber, somestone, some lime, some one thing,some another: yet to that Husbandmanwhom God hath enabled with powerboth of riches and euery othernecessary fit to haue all things in acomely conuenientnesse about him, ifhe desire to plant himselfe decentlyand profitable, I would then aduise himto chuse for his situation no high hill,or great promontary (the seate of

Princes Courts) where hée may begazed vpon by the eye of euerytraueller, but some pretty hard knole ofconstant and firme earth, ratherassending then descending, frée fromthe danger of water, and beinginuironed [ A4r ] either with some prettygroues, of tall young spiers, or elsewith rowes of greater timber, whichbesids the pleasure and profit thereof(hauing wode so neare a mans dore) theshelter will be most excellent to kéepeoff the bleaknesse of the sharpestormes and tempests in winter, and be

an excellent wormestall for cattell inthe summer. This house would beplanted, if possible, neare to someriuer, or fresh running brooke, but byno meanes vpon the verge of the riuer,nor within the danger of the ouerflowthereof: for the one is subiect to toomuch coldnesse and moisture, the otherto danger. You shall plant the face, orforefront, of your house vpon the risingof the Sunne, that the vigor of hiswarmth may at no time depart fromsome part thereof, but that as he risethon the oneside so he may set on the

other. You shall place the vpper or bestend of your house, as namely, whereyour dining Parlor and cheifest roomesare, which euer would haue theirprospect into your garden, to the South,that your buttery, kitching and otherinferiour offices may stand to theNorth, coldnesse bringing vnto them amanifold benefit. Now touching theforme, fashion, or modell of the house,it is impossible almost for any man toprescribe a certaine forme, the world isso plentifull in inuention and euerymans minde so much adicted to nouelty

and curiousity, yet for as much as it ismost commended by the generallconsent of all the auntients, and thatfrom the modell of that proportion maybe contracted and drawne the mostcurious formes that are almost at thisday extant, I will commend vnto youthat modell which beareth theproportion of the Roman H. which as itis most plaine of all other, and mosteasie for conuaiance, so if a man vponthat plaine song, (hauing a great purse)will make descant, there is noproportion in which he may with best

ease show more curiositie, andtherefore for the plaine Husbandmansbetter vnderstanding I will here shewhim a facsimile (for to adde a scalewere néedlesse in this generall worke,all men not being desirous to build ofone bignesse) & this it is:

[ A4v ]

Here you behould the modell of aplaine country mans house, withoutplaster or imbosture, because it is to beintended that it is as well to be built ofstudde and plaster, as of lime and

stone, or if timber be not plentifull itmay be built of courser woode, andcouered with lime and haire, yet if aman would bestow cost in this modell,the foure inward corners of the hallwould be conuenient for foure turrets,and the foure gauell ends, being thrustout with bay windowes might beformed in any curious manner: andwhere I place a gate and a plaine pale,might be either a tarrisse, or agatehouse: of any fashion whatsoeuer,besides all those windowes which Imake plaine might be made bay

windowes, either with battlements, orwithout, but the scope of my booketendeth onely to the vse of the honestHusbandman, and not to instruct menof dignitie, who in [ B ] Architecture areable wonderfully to controle me;therefore that the Husbandman mayknow the vse of this facsimile, he shallvnderstand it by this which followeth.

A. Signifieth the great hall.

B. The dining Parlor for entertainmentof strangers.

C. An inward closset within the Parlorfor the Mistrisses vse, fornecessaries.

D. A strangers lodging within theParlor.

E. A staire-case into the roomes ouerthe Parlor.

F. A staire-case into the Good-mansroomes ouer the Kitchin andButtery.

G. The Skréene in the hall.

H. An inward cellar within thebuttery, which may serue for aLarder.

I. The Buttery.

K. The Kitchin, in whose range maybe placed a bruing lead, andconuenient Ouens, the bruingvessels adioyning.

L. The Dairy house for necessarybusinesse.

M. The Milke house.

N. A faire sawne pale before theformost court.

O. The great gate to ride in at to thehall dore.

P. A place where a Pumpe would beplaced to serue the offices of thehouse.

This figure signifieth thedores of the house.

This figure signifieth thewindowes of the house.

This figure signifieth theChimnies of the house.

Now you shall further vnderstand thaton the South side of your house, youshall plant your Garden and Orchard, aswel for the prospect thereof to al yourbest roomes, as also because yourhouse will be a defence against theNortherne coldnesse, whereby yourfruits will much better prosper. Youshall on the West side of your house,within your inward dairy and kitchincourt, fence in a large base court, in the

midst whereof would be a faire [ B1v ]

large Pond, well ston'd and grauelled inthe bottome, in which your Cattell maydrinke, and horses when necessitieshall vrge be washt: for I doe by nomeanes alow washing of horses afterinstant labour. Néere to this Pond youshall build your Doue-coate, forPigions delight much in the water: andyou shall by no meanes make yourDoue-house too high, for Pigionscannot endure a high mount, but youshall build it moderately, cleane, neate,and close, with water pentisses to

kéepe away vermine. On the North sideof your base-court you shall build yourStables, Oxe-house, Cow-house, andSwine-coates, the dores and windowesopening all to the South. On the Southside of the base-court, you shall buildeyour Hay-barnes, Corne-barnes, pullen-houses for Hennes, Capons, Duckes,and Géese, your french Kilne, andMalting flowres, with such likenecessaries: and ouer crosse betwixtboth these sides, you shall build yourbound houels, to cary your Pease, ofgood 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, andaxletrées: all which would verycarefully be kept from wet, which of allthings doth soonest rot and consumethem. And thus much of theHusbandmans house, and thenecessaries there to belonging.

CHAP. III.

Of the seuerall parts andmembers of an ordinarie

Plough, and of the ioyning ofthem together.

f a workeman of any trade, or mistery,cannot giue directions how, and in whatmanner, the tooles where with heworketh should be made or fashioned,doubtlesse hée shall neuer worke wellwith them, nor know when they are intemper and when out. And so it fareth

with the Husbandman, for if hée [ B2 ]

know not how his Plough should bemade, nor the seuerall members ofwhich it consisteth, with the vertue andvse of euery member, it is impossiblethat euer hée should make a goodfurrow, or turne ouer his ground inHusbandly manner: Therefore thateuery Husbandman may know how awell shaped Plough is made, he shallvnderstand that the first memberthereof, as being the strongest and mostprincipallest péece of timber belongingto the same, is called the Plough-

beame, being a large long péece oftimber much bending, according to theforme of this figure.

This beame hath no certaine length northicknesse, but is proportionedaccording to the ground, for if it be fora clay ground the length is almostseauen foote, if for any other mixt orlighter earth, then fiue or sixe foote is

long inough.

The second member or part of thePlough, is called the skeath, and is apéece of woode of two foote and ahalfe in length, and of eight inches inbreadth, and two inches in thicknesse:it is driuen extreamly hard into thePlough-beame, slopewise, so thatioyned they present this figure.

[ B2v ] The third part is called thePloughes principall hale, and dothbelong to the left hand being a longbent péece of woode, some what strongin the midst, and so slender at thevpper end that a man may easily gripeit, which being fixed with the restpresenteth this figure.

The fourth part is the Plough head,which must be fixed with the sheath &the head all at one instant in twoseuerall mortisse holes: it is a flatpéece of timber, almost thrée foote inlength if it be for clay ground,otherwise shorter, of breadth seaueninches, and of thicknesse too inchesand a halfe, which being ioyned to the

rest presenteth this figure.

[ B3 ] The fift part is the Plough spindels,which are two small round pieces ofwoode, which coupleth together thehales, as in this figure.

The sixt part is the right hand hale,through which the other end of thespindels runne, and is much slendererthen the left hand hale, for it is put tono force, but is onely a stay and aide tothe Plough houlder when hée cometh toheauy, stiffe, and strong worke, andbeing ioyned with the rest presenteththis figure.

[ B3v ] The seauenth part is the Plough-rest, which is a small péece of woode,which is fixt at one end in the furthernicke of the Plough head, and the otherend to the Ploughs right-hand hale, asyou may sée by this figure.

The eight part is called the shelboard,and is a broad board of more then aninche thicknesse, which couereth allthe right side of the Plough, and isfastned with two strong pinnes ofwoode through the sheath, and theright-hand hale, according to thisfigure.

[ B4r ] The ninth part is the coulture,which is a long péece of Iron, madesharpe at the neather end, and alsosharpe on one side and being for astiffe clay it must be straight withoutbending, which passeth by a mortisse-hole through the beame, and to thiscoulture belongeth an Iron ring, which

windeth about the beame and kéepeth itin strength from breaking as mayappeare by this figure.

The tenth part of a compleate Plough,is the share; which is fixed to thePlough head, and is that which cuttethand turneth vp the earth: if it be for a

mixt earth then it is made without awing, or with a very small one, but if itbe for a déepe, or stiffe clay, then it ismade with a large wing, or an outwardpoint, like the figure following.

[ B4v ]

The eleuenth part of a perfect Plough iscalled the Plough foote, and is through

a mortisse-hole fastned at the farre endof all the beame with a wedge or two,so as the Husbandman may at hisdiscretion set it higher or lower, at hispleasure: the vse of it is to giue thePlough earth, or put it from the earth,as you please, for the more you driue itdowneward, the more it raiseth thebeame from the ground, and makeththe Irons forsake the earth, and themore you driue it vpward the more itletteth downe the beame, and somaketh the Irons bite the sorer; thefigure whereof is this.

Thus haue you all the parts andmembers of a Plough, and how they beknit and ioyned together, wherein Iwould wish you to obserue to makeyour Plough-wright [ C ] euer rather giueyour Plough land then put her from theland, that is, rather leaning towards theearth and biting sore, then euer slippingout of the ground: for if it haue twomuch earth the Husbandman may help

it in the houlding, but if it haue toolittle, then of necessitie it must makefoule worke: but for as much as theerror and amends lye both in the officeof the Plough-wright, I will not troublethe Husbandman with the reformationthereof.

Now you shall vnderstand that there isone other thing belonging to thePlough, which albe it be no memberthereof, yet is it so necessary that theHusbandman which liueth in durty andstiffe clayes can neuer goe to Plough

without it, and it is called the Aker-staffe, being a pretty bigge cudgell, ofabout a yarde in length, with an Ironspud at the end, according to thisfigure:

This Akerstaffe the Husbandman iseuer 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 this Akerstaffe youshall put the same off (your Ploughstill going) and so kéepe her cleane andsmooth that your worke may lye thehandsomer; and this you must euer doewith your right hand: for the Ploughchoaketh euer on the shelboard side,and betwéene the Irons. And thus muchtouching the perfect Plough, and themembers thereof.

[ C1v ] CHAP. IIII.

How the Husbandman shalltemper his Plough, and make

her fit for his worke.

Plough is to a Husbandman like anInstrument in the hand of a Musition,which if it be out of tune can neuermake good Musicke, and so if thePlough, being out of order, if theHusbandman haue not the cunning totemper it and set it in the right way, itis impossible that euer his labour

should come to good end.

It is very necessary then that euerygood Husbandman know that a Ploughbeing perfectly well made, the goodorder or disorder thereof consisteth inthe placing of the Plough-Irons and thePlough-foote. Know then, that for theplacing of the Irons, the share would beset to looke a little into the ground: andbecause you shall not bruise, or turne,the point thereof, you shall knocke itfast vpon the head, either with acrooked Rams-horne, or else with some

piece of soft Ash woode: and you shallobserue that ite stand plaine, flat, andleuell, without wrying or turning eithervpward or downeward: for if it runnenot euen vpon the earth it will neuermake a good furrow, onely as before Isaid, the point must looke a littledowneward.

Now, for the coulture, you must placeit slopewise through the beame, so asthe point of it and the point of the sharemay as it were touch the ground at oneinstant, yet if the coulture point be a

little thought the longer it shall not beamisse: yet for a more certainedirection and to try whether your Ironsstand true I or no, you shall take astring, and measure from the mortisse-hole through which the coulturepasseth, to the point of the coulture,and so kéeping your vpper handconstant lay the same length to [ C2 ] thepoint of your share, and if one measureserue them both right, there being nodifference betwéene them, then theIrons stand true for their length,otherwise they stand false.

Now your coulture albe it stand true forthe length, yet it may stand either toomuch to the land, or too much from theland, either of which is a great errour,and will kéepe the Plough from goingtrue: your coulture therefore shall hauecertaine wedges of ould dry Ashwoode, that is to say, one before thecoulture on the vpper side the beame,and another on the land side, or leftside, the coulture on the vpper side thebeame also; then you shall haueanother wedge behinde the coulturevnderneath the beame, and one on the

furrow side, or right side, the beamevnderneath also. Now, if your coulturehaue too much land, then you shalldriue in your vpper side wedge andease the contrary: if it haue too littleland, then you shall contrarily driue inyour right side vnder wedge and easethe other: If your coulture stand tooforward, then you shall driue in yourvpper wedge which standeth before thecoulture; and if it stand too backwardand too néere your share, then you shalldriue in your vnder wedge whichstandeth behinde the coulture: if your

coulture standeth awry any way, thenare either your side wedges too small,or else not euen and plaine cut, whichfaults you must amend, and then allwill be perfect. Now, when your Ironsare iust and truely placed, then youshall driue in euery wedge hard andfirme, that no shaking or other strainemay loosen them: as for the Ploughfoote it also must haue a wedge or two,which when your Plough goeth rightand to your contentment (for the footewill kéepe it from sinking or rising)then you shall also driue them in hard,

that the foote may not stirre from thetrue place where you did set it. Andthat these things when a man commethinto the field may not be to séeke, it isthe office of euery good Husbandmanneuer to goe forth with his Plough butto haue his Hatchet in a socket, fixt tohis Plough beame, and a good [ C2v ]

piece of hard wedge woode, in case anyof your wedges should shake out and belost.

Of holding the Plough. When your Ploughis thus ordered and tempered in good

manner, and made fit for her worke, itthen resteth that you know the skill andaduantages in holding thereof, whichindéed are rules of much diuersitie, forif it be a stiffe, blacke clay which youPlow, then can you not Plow too déepe,nor make your furrowes too bigge: if itbe a rich hassell ground, and not muchbinding, then reasonable furrowes, laidclosse, are the best: but if it be anybinding, stony, or sandy ground, thenyou cannot make your furrowes toosmall. As touching the gouerning ofyour Plough, if you sée shée taketh too

much land, then you shall writh yourleft hand a little to the left side andraise your Plough rest somewhat fromthe ground: if shée taketh too littleearth, then you shall raise vp your lefthand, and carry your Plough as in adirect line: If your Plough-Ironsforbeare and will not bite on the earthat all, then it is a signe that you hangtoo heauy on the Plough hales, raisingthe head of the Plough from theground, which errour you must amend,and of the two rather raise it vp behindthen before, but to doe neither is best,

for the Plough hale is a thing for thehand to gouerne, and not to make aleaning stocke of: And thus muchtouching the tempring of the Ploughand making her fit for worke.

CHAP. V.

The manner of Plowing therich, stiffe, blacke Clay, his

Earings, Plough, and otherInstruments.

f all soyles in this our kingdome thereis none so rich and fruitfull, if it bewell handled and Husbanded, as is thatwhich we call the stiffe, blacke, Clay,and indeed is more blacker to looke onthen any other soyle, yet some times itwill turne vp [ C3 ] very blewish, withmany white vaines in it, which is a veryspeciall note to know his fruitfulnesse;for that blewish earth mixt with whiteis nothing else but very rich Marle, an

earth that in Cheshire, Lanckashire, andmany other countries, serueth toManure and make fat their barrainestland in such sort that it will beareCorne seauen yeeres together. Thisblacke clay as it is the best soyle, wellHusbanded, so it is of all soyles theworst if it be ill Husbanded: for if itloose but one ardor, or seasenablePlowing, it will not be recouered infoure yéeres after, but will naturally ofit selfe put forth wilde Oates, Thistels,and all manner of offensiue wéedes, asCockle, Darnell, and such like: his

labour is strong, heauy, and sore, vntothe cattell that tilleth it, but to theHusbandman is more easie then anyother soyle, for this asketh but fouretimes Plowing ouer at the most, wherediuers other soyles aske fiue times, andsixe times, as shalbe shewed hereafter.But to come to the Plowing of thissoyle, I hold it méete to beginne withthe beginning of the yéere, which withHusbandmen is at Plow-day, being euerthe first Munday after the Twelft-day,at which time you shall goe forth withyour draught, & begin to plow your

Pease-earth, that is, the earth whereyou meane to sow your Pease, orBeanes: for I must giue you tovnderstand, that these Clayes are euermore naturall for Beanes then Pease,not but that they will beare both alike,only the Husbandman imployeth themmore for Beanes, because pease &fitches wil grow vpon euery soyle, butBeanes wil grow no where but on theclayes onely. This Pease-earth is euerwhere barley grew the yéere before, &hath the stubble yet remayning thereon.You shal plow this Pease-earth euer

vpward, that is, you shall beginne onthe ridge of the land, & turne all yourfurrowes vp, one against another,except your lands lye too high (whichseldome can be séene) and then youshall begin at the furrow, & cast downeyour land.

Now, when you haue plowed all yourPease-ground, you shall let it so lye,till it haue receiued diuers Frosts, [ C3v ]

some Raine, and then a fayre season,which betwixt plow-day and SaintValentines day you shalbe sure to

inioy: and this is called, The letting ofLand lye to baite: for without this rest,and these seasons, it is impossible tomake these Clayes harrow, or yéeldeany good mould at all. After your Landhath receiued his kindely baite, thenyou shall cast in your séede, of Beanes,or Pease: but in my conceit, an equallmixture of them is the best séede of all,for if the one faile, the other will besure to hit: and when your land issowne you shall harrow it with aharrow that hath woodden téeth.

The next Ardor after this, is the sowingof your Barley in your fallow field: thenext is the fallowing of your ground forBarley the next yéere: the next Ardor isthe Summer-stirring of that which youfallowed: the next is the foyling of thatwhich you Summer-stirde: and the lastis the Winter rigging of that which youfoil'd: of all which Ardors, and themanner of Plowing them, with theirseasons, I haue written sufficiently inthe first Chapter of the next part; whereI speake of simple earthsvncompounded.

Now whereas I told you before thatthese clayes were heauy worke for yourCattell, it is necessary that I shew youhow to ease them, and which way theymay draw to their most aduantage,which onely is by drawing in beare-geares, an inuention the skilfullHusbandman hath found out, whereinfoure horses shall draw as much assixe, and sixe as eight, being geard inany other contrary fashion. Nowbecause the name onely bettereth notyour knowledge, you shall hearebehould the figure and manner thereof.

[ C4r ]

[ C4v ] Now you shall vnderstand the vseof this Figure by the figures thereincontayned, that is to say, the figure

(1) presenteth the plough-cleuisse,which being ioyned to the plough-beame, extendeth, with a chaine, vntothe first Toastrée: and touching thisCleuisse, you shall vnderstand, that itmust be made with thrée nickes in themidst thereof, that if the Plough hauetoo much land giuen it in the making,that is, if it turne vp too much land,then the chaine shall be put in the

outwardmost nicke to the land side,that is, the nicke towards your righthand: but if it take too little land, thenit shall be put in the nicke next thefurrow, that is, towards the right hand:but if it goe euen and well, then youshall kéepe it in the middle nicke,which is the iust guide of trueproportion. And thus this Cleuisse is ahelpe for the euill making or going of aplough.

(2) Is the hind-most Toastrée, that is, abroad piece of Ash woode, thrée inches

broad, which going crosse the chaine,hath the Swingletrées fastned vnto it,by which the horses draw. Now youshall vnderstand that in this Toastrée isgreat helpe and aduantage: for if thetwo horses which draw one against theother, be not of equall strength, but thatthe one doth ouer-draw the other, thenyou shall cause that end of the Toastréeby which the weaker horse drawes, tobe longer from the chaine then theother, by at least halfe a foote, and thatshall giue the weaker horse such anaduantage, that his strength shall

counterpoyse with the stronger horse.Now there be some especiallHusbandmen that finding thisdisaduantage in the Toastrée, and thatby the vncertaine shortening, andlenthening of the Toastrée, they hauesometimes more disaduantaged thestrong horse, then giuen helpe to theweake, therefore they haue inuentedanother Toastrée, with a double chaine,and a round ring, which is of thatexcellent perfection in draught, that if aFoale draw against an olde horse, yetthe Foale shall draw no more then the

abilitie of his owne strength, eachtaking his worke by himselfe, as [ D ] ifthey drew by single chaines. Nowbecause this Toastrée is such a notableImplement both in Plough, Cart, orWaine, and so worthy to be imitated ofall good husbands, I thinke it notamisse to shew you the figure thereof.

The Toastree with double chaines.

(3) The Swingletrées, being pieces ofAsh wood cut in proportion afore-shewed, to which the Treates, by whichthe horses draw, are fastned with strongloopes.

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

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

(6) The Hames, which girt the Collersabout, to which the other end of theTreats are fastned, being compassedpieces of wood, eyther cleane Ash, orcleane Oake.

(7) The round Withes of wood, orbroad thongs of leather, to put about

the horses necke, to beare the mainechayne from the ground, that it troublenot the horses in their going.

[ D1v ] (8) The Single-linckes of Iron,which ioyne the Swingle-trées vnto theToastrées.

(9) The Belly-bands, which passe vnderthe belly of the horse, and are madefast to both sides of the Treates,kéeping them downe, that when thehorse drawes, his coller may notchoake him: being made of good smallline or coard.

(10) The Backe-bands, which goingouer the horses backe, and being madefast to both sides of the Treates, doehold them, so as when the horses turne,the Treates doe not fall vnder theirféete.

How many beasts in a plough. Thus I hauegiuen you the perfect portraiture of awell yoakt Plough, together with hisImplements, and the vse of them, beingthe best which hath yet béene found outby any of our skilfullest EnglishHusbandmen, whose practise hath

béene vpon these déepe, stiffe, blackeclayes. Now you shall vnderstand, thatfor the number of Cattell to be vsed inthese ploughes, that in fallowing yourland, and plowing your Pease-earth,eight good Cattell are the best number,as being the strongest, and within thecompasse of gouernment, whereasmore were but troublesome, and in allyour other Ardors, sixe good beasts aresufficient, yet if it be so, that eytherwant of abilitie, or other necessityvrge, you shall know that sixe beastswill suffice eyther to fallow, or to plow

Pease-earth, and foure beasts for eueryother Ardor or earing: and lesse thenthis number is most insufficient, asappeares by daily experience, whenpoore men kill their Cattell onely byputting them to ouer-much labour. Andthus much touching the plowing of theblacke clay.

[ D2 ] CHAP. VI.

The manner of plowing thewhite or gray Clay, hisEarings, Plough, and

Instruments.

ow as touching the white or gray clay,you shall vnderstand that it is of diuersand sundry natures, altering accordingto his tempers of wet or drynesse: thewet being more tough, and the drymore brittle: his mixture and othercharacters I haue shewed in a formerChapter, wherefore for his manner of

plowing (obseruing my first methode,which is to beginne with the beginningof the yéere, I meane at Christmas) it isthus:

Of sowing of Pease and Beanes. If youfinde that any of this white or grayclay, lying wet, haue lesse mixture ofstone or chaulke in it, and soconsequently be more tough, as it dothmany times fall out, and that vpon suchland, that yéere, you are to sow yourPease and Beanes: for as in the formerblacke clay, so in this gray clay you

shall begin with your Pease-earth euer:then immediately after Plow-day, youshall plow vp such ground as you findeso tough, in the selfe-same manner asyou did plow the blacke clay, and so letit lye to baite till the frost haueseasoned it, and then sow itaccordingly. But if you haue no suchtough land, but that it holdes it owneproper nature, being so mixt with smallstones and chaulke, that it will breakein reasonable manner, then you shallstay till the latter end of Ianuary, atwhat time, if the weather be

seasonable, and inclining to drynesse,you shall beginne to plow your Pease-earth, in this manner: First, you shallcause your séedes-man to sow the landwith single casts, as was shewed vponthe blacke clay, with this caution, thatthe greater your séede is, (that is, themore Beanes you sow) the greater mustbe your quantitie: and being sowne,you shall bring your plough, [ D2v ] andbeginning at the furrow of the land, youshall plow euery furrow downewardvpon the Pease and Beanes: which iscalled sowing of Pease vnder furrow:

and in this manner you shall sow allyour Pease and Beanes, which is cleanecontrary to your blacke clay. Besides,whereas vpon the stiffe clay it isconuenient to take as large furrowes asyou please, vpon this kinde of gray clayyou shall take as small furrowes as ispossible. Now the reason for thismanner of plowing your Pease-earth,is, because it is a light kinde ofbreaking earth, so that should it besowne according to the stiffe blackeclay, it would neuer couer your Pease,but leaue them bare, both to be

destroyed by the Fowles of the ayre,and the bitternesse of the weather. Assoone as your Pease and Beanes arerisen a fingers length aboue the earth,then if you finde that any of your landsdoe lye very rough, and that the clodsbe great, it shall not be amisse, to takea payre of woodden Harrowes, andharrow ouer all your rough lands, thebenefit whereof is this, that it will bothbreake the hard clots, and so giue thosePease leaue to sprout through the earth,which before lay bound in anddrowned, and also lay your lands

smooth and cleane, that the Mowerswhen they come to mowe your Peaseand Beanes, shall haue better worke,and mowe them with more ease, andmuch better to the owners profit. Foryou must vnderstand that where yousow Beanes, there it is euer more profitto mowe them with Sythes, then toreape them with Hookes, and muchsooner, and with lesse chargeperformed. The limitation of time forthis Ardor of earing, is from the latterend of Ianuary vntill the beginning ofMarch, not forgetting this rule, that to

sow your Pease and Beanes in ashower, so it be no beating raine ismost profitable: because they, asWheat, take delight in a fresh and amoyst mould.

Of sowing of Barley. After the beginningof March, you shall beginne to sowyour Barley vpon that ground which theyéere before did lye fallow, and iscommonly called your tilth, or fallowfield: and if any part of it consist ofstiffe and tough ground, [ D3 ] then youshall, vpon such ground, sow your

Barley vnder furrow, in such mannerand fashion as I described vnto you forthe sowing of your stiffe blacke clay:but if it be (as for the most part thesegray and white clayes are) of a muchlighter, and as it were, fussie temper,then you shall first plow your landvpward, cleane and well, withoutbaukes or stiches: and hauing soplowed it, you shall then sow it withBarley, that is to say, with double casts,I meane, bestowing twise so manycasts of Barley, as you would doe ifyou were to sow it with Pease. And as

soone as you haue sowne your Barley,you shall take a payre of wooddenHarrowes, and harrow it as small as ispossible: and this is called sowingaboue furrow.

Of sowing Oates. Now if you haue anyland, which eyther through thebadnesse of the soyle, or for want ofmanure, is more barrayne, and hard tobring forth then generally the rest ofyour land is, then you shall not bestowBarley thereupon, but sow it withOates, in such manner and fashion as is

appointed for the sowing of Pease, thatis to say, if it be stiffe ground you shallsow it aboue furrow, if it be lightground, then you shall sow it vnderfurrow, knowing this for a rule, that thebarraynest ground will euer beareindifferent Oates, but if the groundhaue any small hart, then it will beareOates in great abundance: neithernéede you to be very precise for the oftplowing of your ground before you sowyour Oates, because Oates will growvery well if they be sowne vponreasonable ground, at the first plowing:

whence it comes to passe that manyHusbandmen doe oft sow their Oateswhere they should sow their Pease, andin the same manner as they doe sowtheir Pease, and it is held for a rule ofgood husbandry also: because if theground be held any thing casuall forPease, it is better to haue good Oatesthen naughty Pease: besides, yourOates are both a necessary graine in thehouse, as for Oate-meale, for the pot,for Puddings, and such like, and alsofor the stable, for Prouender, and theféeding of all manner of Poultry. The

time for sowing of your Barley andOates, is from [ D3v ] from the first ofMarch till the first of Aprill, obseruingeuer to sow your Oates first, and yourBarley after, for it being onely aSummer graine, would participate aslittle as may be with any part of theWinter.

Of Fallowing. About the middest ofAprill you shall beginne to fallow thatpart of your ground, which you entendshall take rest that yéere, and sobecome your fallow or tilth-field. And

in fallowing this gray or white clay,you shall obserue all those rules andceremonies, which are formerlydescribed for the fallowing of the stiffeblacke clay, knowing that there is inthis worke no difference betwéene theblacke clay, and the gray clay, but bothto be plowed after one manner, that isto say, to haue all the furrowes castdowneward, and the ridges of the landslaid largely open, and of a good depth,onely the furrowes which you turnevpon this gray clay must be muchsmaller and lesse then those which you

turne vpon your stiffe blacke clay,because this earth is more naturallyinclined to binde and cleaue togetherthen that of the blacke clay. The timefor fallowing of this ground, is fromthe middest of Aprill vntill the middestof May: at what time you shallperceiue your Barley to appeare abouethe ground, Of sleighting Barley. so thatthen you shall beginne to sleight andsmooth it: but not with backeHarrowes, as was described for theblacke clay, because this gray claybeing not so fat and rich, but more

inclined to fastnesse and hardnesse,therefore it will not sunder and breakeso easily as the other: wherefore whenyou will smooth or sleight this ground,you shall take a round piece of wood,being in compasse about at least thirtyinches, and in length sixe foote, hauingat each end a strong pinne of Iron, towhich making fast two small poales, bywhich the horse shall draw, yet in suchsort that the round piece of wood mayroule and turne about as the horsedrawes it: and with this you shall rouleouer all your Barley, and by the waight

of the round piece of wood bruise andbreake all the hard clots asunder. Thisis called amongst Husbandmen aRouler, and is for this purpose ofsleighting and [ D4r ] smoothing ofgrounds of great vse and profit. Nowyou shall vnderstand that you must notat any time sleight or smooth yourCorne, but after a shower of Raine, forif the mould be not a little moistned therouler will not haue power to breake it.

Now for as much as this rouler is of sogood vse and yet not generally vsed in

this kingdome, I thinke it not amisse toshew you the figure thereof.

The great Rouler.

As soone as you haue roulled ouer yourBarley, & laid it so smooth as you canwith your rouler, if then you perceiueany hard clots, such as the roulercannot breake, then you shal send forthyour seruants with long clottingbéetels, made broad and flat, and withthem you shall breake asunder all thosehard clots, and so lay your Barley assmooth and cleane as is possible: theprofit whereof you shall both finde inthe multiplying of your Corne and alsoin the [ D4v ] sauing of your sithes frombreaking, at such time as you shall

come to mowe your Corne, and gatherin your Haruest.

Your Barley being thus laide smooth,you shall then follow your othernecessary businesses, as preparing ofyour fewell, and other néedements forhoushould, vntill the beginning of Iune,at which time you shall beginne toSummer-stirre your fallow field, whichshalbe done in all points after the samemanner as you did Summer-stirre yourblacke Clay, Of Summer-stirring. that isto say, you shall beginne in the ridge of

the land, and as when you fallowedyour land you turned your furrowesdowneward, so now in Summer-stirring, you shall turne your furrowesvpward and close the ridge of you landagaine. As soone as this Ardor isfinished, or when thevnseasonablenesse of the weather, aseither too much wet, or too muchdrynesse shall hinder you fromPlowing, you shall then looke into yourCornefields, that is to say: first intoyour Wheate and Rye field, and if thereyou shall finde any store of wéedes, Of

weeding. as Thistell, Darnell, Tare-Cockle, or such like, you shall withweede-hookes, or nippers of woode,cut, or plucke them vp by the rootes;and also if you finde any annoyance ofstones, which hinders the growth ofyour Corne, as generally it happens inthis soyle, you shall then cause someBoyes and Girles, or other wastepersons, Of stone gathering. to gatherthem vp and lay them in heapes at thelands ends, to be imployed either aboutthe mending of high wayes or otheroccasions, and for this purpose their is

a generall custome in most Villages,that euery houshoulder is bound to sendout one seruant to be imployed aboutthis businesse: whence it comes topasse, that it is called common worke,as being done at the generall charge ofthe whole Parish. After you hauewéeded your Wheate and Rye, youshall then wéede your Barley also,which being finished about the midst ofIuly, you shall then beginne to lookeinto your medowes and to the preparingof your Hay haruest.

Now at such time as either thevnseasonablenesse of [ E ] the weather,Of foyling. or the growth of your grasseshall hinder you from following thatbusinesse of Haruest, you shall thenlooke into your fallow or tilth fieldagaine, and whereas before at yourSummer-stirring you Plowed your landvpward, now you shall beginne to foile,that is to say, you shall cast your landdowne againe, and open the ridge: andthis Ardor of all other Ardors you mustby no meanes neglect vpon the gray,white clay, because it being most

subiect vnto wéede, and the hardest tobring to a fine mould, this Ardor of allothers, doth both consume the one andmakes perfect the other, and the drierseason you doe foile your land in, thebetter it is, and the more it doth breakeand sunder the clots in pieces: for as inSummer-stirring the greater clots youraise vp, and the rougher your land liesthe better it is, because it is a token ofgreat store of mould, so when youfoile, the more you breake the clots inpieces the better season will your landtake, and the richer it wilbe when the

séede is sowne into it: And the seasonfor the foiling of this soile is from themidst of Iuly till the midst ofSeptember.

Of Manuring. Now albe I haue omittedthe Manuring of this land in his dueplace, as namely, from the midst ofAprill, till the end of May, yet youshall vnderstand that of all other thingsit is not in any wise to be neglected bythe carefull Husbandman, both becausethe soyle being not so rich as theblacke Clay, will very hardly bring

forth his séede without Manure, andalso because it is for the most partsubiect vnto much wet, and stones,both which are signes of cold andbarrainenesse. Now for those Manures,which are best and most proper for thissoile, you shall vnderstand that allthose which I formerlie described forthe blacke Claies, as namely, Oxe orCowes dung, Horse dung and Shéepesdung, are also very good for this soile,and to be vsed in the same manner as isspecified in the former Chapter: but ifyou haue not such store of this Manure

as will serue to compasse your wholeland, you shall then vnderstand, thatthe blacke mud, or durt which lies [ E1v ]

in the bottome of olde ponds, or elsestanding lakes, is also a very goodmanure for this soile, or else strawwhich is spread in high-wayes, and sorotted by the great concourse or vse ofmuch trauelling, and after in theSpring-time shouelled vp in greatheapes, is a good manure for this earth:but if you finde this soile to be subiectto extraordinary wet and coldnesse, youshall then know that the ashes eyther of

wood, coale, or straw, is a very goodmanure for it. But aboue all other, andthen which there is no manure moreexcellent for cold barraine clayes ofthis nature, the Pigions dung, or thedung of houshold Pullen, as Capons,Hennes, Chickens, Turkies, and suchlike, so there be no Goose-dungamongst it, is the best of all other: butnot to be vsed in such sort as the othermanures, that is to say, to be laid ingreat heapes vpon the land, or to bespread from the Cart vpon the land, forneyther is there such abundance of such

manure to be gotten, nor if there were,it would not be held for goodhusbandrie to make lauish hauocke of athing so precious.

The vse of Pigion or Pullen-dung. You shallthen know that for the vse of Pigion orPullen-dung, it is thus: you shall firstwith your hand breake it as small asmay be, and then put it into the Hopper,in such sort as you put your corne whenyou sow it: and then looke how yousow your corne, in such sort you shallsow your Pigion or Pullen-dung: which

done, you shall immediately put yourBarley into the same Hopper, and sosow it after the Pigions or Pullen-dung:by which you are to vnderstand thatthis kinde of manuring is to be vsedonely in Séede-time, and at no otherseason. This manure is of the samenature that shéepes manure is, and dothlast but onely for one yéere, onely it ismuch hotter, as being in the greatestextremitie of heate. Now if it happenthat you cannot get any of this Pigionsor Pullen-dung, because it is scarce,and not in euery mans power, if then

you take Lime and sow it vpon yourland in such sort as is before said of thePigions-dung, and then sow your corneafter it, you shall finde great profit tocome thereon, [ E2 ] especially in coldewet soiles, such as for the most part,these gray white clayes are.

Of sowing Wheate. After your land isfoild, which worke would be finishedby the middest of September, then youshall beginne to sow your Wheate, Rye,and Maslin, which in all things must bedone as is before set downe for the

blacke clay, the choice of séede, andeuery obseruation being all one: forWheate not taking delight in a veryrich ground, doth prosper best vponthis indifferent soile. Whence it comesthat in these gray white clayes, youshall for the most part, sée moreWheate sowne then any other Grainewhatsoeuer. But as touching your Ryeand Maslin, that euer desires a richground and a fine mould, and thereforeyou shall make choise of your betterearth for that Séede, and also obserueto helpe it with manure, or else shéepes

folding, in such manner as is describedin the former Chapter, where I spake ofthe sowing of Wheate, Rye, andMaslin.

Of winter-ridging. As soone as you hauesowne your Wheate, Rye, and Maslin,you shall then about the latter end ofOctober, beginne to Winter ridge, orset vp your land for the whole yéere:which you shall doe in all points, asyou doe vpon the blacke clay, withoutany change or alteration. And thelimitation for this Ardor is, from the

latter end of October vntill thebeginning of December, wherein youryéeres worke is made perfect andcompleate.

Obseruations. Now you shall vnderstand,that although I haue in this generallsort passed ouer the Ardors andseuerall Earings of this white or grayclay, any of which are in no wise to beneglected: yet there are sundry otherobseruations to be held of the carefullHusbandman, especially in the layingof his land: as thus, if the soile be of

good temper, fruitfull, drie, and of awell mixed mould, not being subiect toany naturall spring or casting forth ofmoisture, but rather through the natiuewarmth drying vp all kinde of fluxes orcolde moistures, neyther binding orstrangling the Séede, nor yet holding itin such loosenesse, that it loose [ E2v ]

his force of increasing, in this case it isbest to lay your lands flat and leuell,without ridges or furrowes, as is donein many parts of Cambridge-shire,some parts of Essex, and some parts ofHartford-shire: but if the clay be

fruitfull and of good temper, yet eitherby the bordering of great hils, the ouer-flow of small brookes, or some othercasuall meanes it is subiect to muchwet or drowning, in this case you shalllay your lands large and high, with highridges and déepe furrowes, as generallyyou sée in Lincolne-shire, Nottingham-shire, Huntington-shire, and most ofthe middle Shires in England. But if theland be barraine, colde, wet, subiect tomuch binding, and doth bring forthgreat store of wéedes, then you shalllay your land in little stiches, that is to

say, not aboue thrée or foure furrowesat the most together, as is generallyséene in Middlesex, Hartford-shire,Kent and Surrey: for by that meanesneither shall the land binde and choakethe Corne, nor shall the wéede so ouer-runne it, but that the Husbandman maywith good ease helpe to strengthen andclense it, the many furrowes bothgiuing him many passages, whereby hemay correct those enormities, and alsoin such sort conuaying away the waterand other moistures, that there cannotbe made any land more fruitfull.

Of the Plough. Now to speake of thePlough which is best and most properfor this gray or white clay, of which wenow speake, you shall vnderstand thatit differeth excéeding much from thatof which we spake concerning theblacke clay: I, and in such sort, thatthere is but small alliance or affinitiebetwéene them: as thus for example:

First, it is not so large and great as thatfor the blacke clay: for the head thereofis not aboue twentie inches in length,and not aboue one inch and a halfe in

thicknesse, the maine beame thereof isnot aboue fiue foot long, & the rest isbroader by an inch and more then thatfor the blacke clay: this Plough alsohath but one hale, & that is onely theleft hand Hale: for the Plough-staffe, orAker-staffe serueth euer in stead of theright hand Hale, so that the Rough-staues [ E3 ] are fixed, the vpper vnto theshelboard, and the neather vnto thePlough-rest, as for your bettervnderstanding you may perceiue bythis figure.

The Plough with one Hale.

Now you shall vnderstand that theespeciall care which is to be held in themaking of this Plough, is, that it bewide and open in the hinder part, that itmay turne and lay the furrowes onevpon another: whereas if it should be

any thing straitned in the hinder part,considering that this clay naturally issomewhat brittle of it selfe, and thatthe furrowes which you plow must ofnecessitie be very narrow and little, itwere not possible so to lay them, butthat they would fall downe backeagaine, and inforce the Plow-man tolose his labour. Also you shallvnderstand that whereas in the formerplough, which is for the blacke clay,you may turne the shelboard, that is,when the one end is worne, you mayeftsoones turne the other, and make it

serue the like season: in this Ploughyou must neuer turne the shelboard,because the rising wing of the Sharewill so defend it, that it will euer last aslong as the Plough-head, withoutchange or turning.

[ E3v ] Now for the Irons belonging vntothis Plough, which is the Share andCoulture, there is more difference inthem then in the Plough: for to speakefirst of the Share, whereas the formerShare for the blacke clay, was madebroad, plaine, and with a large wing,

this Share must be made narrow,sharpe, and small, with no wing at all,hauing from the vpper part thereof,close by the shelboard, a certaine risingwing, or broad piece of Iron, whichcomming vp and arming that part ofthe shelboard which turnes ouer theland, defends the wood from the sharpemould, which hauing the mixture ofpible stone in it, would otherwise inlesse then one dayes worke consumethe shelboard vnto nothing, forcing thePlow-man to much trouble and doublecost. The fashion of the Share is

presented in this Figure following.

The Share.

This Share is onely made that it maytake a small furrow, and so by breakingthe earth oftner then any other Share,causeth the land to yéeld a good andplentifull mould, and also kéepe itfrom binding or choaking the séede

when it is cast into it.

Now for the Coulture, it differeth fromthe former Coulture both in breadthand thicknesse, but especially incompasse: for whereas the formerCoulture for the blacke clay, was madestraight, narrow, and thicke, this mustbe compassed like an halfe bent bow: itmust be broader then thrée fingers, andthinner then halfe an inche, accordingto this Figure.

[ E4r ]

The Coulture.

Now when these Irons, the Shelboard,and other implements are fixed vntothe Plough, you shall perceiue that thePlough will carry the proportion of thisFigure following.

The Plough for the gray Clay.

Hauing thus shewed you the substance,difference, and contraries of these twoPloughs, which belong to these twoseuerall clayes, the blacke and gray,you shall vnderstand that there is noclay-ground whatsoeuer, which iswithout other mixture, but one of thesePloughs will sufficiently serue to eareand order it: for all clayes are of one of

these tempers.

The vse and handling. Now for the vseand manner of handling or holding thisPlough, it differeth nothing inparticular obseruation from [ E4v ] thevse and handling of the Ploughformerly described, more then in thelargenesse and smalnesse of thefurrowes: for as before I said, whereasthe blacke clay must be raised with agreat furrow, and a broad stitch, thisgray clay must be raised with a smallfurrow, and a narrow stitch: and

although this plough haue nothing but aleft hand Hale, yet considering thePlough-staffe, vpon which the Plow-man resteth his right hand, it is all oneas if he had a right. And indéede, tomake your knowledge the more perfect,you shall know that these gray clayesare generally in their owne natures sowet, tough, and slimy, and doe soclogge, cleaue, and choake vp thePlough, that hée which holds it shallhaue enough to doe with his right handonely to clense and kéepe the Ploughfrom choaking, insomuch that if there

were another Hale, yet the Plow-manshould haue no leasure to hold it.

Of the draught or Teame. Now for theDraught or Teame which should drawthis Plough, they ought in all points, aswell in strength as tryuing to be thesame with those before shewed for thevse of the blacke clay: as namely,eyther Oxen or Horse, or Horse andOxen mixt together, according to thecustome of the soile wherein the Plow-man liues, or his abilitie in prouision,obseruing euer to kéepe his number of

beasts for his Plough certaine, that is tosay, for fallowing, and Pease-earth,neuer vnder sixe, and for all otherArdors foure at the least. And thusmuch for the plowing of this gray orwhite clay.

[ F ] CHAP. VII.

The manner of plowing the

red-Sand, his Earings, Plough,and Implements.

ext vnto these Clayes, which are soilessimple and vncompound, as beingperfect in their owne natures, withoutthe helpe of other mixtures, I place theSand soiles, as being of like qualitie,not borrowing any thing but from theirowne natures, nor bréeding any defectsmore then their owne naturallimperfections: and of Sands, sith thered Sand is the best and most fruitfull,therefore it is fit that it take prioritie of

place, and be here first spoken of.

You shall then vnderstand that this redSand, albeit it is the best of Sands, yetit is the worst of many soiles, as beingof it selfe of such a hot and drie nature,that it scorcheth the séede, and dryethvp that nutriment and fatnesse whichshould occasion increase: whereby itcomes to passe, that the Barley whichgrowes vpon this red Sand is euer moreyealow, leane and withered, then thatwhich growes vpon the clayes or othermixt earths. This Sand especially

taketh delight in Rye, because it is aGraine which loues warmth aboue allother, and yet notwithstanding, if it bewell ordered, manured and plowed, itwill bring forth good store of Barley,albeit the Barley be not so good asClay-Barley, either for the colour, orfor the yéeld, whether it be in meale orin Malt.

Of Fallowing. Now for the manner ofEaring or plowing this redde Sand, itdiffereth much from both the formersoyles, insomuch that for your better

vnderstanding, I must in many placesalter my former methode, yet so littleas may be, because I am loath to alteror clogge the memory of the Reader:wherefore to pursue my purpose. Assoone as Christmas is ended, that is tosay, about the middest of [ F1v ] Ianuary,you shall goe with your Plough intothat field where the Haruest before didgrow your Rye, and there you shall inyour plowing cast your lands downe-ward, and open the ridges well, for thisyéere it must be your fallow field: foras in the former soiles, wée did diuide

the fields either into thrée parts, that is,one for Barley and Wheate, another forPease, and the third fallow, which isthe best diuision: or into foure parts,that is, one for Wheate and Rye,another for Barley, a third for Pease,and a fourth fallow, which is the worstdiuision and most toilesome, so in thisred Sand soile, we must euer diuide itinto thrée parts, that is, one for Barley,another for Rye, and a third fallow. Forthis Sand-soile being hot, drie, andlight, will neither bring forth goodBeanes nor good Pease, and therefore

that Ardor is in this place but onely tobe spoke of by way of discourse invrgent necessitie.

Wherefore (as before I said) about themiddest of Ianuary you shall beginne tolay fallow that field, where formerlydid grow your Rye, the manner ofplowing whereof differeth nothingfrom the manner of plowing the clayesbefore written of, onely that thediscretion of the Plow-man must thusfarre forth gouerne him, that in asmuch as this soile is lighter, dryer, and

of a more loose temper, by so much themore he must be carefull to make hisfurrowes lesse, and to lay them thecloser together: & also in as much asthis soile, through his naturall warmthand temperate moisture, is excéedingapt to bring forth much wéede,especially Brakes, Ling, Brambles, andsuch like, therefore the Plow-man shallbe very carefull to plow all hisfurrowes very cleane, without baukesor other impediments by which may beingendred any of these inconueniences.

Of Spring-foyling. After you haue thusbroke vp and fallowed your fallow ortilth-field, the limitation of which timeis from the middest of Ianuary vntillthe middest of February, you shall thenat the middest of February, when theclay-men begin to sow their Beanesand Pease, goe with your plough intoyour other fallow-field, which all theyéere before hath laine [ F2 ] fallow andalready receiued at your hands at leastfoure seuerall Ardors; as Fallowing,Summer-stirring, Foyling, and Winter-rigging; and there you shall plow all

that field ouer the fift time, which iscalled the Spring-foyling: and in thisArdor you shall plow all your landsvpward, in such sort as when youWinter-ridge it, by which meanes youshall plow vp all those wéedes whichhaue sprung forth in the Winter season.For you must vnderstand that in theselight, hot, sandy soiles, there is acontinuall spring (though not of goodfruits) yet of wéeds, quicks, and otherinconueniences: for it is a rule amongstHusbandmen, that warme soiles areneuer idle, that is, they are euer

bringing forth something.

Now the limitation for this Ardor isfrom the middest of Februarie vntillthe middest of March, at which timeyou shall, by comparing formerexperience with your presentiudgement, take into yourconsideration the state, goodnesse, andpowerfulnesse of your land, I meaneespecially of this fallow-field, whichhath laine fallow the yéere before, andhath now receiued fiue Ardors: and ifyou finde any part of it, either for want

of good ordoring in former times, orfor want of manure in the presentyéere, to be growne so leane and out ofhart, that you feare it hath not strengthenough to beare Barley, you shall thenat this time, being the middest ofMarch, sow such land with Rye, whichof Husbandmen is called the sowing ofMarch-Rye: Of Sowing March-Rye. andthis Rye is to be sowne and harrowed insuch sort as you did sow it vpon theclay soiles, that is to say, aboue furrow,and not vnder furrow, except the landbe very full of quickes, that is, of

Brakes, Ling, Brambles, Dockes, orsuch like, and then you shall first witha paire of Iron harrowes, that is, withharrowes that haue Iron téeth, first ofall harrow the land ouer, and by thatmeanes teare vp by the rootes all thosequickes, and so bring them from theland: which done, you shall sow theland ouer with Rye, and then plow itdowneward which is vnder furrow: &as soone as it is plowed, you shall thenwith a paire of Iron [ F2v ] Harrowesharrow it all ouer so excéedingly, thatthe mould may be made as fine, and the

land lie as smooth as is possible.

Of the harrow. Now because I haue in theformer Chapters spoke of Harrowesand harrowing, yet haue not deliueredvnto you the shape and proportionthereof, and because both the wooddenharrow and the Iron harrow haue allone shape, and differ in nothing but thetéeth onely, I thinke it not amissebefore I procéede any further to shewyou in this Figure the true shape of aright Harrow.

The Harrow.

The parts of this Harrow consisteth ofbuls, staues, and téeth: of buls, whichare broad thicke pieces eyther of wellseasoned Willow, or Sallow, being at

least thrée inches euery way square,into which are fastned the téeth: ofstaues, which are round pieces of wellseasoned Ash, being about two inchesand a halfe about, which going thorowthe buls, holde the buls firmely inequall distance one from the other: andof téeth, which are either long pinnes [

F3 ] of wood or Iron, being at least fiueinches in length, which are made fast,and set slope-wise through the buls.

The diuersitie of Harrowes. Now you shallvnderstand that Harrowes are of two

kindes, that is, single and double: thesingle Harrow is called of Husbandmenthe Horse-harrow, and is not abouefoure foote square: the double Harrowis called the Oxe-harrow, and it mustbe at least seauen foote square, and thetéeth must euer be of Iron. Nowwhereas I spake of the Horse-harrowand the Oxe-harrow, it is to bevnderstood that the single Harrow dothbelong to the Horse, because Horsesdrawing single, doe draw each aseuerall Harrow by himselfe, albeit inthe common vse of harrowing, we

couple two horses euer together, and somake them draw two single Harrowes:but Oxen not being in good Husbandryto be separated, because euer two mustdraw in one yoake, therefore was thedouble Harrow deuised, containing insubstance and worke as much as twosingle Harrowes.

The vse of Harrowes. Now for the vse ofHarrowes. The woodden Harrow whichis the Harrow with woodden téeth, iseuer to be vsed vpon clay grounds andlight grounds, which through drynesse

doth grow loose, and fals to mould of itowne nature, as most commonly Sandgrounds doe also: and the Iron Harrowwhich is the Harrow with Iron téeth, iseuer to be vsed vpon binding grounds,such as through drynesse grow so hardthat they will not be sundered, andthrough wet turne soone to mire andloose durt. Now whereas there bemingled earths, which neither willinglyyéeld to mould, nor yet bindes so sore,but small industry breaks it, of whichearth I shall speake hereafter, to suchgrounds the best Husbands vse a

mixture, that is to say, one wooddenHarrow, and one Iron Harrow, that thewoodden Harrow turning ouer andloosening the loosest mould, the IronHarrow comming after, may breake thestiffer clots, and so consequently turneall the earth to a fine mould. And thusmuch for Harrowes.

Of the sowing of Pulse. Now to returne tomy former purpose touching the tillageof this red Sand: if (as before I said)you finde any [ F3v ] part of your fallow-field too weake to beare Barley, then is

your March-Rye, a graine which willtake vpon a harder earth: but if theground be too weake either for Barleyor Rye, (for both those Séedes desiresome fatnesse of ground) then shallyou spare plowing it at all vntill thistime of the yéere, which is mid-March,and then you shall plow it, and sow itwith either the smallest Pease you canget, Of Pease, Lentles, and Lupines. or elsewith our true English Fitches, which byforraine Authors are called Lentles,that is, white Fitches, or Lupines,which are red Fitches: for all these

thrée sorts of Pulse will grow vponvery barraine soiles, and in theirgrowth doe manure and make rich theground: yet your Pease desire somehart of ground, your Lentles, or whiteFitches, lesse, and your Lupines, or redFitches, the least of all, as being apt togrow vpon the barrainest soile: solikewise your Pease doe manurebarraine ground well, your Lentlesbetter and your Lupines the best of all.

Now for the nature and vse of thesegraines, the Pease as all Husbandmen

know, are both good for the vse of manin his bread, as are vsed in Leicester-shire, Lincolne-shire, Nottingham-shire, and many other Countries: andalso for Horses in their Prouender, as isvsed generally ouer all England: forLentles, or white Fitches, or theLupines which are redde Fitches, theyare both indifferent good in bread forman, especially if the meale be wellscalded before it be knodden (forotherwise the sauour is excéedingrancke) or else they are a very goodfoode being sodden in the manner of

Leaps-Pease, especially at Sea, in longiourneyes where fresh meate is mostexceeding scarce: so that rather thenyour land should lye idle, and bringforth no profit, I conclude it best tosow these Pulses, which both bringforth commoditie, and also out of theirowne natures doe manure and inrichyour ground, making it more apt and fitto receiue much better Séede.

For the manner of sowing these thréesorts of Pulse: you shall sow them euervnder furrow, in such sort as is

described for the sowing of Pease andBeanes vpon the [ F4r ] white or gray claywhich is of indifferent drinesse and aptto breake.

Of Manuring. Now the limitation for thisArdor or séede time, is from themiddest of March, till the middest ofAprill: then from the middest of Aprill,till the middest of May, you shall makeyour especiall worke, to be onely theleading forth of your Manure to thatfield which you did fallow, or lay tilththat present yéere immediatelie after

Christmas, and of which I first spake inthis Chapter. And herein is to bevnderstood, that the best andprincipallest Manure for this redde-sand, is the ouldest Manure of beastswhich can be-gotten, which you shallknow by the excéeding blacknesse androttennesse thereof, being in the cuttingboth soft and smooth, all of onesubstance, as if it were well compactmorter, without any shew of straw orother stuffe which is vnrotted, for thisdung is of all the fattest and coolest,and doth best agrée with the nature of

this hot sand. Next to the dung ofbeasts, is the dung of Horses if it be oldalso, otherwise it is somewhat of thehottest, the rubbish of old houses, orthe swéepings of flowres, or thescowrings of old Fish-ponds, or otherstanding waters where beasts andhorses are vsed to drinke, or be washt,or wherevnto the water and moisture ofdunghills haue recourse are all goodManures for this redde-sand: as for theManure of Shéepe vpon this redde-sand, it is the best of all in such placesas you meane to sow Rie, but not fully

so good where you doe intend to sowyour Barley: if it be a cold moist redde-sand (which is seldome found but insome particular low countries) then itdoth not amisse to Manure it most withShéepe, or else with Chaulke, Lime, orAshes, of which you can get thegreatest plentie: if this soile be subiectto much wéede and quickes, asgenerally it is, then after you hauetorne vp the wéedes and quickes withHarrowes, you shall with rakes, rakethem together, and laying them inheapes vpon the land, you shall burne

them and then spreading the ashes theywill be a very good Manure, and inshort space destroy the wéedes also; [

F4v ] likewise if your land be muchouergrowne with wéedes, if when yousheare your Rie you leaue a good longstubble, and then mowing the stubbleburne it vpon the land, it is both a goodManure and also a good meanes todestroy the wéedes.

Of sowing Barley. After your Manure islead forth and either spread vpon thelands, or set in great heapes, so as the

land may be couered ouer with Manure(for it is to be obserued that this soilemust be throughly Manured) then aboutthe middest of May, which is the timewhen this worke should be finished,you shall repaire with your Plough intothe other fallow field, which wasprepared the yéere before for thisyéeres Barley, & there you shall sow itall ouer with Barley aboue furrow, thatis to say, you shall first Plough it, thensow it, and after Harrow it, making themould as fine and smooth as may be,which is done with easie labour,

because this sand of it owne nature isas fine as ashes.

Now the limitation for this séede time,is from the middest of May, till themiddest of Iune, wherein if any mandemand why it should not be sowne inMarch and Aprill, according as it issowne in the former soiles, I answere,that first this redde-sand cannot beprepared, or receiue his full season inweather, and earings, before this timeof the yéere, and next that these redde-sands, by how much they are hotter and

drier then the other claies, by so muchthey may wel stay the longer beforethey receiue their séede, because thatso much the sooner the séede dothsprout in them, & also the sooner ripenbeing kept warmer at the roote then inany could soile whatsoeuer. Of Summer-

stirring. As soone as the middest of Iuneapproacheth, you shall then beginne toSummer-stirre your fallow field, and toturne your Manure into your land, insuch sort as you did vpon your claysoiles, for this Ardor of Summer-stirring altereth in no soile, and this

must be done from the middest of Iune,till the middest of Iuly, Of sleighting. foras touching sleighting, clotting, orsmoothing of this Barley field, it isseldome in vse, because the finenesseof the sand will lay the land smoothinough [ G ] without sleighting: yet ifyou finde that any particular land liethmore rough then the rest, it shall not beamisse, if with your backe Harrowesyou smooth it a little within a day ortwo after it is sowne.

Of Foiling. From the middest of Iuly

vntill the middest of August, you shallfoile and throw downe your fallowfield againe, if your lands lie well andin good order, but if any of your landsdoe lie in the danger of water, or by vseof Plowing are growne too flat, bothwhich are hinderances to the growth ofCorne, then when you foile your landsyou shall Plow them vpward, and so bythat meanes raise the ridges one furrowhigher. Of sowing Rye. After you hauefoiled your land, which must be aboutthe middest of August, then will yourBarley be ready to mowe, for these hot

soiles haue euer an earely haruest,which as soone as it is mowne andcarried into the Barne, forthwith youshall with all expedition carry forthsuch Manure as you may conuenientlyspare, and lay it vpon that land fromwhence you receiued your Barley,which is most barraine: and if you wantcart Manure, you shall then lay yourfould of Shéepe thereupon, and assoone as it is Manured, you shallimmediately Plow both it & the rest,which Ardor should be finished by themiddest of September, and so suffered

to rest vntill the beginning of October,at which time you shall beginne to sowall that field ouer with Rye in such sortas hath béene spoken of in formerplaces.

Obiection. Now in as much as theignorant Husbandman may very easielyimagine that I reckon vp his labourstoo thicke, and therein leaue him noleasure for his necessarie businesses,especially because I appoint him tofoile his land from the middest of Iuly,till the middest of August, which is

both a busie time for his Hay haruest,and also for his Rye shearing.

Answere. To this I make answere, that Iwrite not according to that which pooremen are able (for it were infinit tolooke into estates) but according aseuery good Husband ought,presupposing that he which will liue bythe Plough, ought [ G1v ] to pursue allthings belonging vnto the Plough, andthen he shall finde that there is no dayin the yéere, but the Saboth, but it isnecessarie that the Plough be going: yet

to reconcile the poore and the richtogether, they shall vnterstand, thatwhen I speake of Plowing in the timeof Haruest, I doe not meane that theyshould neglect any part of thatprincipall Worke, which is the truerecompence of their labour: butbecause whilst the dew is vpon theground, or when there is either raine ormizling there is then no time forHaruest Worke, then my meaning isthat the carefull Husbandman shall takethose aduantages, and rising earelier inthe mornings, be sure to be at his

Plough two howers before the dew befrom the ground, knowing that thegetting but of one hower in the daycompasseth a great worke in a month,neither shall hée néede to feare theouer toiling of his cattell, sith at thattime of the yéere Grasse being atgreatest plenty, strongest and fullest ofhart, Corne scattered almost in euerycorner, and the mouth of the beast notbeing muzeld in his labour, there is noquestion but he will indure and workemore then at any other season.

Of Winter ridging. In the beginning ofNouember, you shall beginne toWinter-ridge your fallow, or tilth-field,which in all points shalbe doneaccording to the forme described in theformer soiles: for that Ardor of allother neuer altereth, because it is as itwere a defence against the latter spring,which else would fill the lands full ofwéedes, and also against the rigor ofWinter, and therefore it doth lay vp thefurrow close together, which taking theseason of the frost, winde, and weather,makes the mould ripe, mellow, and

light: and the limitation for this Ardor,is from the beginning of Nouember,vntill the middest of December.

Of the Plough. Now as touching thePlough which is best and most properfor this redde-sand, it differeth nothingin shape and composure of membersfrom that Plough which is described forthe blacke Clay, hauing necessarily twohales, because the ground being looseand light, the [ G2 ] Plough will withgreat difficulty hold land, but with theleast disorder be euer ready to runne

into the furrow, so that a right handhale is most necessarie for the houldingof the plough euen, onely thedifference of the two Ploughesconsisteth in this, that the plough forthis red-sand, must be much lesse thenthe plough for the blacke Clay houldingin the sizes of the timber the dueproportion of the plough for the whiteor gray clay, or if it be somewhat lesseit is not amisse, as the head beingeightéene inches, the maine beame notaboue foure foote, and betwéene thehinder part of the rest, and the out-most

part of the plough head in the hinderend not aboue eight inches. Of the

coulture. Now for the Plough-Ironswhich doe belong vnto this plough, theCoulture is to be made circular, in suchproportion as the coulture for the gray,or white clay, and in the placing, ortempering vpon the Plough it is to beset an inch at least lower then theshare, that it may both make waybefore the share, and also cut déeperinto the land, to make the furrow hauemore easie turning.

Of the share. Now for the share, itdiffereth in shape from both the formershares, for it is neither so large nor out-winged, as that for the gray Clay, forthis share is onely made broad to thePlough ward, and small to the point ofthe share, with onely a little peake andno wing according to this figure.

The share.

These Plough-irons, both coulture andshare, must be well stéeled and hardnedat the points, because these sandysoiles being full of moisture andgréete, will in short space weare andconsume the Irons, to the greathinderance [ G2v ] and cost of theHusbandman, if it be not preuented bystéele and hardning, which

notwithstanding will waste also inthese soiles, so that you must at leasttwise in euery Ardor haue your Irons tothe Smith, and cause him to repairethem both with Iron and stéele, besidesthese Irons, of coulture and share, Of the

plough-slip. you must also haue a longpiece of Iron, which must be iust of thelength of the Plough head, and as broadas the Plough head is thicke, and inthicknesse a quarter of an inch: and thispiece of Iron must be nailed vpon theoutside of the Plough head, next vntothe land, onely to saue the Plough head

from wearing, for when the Plough isworne it can then no longer hould theland, and this piece of Iron is called ofHusbandmen the Plough-slip andpresenteth this figure.

The Plough-slip.

Of Plough clouts. Ouer and besides thisPlough-slip, their are certaine otherpieces of Iron which are made in the

fashion of broad thinne plates, and theybe called Plough clouts, and are to benailed vpon the shelboard, to defend itfrom the earth or furrow which itturneth ouer, which in very short spacewould weare the woode and put theHusbandman to double charge.

The houlding of the Plough. Thus hauingshewed you the parts, members, andimplements, belonging to this Plough,it rests that I procéede vnto the teameor draught: for to speake of the vse andhandling of this Plough, it is

néedelesse, because it is all one withthose Ploughes, of which I haue spokenin the former Chapters, and he whichcan hould and handle a Plough in stiffeclayes must néedes (except he beexcéeding simple) hould a Plough inthese light sands, in as much as theworke is much more easie and thePlough a great deale lesse chargeable.

[ G3 ] Of the draught. Now for the Draughtor Teame, they ought to be as in theformer Soiles, Oxen or Horses, yet thenumber not so great: for foure Beasts

are sufficient to plow any Ardor vponthis soile, nay, thrée Horses if they beof reasenable strength will doe as muchas sixe vpon either of the Clay-soiles:asfor their attire or Harnessing, theBeare-geares, before described, are thebest and most proper. And thus muchconcerning this red Sand, wherein youare to take this briefe obseruation withyou, that the Graines which are best tobe sowne vpon it, are onely Rye,Barley, small Pease, Lentles andLupines, otherwise called Fitches, andthe graines to which it is aduerse, are

Wheat, Beanes and Maslin.

CHAP. VIII.

The manner of plowing thewhite Sand, his Earings,Plough, and Implements.

ext vnto this red Sand, is the whitesand, which is much more barrainethen the red Sand, yet by the industry

of the Husbandman in plowing, and bythe cost of Manure it is made to bearecorne in reasonable plentie. Now ofwhite Sands there be two kindes, theone a white Sand mixt with a kinde ofMarle, as that in Norffolke, Suffolke,and other such like places butting vponthe Sea-coast: the other a white Sandwith Pible, as in some parts of Surrey,about Ancaster in Lincolne shire, andabout Salisbury in Wil-shire.

Of the white Sand with Pible. Now for thiswhite Sand with Pible, it is the

barrainest, and least fruitfull inbringing forth, because it hath nothingbut a hot dustie substance in it. For themanner of Earing thereof, it agréeth inall points with the redde Sand, theArdors being all one, the Tempers,Manurings and all other appurtenances:the Séede also which it delights in is allone with the red Sand, as namely, Rye, [ G3v ] Barley, Pease and Fitches.Wherefore who so shall dwell vponsuch a soile, I must referre him to theformer Chapter of the red Sand, andtherein he shall finde sufficient

instruction how to behaue himselfevpon this earth: remembring that in asmuch as it is more barraine then the redSand, by so much it craueth more careand cost, both in plowing and manuringthereof, which two labours onely makeperfect the ill ground.

Of the white Sand with Marle. Now for thewhite Sand which hath as it were acertaine mixture, or nature of Marle init, you shall vnderstand that albeit vntothe eye it be more dry and dustie thenthe red Sand, yet it is fully as rich as

the red Sand: for albe it doe not beareBarley in as great plenty as the redSand, yet it beareth Wheateabundantly, which the red Sandseldome or very hardly bringeth forth.

Of Fallowing. Wherefore to procéede tothe Earings or tillage of this whiteMarly sand, you shall vnderstand thatabout the middest of Ianuary is fit timeto beginne to fallow your field whichshall be tilth and rest for this yéere:wherein by the way, before I procéedefurther, you shall take this obseruation

with you, that whereas in the formersoiles I diuided the fields into thrée &foure parts, this soile cannotconueniently, if it be well husbanded,be diuided into any more parts thentwo, that is to say, a fallow field, and aWheat-field: in which Wheate-field ifyou haue any land richer then other,you may bestow Barley vpon it, vponthe second you may bestow Wheat,vpon the third sort of ground Rye, andvpon the barrainest, Pease or Fitches:and yet all these must be sowne withinone field, because in this white sand,

Wheate and Rye will not grow afterBarley or Pease, nor Barley and Peaseafter Wheate or Rye. Your fields beingthen diuided into two parts, that is, onefor corne, the other for rest, you shallas before I said, about the middest ofIanuary beginne to fallow your Tith-field, which in all obseruations youshall doe according as is mentioned forthe red sand.

Of sowing Pease. About the middest ofMarch, if you haue any barraine [ G4r ] orwasted ground within your fallow field,

or if you haue any occasion to breakevp any new ground, which hath notbéene formerly broake vp, in eyther ofthese cases you shall sow Pease orFitches thereupon, and those Pease orFitches you shall sow vnder furrow ashath béene before described.

Of Spring-fallowing. About the middest ofAprill you shall plow your fallow-fieldouer againe, in such manner as youplowed when you fallowed it first: andthis is called Spring-fallowing, and isof great benefit because at that time the

wéedes and quickes beginning tospring, nay, to flowrish, by reason thatthe heate of the climbe puts them forthsooner then in other soyles, if theyshould not be plowed vp before theytake too strong roote, they would notonely ouer-runne, but also eate out thehart of the Land.

Of sowing Barley. About the middest ofMay you shall beginne to sow yourBarley vpon the richest part of your oldfallow-field, which at the Michaelmasbefore, when you did sow your Wheate,

and Rye, and Maslin, you did reseruefor that purpose: and this Barley youshall 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 yourSéede-time, your whole field shall befurnished eyther with Wheate, if it holda temperate fatnesse, or with Wheateand Barley, if it be rich and richer, orwith Wheate, Barley and Pulse, if it berich, poore or extreame barraine: andthe manner of sowing all these seuerallséedes is described in the Chapters

going before.

Of Summer-stirring. About the middest ofIune you shall beginne to Summer-stirre your fallow-field, in such sort aswas spoken of in the former Chaptersconcerning the other soiles: for in thisArdor there is no alteration of methode,but onely in gouernment of the Plough,considering the heauinesse andlightnesse of the earth. During thisArdor you shall busily apply yourlabour in leading forth your Manure,for it may at great ease be done both at

one season, neyther the Ploughhindering the Cart, nor the Cart stayingthe [ G4v ] Plough: for this soile beingmore light and easie in worke then anyother soile whatsoeuer, doth euerpreserue so many Cattell for otherimployment that both workes may goeforward together, as shall be shewedwhen wee come to speake of thePlough, and the Teame which drawesit.

Of Manuring. Now as touching theManures most fit for this soyle, they be

all those of which we haue formerlywritten, ashes onely excepted, whichbeing of an hot nature doe scald theSéede, and detaine it from allfruitfulnesse, being mixt with this hotsoile, so is likewise Lyme, and theburning of stubble: other Manures areboth good and occasion much fertilitie,as being of a binding and coole nature,and holding together that loosenessewhich in his too much separationtaketh all nutriment from the earth.

Of Weeding. After you haue ledde forth

your Manure, and Summer-stird yourLand, you shall then about thebeginning of Iulie looke into yourCorne-field, and if you perceiue anyThistles, or any other superfluouswéedes to annoy your Corne, you shallthen (as is before said) either cut, orplucke them vp by the rootes.

Of Foyling. About the middest of Augustyou shall beginne to foile or castdowne your fallow-field againe, and inthat Ardor you shall be very carefull toplow cleane and leaue no wéedes vncut

vp: for in these hot soiles if any wéedesbe left with the least roote, so that theymay knit and bring forth séede, theannoyance thereof will remaine for atleast foure yéeres after, which is adouble fallowing. And to the end thatyou may cut vp all such wéedes cleane,although both your Share and Coulturemisse them, you shall haue the rest ofyour Plough in the vnder part whichstrokes alongst the earth filled all fullof dragges of Iron, that is, of oldecrooked nailes or great tenter-hookes,such as vpon the putting downe of your

right hand when you come néere awéed shall catch hold thereof and teareit vp by the rootes, as at this day isvsed be many particular Husbands inthis kingdome, whose cares, skils, andindustries are not inferiour to the bestwhatsoeuer.

[ H ] Of Sowing Wheate and Rye. About themiddest of September, you shallbeginne to sow your Wheate and Ryevpon your fallow field, which Grainevpon this soile is to be reckoned themost principall: and you shall sow it in

the same manner that is described inthe former Chapters, wherein yourespeciallest care is the choise of yourséede: The choise of Seede. for in thissoile your whole-straw Wheate, noryour great Pollard taketh any delight,neither your Organe, for all those thréemust haue a firme and a strong mould:but your Chilter-wheate, your Flaxen-wheate, your White-pollard, and yourRed-wheate, which are the Wheateswhich yéeld the purest and finestmeale, (although they grow not in sogreat abundance) are the séedes which

are most proper and naturall for thissoile. As for Rye or Maslin, accordingto the goodnesse of the ground so youshall bestow your séede: for it is agenerall rule, that wheresoeuer yourWheate growes, there will euer Ryegrow, but Rye will many times growwhere Wheate will not prosper; andtherefore for the sowing of your Rye, itmust be according to the temper of theearth, and the necessitie of yourhoushold: for Wheate being a richergraine then Rye, if you be assured thatyour ground will beare Wheate well, it

is small Husbandrie to sow more Ryeor Maslin then for your house: but if itbe too hot for Wheate, and kindly forRye, then it is better to haue good Rye,then ill Wheate. Now for the sowing ofyour Rye or Maslin in this soile, itdiffereth nothing from the formersoiles, either in plowing or any otherobseruation, that is to say, it must beplowed aboue furrow: for Rye beingthe most tender graine, it can neitherabide the waight of earth, nor yetmoisture; the one, as it were, burying,and the other drowning the vigour and

strength of the séede.

Of Winter-ridging. About the beginningof Nouember you shall Winter-ridgeyour fallow field, I meane that partwhich you doe preserue for Barley (forthe other part is furnished with séede)and this Winter-ridging differethnothing from the Winter ridging ofother soiles, onely you shall a littlemore precisely obserue to set vp yourlands more straight and [ H1v ] high thenin other soiles, both to defend themfrom wet, which this soile is much

subiect vnto, because commonly somegreat riuer is neare it, and also for thepreseruing of the strength andgoodnesse of the Manure within theland which by lying open and vnclosedwould soone be washt forth andconsumed.

Of the clensing of lands, or drawing of water-

furrowes. Now sith I haue here occasionto speake something of the draining oflands, and the kéeping of them fromthe annoyance of superfluous wet,whether it be by invndation orotherwise, you shall vnderstand that it

is the especiall office and dutie ofeuery good Husbandman, not onely inthis soile, but in all other whatsoeuer,to haue a principall respect to thekéeping of his land dry, and to that endhée shall diligently (as soone as he hathWinter-rigged his land) take a carefullview how his lands lie, which way thedescent goes from whence annoyanceor water may possibly come, and soconsequently from those obseruations,with a Spade or strong Plough, ofextraordinary greatnesse, draw certainedéepe furrowes from descent vnto

descent, by which meanes all the watermay be conuayed from his lands,eyther into some common Sewer, Lake,Brooke, or other maine Riuer: and tothis end it is both a rule in the commonLawes of our Land, and a laudablecustome in the Common-wealth ofeuery Towne, that for as much as manyTownes haue their lands lie incommon, that is to say, mixedneighbour with neighbour, few or nonehauing aboue two or three lands at themost lying together in one place,therefore euery man shall ioyne, and

make their water-furrowes one fromanother, vntill such time as the waterbe conuayed into some common issue,as well hée whose lands be without alldanger, as he that is troubled with thegreatest annoyance, and herein eueryone shall beare his particular charge:which is an Act of great vertue andgoodnesse.

Of the Plough. Now for the Plough whichis to plow this white sand it doth differnothing in size, proportion, and vse ofhandling from the Plough described for

the red Sand, onely it hath one additionmore, that is to say, at the further endof [ H2 ] the maine Beame of the Plough,where you fixe your Plough-foote,there you shall place a little paire ofround whéeles, which bearing theBeame vpon a loose mouing Axletrée,being iust the length of two furrowsand no more, doth so certainly guidethe Plough in his true furrow that it canneither lose the land by swaruing (as inthese light soiles euery Plough is apt todoe) nor take too much land, eyther bythe gréedinesse of the plough or

sharpnesse of the Irons, neither can itdrownd through the easie lightnesse ofthe earth, nor runne too shallowthrough the fussinesse of the mould,but the whéeles being made of a trueproportion, which should not be abouetwelue inches from the centre, thePlough with a reasonable hand ofgouernment shall runne in a direct andeuen furrow: the proportion of whichPlough is contained in this Figure.

The Plough with Wheeles.

This plough of all others I hold to bemost ancient, and as being the modellof the first inuention, and at this day ispreserued both in France, Germany, &Italy, and no other proportion ofPloughes knowne, both as we perceiueby our experience in séeing them plow,& also by reading of their writings: forneither in Virgil, Columella, Xenophon,

[ H2v ] nor any olde Writer: nor inHeresbachius, Steuens, nor Libault,being later Writers, finde wée anyother Plough bequeathed vnto ourmemories. Yet it is most certaine, thatin many of our English soiles, thisPlough is of little profit, as we finde bydaily experience both in our clayes, andmany of our mixt earths: for in truththis Plough is but onely for light,sandy, or grauelly soiles, as for themost part these forraine Countries are,especially about the sea-coast, or theborders of great Cities, from whence

these Writers most generally tooke thepresidents for their writings.

Now for the parts of this Plough, itconsisteth of the same members whichthe former Ploughs doe, onely that instead of the Plough-foote it hath a paireof whéeles. It hath also but one Hale, insuch sort as the Plough for the gray orwhite clay. The beame also of thisPlough is much more straight then theformer, by which meanes the Skeath isnot full so long. Of the plough-Irons. TheIrons belonging vnto this Plough are of

the fashion of the former Irons, onelythey be somewhat lesse, that is to say,the Coulture is not so long, neyther sofull bent as that for the red Sand, nor sostraight as that for the blacke clay, butas it were holding a meane betwéeneboth: so likewise the Share is not fullyso broad as that for the red sand, nor sonarrow as that for the gray clay, butholds as it were a middle size betwéeneboth, somewhat leaning in proportionto the shape of that for the blacke clay.As for the Plough-slip, Plough-clouts,and other implements which are to

defend the wood from the hardnesse ofthe earth, they are the same, and in thesame wise to be vsed as those for thered Sand.

Of the draught. Now for the Draught orTeame which drawes this Plough, theyare as in all other Draughts, Oxen orHorses, but for the number thereof theydiffer much from those which areformerly written of: for you shallvnderstand that in this white sandysoile, which is of all soiles the lightest,eyther two good Horses, or two good

Oxen are a number sufficient to plowany Ardor vpon this soile whatsoeuer, [

H3 ] as by daily experience we may séein those countries whose soile consistsof this white light Sand, of which wéehaue now written: neyther shall thePlow-man vpon this soile néede anyperson to driue or order his Ploughmore then himselfe: for the soile beingso light and easie to cut, the Plough sonimble, and the Cattell so few and soneare him, hauing euer his right hand atlibertie (because his plough hath butonely a left hand Hale) he hath liberty

euer to carry a goade or whip in hisright hand, to quicken and set forwardhis Cattell, and also a line which beingfastned to the heads of the Beasts, héemay with it euer when hée comes to thelands end, stop them and turne themvpon which hand he pleases. And thusmuch for the tillage and ordering ofthis white Sand.

CHAP. IX.

The manner of plowing theGrauell with Pible stones, orthe Grauell with Flint, their

Earings, Plough, andimplements.

auing in the plainest manner I canwritten sufficiently already of the fouresimple and vncompounded soiles, towit, two Clayes, blacke and gray, andtwo Sands, red and white, it now reststhat I also giue you some perfect touchor taste of the mixt or compounded

soiles, as namely, the grauell which is akinde of hard sand, clay and stone mixttogether: and of Grauels there be twokindes, that is to say, one that is mixtwith little small Pible stones, as inmany parts of Middlesex, Kent, andSurry: and the Grauell mixt with broadFlints, as in many parts of Hartford-shire, Essex, and sundry such places.These Grauels are both, in generall,subiect to much barrainnesse,especially if they be accompanied withany extraordinary moisture, yet withthe good labour of plowing, and with

the cost of much Manure, they are [ H3v ]

brought to reasonable fruitfulnesse,where it comes to passe that the Plow-man which is master of such a soile, ifeither he liue not neare some Citie orMarket-towne, where great store ofManure, by the concourse of people, isdaily bred, and so consequently is verycheape, or else haue not in his ownestore and bréede, meanes to raise goodstore of Manure, hée shall seldomethriue and prosper thereupon. Nowalthough in these grauell soiles there isa diuersity of mixture, as the one

mingled with small Pibles, whichindéede is the worst mixture, the otherwith broad Flints, which is the bettersigne of fruitfulnesse: yet in their orderof tillage or Earings, in their wéedingand cleansing, and in all other ardorsand obseruations, they differ nothing atall, the beginning and ending of eachseuerall worke being all one.

Now for the manner of workebelonging vnto these two soiles, italtereth in no respect nor obseruationeyther in Plough, plowing, manuring,

weeding, or any other thingwhatsoeuer, from that of the whitesand, the same times of the yéere, thesame Séedes, and the same Earingsbeing euer to be obserued, wherefore itshall be needlesse to write so amply ofthese soiles as of the former, becausebeing all one with the white Sand,without alteration, it were but to writeone thing twice, and therefore I referrethe Reader to the former Chapter, andalso the Husbandman that shall liuevpon either of these soiles, onely withthese few caueats: First, that for the

laying his lands, hée shall lay them inlittle small stitches, that is, not hauingaboue foure furrowes laid together, asit were for one land, in such sort as yousée in Hartford-shire, Essex,Middlesex, Kent and Surry: for thissoile being for the most part subiect tomuch moisture and hardnesse, if itshould be laid in great lands, accordingto the manner of the North parts, itwould ouer-burden, choake andconfound the séed which is throwneinto it. Secondly, you shall not goeabout to gather off the stones which

séeme as it were to couer the lands,both because the labour is infinite andimpossible, as also because [ H4r ] thosestones are of good vse, and as it were acertaine Manuring and helpe vnto theground: for the nature of this Grauellbeing colde and moist, these stones doein the winter time, defend and kéepethe sharpnesse of the Frosts and bleakewindes from killing the heart or rooteof the séedes, and also in the Summerit defends the scorching heate of theSunne from parching and drying vp theSéede, which in this grauelly soile doth

not lie so well couered, as in othersoyles, especially if this kinde of earthbe inuironed with any great hils (asmost commonly it is) the reflectionwhereof makes the heate much moreviolent. And lastly, to obserue thatthere is no manure better or morekindly for this kinde of earth thenChaulke, white Marle, or Lyme: for allother matters whatsoeuer the formerChapter of the white Sand, will giueyou sufficient instructions.

CHAP. X.

The manner of plowing theblacke Clay mixt with red

Sand, and the white Clay mixtwith white Sand, theirEarings, Plough and

Implements.

ext to these grauelly soiles, there bealso two other compounded earths, asnamely, the blacke Clay mixt with redSand, and the white Clay mixt withwhite sand, which albe they differ in

composition of mould, yet they holdone nature in their Tillage andHusbandry: wherefore first to speake ofthe blacke Clay mixt with red Sand,which (as before I said) is called ofHusbandmen an hassell earth, you shallvnderstand that it is a very rich andgood soile, very fruitfull both forCorne and Grasse: for Corne, being aptto beare any séede whatsoeuer: and forGrasse, as naturally putting it forthvery earely in the yéere, by which yourCattell shall get reliefe sooner then inother soiles of colder nature: for both

the blacke and white claies doeseldome flowrish with [ H4v ] any storeof Grasse before Iune, which is thetime of wood-seare, and this soile willboast of some plenty about thebeginning of Aprill at the furthest: butfor Grasse we shall speake in hisproper place.

Of fallowing. Now for his tillage it isthus: you shall about the middest ofIanuary, beginne to fallow that fieldwhich you intend that yéere shall lye atrest or tilth, and you shall fallow it in

such sort as is specified in the Chapterof the blacke clay: onely you shall raisesmall furrowes and Plow the landcleane, being sure to open and cast theland downeward if the land lie high andround, otherwise you shall neuer at anytime cast the land downe but ridge itvp, that is to say, when you fallow it,you shall cast the first furrowdowneward, and so likewise thesecond, which two furrowes beingcleane ploughed, will lay the land openinough, that is, there wilbe no part ofthe ridge vnploughed: which done, by

changing your hand and the gate ofyour Plough, you shall plough thosefurrowes backe againe and lay themvpward, and so plough the whole landvpward, also laying it round and high:the reason for this manner of plowingbeing this, that for as much as this landbeing mixt of clay and sand, mustnéedes be a sore binding land, thereforeif it should be laid flat, if any greatraine or wet should fall, and a presentdrought follow it, neither should youpossibly force your Plough to enter intoit and breake it, or being broken should

you get so much mould as to coueryour Corne and giue the séede comfort,whereas vpon the contrary part, if it belaid high and vpright, it mustnecessarily be laid hollow and light, inso much that you may both Plough it atyour pleasure, and also beget so perfecta mould as any other soile whatsoeuer,both because the wet hath liberty toauoide through the hollownesse, andalso because the Sunne and weatherhath power to enter and season it,wherefore in conclusion you shallfallow this field downeward if it lye

high and vpright, otherwise you shallfallow it vpward as the meanes to bringit to the best Ardor.

[ I ] Now for this fallow field it musteuer be made where the yéere beforeyou did reape your Pease, in case youhaue but thrée fields, or where you didreape your Wheate, Rye, and Maslin, incase you haue foure fields, according tothe manner of the blacke clay.

Of sowing Pease. About the middest ofFebruary, which is within a day or twoof Saint Valentines day, if the season

be any thing constant in fairenesse anddrinesse, you shall then beginne to sowyour Pease, for you must vnderstandthat albeit this soile will beare Beanes,yet they are nothing so naturall for it asPease, both because they are an hungryséede and doe much impaire and wastthe ground, and also because theyprosper best in a fat, loose, and toughearth, which is contrary to this hard anddrie soile: but especially if you hauefoure fields, you shall forbeare to sowany Beanes at all, least you loose twocommodities, that is, both quantitie of

graine (because Beanes are not so longand fruitfull vpon this earth, as vponthe clayes) and the Manuring of yourground, which Pease out of their ownenatures doe, both by the smoothering ofthe ground and their owne fatnesse,when your Beanes doe pill and suckethe hart out of the earth.

Now for the manner of sowing yourPease, you shall sow them abouefurrow, that is, first plough the landvpward, then immediately sow yourPease, and instantly after Harrow them,

the Plough, the Séedes-man, and theHarrower, by due course, followingeach other, and so likewise you maysow Oates vpon this soile.

Of sowing Barley. About the middest ofMarch, which is almost a fortnightbefore our Lady day, you shall beginneto sow your Barley, which Barley youshall sow neither vnder-furrow noraboue, but after this order: first, youshall plow your land downeward,beginning at the furrow and soassending vpward to the ridge of the

land, which as soone as you haueopened, you shall then by pulling theplough out of the earth, and laying theshelboard crosse the ridge, you shallfill the ridge in againe with the samemould which [ I1v ] you plowed vp: thisdone, your séedes-man shall bring hisBarley and sow the land aboue furrow:after the land is sowne, you shall thenHarrow it as small as may be, first witha paire of woodden Harrowes, and afterwith a paire of Iron Harrowes, or elsewith a double Oxe Harrow, for thisearth being somewhat hard and much

binding, will aske great care anddilligence in breaking.

Of sleighting. After your Barley issowne, you shall about the latter end ofAprill beginne to smooth and sleightyour land, both with the backeHarrowes and with the rouler, andlooke what clots they faile to breake,you shall with clotting beetles beatethem asunder, making your mould asfine and laying your land as smooth asis possible.

Of Summer-stirring. About the middest of

May, you shall, if any wet fall, beginneto Summer-stirre your land, or if nowet fall, you shall doe your indeauourto Summer-stirre your land, ratheraduenturing to breake two ploughes,then to loose one day in that labour,knowing this, that one land Summer-stird in a dry season, is better thenthrée Summer-stird in a wet or moistweather, both because it giues the eartha better temper, and kils the wéedeswith more assurednesse, and as Ispeake of Summer-stirring, so I speakeof all other Ardors, that the drier they

are done the better they are euer done:and in this season you shall also gatherthe stones from your ground.

Obiection. Now it may be obiected, thatif it be best to plough in drie seasons, itis then best to fallow also in a dryseason, and by that meanes not tobeginne to fallow vntill the beginningof May, as is prescribed for the blackeclay, and so to deferre the Summer-stirring till the next month after, sith ofnecessitie Ianuary must either be wetor else vnkindely.

Answere. To this I make answere, thatmost true it is, that the land which islast fallowed is euer the best and mostfruitfull, yet this mixt earth which iscompound of sand and clay, is such abinding earth, that if it be not taken andfallowed in a moist-time of the yéere,as namely, in [ I2 ] Ianuary or February,but suffered to lye till May, at whichtime the drought hath so entered intohim, that the greatest part of hismoisture is decaied, then I say, thenature of the ground is such and sohard, that it wilbe impossible to make

any plough enter into it, so that youshall not onely aduenture the losse ofthat speciall Ardor, but also of all therest which should follow after, and soconsequently loose the profit of yourland: where contrary wise if you fallowit at the beginning of the yéere, as inIanuary, and February, albe they bewet, yet shall you lay vp your furrowesand make the earth more loose, bywhich meanes you shall compasse allthe other Earings which belong to yoursoile: for to speake briefely, latefallowing belongs vnto claies, which by

drought are made loose and light, andearely fallowings vnto mixt soiles,such as these which by drinesse doeingender and binde close together.

Of weeding. About the middest of Iune,you shall beginne to wéede your Corne,in such sort as hath béene beforedescribed in the former Chapters: andalthough this soile naturally of it selfe(if it haue receiued his whole Ardor indue seasons, and haue béene Ploughedcleane, according to the office of agood Husband) doth neither put forth

Thistle or other wéede, yet if it wanteither the one or the other, it is certainethat it puts them forth in greatabundance, for by Thistles and wéedes,vpon this soile, is euer knowne thegoodnesse and dilligence of theHusbandman.

Of Foiling. About the middest of Iuly,you shall beginne to foile your land, insuch sort also as hath béene mentionedin the former Chapters, onely with thisobseruation that if any of your lands lieflat, you shall then, in your foiling,

plough those lands vpward and notdowneward, holding your first preceptthat in this soile, your lands must liehigh, light, and hollow, which if yousée they doe, then you may if youplease in your foiling cast themdowneward, because at Winter ridgingyou may set them vp againe.

[ I2v ] Of Manuring. Now for as much as inthis Chapter I haue hitherto omitted tospeake of Manuring this soile, youshall vnderstand that it is not because Ihold it so rich that it néedeth no

Manure, but because I know there isnothing more néedfull vnto it thenManure, in so much that I wish not theHusbandman of this ground to bindehimselfe vnto any one particular seasonof the yéere for the leading forth of hisManure, but to bestow all hisleasurable houres and rest from otherworkes onely vpon this labor, euenthrough the circuit of the whole yéere,knowing this most precisely, that atwhat time of the yéere so euer youshall lay Manure vpon this earth it willreturne much profit.

As for the choise of Manures vpon thissoile they are all those whatsoeuer, ofwhich I haue formerly intreated in anyof the other Chapters, no Manurewhatsoeuer comming amisse to thisground: prouided that the Husbandmanhaue this respect to lay vpon hismoystest and coldest ground his hottestManures, and vpon his hottest anddriest earth his coolest and moistestManures: 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, and suchlike.

Of Winter-ridging. About the middest ofSeptember you shall beginne toWinter-ridge your Land, which in allpoints you shall doe according as ismentioned in the former Chapters ofthe Clayes: for in this Ardor there isneuer any difference, onely this onesmall obseruation, that you mayaduenture to Winter-ridge this mixtearth sooner then any other: for manyof our best English Husbandmen which

liue vpon this soile doe hold thisopinion, that if it be Winter-ridged soearely in the yéere, that through thevertue of the latter spring it put forth acertaine gréene wéede like mosse,bring short and soft, that the land is somuch the better therefore, being as theyimagine both fed and comforted bysuch a slender expression which dothnot take from the land any hart, but likea warme couering doth ripen and [ I3r ]

make mellow the mould, and thiscannot be effected but onely by earelyWinter-ridging.

Of Sowing of Wheate, Rye, and Maslin. Atthe end of September you shall beginneto sow your Wheate, Rye, and Maslin,all which Graines are very naturall,good, and profitable vpon this soile,and are to be sowne after the samemanner, and with the sameobseruations which are specified in theformer Chapter of the blacke clay, thatis to say, the Wheate vnder furrow, andvnharrowed, the Rye and Maslin abouefurrow, and well harrowed. And hereinis also to be remembred all thoseprecepts mentioned in the Chapter of

the blacke Clay, touching the diuisionof the fields, that is to say, if you hauethree fields, you shall then sow yourWheate, Rye and Maslin in yourfallow-field, and so saue both theFoyling and double manuring of somuch earth: but if you haue fourefields, then you shall sow those grainesvpon that land from whence the sameyéere you did reape your Pease; yourWheate hauing no other Manure thenthat which came by the Pease, your Ryehauing, if possible, eyther Manurefrom the Cart, or from the Folde, in

such sort as hath béene shewed in theChapter of the blacke Clay, and this ofHusbandmen is called Inam-wheate orInam-rye, that is, white-corne sowneafter white-corne, as Barley afterBarley, or hard-corne after hard-corne,which is wheate after Pease.

Of the plough. Now for the Plough whichis most proper for this soile it is to bemade of a middle size betwixt that forthe blacke Clay, and that for the redSand, being not all out so bigge andvnwieldy as the first, nor so slender

and nimble as the latter, but taking amiddle proportion from them both, youshall make your Plough of a competentfitnesse.

Of the plough-Irons. As for the Irons, theShare must be of the same proportionthat the Share for the red Sand is, yet alittle thought bigger, and the Coultureof the fashion of that Coulture, onelynot full so much bent, but all-out assharpe and as long: and these Ironsmust be euer well maintained withstéele, for this mixt earth is euer the

hardest, and [ I3v ] weareth both thePlough and Irons soonest, and thereforeit is agréed by all Husbandmen that thisPlough must not at any time want hisPlough-slip, except at the first going ofthe Plough you shall finde that it hathtoo much land, that is to say, by thecrosse setting on of the beame, that itrunneth too gréedily into the land,which to helpe, you shall let yourPlough goe without a plough-slip, tillthe plough-head be so much worne,that it take no more but an ordinaryfurrow, and then you shall set on your

Plough-slips and Plough clouts also:but I write this in case there beimperfection in the Plough, which if itbe otherwise, then this obseruation isnéedlesse.

Of the Teame. Now for the Teame orDraught which shall draw this Plough,they are as the former, Oxen or Horses,and their number the same that isprescribed for the blacke Clay, asnamely, eight or sixe Beasts for Pease-earth, for Fallowing, and Summer-stirring, and sixe or foure for all other

Ardors: for you must vnderstand thatthis mixt and binding soile, through hishardnesse, and glutenous holdingtogether, is as hard to plow as any clay-soile whatsoeuer, and in some speciallseasons more by many degrées.

Of the white clay with white Sand. Now forthe white clay mixt with white sand, itis an earth much more barraine, thenthis former mixt earth, and bringethforth nothing without much care,diligence, and good order: yet, for hismanner of Earings, in their true natures

euery way doe differ nothing from theEarings of this blacke clay and redSand, onely the Séede which must besowne vpon this soile differeth fromthe former: for vpon this soile in steadof Barley you must sow most Oates, asa Graine which will take much strengthfrom little fertilitie: and in stead ofRye you shall sow more Wheate andmore Pease, or in stead of Pease thenyou shall sow Fitches of eyther kindewhich you please, and the increase willbe (though not in abundance, yet) sosufficient as shall well quit the Plow-

mans labour.

Of Manuring. Now for the Manuring ofthis ground, you shall vnderstand thatMarle is the chiefest: for neyther willany [ I4r ] man suppose that this hardsoile should bring vp cattell sufficientto manure it, nor if it would, yet thatManure were not so good: for abarraine clay being mixt with a mostbarraine sand, it must consequentlyfollow that the soile must be of all thebarenest, insomuch that to giue perfectstrength and life vnto it, there is

nothing better then Marle, which beinga fat and strong clay, once incorporatedwithin these weake moulds, it mustnéedes giue them the best nourishment,loosening the binding substance, andbinding that weaknesse whichoccasioneth the barrainnesse: but ofthis Marle I shall haue more occasionto speake hereafter in a particularChapter, onely thus much I must letyou vnderstand, that this soile, albe itbe not within any degrée of praise forthe bringing forth of Corne, yet it isvery apt and fruitfull for the bréeding

of grasse, insomuch that it will beareyou corne for at least nine yéerestogether (without the vse of any fallowor Tilth-field) if it be well marled, andimmediately after it will beare youvery good bréeding grasse, or elsereasonable Medow for as many yéeresafter, as by daily experience we sée inthe Countries of Lancaster and Chester.So that the consequence beingconsidered, this ground is not but to beheld indifferent fruitfull: for whereasother soiles afore shewed (which beareabundance of Graine) are bound to be

manured once in thrée yéeres, thissoile, albe it beare neither so richgraine, nor so much plenty, yet itnéedes marling not aboue once insixtéene or eightéene yéeres: and albeMarle be a Manure of the greatest cost,yet the profit by continuance is soequall that the labour is neuer spentwithout his reward, as shall morelargely appeare hereafter.

Of the Plough. As touching the Plough, itis the same which is mentioned in theother soile of the blacke Clay, and red

Sand, altering nothing eyther inquantitie of timber, or strength ofIrons: so that to make any largedescription thereof, is but to double myformer discourses, and make mywritings tedious.

For to conclude briefely, these twosoiles differ onely [ I4v ] but in fatnesseand strength of nature, not in Earing, orplowing, so that the labours of tillagebeing equall there is not any alterationmore then the true diligence of muchmanuring, which will bréede an

affinitie or alyance betwixt both thesesoiles. And thus much for this blackeClay and red Sand, or white Clay andwhite Sand.

[ B ] [ 1 ]

THEFIRST PART

OF THE ENGLISHHusbandman:

Contayning, the manner ofplowing

and Manuring all sorts of

Soyles, togetherwith the manner of planting and

setting of Corne.

CHAP. I.

Of the manner of plowing allsimple Earths, which are

vncompounded.

hat many famous and learned men,

both in Fraunce, Spaine, Italy andGermany, haue spent all their best timein shewing vnto the world theexcellencie of their experiences, in thisonely renowned Arte of Husbandry,their large and learned Volumes, mostexcellently written, in that kinde, arewitnesses: from whence we bytranslations haue gotten somecontentment, though but small profit;because those forraine clymates,differing [ 2 ] [ B1v ] much from ours, bothin nature of earth, and temper of Ayre,the rules and obseruations belonging

vnto them can be little auailable to vs,more then to know what is done in suchparts, a thing more appertaining to ourconference then practise. But now, thatother kingdomes may sée though wéewrite lesse yet wée know as much asbelongeth to the office of the EnglishHusbandman, I, though the meanest ofmany millions, haue vndertaken todeliuer vnto the world all the truerudiments, obseruations andknowledges what soeuer, which hathany affinitie or alliance with EnglishHusbandry. And for as much as the best

and principallest part of Husbandryconsisteth in the plowing and earring ofthe ground (for in that onely Adambegan his first labours) I thinke it notvnméete, first to treate of that subiect,procéeding so from braunch tobraunch, till I haue giuen euery onesufficient knowledge.

To speake then first of the Tilling ofGrounds. You shall well vnderstand,that it is the office of euery goodHusbandman before he put his ploughinto the earth, truly to consider the

nature of his Grounds, and which is ofwhich quallitie and temper. Toprocéede then to our purpose; all soyleswhat soeuer, in this our kingdome ofEngland, are reduced into two kindesonely, that is to say, Simple orCompound. Simple, are those whichhaue no mixture with others of acontrary quallitie, as are your stiffeclayes, or your loose sands: your stiffeclayes are likewise diuers, as a blackeclay, a blew clay, and a clay like vntoMarble. Your sands are also diuers, asa red sand, a white sand, a yellow sand,

and a sand like vnto dust. Your mixtearths are where any of these clayesand sands are equally orvnindifferently mixed together, asshalbe at large declared hereafter. Nowas touching the tilling of your simpleclayes, it is to be noted, that the blackeclay, of all earth, is the most fruitfull,and demandeth from the Husbandmanthe least toyle, yet bringeth forth hisincrease in the greatest abundance: itwill well and sufficiently [ 3 ] [ B2 ] bringforth thrée crops, eare it desire rest:namely, the first of Barly, the second

of Pease, and the third of Wheate: Itdoth not desire much Manure, for it isnaturally of it selfe so fat, rich, andfruitfull, that if you adde strength vntohis strength, by heaping Manure orCompasse thereupon, you make iteither blast, and mildew the Corne thatgrowes, with the too much fatnesse ofthe earth, or else through his extreamerankenesse, to bring it vp in suchabundance that it is not able to standvpright when it is shot vp, but fallingdowne flat to the ground, and the earesof Corne smothering one another, they

bring forth nothing but light Corne,like an emptie huske, without a kirnell.The best Manure or Compassetherefore that you can giue suchground, is then to plow it in orderly anddew seasons, as thus: you shall begin tofallow, or breake vp this soyle, at thebeginning of May, at which time youshall plow it déepe, & take vp a largefurrow, and if your Lands lye any thingflat, it shalbe méete that you begin onthe ridge of the land, and turne all yourfurrowes vpward, but if your Lands lyehigh and vpright, then shall you begin

in the furrow and turne all yourfurrowes downeward, which is calledof Husbandmen, the casting downe ofLand. This first plowing of ground, oras Husbandmen tearme it, the firstardor, is called fallowing: the secondardor, which we call stirring of ground,or sommer stirring, you shall begin inIuly, which is of great consequence, forby meanes of it you shall kill allmanner of wéedes and thistells thatwould annoy your Land. In this ardoryou must oft obserue that if when youfallowed you did set vp your Land, then

now when you stirre you must castdowne your Land, and so contrarily, ifbefore you did cast downe, then nowyou must set vp: your third ardor,which is called of Husbandmen, winterridgeing, or setting vp Land for thewhole yéere, you shall begin at thelatter end of September, and you musteuer obserue that in this third ardor youdoe alwaies ridge vp your Land, that isto say, you most turne euery furrowvpward and [ B2v ] [ 4 ] lay them as closetogether as may be, for should you doeotherwise, that is to say, either lay

them flat or loosely, the winter seasonwould so beat and bake them together,that when you should sow your séedeyou would hardly get your plough intothe ground.

Now your fourth and last ardor, whichmust be when you sow your séede, youshall begin euer about the midst ofMarch, at least one wéeke before ourLadies day, commonly called theAnnunciation of Mary, and this ardoryou shall euer plow downeward, layingyour ridges very well open, and you

shall euer obserue in this ardor, first tosow your séede, and then after to plowyour ground, turning your séede intothe earth, which is called ofHusbandmen, sowing vnderfurrow: assoone as your ground is plowed youshall harrow it with an harrow whosetéeth are all of wood, for these simpleearths are of easie temper and will ofthemselues fall to dust, then after youhaue thus sowne your ground, if thenthere remaine any clots or lumpes ofearth vnbroken, you shall let them resttill after the next shower of raine, at

which time you shall either with aheauie rouler, or the backside of yourharrowes, runne ouer your Lands,which is called the sleighting ofground, and it will not onely breakesuch clots to dust, but also lay yourLand plaine and smoth, leauing noimpediment to hinder the Corne fromsprouting and comming forth. In thissame ordor as you are appointed forthis blacke clay, in this same manneryou shall ordor both your blew clay &your clay which is like vnto marble.Now as touching the plough which is

fittest for these clayes, it must be largeand strong, the beame long and wellbending, the head thicke and large, theskéeth broad, strong, and well sloaping,the share with a very large wing,craueing much earth, and the coulterlong, thicke and very straight.

Now touching those lands which aresimple and vncompounded, you shallvnderstand that euery goodHusbandman must begin his first ardor(which is to fallow them) at thebeginning of Ianuary, hée must sooner

stirre [ B3 ] [ 5 ] them, which is the secondardor, at the latter end of Aprill, heshall cast them downe againe, which iscalled foyling of Land, at the beginningof Iuly, which is the third ardor, andwherein is to be noted, that how soeuerall other ardors are plowed, yet thismust euer be cast downward: the fourthardor, which is winter-stirring orwinter-ridgeing, must euer begin at theend of September, and the fift and lastardor must be performed when you sowyour ground, which would be at themiddest of May, at the soonest, and if

your leasure and abilitie will giue youleaue, if you turne ouer your groundagaine in Ianuary, it will be muchbetter, for these sands can neuer hauetoo much plowing, nor too muchManure, and therefore for them both,you shall apply them so oft as yourleasure will conueniently serue,making no spare when either the wayor opportunitie will giue you leaue.Now for as much as all sands, being ofa hot nature, are the fittest to bringfoorth Rye, which is a graine delightingin drynesse onely, you shall

vnderstand, that then you shall not néedto plow your ground aboue foure timesouer, that is, you shall fallow, sommerstirre, foyle, and in September sowyour Corne: and as these ardors seruethe red sand, so are they sufficient foryour white sand, and your yealow sandalso. As touching the ploughes fit forthese light earths, they would be littleand strong, hauing a short slenderbeame and a crooked; a narrow andthinne head, a slender skéeth, a sharewithout a wing, a coulter thinne andvery crooked, and a paire of hales

much bending forward towards theman; and with this manner of ploughyou may plow diuers mixt andcompounded earths, as the blacke clayand red sand, or the red sand and whitegrauell: and thus much as touchingearths that are simple andvncompounded.

[ B3v ] [ 6 ] CHAP. II.

Of the manner of plowing theblacke clay mixt with white

sand, and the white clay mixtwith red sand: their Earrings,

Plough, and Implements.

s touching the mixture of these twoseuerall soyles, that is to say, theblacke clay with white sand, and thewhite clay with red sand, they differnot in the nature of plowing, sowing, orin Manuring, from the soyle which ismixt of a blacke clay and red sand, of

which I haue sufficiently intreatedbefore: onely thus much you shallvnderstand, that the blacke clay mixtwith white sand is so much better andricher then the white clay mixt with redsand, by as much as the blacke clay isbetter then the white clay: and althoughsome Husbandmen in our Land, houldthem to be both of one temper andgoodnesse, reasoning thus, that by howmuch the blacke clay is better then thewhite, by so much the red sand is betterthen the white sand, so that what themixture of the one addeth, the mixture

of the other taketh away, and so makeththem all one in fruitfulnesse andgoodnesse: but in our commonexperience it doth not so fall out, forwée finde that the blacke clay mixtwith white sand, if it be ordered in theforme of good Husbandry, that is tosay, be plowed ouer at least fouretimes, before it come to be sowne, andthat it be Manured and compassed inHusbandly fashion, which is to allow atleast eight waine-load to an Aker, thatif then vpon such Land you shall soweither Organe Wheat (in the south parts

called red Wheat) or flaxen, or whitePollard Wheat, that such Wheat willoften mildew, and turne as blacke assoote, which onely showeth too muchrichnesse and fatnesse in the earth,which the white clay mixt with redsand hath neuer beene séene to doe,especially so long as it is vsed in any [B4r ] [ 7 ] Husbandly fashion, neither willthe white clay mixt with red sandindure to be deuided into foure fields,that is to say, to beare thrée seuerallcrops, one after another, as namely,Barly, Pease, and Wheat, without rest,

which the blacke clay mixt with whitesand many times doth, and therebyagaine showeth his better fruitfulnesse:neuerthelesse, in generalitie I wouldnot wish any good Husbandman, andespecially such as haue much tillage, todeuide either of these soyles into anymore then thrée fields, both becausehee shall ease himselfe and his Cattellof much toyle, shall not at any timeloose the best seasons for his bestworkes, and make his commodities,and fruit of his hands labours, by manydegrées more certaine.

You shall also vnderstand, that boththese soyles are very much binding,especially the white clay with red sand,both because the clay, procéeding froma chaukie and limie substance, and nothauing in it much fatnesse or fertillitie(which occasioneth seperation) beingmixt with the red sand, which is of amuch more hardnesse and aptnesse toknit together, with such tough matter, itmust necessarilie binde and cleauetogether, and so likewise the blackeclay, from whence most naturallyprocéedeth your best limestone, being

mixt with white sand, doth also bindetogether and stifle the séede, if it be notpreuented by good Husbandry.

You shall therefore in the plowing andearring of these two soyles, obseruetwo especiall notes; the first, that by nomeanes you plow it in the wet, that is,in any great glut of raine: for if youeither lay it vp, or cast it downe, whenit is more like morter then earth, if thenany sunshine, or faire weather, doeimmediately follow vpon it, it will sodrie and bake it, that if it be sowne,

neither will the séede haue strength tosprout thorrow it, nor being in any ofyour other summer ardors, shall you byany meanes make your plough enterinto it againe, when the season fallethfor other plowing. The second, that youhaue great care you lay your Land highand round, that the furrowes, [ B4v ] [ 8 ]

as it were standing vpright one byanother, or lying light and hollow, onevpon another, you may with more ease,at any time, enter in your plough, andturne your moulde which way youplease, either in the heate of Sommer,

or any other time of the yéerewhatsoeuer.

Now as touching the plough, which ismost best and proper for these soyles,it would be the same in sise which isformerly directed for the red sand,onely the Irons must be altered, for theCoulter would be more long, sharpe,and bending, and the share so narrow,sharpe, and small as can conuenientlybe made, according as is formerlyexpressed, that not hauing power totake vp any broad furrow, the furrowes

by reason of there slendernesse maylye many, and those many both hollow,light and at any time easily to bebroken.

As for the Teame which is best toworke in this soyle, they may be eitherHorses or Oxen, or Oxen and Horsemixt together, according to theHusbandmans abillitie, but if hée be aLord of his owne pleasure and maycommaund, and haue euery thing whichis most apt and proper, then in thesetwo soyles, I preferre the Teame of

Horses single, rather then Oxen,especially in any winter or moist ardor,because they doe not tread and foylethe ground making it mirie and durtieas the Oxe doth, but going all in onefurrow, doe kéepe the Land in hisconstant firmenesse.

As touching the clotting, sleighting,wéeding, and dressing of these twosoyles, they differ in nothing from theformer mixt earths, but desire all onemanner of dilligence: and thus muchfor these two soyles the blacke clay

mixt with white sand, and the whiteclay with white red sand.

[ C ] [ 9 ] CHAP. III.

A comparison of all theformer soyles together, and

most especiall notes for giuingthe ignorant Husbandman

perfect vnderstanding, of what

is written before.

he reason why I haue thus at largediscoursed of euery seuerall soyle, bothsimple and compounded, is to showvnto the industrious Husbandman, theperfect and true reason of the generallalteration of our workes in Husbandry,through this our Realme of England:for if all our Land, as it is onekingdome, were likewise of onecomposition, mixture, and goodnesse,it were then excéeding preposterous tosée those diuersities, alterations, I, and

euen contrary manners of procéedingsin Husbandry, which are daily andhourely vsed: but euery man in hisowne worke knowes the alteration ofclymates. Yet for so much as thislabour of Husbandry, consisteth not forthe most part in the knowing andvnderstanding breast, but in the rude,simple, and ignorant Clowne, whoonely knoweth how to doe his labour,but cannot giue a reason why he dothsuch labour, more then the instructionof his parents, or the custome of theCountrie, where it comes to passe (and

I haue many times séene the same tomine admiration) that the skillfullestClowne which is bred in the claysoyles, when hée hath béene brought tothe sandy ground, hée could neitherhould the plough, temper the plough,nor tell which way in good order todriue the Cattell, the heauinesse of theone labour being so contrary to thelightnesse of the other, that not hauinga temperance, or vnderstanding in hishands, hée hath béene put euen vnto hiswittes ends; therefore I thinke itconuenient, in this place, by a slight

comparison of soyles together, to giuethe simplest Husbandman such direct& plaine rules that he [ C1v ] [ 10 ] shallwith out the study of his braines,attaine to absolute knowledge of eueryseuerall mixture of earth: and albeithée shall not be able distinctly to say atthe first that it is compounded of suchand such earths, yet hée shall be veryable to deliuer the true reason andmanner how such ground (of whatnature soeuer) shall be Husbanded andtilled.

Therefore to begin the Husbandman, isto vnderstand, that generally there arebut two soyles for him to regard, for inthem consisteth the whole Arte ofHusbandry: as namely, the open andloose earth, and the close and fastbinding earth, and these two soylesbeing meare opposites and contraries,most necessarily require in theHusbandman a double vnderstanding,for there is no soyle, of whatsimplicitie or mixture soeuer it be, butit is either loose or fast.

Now to giue you my meaning of thesetwo words, loose and fast, it is, thateuery soyle which vpon parching anddry weather, euen when the Sunnebeames scorcheth, and as it werebaketh the earth, if then the groundvpon such excéeding drought doemoulder and fall to dust, so thatwhereas before when it did retainemoisture it was heauie, tough, and notto be seperated, now hauing lost thatglewinesse it is light, loose, and euenwith a mans foote to be spurnd toashes, all such grounds are tearmed

loose and open grounds, because at notime they doe binde in or imprison theséede (the frost time onely excepted,which is by accidence, and not from thenature of the soyle:) and all suchgrounds as in their moisture or after thefall of any sodaine raine are soft,plyable, light, and easie to be wrought,but after when they come to loose thatmoistnesse and that the powerfulnesseof the Sunne hath as it were drid vptheir veynes, if then such earthsbecome hard, firme, and not to beseperated, then are those soyles

tearmed fast and binding soyles, for ifthere ardors be not taken in their duetimes, and their séede cast into them inperfect and due seasons, neither is itpossible for [ C2 ] [ 11 ] the Plowman toplow them, nor for the séede to sproutthrough, the earth being so fastned andas it were stone-like fixt together. Nowsithence that all soyles are drawne intothese two heads, fastnes, andloosenesse, and to them is annexed thediuersitie of all tillage, I will now showthe simple Husbandman which earthsbe loose, and which fast, and how

without curiositie to know and todistinguish them.

Breifely, all soyles that are simple andof themselues vncompounded, asnamely, all claies, as blacke, white,gray, or blew, and all sands, as eitherred, white, or blacke, are open andloose soyles: the claies because thebody and substance of them being heldtogether by moistnes, that moisturebeing dryed vp, their strength andstifnesse decayeth, and sands by reasonof their naturall lightnesse, which

wanting a more moist and fixt body tobe ioyned with them doe loose allstrength of binding or holding together.Now all mixt or compound earths(except the compositions of one andthe same kinds, as clay with clay, orsand with sand) are euer fast andbinding earths: for betwixt sand andclay, or clay & grauell, is such anaffinitie, that when they be mixttogether the sand doth giue to the claysuch hardnesse and drynesse, and theclay to the sand such moisture andcoldnesse, that being fixt together they

make one hard body, which through thewarmth of the Sunne bindeth andcleaueth together. But if it be so thatthe ignorance of the Husbandmancannot either through the subtiltie ofhis eye sight, or the obseruationsgathered from his experience,distinguish of these soyles, and therather, sith many soyles are soindifferently mixt, and the colour sovery perfect, that euen skill it selfemay be deceiued: as first to speake ofwhat mixture some soyles consist, yetfor as much as it is sufficient for the

Husbandman to know which is looseand which is binding, hée shall onelywhen he is perplext with thesedifferences, vse this experiment, héeshall take a good lumpe of that earthwhose temperature hée would know,and working it with [ C2v ] [ 12 ] water andhis wet hands, like a péece of past, heshall then as it were make a cakethereof, and laying it before an hot fire,there let it lye, till all the moisture bedried & backt out of it, then taking itinto your hands and breaking it inpéeces, if betwéene your fingers it

moulder and fall into a small dust, thenbe assured it is a loose, simple, andvncompounded earth, but if it breakehard and firme, like a stone, and whenyou crumble it betwéene your fingers itbe rough, gréetie, and shining, then beassured it is a compounded fast-binding earth, and is compounded ofclay and sand, and if in the baking itdoe turne red or redish, it iscompounded of a gray clay and redsand, but if it be browne or blewish,then it is a blacke clay & white sand,but if when you breake it you finde

therein many small pibles, then themixture is clay and grauell. Now therebe some mixt soyles, after they are thusbak't, although they be hard andbinding, yet they will not be soexcéeding hard and stone-like as othersoyles will be, and that is where themixture is vnequall, as where the clayis more then the sand, or the sand morethen the clay.

When you haue by this experimentfound out the nature of your earth, andcan tell whether it be simple or

compounded, you shall then looke tothe fruitfulnesse thereof, whichgenerally you shall thus distinguish.First, that clayes, simple and ofthemselues vncompounded, are of allthe most fruitfull, of which, blacke isthe best, that next to clayes, your mixtearths are most fertill, and the mixtureof the blacke clay and red sand, calleda hasell earth, is the best, and that yoursands are of all soyles most barraine, ofwhich the red sand for profit hath euerthe preheminence.

Now for the generall tillage and vse ofthese grounds, you shall vnderstandthat the simple and vncompoundedgrounds, being loose and open (if theylye frée from the danger of water) theLands may be layd the flattest andgreatest, the furrowes turned vp thelargest and closest, and the plough andplough-Irons, most large and massie, [

C3 ] [ 13 ] onely those for the sandygrounds must be more slender thenthose for the clayes and much morenimble, as hath béene showed before.Now for the mixt earths, you shall lay

your Lands high, round, and little, setyour furrowes vpright, open, and sosmall as is possible, and make yourplough and plow Irons most nimble andslender, according to the manner beforespecified: and thus I conclude, that héewhich knoweth the loose earth and thebinding earth, can either helpe or abatethe strength of the earth, as is néedfull,and knowes how to sorte his ploughesto each temper, knowes the ground andsubstance of all tillage.

CHAP. IIII.

Of the planting or setting ofCorne, and the profit thereof.

ot that I am conceited, or carried awaywith any nouelty or strange practise,vnusually practised in this kingdome,or that I will ascribe vnto my selfe togiue any iudiciall approbation orallowance to things mearelyvnfrequented, doe I publish, within mybooke, this relation of the setting ofCorne, but onely because I would not

haue our English Husbandman to beignorant of any skill or obscure facultywhich is either proper to his profession,or agréeable with the fertillitie andnature of our clymates, and the rather,since some few yéeres agoe, this (as itthen appeared secret) being with muchadmiration bruted through thekingdome, in so much that according toour weake accustomed dispositions(which euer loues strange things best)it was held so worthy, both for generallprofit and perticular ease, that very fein(except the discréet) but did not alone

put it in practise, but did euen groundstrong beleifes to raise to themseluesgreat common-wealthes by the [ C3v ] [ 14

] profits thereof; some not onelyholding insufficient arguments, in greatplaces, of the invtilitie of the plough,but euen vtterly contemning the poorecart Iade, as a creature of no necessitie,so that Poulters and Carriers, were ingood hope to buy Horse-flesh as theybought egges, at least fiue for a penie;but it hath proued otherwise, and theHusbandman as yet cannot loose theHorses seruice. But to procéede to the

manner of setting or planting of Corne,it is in this manner.

Of setting Wheate. Hauing chosen out anaker of good Corne ground, you shall atthe beginning of March, appoint atleast sixe diggers or laborers withspades to digge vp the earthgardenwise, at least a foote and thréeinches déepe (which is a large spadesgraft) and being so digged vp, to resttill Iune, and then to digge it oueragaine, and in the digging to trench itand Manure it, as for a garden mould,

bestowing at least sixtéene Waine-loadof Horse or Oxe Manure vpon the aker,and the Manure to be well coueredwithin the earth, then so to let it restvntill the beginning of October, whichbeing the time for the setting, you shallthen digge it vp the third time, and withrakes and béetells breake the mouldesomewhat small, then shall you take aboard of sixe foot square, which shalbebored full of large wimble holes, eachhole standing in good order, iust sixeinches one from another, then layingthe board vpon the new digged ground,

you shall with a stick, made for thepurpose, through euery hole in theboard, make a hole into the ground, atleast fore inches déepe, and then intoeuery such hole you shall drop a Corneof Wheate, and so remouing the boardfrom place to place, goe all ouer theground that you haue digged, and so seteach seuerall Corne sixe inches onefrom another, and then with a rake youshall rake ouer and couer all the holeswith earth, in such sort that they maynot be discerned. And herein you are toobserue by the way that a quarte of

Wheate will set your aker: whichWheate is not to be taken as it fallesout by chance when you buy it [ C4r ] [ 15 ]

in the market, but especially culd andpickt out of the eare, being neither thevppermost Cornes which grow in thetoppes of the eares, nor the lowest,which grow at the setting on of thestalke, both which, most commonly arelight and of small substance, but thosewhich are in the midst, and are thegreatest, fullest, and roundest.

Of setting Barly, or Pease. Now in the

selfe-same sort as you dresse yourground for your Wheate, in the selfesame manner you shall dresse yourground for Barly, onely the first timeyou digge it shalbe after the beginningof May, the second time and theManuring about the midst of October,wherein you shall note that to your akerof Barly earth, you shall alow at leastfoure and twentie Waine-load ofManure, and the last time of yourdigging and setting shalbe at thebeginning of Aprill.

Now for the dressing of your earth forthe setting of Pease, it is in all thingsanswerable to that for Barly, onely youmay saue the one halfe of your Manure,because a dosen Waine-load issufficient, and the time for settingthem, or any other pulse, is euer aboutthe midst of February.

Of the profit of setting Corne. Now for theprofit which issueth from this practiseof setting of Corne, I must néedsconfesse, if I shall speake simply of thething, that is, how many foulds it

doubleth and increaseth, surely it isboth great and wonderfull: and whereasingenerall it is reputed that an aker ofset Corne yéeldeth as much profit asnine akers of sowne Corne, for mineowne part I haue séene a much greaterincrease, if euery Corne set in an akershould bring forth so much as I haueséene to procéede from some thrée orfoure Cornes set in a garden, but I feareme the generalitie will neuer houldwith the particular: how euer, it is mostcertaine that earth in this sort trimmedand inriched, and Corne in this sort set

and preserued, yéeldeth at least twelue-fold more commoditie then that whichby mans hand is confusedly throwneinto the ground from the Hopper:whence it hath come to passe that those [ C4v ] [ 16 ] which by a few Cornes intheir gardens thus set, séeing theinnumerable increase, haue concludeda publique profit to arise thereby to thewhole kingdome, not looking to theintricacie, trouble, and casualtie, whichattends it, being such and soinsupportable that almost noHusbandman is able to vndergoe it: to

which we néed no better testimony thenthe example of those which hauing outof meare couetousnesse and lucre ofgaine, followed it with all gréedinesse,séeing the mischiefes andinconueniences which hath incountredtheir workes, haue euen desisted, andforgotten that euer there was any suchpractise, and yet for mine owne part Iwill not so vtterly condemne it, that Iwill depriue it of all vse, but ratherleaue it to the discretion of iudgement,and for my selfe, onely hould thisopinion, that though it may very wel be

spared from the generall vse of Wheatand Barly in this kingdome, yet forhastie-Pease, French Beanes, and suchlike pulse, it is of necessaryimployment, both in rich and pooremens gardens. And thus much for thesetting of Corne.

CHAP. V.

Of the choice of seede-Corne,and which is best for which

soyle.

auing thus showed vnto you theseuerall soyles and temperatures of ourEnglish land, together with the order ofManuring, dressing and tillage of thesame, I thinke it méete (although Ihaue in generall writ something alreadytouching the séede belonging to eueryseuerall earth) now to procéede to a

particular election and choice of séede-Corne, in which there is great care anddiligence to be vsed: for as in Men,Beasts, Fowle, & euery mouing thing,there is great care taken for the choiceof the bréeders, because the creaturesbred doe so much participate of theparents that for the most [ D ] [ 17 ] partthey are séene not onely to carry awaytheir outward figures and semblances,but euen their naturall conditions andinclinations, good issuing from good,and euill from euill: so in the choise ofséede-Corne, if their be any neglect or

carelessenesse, the crop issuing of suchcorrupt séede must of force bring fortha more corrupt haruest, by as much asit excéedeth in the multiplication.

The choise of seede Wheate. To procéedetherefore to the choise of séede-Corne,I will begin with Wheate, of whichthere are diuers kindes, as your wholestraw Wheate, the great brownePollard, the white Pollard, the Organeor red Wheate, the flaxen Wheate, andthe chilter Wheate. Your whole strawWheate, and browne Pollard, are

knowne, the first, by his straw, which isfull of pith, and hath in it nohollownesse (whence it comes thatHusbandmen estéeme it so much fortheir thacking, allowing it to be as goodand durable as réede:) the latter isknowne by his eare, which is great,white, and smooth, without anes orbeard vpon it: in the hand they are bothmuch like one to another, being of allWheates the biggest, roundest andfullest: they be somewhat of a highcolour, and haue vpon them a verythicke huske, which making the meale

somewhat browne causeth the Bakernot all together to estéeme them for hispurest manchet, yet the yéeld of flowerwhich cometh from them is as greatand greater then any other Wheatewhatsoeuer. These two sortes ofWheate are to be sowne vpon thefallow field, as crauing the greateststrength and fatnesse of ground,whence it comes that they are mostcommonly séene to grow vpon therichest and stiffest blacke clayes, beinga graine of that strength that they willseldome or neuer mildew or turne

blacke, as the other sortes of Wheatewill doe, if the strength of the groundbe not abated before they be throwneinto the earth. Now for the choise ofthese two Wheates, if you becompelled to buy them in the market,you must regard that you buy thatwhich is the cleanest and fairest, beingvtterly without any wéedes, as darnell,cockell, tares or [ D1v ] [ 18 ] any otherfoulnesse whatsoeuer: you shall lookethat the Wheate, as neare as may be,hould all of one bignesse and all of onecolour, for to beholde it contrary, that

is to say, to see some great Cornes,some little, some high coloured, somepale, so that in their mixture theyresemble changeable taffata, is anapparant signe that the Corne is not ofone kinde but mixt or blended, as beingpartly whole-straw, partly Pollard,partly Organe, and partly Chelter. Forthe flaxen, it is naturally so white thatit cannot be mixt but it may easily bediscerned, and these mixt séedes areneuer good, either for the ground or thevse of man. Againe you shall carefullylooke that neither this kinde of Wheate,

nor any other that you buy for séede beblacke at the ends, for that is a signethat the graine comming from too richa soyle was mildewed, and then it willneuer be fruitfull or proue good séede,as also you shall take care that it be nottoo white at the ends, showing theCorne to be as it were of two colours,for that is a signe that the Wheate waswasht and dried againe, which vtterlyconfoundeth the strength of the Corneand takes from it all abilitie of bringingforth any great encrease. Now if it beso that you haue a crop of Wheate of

your owne, so that you haue no néed ofthe market, you shall then picke out ofyour choisest sheafes, and vpon acleane floare gently bat them with aflaile, and not thresh them cleane, forthat Corne which is greatest, fullest,and ripest, will first flie out of the eare,and when you haue so batted acompetent quantitie you shall thenwinnow it and dresse it cleane, both bythe helpe of a strong winde and opensiues, and so make it fit for your séede.

I haue séene some Husbands (and

truely I haue accounted them both goodand carefull) that haue before Wheateséede time both themselues, wiues,children, and seruants at times of bestleasure, out of a great Wheate mow orbay, to gleane or pull out of thesheafes, eare by eare, the mostprincipall eares, and knitting them vpin small bundells to bat them and maketheir séede thereof, [ D2 ] [ 19 ] andquestionlesse it is the best séede of allother: for you shall be sure that thereincan be nothing but the cleanest and thebest of the Corne, without any wéedes

or foulnesse, which can hardly be whena man thresheth the whole sheafe, andalthough some men may thinke thatthis labour is great and troblesome,especially such as sowe great quantitiesof Wheate, yet let them thus farreencourage themselues, that if they doethe first yéere but gleane a bushell ortwo (which is nothing amongst a fewpersons) and sowe it vp on good Land,the encrease of it will the next yéeregoe farre in the sowing the whole crop:for when I doe speake of this picking ofWheate, eare by eare, I doe not intend

the picking of many quarters, but of somuch as the increase thereof mayamount to some quarter.

Now there is also another regarde to behad (as auailable as any of the former)in chusing of your séede Wheate, andthat is to respect the soyle from whenceyou take your séede, and the soyle intowhich you put it, as thus.

If the ground whereon you meane tosowe your Wheat be a rich, blacke,clay, stiffe and full of fertillitie, youshall then (as neare as you can) chuse

your séede from the barrainest mixtearth you can finde (so the Wheate bewhole-straw or Pollard) as from a clayand grauell, or a clay and white sand,that your séede comming from a muchmore barraine earth then that whereinyou put it, the strength may be as itwere redoubled, and the encreaseconsequently amount to a higherquantitie, as we finde it proueth in ourdaylie experience; but if these barrainesoyles doe not afforde you séede toyour contentment, it shall not then beamisse (you sowing your Wheate vpon

fallow or tilth ground) if you take yourséede-Wheate either from an earth oflike nature to your owne, or from anymixt earth, so that such séede comefrom the niams, that is, that it hathbéene sowne after Pease, as being thethird crop of the Land, and not from thefallow or tilth [ D2v ] [ 20 ] ground, for it isa maxiome amongst the best Husbands(though somewhat proposterous tocommon sence) bring to your richground séede from the barraine, and tothe barraine séede from the rich, theirreason (taken from their experience)

being this, that the séede (as before Isaid) which prospereth vpon a leaneground being put into a rich, doth outof that superfluitie of warmth, strengthand fatnesse, double his increase; andthe séede which commeth from the fatground being put into the leane, hauingall the vigour, fulnesse and iuyce offertilnes, doth not onely defend it selfeagainst the hungrinesse of the groundbut brings forth increase contrary toexpectation; whence procéedeth thisgenerall custome of good Husbands inthis Land, that those which dwell in the

barraine woode Lands, heathes andhigh mountaine countries of thiskingdome, euer (as néere as they can)séeke out their séede in the fruitfulllow vales, and very gardens of theearth, & so likewise those in the valestake some helpes also from themountaines.

Now for your other sortes of Wheate,that is to say, the white Pollard and theOrgane, they are graines nothing sogreat, full, and large, as the wholestraw, or browne Pollard, but small,

bright, and very thinly huskt: yourOrgane is very red, your Pollardsomewhat pale: these two sorts ofWheate are best to be sowne vpon thethird or fourth field, that is to say, afteryour Pease, for they can by no meanesendure an ouer rich ground, as beingtender and apt to sprout with smallmoisture, but to mildew and choakewith too much fatnesse, the soylesmost apt for them are mixt earths,especially the blacke clay and red sand,or white clay and red sand, for astouching other mixtures of grounds,

they are for the most part so barraine,that they will but hardly bring forthWheate vpon their fallow field, andthen much worse vpon a fourth field.Now for any other particular choise ofthese two séedes, they are the samewhich I shewed in the whole straw, andgreat Pollard. As for the flaxen [ D3 ] [ 21

] Wheate, and chilter Wheate, the first,is a very white Wheate both inward andoutward, the other a pale red or déepeyellow: they are the least of all sorts ofWheate, yet of much more hardnes andtoughnesse in sprouting, then either the

Organe or white Pollard, and thereforedesire somewhat a more richer soyle,and to that end they are for the mostpart sowne vpon fallow fields, in mixtearths, of what natures or barrainenessesoeuer, as is to be séene most generallyouer all the South parts of this Realme:and although vncompounded sands outof their owne natures, doe hardly bringforth any Wheate, yet vpon some of thebest sands and vpon the flintie grauels,I haue séene these two Wheates growin good abundance, but being seldomeit is not so much to be respected.

The choise of seede Rye. After yourWheate you shall make choise of yourRie, of which there is not diuers kindesalthough it carrie diuers complections,as some blackish, browne, great, fulland long as that which for the most partgrowes vpon the red sand, or red clay,which is thrée parts red sand mixt withblacke clay, and is the best Rie: theother a pale gray Rie, short, small, andhungry, as that which growes vpon thewhite sand, or white clay and whitesand, and is the worst Rie. Now youshall vnderstand that your sand grounds

are your onely naturall grounds for Rie,as being indéede not principally apt forany other graine, therefore when youchuse your Rie for séede, you shallchuse that which is brownest, full,bould, and longest, you shall haue greatcare that it be frée from wéedes orfilth, sith your sand grounds, out oftheir owne naturall heat, doth put forthsuch store of naughtie wéeds, thatexcept a man be extraordinarilycarefull, both in the choise anddressing of his Rie, he may easily bedeceiued and poyson his ground with

those wéedes, which with greatdifficultie are after rooted out againe.Now for your séedes to each soyle, it iseuer best to sow your best sand-Rievpon your best clay ground, and yourbest clay-Rie vpon your best sandground, obseruing [ D3v ] [ 22 ] euer thisgenerall principle, not onely in Rie, buteuen in Wheat, Barly, Pease and othergraine of account, that is, euer once inthrée yéeres, to change all your séede,which you shall finde both to augmentyour encrease and to returne youdouble profit.

The choise of seede-Barly. Now for thechoise of your séede-Barly, you shallvnderstand, that for as much as it is agraine of the greatest vse, & mosttendernesse, therefore there is thegreatest diligence to be vsed in theelection thereof. Know then that ofBarly there be diuers sorts, as namely,that which wée call our common Barly,being long eares with two rankes ofCorne, narrow, close, and vpright:another called spike or batteldore-Barly, being a large eare with tworankes of Corne, broad, flat, and in

fashion of a batteldore: and the thirdcalled beane-Barly, or Barly big, beinga large foure-square eare, like vnto aneare of Wheate.

Of these thrée Barlyes the first is mostin vse, as being most apt and proper toeuery soyle, whether it be fruitfull orbarraine, in this our kingdome, but theyhaue all one shape, colour and forme,except the soyle alter them, onely thespike-Barly is most large andplentifull, the common Barly hardestand aptest to grow, and the beane-Barly

least, palest, & tenderest, so that withvs it is more commonly séene ingardens then in fields, although inother Countries, as in Fraunce, Ireland,and such like, they sowe no other Barlyat all, but with vs it is of no suchgenerall estimation, and therefore Iwill neither giue it precedencie norspeake of it, otherwise then to referre itto the discreation of him who takesdelight in many practises: but for thecommon Barly, or spike-Barly, whichour experience findes to be excellentand of great vse, I will knit them in

one, and write, my full opinion ofthem, for their choise in our séede. Youshall know then that when you goe intothe market to chuse Barly for yourséede, you shall to your best powerelect that which is whitest, fullest, androundest, being as the ploughmancalles it, a full bunting Corne, like thenebbe or beake of a Bunting, [ D4r ] [ 23 ]

you shall obserue that it be all of oneCorne, and not mingled, that is, clayBarly, and sand Barly together, whichyou shall distinguish by thesedifferences: the clay Barly is of a

palish, white, yellow colour; smoth,full, large, and round, and the sandBarly is of a déepe yellow, browne atthe neather end, long, slender, and as itwere, withered, and in generall no sandBarly is principall good for séede: butif the Barly be somewhat of a highcolour, and browne at the neather end,yet notwithstanding is very full, bould,and bigge, then it is a signe that suchBarly comes not from the sand, butrather from an ouer fat soyle, sith thefatnesse of the earth doth euer alter thecomplection of the Barly; for the

whiter Barly euer the leaner soyle, andbetter séede: you shall also obserue,that there be not in it any light Corne,which is a kinde of hungry grainewithout substance, which although itfilleth the séeds-mans hand, yet itdeceiueth the ground, and this lightCorne will commonly be amongst thebest Barly: for where the ground is sorich that it bringeth forth the Barly toorankely, there the Corne, wantingpower to stand vpon roote, falleth tothe ground, and so robde of kindlyripening, bringeth forth much light and

insufficient graine. Next this, you shalltake care that in your séede-Barly therebe not any Oates, for although they bein this case amongst Husbandmenaccounted the best of wéede, yet arethey such a disgrace, that euery goodHusband will most diligently eschewthem, and for that cause onely will ourmost industrious Husbands bestow thetedious labour of gleaning their Barly,eare by eare, by which gleanings, in ayéere, or two, they will compasse theirwhole séede, which must infallibly bewithout either Oates or any wéede

whatsoeuer: and although somegrounds, especially your richest blackeclayes, will out of the abundance oftheir fruitfulnesse (as not induring tobe Idle) bring forth naturally a certainekinde of wilde Oates, which makessome ignorant Husbands lesse carefullof their séede, as supposing that thosewilde ones are a poisoning [ D4v ] [ 24 ] totheir graine, but they are infinetlydeceiued: for such wilde Oates,wheresoeuer they be, doe shake and fallaway long before the Barly be ready, sothat the Husbandman doth carry of

them nothing into the Barne, but thestraw onely. Next Oates, you must becarefull that there be in your Barly noother foule wéede: for whatsoeuer yousow, you must looke for the increase ofthe like nature, and therefore as beforeI said in the Wheate, so in the Barly, Iwould wish euery good Husband toimploy some time in gleaning out ofhis Mow the principall eares of Barly,which being batted, drest, and sowne,by it selfe, albeit no great quantitie atthe first, yet in time it may extend tomake his whole séede perfect, and then

hée shall finde his profit both in themarket, where hée shall (for euery vse)sell with the déerest, and in his ownehouse where he shall finde his yeeldredoubled.

Now for fitting of seuerall séedes toseuerall soyles, you shall obserue, thatthe best séede-Barly for your clay field,i s ninam Barly, sowne vpon the clayfield, that is to say, Barly which issowne where Barly last grew, or asecond crop of Barly: for the groundhauing his pride abated in the first

croppe, the second, though it benothing néere so much in quantitie, yetthat Corne which it doth bring forth ismost pure, most white, most full, andthe best of all séedes whatsoeuer, andas in case of this soyle, so in all otherlike soyles which doe hould thatstrength or fruitfulnesse in them thatthey are either able of themselues, orwith some helpe of Manure in the latterend of the yéere, to bring forth twocroppes of Barly, one after the other:but if either your soyle deny you thisstrength, or the distance of place

bereaue you of the commoditie thereof,then you shall vnderstand that Barlyfrom a hasell ground is the best séede,for the clay ground, and Barly from theclay ground is the best séede, not onelyfor the hasell earth, but euen for allmixt earths whatsoeuer, and the Barlywhich procéedes from the mixt earthsis the best séede for all simple andvncompounded sands or grauells, [ E ] [

25 ] as wée finde, both by theirincreasings and dayly experience.

The choise of seede-Beanes, Pease, and

Pulse. Now for the choise of séede-

Beanes, Pease, or other Pulse, thescruple is nothing néere so great as ofother séedes, because euery one thatknowes any graine, can distinguishthem when hée sées them: besides theyare of that massie waight, and so wellable to indure the strength of thewinde, that they are easie to be seueredfrom any wéede or filth whatsoeuer: itresteth therefore that I onely giue youinstruction how to imploy them.

You shall vnderstand therefore, that ifyour soyle be a stiffe, blacke, rich,

clay, that then your best séede is cleaneBeanes, or at the least thrée partesBeanes, and but one part Pease: if it bea gray, or white clay, then Beanes andPease equally mixt together: if the bestmixt earths, as a blacke clay and redsand, blacke clay and white sand, orwhite clay and red sand, then yourséede must be cleane Pease onely: if itbe white clay and white sand, blackeclay and blacke sand, then your séedemust be Pease and Fitches mixttogether: but if it be grauell or sandsimple, or grauell and sand

compounded, then your séede must beeither cleane Fitches, cleane Bucke, orcleane Tares, or else Fitches, Buckeand Tares mixt together.

The choise of seede-Oates. Now toconclude with the choise of your Oates.You shall vnderstand that there bediuers kindes of them, as namely, thegreat long white Oate, the great longblacke Oate, the cut Oate, and theskegge: the two first of these areknowne by their greatnesse andcolours, for they are long, full, bigge,

and smooth, and are fittest to be sownevpon the best of barraine grounds, forsith Oates are the worst of graine, I willgiue them no other prioritie of place.The next of these, which is the cutOate, it is of a pale yealow colour,short, smooth, and thicke, the increaseof them is very great, and they are thefittest to be sowne vpon the worst ofbest grounds, for most commonlywhere you sée them, you shall also séeboth good Wheate, good Barly, andgood Beanes and Pease [ E1v ] [ 26 ] also.Now for the skegge Oate, it is a little,

small, hungry, leane Oate, with a beardat the small end like a wilde Oate, andis good for small vse more then Pullenonely: it is a séede méete for thebarrainest and worst earth, as fit togrow but there where nothing of betterprofit will grow. And thus much forthose séedes which are apt and in vse inour English soyles: wherein if any manimagine me guiltie of errour, in that Ihaue omitted particularly to speake ofthe séede of blend-Corne, or Masline,which is Wheate and Rye mixttogether, I answere him, that sith I haue

shewed him how to chuse both the bestWheate and the best Rye, it is an easiematter to mixe them according to hisowne discretion.

CHAP. VI.

Of the time of Haruest and thegathering in of Corne.

ext vnto plowing, it is necessary that I

place Reaping, sith it is the end, hope,and perfection of the labour, and boththe merit and incouragement whichmaketh the toyle both light andportable: then to procéede vnto thetime of Haruest. You shall vnderstandthat it is requisite for euery goodHusband about the latter end of Iuly, ifthe soyle wherein he liueth be of anyhot temper, or about the beginning ofAugust, if it be of temperate warmth,with all dilligence constantly tobeholde his Rye, which of all graines isthe first that ripeneth, and if he shall

perceiue that the hull of the earebeginneth to open, and that the blacketoppes of the Corne doth appeare, hemay then be assured that the Corne isfully ripe, and ready for the Sickle, sothat instantly he shall prouide hisReapers, according to the quantitie ofhis graine: for if hée shall neglect hisRye but one day more then is fit, it issuch a hasty graine, that it will [ E2 ] [ 27 ]

shale forth of the huske to the ground,to the great losse of the Husbandman.When hée hath prouided his shearers,which he shall be carefull to haue very

good, he shall then looke that neitherout of their wantonnesse nor emulation,they striue which shall goe fastest, orridd most ground, for from thenceprocéedeth many errors in their worke,as namely, scattering, and leauing theCorne vncut behind them, the cuttingthe heads of the Corne off so that theyare not possible to be gathered, andmany such like incommodities, but letthem goe soberly and constantly, andsheare the Rye at least fourtéene inchesaboue the ground. Then he must lookethat the gatherers which follow the

Reapers doe also gather cleane, & thebinders binde the Sheafes fast frombreaking, then if you finde that thebottomes of the Sheafes be full ofgréenes, or wéedes, it shall not beamisse to let the Sheafes lye one fromanother for a day, that those gréenesmay wither, but if you feare any Raineor foule weather, which is the onelything which maketh Rye shale, thenyou shall set it vp in Shockes, eachShocke containing at least seauenSheafes, in this manner: first, you shallplace foure Sheafes vpright close

together, and the eares vpwards, thenyou shall take other thrée Sheafes andopening them and turning the earesdowneward couer the other foureSheafes that stoode vpwards, and so letthem stand, vntill you may with goodconueniencie lead them home, whichwould be done without any protraction.The getting in of Masline. Next after yourcleane Rye, you shall in the selfe-samesort reape your blend-Corne, orMasline: and albeit your Wheate willnot be fully so ripe as your Rye, yetyou shall not stay your labour, being

well assured that your Rye is ready,because Wheate will harden of it selfeafter it is shorne, with lying onely. The

getting in of Wheate. After you haue gotin your Rye and blend-Corne, you shallthen looke vnto your cleane Wheate,and taking heare and there an earethereof, rubbe them in your hand, andif you finde that the Corne hath allperfection saue a little hardning onely,you shall [ E2v ] [ 28 ] then forthwith setyour Reapers vnto it, who shall sheareit in all things as they did sheare yourRye, onely they shall not put it in

Shockes for a day or more, but let theSheafes lye single, that the winde andSunne may both wither the gréenes,and harden the Corne: which done, youshall put the Sheafes into greatShockes, that is to say, at least twelueor fouretéene Sheafes in a Shocke, theone halfe standing close together withthe eares vpward, the other halfe lyingcrosse ouerthwart those eares, and theireares downeward, and in this sort youshall let your Wheate stand for at leasttwo dayes before you lead it.

Now it is a custome in many Countriesof this kingdome, not to sheare theirWheate, but to mow it, but in myconceit and in generall experience, it isnot so good: for it both maketh theWheate foule, and full of wéede, andfilleth vp a great place with littlecommoditie, as for the vse of thacking,which is the onely reason of suchdisorderly cutting, there is neither thestraw that is shorne, nor the stubblewhich is left behinde, but are both ofsufficiencie inough for such animployment, if it passe through the

hands of a workman, as we sée in daylyexperience.

The getting in of Barly. Next to yourWheate, you shall haue regard to yourBarly, for it sodainely ripeneth, andmust be cut downe assoone as youperceiue the straw is turned white, tothe bottome, and the eares bendeddowne to the groundward. Your Barlyyou shall not sheare, although it is afashion in some Country, both becauseit is painefull and profitlesse, but youshall Mowe it close to the ground, and

although in generall it be the customeof our kingdome, after your Barly ismowen and hath lyne a day or two inswathe, then with rackes to racke ittogether, and make it into great cockes,and so to leade it to the Barne, yet I amof this opinion that if your Barly begood and cleane without thistles orwéedes, that if then to euery sitheman,or Mower you alot two followers, thatis to say, a gatherer, [ E3 ] [ 29 ] who witha little short rake and a small hookeshall gather the Corne together, and abinder, who shall make bands and

binde vp the Barly in smale Sheafes,that questionlesse you shall finde muchmore profit thereby: and although somethinke the labour troublesome andgreat, yet for mine owne part, I haueséene very great croppes inned in thismanner, and haue séene two women,that with great ease, haue followed andbound after a most principall Mower,which made me vnderstand that thetoyle was not so great as mineimagination; and the profit ten-foldgreater then the labour: but if yourCorne be ill Husbanded, and full of

thistles, wéedes, and all filthinesse,then this practise is to be spared, andthe loose cocking vp of your Corne ismuch better. Assoone as you hauecleansed any Land of Barly, you shallthen immediatly cause one with a greatlong rake, of at least thirtie téeth, beingin a sling bound bauticke-wise crossehis body, to draw it from one end of theLand to the other, all ouer the Land,that he may thereby gather vp all theloose Corne which is scattered, andcarry it where your other Cornestandeth, obseruing euer, as your

cheifest rule, that by no meanes youneither leade Barly, nor any othergraine whatsoeuer, when it is wet, noalthough it be but moistned with thedew onely: for the least dankishnesse,more then the sweate which it naturallytaketh, will soone cause it to putrifie.

The getting in of Oates. Now for thegathering in of your Oates, they be agraine of such incertaintie, ripeningeuer according to the weather, & notafter any setled or naturall course, thatyou are to looke to no constant season,

but to take them vpon the first show ofripenesse, and that with such diligencethat you must rather take them before,then after they be ripe, because if theytarry but halfe a day too long, they willshed vpon the ground, & you shal looseyour whole profit. The time then fittestto cut your Oates is, assoone as they besomewhat more then halfe changed, butnot altogether changed, that is, whenthey are more then two parts white, andyet the gréene not vtterly [ E3v ] [ 30 ]

extinguished, the best cutting of themis to mow them (albeit I haue séene

them shorne in some places) & beingmowen to let them dry and ripen in theswathe, as naturally they will doe, andthen if you bind them vp in Sheafes, asyou should binde your Barly, it is best:for to carry them in the loose cocke, asmany doe, is great losse and hindranceof profit.

The getting in of Pulse. After you haue gotin your white Corne, you shall thenlooke vnto your Pulse, as Beanes,Pease, Fitches, and such like, whichyou shall know to be ready by the

blacknesse of the straw: for it is a rule,whensoeuer the straw turnes, the Pulseis ripe. If then it be cleane Beanes, orBeanes and Pease mixt, you shallmowe them, and being cleane Beanesrake them into heapes, and so makethem vp into cockes, but if they bemixt you shall with hookes fould theBeanes into the Pease, and make littleround reapes thereof, which after theyhaue béene turned and dryed, you mayput twenty reapes together, and thereofmake a cocke, and so lead them, andstacke them: but if they be cleane

Pease, or Pease and Fitches, then youshall not mowe them, but with longhookes cut them from the ground,which is called Reaping, and sofoulding them together into smallreapes, as you did your Pease andBeanes, let them be turned and dryed,and so cocked, and carried either to theBarne, stacke, or houell.

Now hauing thus brought in, andfinished your Haruest, you shall thenimmediately mowe vp the stubble, bothof your Wheate, Rye, and Masline, and

with all expedition there-with thacke,and couer from Raine and weather, allsuch graine as for want of house-roome, you are compeld to lay abroad,either in stacke, or vpon houell: but ifno such necessitie be, and that youhaue not other more necessaryimployment for your stubble, it shallbe no part of ill Husbandry to let thestubble rot vpon the Land, which willbe a reasonable Manuring or fatting ofthe earth.

Now hauing brought your Corne into

the Barne, it is a lesson néedlesse togiue any certaine rules how to spend [

E4r ] [ 31 ] or vtter it forth, sith euery manmust be ruled according to his affaires,and necessitie, yet sith in mine owneexperience I haue taken certaine setledrules from those who haue madethemselues great estates by a mostformall and strickt course in theirHusbandry, I thinke it not amisse toshow you what I haue noted from them,touching the vtterance and expence oftheir graine: first, for your expence inyour house, it is méete that you haue

euer so much of euery seuerall sort ofgraine thresht, as shall from time totime maintaine your family: then forthat which you intend shall returne toparticular profit, you shall from afortnight before Michaelmas, till afortnight after, thresh vp all suchWheate, Rye, & Masline, as you intendto sell for séede, which must bewinnowed, fand, and drest so cleane asis possible, for at that time it will giuethe greatest price; but as soone asséede-time is past, you shall thenthresh no more of those graines till it

be neare Midsummer, but begin tothresh vp all such Barly as you intendto conuert and make into Malt, and sofrom Michaelmas till Candlemas,apply nothing but Malting, for in thattime graine is euer the cheapest,because euery Barne being full, somemust sell for the payment of rents,some must sell to pay seruants wages,and some for their Christmasprouisions: in which time Corneabating and growing scarse, the priceof necessitie must afterwards rise: atCandlemas you shall begin to thresh all

those Pease which you intend to sell forséede, because the time being then, andeuery man, out of necessitie, inforcedto make his prouision, it cannot be butthey must néedes passe at a good priceand reckoning.

After Pease séede-time, you shall thenthresh vp all that Barly which youmeane to sell for séede, which euer isat the dearest reckoning of any grainewhatsoeuer, especially if it beprincipally good and cleane. After yourséede-Barly is sould, you may then

thresh vp all such Wheate, Rye, andMasline, as you intend to sell: for iteuer giueth the greatest price from thelatter end of May vntill the [ E4v ] [ 32 ]

beginning of September. In Septemberyou shall begin to sell your Malt,which being old and hauing lyneripening the most part of the yéere,must now at the latter end of the yéere,when all old store is spent, and the newcannot be come to any perfection, bemost deare, and of the greatestestimation: and thus being a man ofsubstance in the world, and able to put

euery thing to the best vse, you may bythese vsuall obseruations, and the helpeof a better iudgement, imploy the fruitsof your labours to the best profit, andsell euery thing at the highest price,except you take vpon you to giue dayand sell vpon trust, which if you doe,you may then sell at whatvnconscionable reckoning you will,which because such vnnaturallexactions neither agrée with charitie,nor humanitie, I will forbeare to giuerules for the same, and referre eueryman that is desirous of such

knowledge, to the examples of theworld, wherein he shall findepresidents inough for such euillcustomes. And thus much for the firstpart of this worke, which containeth themanner of Plowing and tillage onely.

[ F ] [ 33 ]

THE SECONDPART

OF THE FIRSTBOOKE OFthe English

Husbandman,

Contayning the Art of

Planting, Graftingand 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.

lthough many authors which I haueread, both in Italian, French, andDutch, doe make a diuersitie anddistinguishment of Orchardes, asnamely, one for profit, which theyfashion rudely and without forme, theother for delight, which they makecomely, decent, and with all goodproportion, deuiding the quarters intosquares, making the alleyes of aconstant breadth, and planting the fruit-trées in arteficiall rowes: yet for asmuch as the comelinesse and wellcontriuing of the ground, doth nothing

abate, but rather increase thecommoditie, I will therefore ioynethem both together, and make themonely but one Orchard. Now for thescyte and placing of [ F1v ] [ 34 ] thisOrchard, I haue in the modell of myCountry house, or HusbandmansFarme, shewed you where if it bepossible it should stand, and both whatSunne & ayre it should lye open vpon:but if the scyte or ground-plot of yourhouse will not giue you leaue to placeyour Orchard according to your wish,you shall then be content to make a

vertue of necessitie, and plant it in sucha place as is most conuenient, andnearest alyed to that forme beforeprescribed.

Now when you haue found out a perfectground-plot, you shall then cast it intoa great large square, which you shall [

F2 ] [ 35 ] fence in either with a stone orbricke wall, high, strong pale, or greatditch with a quicke-set hedge, but thewall is best and most durable, and thatwall would haue vpon the inside withintwelue or fourtéene foote on of another,Iames or outshoots of stone or bricke,betweene which you may plant andplash those fruit-trées which are ofgreatest tendernesse, the South andWest Sunne hauing power to shinevpon them.

When you haue thus fenc'st in this

great square, you shall then cast fourelarge alleyes, at least fourtéene footebroad, from the wall round about, andso likewise two other alleyes of likebreadth, directly crosse ouerthwart theground-plot, which will deuide thegreat square into foure lesser squares,according to the figure before setdowne.

The figure 1. sheweth the alleyes whichboth compasse about, and also crosseouer the ground-plot, and the figure 2.sheweth the foure quarters where the

fruit-trées are to be planted.

Now if either the true nature andlargnesse of the ground be sufficient,or your owne abilitie of pursse so greatthat you may compasse your desires inthese earthly pleasures, it shall not beamisse, but a matter of great state, tomake your ground-plot full as biggeagaine, that is to say, to containe eightlarge quarters, the first foure beingmade of an euen leuell, the other fourebeing raysed at least eight foote higherthen the first, with conuenient stayres

of state for ascending to the same, to belikewise vpon another euen leuell oflike forme, and if in the center of thealleyes, being the mid-point betwéenethe squares, might be placed any quaintfountaines or any other antiquestandard, the platforme would be moreexcellent and if vpon the ascent fromone leuell to another there might bebuilt some curious and arteficiallbanquetting house, it would giue lusterto the Orchard.

Now for the planting and furnishing of

these quarters: you shall vnderstandthat if your Orchard containe but fourequarters, then the first shalbe plantedwith Apple-trées [ F2v ] [ 36 ] of all sorts,the second with Peares and Wardens ofall sorts, the third with Quinces &Chesnutes, the fourth with Medlars &seruices. Against the North side of yourOrchard wall against which the Southsunne reflects, you shall plant theAbricot, Verdochio, Peach, andDamaske-plumbe: against the East sideof the wall, the whit Muskadine Grape,the Pescod-plumbe, and the Emperiall-

plumbe: against the West side thegrafted Cherries, and the Oliue-trée:and against the South side the Almond,& Figge trée. Round about the skirts ofeuery other outward or inward alley,you shall plant, the Wheate-plumbe,both yealow & redde, the Rye-plumbe,the Damson, the Horse-clog, Bulleys ofall kindes, ordinary french Cherryes,Filberts, and Nuts of all sorts, togetherwith the Prune-plumbe, and other suchlike stone fruits. But if your Orchard beof state and prospect, so that it containeeight quarters or more (according to

the limitation of the earth) then youshall in euery seuerall quarter plant aseuerall fruit, as Apple-trées in onequarter, Peares in another, Quinces inanother, Wardens in another, and soforth of the rest. Also you shall obseruein planting your Apples, Peares, andPlumbes, that you plant your summeror early fruit by themselues, and theWinter or long lasting fruit bythemselues. Of Apples, your Ienitings,Wibourns, Pomederoy, and Quéene-Apples are reckoned the best earelyfruits, although their be diuers others,

and the Pippin, Peare-maine, Apple-Iohn, and Russetting, your best Winterand long lasting fruit, though there be aworld of other: for the tastes of Applesare infinite, according to therecomposition and mixture in grafting.Of Peares your golden Peare, yourKatherine-Peare, your Lording, andsuch like, are the first, and your stone-Peare, Warden-Peare, and choake-Peare, those which indure longest. Andof Plumbes the rye-plumbe is first,your Wheate-plumbe next, and all theother sorts of plumbes ripen all most

together in one season, if they haueequall warmth, and be all of likecomfortable standing.

[ F3r ] [ 37 ]

Now for the orderly placing of yourtrées, you shall vnderstand that yourPlumbe-trées (which are as it were a

fence or guard about your greatquarters) would be placed in rowes oneby one, aboue fiue foote distance onefrom another, round about each skirt ofeuery alley: your Apple-trées & othergreater fruit which are to be planted inthe quarters, would be placed in sucharteficiall rowes that which way soeuera man shall cast his eyes yet hée shallsée the trées euery way stand in rowes,making squares, alleyes, and deuisions,according to a mans imagination, [ F3v ]

[ 38 ] according to the figure before,which I would haue you suppose to be

one quarter in an Orchard, and by ityou may easily compound the rest:wherein you shall vnderstand that thelesser prickes doe figure your Plumbe-trées, & the greater prickes your Appletrées, and such other large fruit.

Now you shall vnderstand that eueryone of these great trées which furnishthe maine quarter, shall stand in adirect line, iust twelue foote one fromanother, which is a space altogethersufficient inough for there spreading,without waterdropping or annoying one

another; prouided that the Fruiterer,according to his duty, be carefull topreserue the trees vpright and tovnderprope them when by the violenceof the winde they shall swarue anyway. Vpon the ascent or rising fromone leuell to another, you may plant theBarberry-trées, Feberries, andRaspberries, of all sorts, which beingspreading, thorny and sharpe trées, takegreat delight to grow thicke and closetogether, by which meanes often timesthey make a kinde of wall, hedge, orfencing, where they stand.

Hauing thus shewed you the ground-plot and proportion of your Orchard,with the seuerall deuisions, ascents,and squares, that should be containedtherein, and the fruits which are tofurnish euery such square and deuision,and their orderly placing, it now reststhat you vnderstand that this Orchard-plot, so neare as you can bring it topasse, doe stand most open and plaine,vpon the South and West sunne, andmost defended from the East and Northwindes and bitternesse, which beingobserued your plot is then perfect and

absolute.

Now forasmuch as where nature,fruitfulnesse, and situation doe takefrom a man more then the halfe part ofhis industrie, and by a direct and easieway doth lead him to that perfectionwhich others cannot attaine to withoutinfinit labour and trauell: and whereasit is nothing so commendable tomaintaine beautie, as to makedeformitie beautifull, I will speakesomething of the framing [ F4r ] [ 39 ] ofOrchard-plots there where both nature,

the situation, and barrainnesse, doevtterly deny the enioying of any suchcommoditie, as where the ground isvneuen, stonie, sandy, or in hislownesse subiect to the ouerflow ofwaters, all being apparant enemies tothese places of pleasure and delight.First, for the vneuennesse of theground, if that be his vttermostimperfection, you shall first not onelytake a note with your eye, but alsoplace a marke vpon the best ascent ofthe ground to which the leuell is fittestto be drawne, and then plowing the

ground all ouer with a great commonplough, by casting the furrowesdownward, séeke to fill in and couerthe lesser hollownesses of the ground,that their may not any thing appearebut the maine great hollowes, whichwith other earth which is frée fromstones, grauell, or such like euils, youshall fill vp and make leuell with thatpart where your marke standeth, andbeing so leuelled, forthwith draw theplot of your Orchard: but if the groundbe not onely vneuen but also barraine,you shall then to euery loade of earth

you carry to the leuelling adde a loadeof Manure, either Oxe Manure, orHorse Manure, the rubbish of houses,or the clensings of olde ditches, orstanding pooles, and the earth willsoone become fertill and perfect; but ifthe ground be stonie, that is, full ofgreat stones, as it is in Darbishire aboutthe Peake or East Mores, for smallpibbles or small lime-stones are notvery much hurtfull, then you shallcause such stones to be digd vp, and fillvp the places where they lay either withmarle, or other rich earth, which after it

hath béene setled for a yéere or twoyou shall then plough, and leuell it, andso frame forth the plot of your Orchard.If the ground be onely a barraine sand,so that it wanteth strength either tomaintaine or bring forth, you shall thenfirst digge that earth into greattrenches, at least foure foote déepe, andfilling them vp with Oxe Manure, mixeit with the sand, that it may changesome part of the colour thereof andthen leuelling it fashion out yourOrchard. But lastly, and which is of allsituations [ F4v ] [ 40 ] the worst, if you

haue no ground to plant your Orchardvpon, but such as either through theneighbourhood of riuers, descent ofMountaines, or the earths owne naturallquallitie in casting and vomiting outwater and moysture, is subiect to somesmall ouerflowes of water, by whichyou cannot attaine to the pleasure youséeke, because fruit-trées can neuerindure the corruption of waters, youshall then in the dryest season of theyéere, after you haue marked out thatsquare or quantitie of ground whichyou intend for your Orchard, you shall

then cast therein sundry ditches, atleast sixtéene foote broad, and ninefoote déepe, and not aboue twelue footebetwixt ditch and ditch, vpon whichreserued earth casting the earth thatyou digged vp, you shall raise thebanckes at least seauen foote high offirme earth, and kéepe in the top thefull breadth of twelue foote, with in afoote or little more: and in the castingvp of these bankes you shall cause theearth to be beaten with maules andbroad béetels that it may lye firme,fast, and leuell, and after these bankes

haue rested a yéere or more, and aresufficiently setled, you may then at theneather end of the banke, neare to theverge of the water plant store ofOsyers, which will be a good defenceto the banke, and vpon the top andhighest part of the banke you shallplant your Orchard and fruit-trées, sothat when any inundation of water shallhappen, the ditches shalbe able inoughto receiue it; or else making a passagefrom your Orchard into some othersewer, the water excéeding his limitsmay haue a frée current or passage:

besides these ditches being neatly kept,and comforted with fresh water, maymake both pleasant and commodiousfish-ponds. Also you must be carefullin casting these bankes that you doe notplace them in such sort that when youare vpon one you cannot come to theother, but rather like a maze, so thatyou may at pleasure passe from the oneto the other round about the ground,making of diuers bankes to the eye butone banke in substance, and of diuersponds in appearance, but one in trueiudgement. And thus much for the plot

or situation of an Orchard.

[ G ] [ 41 ] CHAP. II.

Of the Nurserie where youshall set all manner of

Kernels, and Stones, for thefurnishing of the Orchard.

lthough great persons, out of theirgreatnesse and abilitie, doe buy their

fruit trées ready grafted, and so in amoment may plant an Orchard of thegreatest quantitie, yet sith theHusbandman must raise euery thingfrom his owne indeauours, and that Ionely write for his profit, I thereforehould it most conuenient to beginnewith the nursery or store-house offruits, from whence the Orchardreceiueth his beauty and riches.

This Nursery must be a piece ofprincipall ground, either through Art orNature, strongly fenced, warme, and

full of good shelter: for in it is onelythe first infancy and tendernesse offruit-trées, because there they are firstkernells, or stones, after sprigs, andlastly trées.

Now for the manner of chusing,sowing, and planting them in thisnursery, I differ some thing from thefrench practise, who would chuse thekernells from the cider presse, sowthem in large bedds of earth, andwithin a yeere after replant them in awilde Orchard: now for mine owne

part, though this course be not muchfaulty, yet I rather chuse this kinde ofpractise, first: to chuse your kernellseither of Apples, Peares, or Wardens,from the best and most principallestfruit you can taste, for although thekernell doe bring forth no other trée butthe plaine stocke vpon which the fruitwas grafted, as thus, if the graft wereput into a Crab-stocke the kernellbrings forth onely a Crab-trée, yetwhen you taste a perfect and delicateApple, be assured both the stocke andgraft were of the best choise, and so

such kernells of best reckoning. Whenyou haue then a competent quantitie ofsuch kernells, you [ G1v ] [ 42 ] shall takecertaine large pots, in the fashion ofmilke-boules, all full of hoales in thebottome, through which the raine andsuperfluous moysture may auoyde, andeither in the Months of March orNouember (for those are the bestseasons) fill the pots three parts full ofthe finest, blackest, and richest mouldyou can get, then lay your kernellsvpon the earth, about foure fingars onefrom another, so many as the vessell

can conueniently containe, and thenwith a siue sift vpon them other finemoulds almost thrée fingars thicke, andso let them rest, filling so many pots orvessells as shall serue to receiue yourquantitie of kernells of all sorts. Now ifany man desire to know my reason whyI rather desire to set my kernells ratherin vessells then in beds of earth, myanswere is, that I haue often found it inmine experience, that the kernell ofApples, Peares, Quinces, and such like,are such a tender and dainty séede thatit is great oddes but the wormes will

deuoure and consume them before theysprout, who naturally delight in suchséedes, which these vessels onely doepreuent: but to proceede.

After your kernells are sprouted vp andgrowne to be at least seauen or eightinches high, you shall then within yournursery digge vp a border about twofoote and an halfe broad, more then afoote déepe, and of such conuenientlength as may receiue all your youngplants, and hauing made the mould fineand rich with Manure, you shall then

with your whole hand gripe as much ofthe earth that is about the plant as youcan conueniently hould, and so takeboth the plant and the mould out of thevessell, and replant it in the new drestborder: and you shall thus doe plantafter plant, till you haue set euery one,and made them firme and fast in thenew mould: wherein you are to obseruethese two principles, first that youplace them at least fiue foote one fromanother, and secondly, that suchkernells as you set in your vessels inMarch, that you replant them in

borders of earth in Nouemberfollowing, and such as you set inNouember to replant in March [ G2r ] [ 43 ]

following, and being so replanted tosuffer them to grow till they be able tobeare grafts, during which time youshall diligently obserue, that if any ofthem chance to put forth anysuperfluous branches or cyons, whichmay hinder the growth of the body ofthe plant, that you carefully cut themaway, that thereby it may be the soonerinabled to beare a graft: for it is euer tobe intended that whatsoeuer procéedeth

from kernells are onely to be preseruedfor stockes to graft on, and for no otherpurpose.

Now for the stones of Plumbes, & otherstone fruit, you shall vnderstand thatthey be of two kindes, one simple andof themselues, as the Rye-plumbe,Wheate-plumbe, Damson, Prune-plumbe, Horse-clogge, Cherry, andsuch like, so that from the kernells ofthem issueth trées of like nature andgoodnesse: the other compounded orgrafted plumbes, as the Abricot,

Pescod, Peach, Damaske, Verdochyo,Emperiall, and such like, from whosekernells issueth no other trées but suchas the stockes were vpon which theywere grafted. Now, for the manner ofsetting the first, which are simple andvncompounded, you shall digge vp alarge bedde of rich and good earth amonth or more before March orNouember, and hauing made the mouldas fine as is possible, you shall flat-wise thrust euery stone, a foote onefrom another, more then thrée fingarsinto the mould, and then with a little

small rake, made for the purpose, rakethe bedde ouer and close vp the holes,and so let them rest till they be of ayéeres groath, at which time you shallreplant them into seuerall borders, asyou did your Apple-trée plants andothers.

Now for the kernells of yourcompounded or grafted Plumbes, youshall both set them in beddes andreplant them into seuerall borders, inthe same manner as you did the otherkernells of Plumbes, onely you shall

for the space of eight and forty houresbefore you set them stéepe them in newmilke, forasmuch as the stones of themare more hard, and with greaterdifficulty open and sprout in [ G2v ] [ 44 ]

the earth, then any other stonewhatsoeuer: and thus hauing furnishedyour Nursery of all sorts of fruits andstockes, you shall when they come tofull age and bignesse graft them insuch order as shalbe hereafter declared.

CHAP. III.

Of the setting or planting ofthe Cyons or Branches ofmost sorts of Fruit-trees.

s you are to furnish your nursery withall sorts of kernells and stones, for thebréeding of stockes where on to graftthe daintiest fruits you can compasse,so shall you also plant therein thecyons and branches of the best fruittrées: which cyons and branches doebring forthe the same fruit which the

trées doe from whence they are taken,and by that meanes your nursery shalleuer afford you perfect trées,wherewith either to furnish your ownegrounds, or to pleasure yourneighbours. And herein by the way youshall vnderstand that some trées aremore fit to be set then to be sowne, asnamely, the Seruice-trée, the Medler,the Filbert and such like. Now for theSeruice-trée, hée is not at all to begrafted, but set in this wise: take of thebastard cyons such as be somewhatbigger then a mans thumbe, and cutting

away the branches thereof, set it in afine loose moulde, at least a footedéepe, and it will prosper exceedingly,yet the true nature of this trée is not tobe remoued, and therefore it isconuenient that it be planted where itshould euer continue: in like manner tothe Seruice-tree, so you shall plant thebastard cyons of the Medlar-trée eitherin March or October, and at the waineof the moone.

Now for the Filbert, or large Hassell-nut, you shall take the smallest cyons

or wands, such as are not aboue twoyéeres groath, being full of shortheauie twigges, and grow from theroote of the maine trée, and set them ina [ G3 ] [ 45 ] loose mould, a foote déepe,without pruning or cutting away any ofthe branches, and they will prosper toyour contentment. Now for all sorts ofPlumbe-trées, Apple-trées or otherfruit-trées which are not grafted, if youtake the young cyons which grow fromthe rootes cleane from the rootes, andplant them either in the spring, or fall,in a fresh and fine mould, they will not

onely prosper, but bring forth fruit oflike nature and qualitie to the tréesfrom whence they were taken.

Now for your grafted fruit, as namely,Apples, Plumbes, Cherryes,Mulberries, Quinces, and such like, thecyons also and branches of them alsowill take roote and bring forth fruit ofthe same kinde that the trées did fromwhence they were taken: but thosecyons or branches must euer be chosenfrom the vpper parts of the trées,betwixt the feast of all-Saints and

Christmas, they must be bigger then amans finger, smooth, straight, andwithout twigges: you shall with asharpe chissell cut them from the bodyor armes of the trée with such care, thatby no meanes you raise vp the barke,and then with a little yealow waxecouer the place from whence you cutthe cyon: then hauing digged anddunged the earth well where you intendto plant them, and made the mouldeasie, you shall with an Iron, as biggeas 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 inthe mould, and if after it beginneth toput forth you perceiue any young cyonsto put forth from the root thereof, youshall immediatly cut them off, & eithercast them away or plant them in otherplaces, for to suffer them to grow maybréede much hurt to the young trées.Now where as these cyons thus plantedare for the most part small and weake,so that the smallest breath of windedoth shake and hurt their rootes, itshalbe good to pricke strong stakes by

them, to which, fastning the youngplant with a soft hay rope it may thebetter be defended from stormes andtempests.

[ G3v ] [ 46 ] Next to these fruit-trées, youshall vnderstand that your bush-trées,as Barberryes, Gooseberryes, orFeberryes, Raspberryes, and such like,will also grow vpon cyons, withoutrootes, being cut from their mainerootes in Nouember, & so planted in anew fresh mould. And here by the wayI am to giue you this note or caueat,

that if at any time you finde any ofthese cyons which you haue planted notto grow and flourish according to yourdesire, but that you finde a certainemislike or consumption in the plant,you shall then immediatly with asharpe knife cut the plant off slope-wise vpward, about three fingars fromthe ground, and so let it rest till thenext spring, at which time you shallbeholde new cyons issue from theroote, which will be without sicknesseor imperfection; and from the vertue ofthis experiment I imagine the gardners

of antient time found out the meanes toget young cyons from olde Mulberry-trées, which they doe in this manner:first, you must take some of thegreatest armes of the Mulberry-tréeabout the midst of Nouember, and witha sharpe sawe to sawe them into biggetruncheons, about fiuetéene incheslong, and then digging a trench inprincipall good earth, of such depththat you may couer the truncheons,being set vp on end, with Manure andfine mould, each truncheon being afoote one from another, and couerd

more then foure fingars aboue thewood, not fayling to water themwhensoeuer néede shall require, and topreserue them from wéeds andfilthinesse, within lesse then a yéeresspace you shall behold thosetruncheons to put forth young cyons,which as soone as they come to anygroath and be twigged, then you maycut them from the stockes, andtransplant them where you please,onely the truncheons you shall suffer toremaine still, and cherish them withfresh dunge, and they will put forth

many moe cyons, both to furnish yourselfe and your friends. And thus muchfor the planting and setting of cyons orbranches.

[ G4r ] [ 47 ] CHAP. IIII.

Of the ordinary andaccustomed manner of

Grafting all sorts of Fruit-

trees.

s soone as your nursery is thus amplyfurnished of all sorts of stockes,procéeding from kernells and of allsorts of trées procéeding from cyons,branches or vndergrowings, and thatthrough strength of yéeres they aregrowne to sufficient abilitie to receiuegrafts, which is to be intended that theymust be at the least sixe or eight inchesin compasse, for although lesse manytimes both doth and may receiue grafts,yet they are full of debilitie and danger,

and promise no assurance to the worke-mans labour, you shall then beginne tograft your stockes with such fruits asfrom art and experience are méete to beconioyned together, as thus: The mixing

of Stockes and Grafts. you shall graftApples vpon Apples, as the Pippinvpon the great Costard, the Peare-maine vpon the Ienetting, and theApple-Iohn or blacke annet vpon thePomewater or Crab-trée: to conclude,any Apple-stocke, Crab-tree, orwilding, is good to graft Apples vpon,but the best is best worthy. So for

Peares, you shall graft them vpon Pearestockes, Quinces vpon Quinces orCrab-trées, and not according to theopinion of the frenchman, vpon whitethorne or willow, the Medlar vpon theSeruice-trée, and the Seruice vpon theMedlar, also Cherryes vpon Cherryes,& Plumbes vpon Plumbes, as thegreater Abricots vpon the lesserAbricots, the Peach, the Figge, or theDamson-trée, and to speake generallywithout wasting more paper, or makinga long circumstance to slender purpose,the Damson-trée is the onely principall

best stocke whereupon to graft anykinde of Plumbe or stone fruitwhatsoeuer.

The choise of Grafts. After you haue bothyour stockes ready, and know [ G4v ] [ 48 ]

which grafts to ioyne with whichstockes, you shall then learne to cutand chuse your grafts in this manner:looke from what trée you desire to takeyour grafts, you shall goe vnto the veryprincipall branches thereof, and lookevp to the vpper ends, and those whichyou finde to be fairest, smoothest, and

fullest of sappe, hauing the little knots,budds, or eyes, standing close andthicke together, are the best and mostperfect, especially if they grow vponthe East side of the trée, whereon theSunne first looketh; these you shall cutfrom the trée in such sort that they mayhaue at least thrée fingars of the oldewoode ioyning to the young branch,which you shall know both by thecolour of the barke, as also by a littleround seame which maketh as it were adistinction betwixt the seuerallgrowths. Now you shall euer, as néere

as you can, chuse your grafts from ayoung trée, and not from an olde, andfrom the tops of the principallbranches, and not from the midst of thetrée, or any other superfluous arme orcyon; now if after you haue got yourgrafts you haue many dayes Iourneys tocarry them, you shall fould them in afew fresh mouldes, and binde themabout with hay, and hay ropes, and socarry them all day, and in the nightbury them all ouer in the ground andthey will containe their goodnesse for along season.

How to graft in the Cleft. Hauing thusprepared your grafts, you shall thenbeginne to graft, which worke you shallvnderstand may be done in euerymonth of the yéere, except Nouemberand October, but the best is to beginneabout Christmas for all earely andforward fruit, and for the other, to staytill March: now hauing all yourimplements and necessaryes about you,fit for the Grafting, you shall first takeyour grafts, of what sort soeuer they be,and hauing cut the neather ends ofthem round and smoth without raysing

of the barke, you shall then with asharp knife, made in the proportion of agreat pen-knife slice downe each sideof the grafts, from the seame or knotwhich parts the olde woode from thenew, euen to the neather end, making itflat and [ H ] [ 49 ] thinne, cheifely in thelowest part, hauing onely a regardfulleye vnto the pith of the graft, whichyou may by no meanes cut or touch,and when you haue thus trimmed acouple of grafts, for moe I doe by nomeanes alow vnto one stocke, althoughsundry other skilfull workmen in this

Art alow to the least stocke two grafts,to the indifferent great thrée, and to thegreatest of all foure, yet I affirme twoare sufficiently inough for any stockewhatsoeuer, and albeit they are a littlethe longer in couering the head, yetafter they haue couered it the tréeprospereth more in one yéere then thatwhich contayneth foure grafts shall doein two, because they cannot haue sapinough to maintaine them, which is thereason that trées for want of prosperitiegrow crooked and deformed: but to mypurpose. When you haue made your

grafts ready, you shall then take a finethinne sawe, whose téeth shalbe filedsharpe and euen, and with it (if thestocke be excéeding small) cut thestocke round off within lesse then afoote of the ground, but if the stocke beas bigge as a mans arme, then you maycut it off two or thrée foote from theground, and so consequently the biggerit is the higher you may cut it, and thelesser the nearer vnto the earth: assoone as you haue sawne off the vpperpart of the stocke, you shall then take afine sharpe chissell, somewhat broader

then the stocke, and setting it euenvpon the midst of the head of thestocke somewhat wide of the pith, thenwith a mallet of woode you shallstricke it in and cleaue the stocke, atleast foure inches déepe, then puttingin a fine little wedge of Iron, whichmay kéepe open the cleft, you shalltake one of your grafts and looke whichside of it you intend to place inward,and that side you shall cut muchthinner then the out side, with a mosthéedfull circumspection that by nomeanes you loosen or rayse vp the

barke of the graft, cheifly on the outside, then you shall take the graft, andwetting it in your mouth place it in oneside of the cleft of the stocke, andregard that the very knot or seamewhich goes about the graft, parting theolde woode from the new, do restdirectly [ H1v ] [ 50 ] vpon the head of thestocke, and that the out side of the graftdoe agrée directly with the out side ofthe stocke, ioyning barke vnto barke,and sappe vnto sappe, so euen, sosmooth, and so close, that no ioynersworke may be discerned to ioyne more

arteficially: which done, vpon the otherside of the stocke, in the other cleft,you shall place your other graft, withfull as much care, diligence, and eueryother obseruation: when both yourgrafts are thus orderly and arteficiallyplaced, you shall then by setting thehaft of your chissell against the stocke,with all lenitie and gentlenesse, drawforth your wedge, in such sort that youdoe not displace or alter your grafts,and when your wedge is forth you shallthen looke vpon your grafts, and if youperceiue that the stocke doe pinch or

squize them, which you may discerneboth by the straitnesse and bending ofthe outmost barke, you shall then makea little wedge of some gréene sappywoode, and driuing it into the cleft,ease your grafts, cutting that wedgeclose to the stocke. When you hauethus made both your grafts perfect, youshall then take the barke of eitherApple-trée, Crab-trée or Willow-trée,and with that barke couer the head ofthe stocke so close that no wet or otherannoyance may get betwixt it and thestocke, then you shall take a conuenient

quantitie of clay, which indéede wouldbe of a binding mingled earth, andtempering it well, either with mosse orhay, lay it vpon the barke, and daubeall the head of the stocke, euen as lowas the bottome of the grafts, more thenan inch thicke, so firme, close, andsmooth as may be, which done, couerall that clay ouer with soft mosse, andthat mosse with some ragges of wollencloath, which being gently bound aboutwith the inward barkes of Willow, orOsyar, let the graft rest to the pleasureof the highest: and this is called

grafting in the cleft.

Notes. Now there be certaineobseruations or caueats to be respectedin grafting, which I may not neglect: asfirst, in trimming and preparing yourgrafts for the stocke: if the grafts beeither of Cherry, or Plumbe, you shallnot [ H2 ] [ 51 ] cut them so thinne as thegrafts of Apples, Quinces, or Medlars,because they haue a much larger androunder pith, which by no meanes mustbe toucht but fortefied and preserued,onely to the neather end you may cut

them as thinne as is possible, the pithonely preserued.

Secondly, you shall into your greateststockes put your greatest grafts, andinto your least, the least, that there maybe an equall strength and conformitiein their coniunction.

Thirdly, if at any time you be inforcedto graft vpon an olde trée, that is greatand large, then you shall not graft intothe body of that trée, because it isimpossible to kéepe it fromputrifaction and rotting before the

grafts can couer the head, but you shallchuse out some of the principall armesor branches, which are much moreslender, and graft them, as is beforeshewed, omitting not dayly to cut awayall cyons, armes, branches, orsuperfluous sprigs which shall growvnder those branches which you hauenewly grafted: but if there be nobranch, small or tender inough to graftin, then you shall cut away all themaine branches from the stocke, andcouering the head with clay and mosse,let it 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 offthe top of your stocke, or else cleauethe head, you either raise vp the barkeor cleaue the stocke too déepe, youshall then sawe the stocke againe, witha little more carefulnesse, so muchlower as your first errour hadcommitted a fault.

Fiftly, you shall from time to timelooke to the binding of the heads ofyour stockes, in so much that if either

the clay doe shrinke away or the othercouerings doe losen, by which defectsayre, or wet, may get into the incission,you shall presently with all spéedeamend and repaire it.

Lastly, if you graft in any open placewhere cattell doe graze, you shall notthen forget as soone as you haue finishtyour worke to bush or hedge in yourgraft, that it may be defended from anysuch negligent annoyance. And thus [

H2v ] [ 52 ] much for this ordinary mannerof grafting, which although it be

generall and publike to most men thatknoweth any thing in this art, yet is itnot inferiour, but the principallest andsurest of all other.

CHAP. V.

Of diuers other wayes ofgrafting, their vses and

purposes.

lthough for certainty, vse, andcommodity, the manner of graftingalready prescribed is of sufficiencyinough to satisfie any constant orreasonable vnderstanding, yet fornouelty sake, to which our nation isinfinitly addicted, and to satisfie thecurious, who thinke their iudgements

disparaged if they heare any authorisedtraueller talke of the things which theyhaue not practised, I will procéede tosome other more quaint manners ofgrafting, and the rather because theyare not altogether vnnecessary, hauingboth certainety in the worke, pleasurein the vse, and benefit in the seriousimploying of those howers which elsemight challenge the title of idlenesse,besides they are very well agréeingwith the soyles and fruits of thisEmpyre of great Brittaine and thevnderstandings of the people, for

whose seruice or benefit, I onelyvndergoe my trauell.

You shall vnderstand therefore, thatthere is another way to graft, which iscalled grafting betwéene the barke andtree, and it is to be put in vse about thelatter end of February, at such time asthe sappe beginnes to enter into thetrées: and the stockes most fit for thismanner of grafting are those which areoldest and greatest, whose graine beingrough and vneuen, either throughshaking or twinding, it is a thing

almost impossible to make it cleaue inany good fashion, so that in such a caseit is meete that [ H3 ] [ 53 ] the grafterexercise this way of grafting betwixtthe barke and the trée, the mannerwhereof is thus.

Grafting betweene the barke. First, youshall dresse your grafts in such sort aswas before discribed when you graftedin the cleft, onely they shall not be solong from the knot or seamedowneward by an inch or more, neitherso thicke, but as thinne as may be, the

pith onely preserued, and at the neatherend of all you shall cut away the barkeon both sides, making that end smallerand narrower then it is at the ioynt orseame, then sawing off the head of thestocke, you shall with a sharpe knifepare the head round about, smooth andplaine, making the barke so euen asmay be, that the barke of your graftsand it may ioyne like one body, thentake a fine narrow chissell, notexcéeding sharpe, but somewhatrebated, and thrust it hard downebetwixt the barke and the trée,

somewhat more then two inches,according to the iust length of yourgraft, and then gently thrust the graftdowne into the same place, euen closevnto the ioynt, hauing great care thatthe ioynt rest firme and constant vponthe head of the stocke, and thus youshall put into one stocke not abouethrée grafts at the most, how euereither other mens practise, or yourowne reading doe perswade you to thecontrary. After your grafts are fixt andplaced, you shall then couer the headwith barke, clay, and mosse, as hath

béene formerly shewed: also you shallfasten about it some bushes of thorne,or sharpe whinnes, which may defendand kéepe it from the annoyance ofPye-annats, and such like great birds.

There is another way of grafting, whichis called grafting in the scutchion,which howsoeuer it is estéemed, yet isit troublesome, incertaine, and to smallpurpose: the season for it is in summer,from May till August, at what timetrées are fullest of sappe and fullest ofleaues, and the manner is thus: take the

highest and the principallest branchesof the toppe of the trée you would hauegrafted, and without cutting it from theolde woode chuse the best eye andbudding place of the cyon, then takeanother such [ H3v ] [ 54 ] like eye orbudde, being great and full, and firstcut off the leafe hard by the budde,then hollow it with your knife thelength of a quarter of an inch beneaththe budde, round about the barke, closeto the sappe, both aboue and below,then slit it downe twice so much wideof the budde, and then with a small

sharpe chissell 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 thescutchion betwéene your fingars, raiseit gently vp without breaking orbrusing, and in taking it off hould ithard vnto the woode, to the end thesappe of the budde may abide in thescutchion, for if it depart from thebarke and cleaue to the woode, yourlabour is lost, this done you shall takeanother like cyon, and hauing taken off

the barke from it, place it in the othersplace, and in taking off this barke youmust be carfull that you cut not thewoode, but the barke onely, and thisdone you shall couer it all ouer withredde waxe, or some such glutenousmatter; as for the binding of it withhempe and such trumpery it is vtterlydissalowed of all good grafters: thismanner of grafting may be put inpractise vpon all manner of cyons,from the bignesse of a mans littlefingar to the bignesse of a slenderarme.

Grafting with the Leafe. Not much vnlikevnto this, is the grafting with the Leafe,and of like worth, the art whereof isthus: any time betwixt midst May,vntill the midst of September, you shallchuse, from the toppe of the sunne-sideof the trée, the most principall youngcyon you can sée, whose barke issmoothest, whose leaues are greatest,and whose sappe is fullest, then cuttingit from the trée note the principall leafethereof, and cut away from it all thewoode more then about an inch of eachside of the leafe, then cutting away the

vndermost part of the barke with yourknife, take péece meale from the barkeall the woode and sappe, saue onelythat little part of woode and sappewhich féedeth the leafe, which in anywise must be left behind, so that thegraft will carry this figure.

[ H4r ] [ 55 ]

Then goe to the body, arme, or branchof that trée which you intend to graft,

which is to be presupposed must euerhaue a smooth and tender barke, andwith a very sharpe knife slit the barke,two slits at least, two inches long apéece, and about halfe an inch or moredistance betwéene the two slits: thenmake another slit crosse-wiseouerthwart, from long slit to long slit,the figure whereof will be thus:

Then with your knife raise the barkegently from the [ H4v ] [ 56 ] trée, withoutbreaking, cracking, or brusing: then

take your graft, and putting it vnder thebarke lay it flat vnto the sappe of thetrée, so as that little sappe which is leftin the leafe, may without impedimentcleaue to the sappe of the trée, then laydowne the barke close againe and couerthe graft, and with a little vntwoundhempe, or a soft wollen list, bindedowne the barke close to the graft, andthen couer all the incisions you hauemade with greene waxe: by this mannerof grafting you may haue vpon one tréesundry fruits, as from one Apple-tree,both Pippins, Peare-maines,

Russettings and such like, nay, youmay haue vpon one tree, ripe fruit allsummer long, as Ienettings from onebranch, Cislings from another,Wibourns from another, Costards andQuéene-Apples from others, andPippens and Russettings, from others,which bringeth both delight to the eye,and admiration to the sence, and yet Iwould not haue you imagine that thiskinde of grafting doth onely worke thiseffect, for as before I shewed you, ifyou graft in the cleft (which is thefastest way of all grafting) sundry

fruits vpon sundry armes or bowes, youshall likewise haue procéeding fromthem sundry sorts of fruits, as eitherApples, Plumbes, Peares or any otherkind, according to your compositionand industry; as at this day we maydayly sée in many great mensOrchards.

Grafting on the toppes of trees. There is yetanother manner of grafting, and it is ofall other especially vsed much in Italy,and yet not any thing disagréeable withour climate, and that is to graft on the

small cyons which are on the toppes offruit trées, surely an experience thatcarryeth in it both dificulty andwonder, yet being put to approbation isno lesse certaine then any of the other,the manner whereof is thus: you shallfirst after you haue chosen such and somany grafts as you doe intend to graft,and trimd them in the same manner asyou haue béene taught formerly forgrafting within the cleft, you shall thenmount vp into the toppe of the trée,vpon which you meane to graft, andthere make choise of the [ I ] [ 57 ] highest

and most principallest cyons (beingcleane barkt and round) that you canperceiue to grow from the trée, thenlaying the graft, and the cyon vponwhich you are to graft, together, séethat they be both of one bignesse androundnesse: then with your graftingknife cut the cyon off betwéene theolde woode and the new, and cleaue itdowne an inch and an halfe, or twoinches at the most: then put in yourgraft (which graft must not be cutthinner on one side, then on the other,but all of one thicknesse) and when it is

in, sée that the barke of the graft bothaboue and below, that is, vpon bothsides, doe ioyne close, euen, and firmewith the barke of the branch or cyon,and then by foulding a little soft toweabout it, kéepe them close together,whilst with clay, mosse, and the in-most barke of Osyars you lappe themabout to defend them from ayre, winde,and tempests. And herein you shallobserue to make your graft as short asmay be, for the shortest are best, as thegraft which hath not aboue two or thréeknots, or buddes, and no more. You

may, if you please, with this manner ofgrafting graft vpon euery seuerall cyon,a seuerall fruit, and so haue from onetrée many fruits, as in case of graftingwith the leafe, and that with muchmore spéede, by as much as a well-growne graft is more forward and ablethen a weake tender leafe. And in theseseuerall wayes already declared,consisteth the whole Art and substanceof Grafting: from whence albeit manycurious braines may, frompreuaricating trickes, beget showes ofother fashions, yet when true

iudgement shall looke vpon theirworkes, he shall euer finde some one ofthese experiments the ground andsubstance of all their labours, withoutwhich they are able to doe nothing thatshall turne to an assured commoditie.

The effects of Grafting. Now when youhaue made your selfe perfect in thesowing, setting, planting and graftingof trées, you shall then learne to knowthe effects, wonders, and strange issueswhich doe procéede from many quaintmotions and helpes in grafting, as thus:

if you will haue Peaches, Cherryes,Apples, Quinces, Medlars, Damsons, orany [ I1v ] [ 58 ] Plumbe whatsoeuer, toripen earely, as at the least two monthsbefore the ordinary time, and tocontinue at least a month longer thenthe accustomed course, you shall thengraft them vpon a Mulberry stocke: andif you will haue the fruit to tast likespice, with a certaine delicate perfume,you shall boyle Honey, the powder ofCloues and Soaxe together, and beingcold annoynt the grafts there-withbefore you put them into the cleft, if

you graft Apples, Peares, or any fruitvpon a Figge-tree stocke, they willbeare fruit without blooming: if youtake an Apple graft, & a Peare graft, oflike bignesse, and hauing clouen them,ioyne them as one body in grafting, thefruit they bring forth will be halfeApple and halfe Peare, and so likewiseof all other fruits which are of contrarytastes and natures: if you graft anyfruit-tree, or other trée, vpon the Hollyor vpon the Cypresse, they will begreene, and kéepe their leaues thewhole yéere, albeit the winter be neuer

so bitter.

If you graft either Peach, Plumbe, orany stone-fruit vpon a Willow stocke,the fruit which commeth of them willbe without stones.

If you will change the colour of anyfruit, you shall boare a hole slope-wisewith a large auger into the body of thetrée, euen vnto the pith, and then if youwill haue the fruit yealow you shal fillthe hole with Saferne dissolued inwater: if you will haue it redde, thenwith Saunders, and of any other colour

you please, and then stoppe the hole vpclose, and couer it with red or yealowwaxe: also if you mixe the coulour withany spice or perfume, the fruit will takea rellish or tast of the same: manyother such like conceits andexperiments are practised amongst menof this Art, but sith they more concernethe curious, then the wise, I am not socarefull to bestow my labour in giuingmore substantiall satisfaction, knowingcuriosity loues that best whichprocéedes from their most paine, andam content to referre their knowledge

to the searching of those bookes whichhaue onely strangnesse for theirsubiect, resolued that this I hauewritten is fully sufficient for the plaineEnglish husbandman.

[ I2 ] [ 59 ] CHAP. VI.

Of the replanting of Trees,and furnishing the Orchard.

s soone as your séedes, or sets, hauebrought forth plants, those plants,through time, made able, and hauereceiued grafts, and those grafts hauecouered the heads of the stockes andput forth goodly branches, you shallthen take them vp, and replant them,(because the sooner it is done the betterit is done) in those seuerall places ofyour Orchard which before isappointed, and is intended to beprepared, both by dungging, digging,and euery orderly labour, to receiueeuery seuerall fruit. And herein you

shall vnderstand, that as the best timesfor grafting are euery month (exceptOctober and Nouember) and at thechange of the moone, so the best timesfor replanting, are Nouember andMarch onely, vnlesse the ground becold and moist and then Ianuary, orFebruary must be the soonest allwayes, excepted that you doe notreplant in the time of frost, for that ismost vnholsome.

The taking vp of trees. Now when you willtake vp your trées which you intend to

replant in your Orchard, you shall firstwith a spade bare all the mainebranches of the roote, and so bydegrées digge and loosen the earthfrom the roote, in such sort that youmay with your owne strength raise theyoung trée from the ground, whichdone, you shall not, according to thefashion of Fraunce, dismember, ordisroabe the trée of his beauties, that isto say, to cut off all his vpper branchesand armes, but you shall diligentlypreserue them: for I haue séene a tréethus replanted after the fall of the leafe

to bring forth fruit in the summerfollowing: but if the trée you replant beolde then it is good to cut off the mainebranches with in a foote of the stocke,least the [ I2v ] [ 60 ] sappe runningvpward, and so forsaking the roote toosodainely doe kill the whole trée.

When you haue taken your trée vp, youshall obserue how, and in what manner,it stoode, that is, which side was vponthe South and receiued most comfortfrom the sunne, and which side wasfrom it and receiued most shadow and

bleaknesse, and in the same sort as itthen stoode, so shall you replant itagaine: this done you shall with asharpe cutting-knife, cut off all themaine rootes, within halfe a foote ofthe trée, onely the small thriddes ortwist-rootes you shall not cut at all:then bringing the plant into yourOrchard, you shall make a round holein that place where you intend to setyour trée (the rankes, manner, distanceand forme whereof hath béene all readydeclared, in the first Chapter:) and thishole shalbe at least foure foote

ouerthwart euery way, and at least twofoote déepe, then shall you fill vp thehole againe, fiftéene inches déepe, withthe finest blacke mould, tempered withOxe dunge that you can get, so thatthen the hole shalbe but nine inchesdéepe, then you shall take your trée andplace it vpon that earth, hauing care toopen euery seuerall branch and thrid ofthe roote, & so to place them that theymay all looke downe into the earth, andnot any of them to looke backe andturne vpward: then shall you take of theearth from whence your trée was taken,

and tempering it with a fourth part ofOxe dunge and slekt sope-asshes (forthe killing of wormes) couer all theroote of your trée firmely and strongly:then with gréene soddes, cut andioyned arteficially together, so soddethe place that the hole may hardly bediscerned. Lastly take a strong stake,and driuing it hard into the groundneare vnto the new planted trée, witheither a soft hay rope, the broad barkeof Willow, or some such like vnfrettingband, tye the trée to the stake, and itwill defend it from the rage of winde

and tempests, which should they butshake or trouble the roote, being newplanted, it were inough to confound andspoyle the trée for euer.

Now, although I haue vnder the titleand demonstration [ I3 ] [ 61 ] ofreplanting one trée giuen you a generallinstruction for the replanting of alltrées whatsoeuer, yet, for as much assome are not of that strength andhardnesse to indure so much as someothers will, therefore you shal takethese considerations by the way, to

fortefie your knowledge with.

First, you shall vnderstand that all yourdainty and tender grafted Plumbes, andfruits, as Abricots, Peaches, Damaske-Plumbes, Verdochyos, Pescods,Emperialls, and diuers such like,together with Orrenges, Cytrons,Almonds, Oliues, and others, whichindéede are not familiar with oursoyles, as being nearer neighbours tothe sunne, doe delight in a warme, fat,earth, being somewhat sandy, or such aclay whose coldnesse by Manure is

corrected, and therefore here with vs inthe replanting of them you cannotbestow too much cost vpon the mould:as for the Damson, and all our naturallenglish Plumbes, they loue a fat, cold,earth, so that in the replanting of themif you shall lay too much dunge vntotheir roote, you shall through theaboundant heate, doe great hurt vntothe trée. The cherry delighteth in anyclay, so that vpon such soyle you mayvse lesse Manure, but vpon thecontrary you cannot lay too much. TheMedlar estéemeth all earths alike, and

therefore whether it be Manured or noit skilles not, sunne and shadow, wetand drinesse, being all of one force orefficacy. The Peare and Apple-tréedelights in a strong mixt soyle, andtherfore indureth Manure kindly, sodoth also the Quince and Warden:lastly the Filbert, the Hasell, and theChesnut, loue cold, leane, moist, andsandy earths, in so much that there isno greater enimy vnto them then a richsoyle: so that in replanting of them youmust euer séeke rather to correct thenincrease fertillity.

You shall also vnderstand that all suchfruit-trées as you doe plant against thewalles of your Orchard (of which Ihaue spoken already & deciphered outtheir places) you shall not suffer togrow as of themselues, round, and fromthe wall, but at the times of pruningand dressing of them (which is euer atthe beginning of the spring andimmediately [ I3v ] [ 62 ] after the fall) youshall as it were plash them, and spreadthem against the wall, foulding thearmes in loopes of leather, and naylingthem vnto the wall: and to that end you

shall place them of such a fit distanceone from another, that they may atpleasure spread and mount, withoutinterruption: the profit whereof is atthis day seene almost in euery greatmans Orchard: and although I haue butonely appointed vnto the wall the mostquaint fruits of forraine nations; yetthere is no fruit of our owne, but if it beso ordered it will prosper and bringforth his fruit better and in greaterabundance. And thus much for thereplanting of trées and furnishing of awell proportioned Orchard.

CHAP. VII.

Of the Dressing, Dungging,Proyning, and Preseruing of

Trees.

ith after all the labour spent ofingendring by séede, of fortefying andinabling by planting, and ofmultiplying by grafting it is to little orno purpose if the trées be notmaintained and preserued by dressing,dungging and proyning, I will thereforein this place shew you what belongs to

that office or duty, and first, for thedressing of trees: you shall vnderstandthat it containeth all whatsoeuer isméete for the good estate of the trée, asfirst, after your trée is planted, orreplanted, if the season shall fall outhot, dry, and parching, insomuch thatthe moisture of the earth is sucked outby the atraction of the Sunne, and sothe trée wanteth the nutriment ofmoisture, in this case you shall notomit euery morning before the rising ofthe sunne, and euery euening after theset of the sunne, with a great watring-

pot filled with water, to water & baththe rootes of the trées, if they be youngtrées, and newly planted, or replanted,but not otherwise: for [ I4r ] [ 63 ] if thetrées be olde, and of long growth, thenyou shall saue that labour, and onely tosuch olde trées you shall about themidst of Nouember, with a spade,digge away the earth from the vpperpart of the rootes and lay them barevntill it be midde-March, and thenmingling such earth as is mostagréeable with the fruit and Oxe-dungeand sope-ashes together, so couer them

againe, and tread the earth close aboutthem: as for the vncouering of yourtrées in summer I doe not hold it good,because the reflection of the sunne issomewhat too violent and dryeth theroote, from whence at that time thesappe naturally is gone: you shall alsoeuery spring and fall of the leafe clenseyour fruit trées from mosse, whichprocéeding from a cold and cankerousmoisture, bréedeth dislike, andbarrainenesse in trées: this mosse youmust take off with the backe of an oldeknife and leaue the barke smooth,

plaine, and vnraced: also if you shalldunge such trées with the dunge ofSwine, it is a ready way to destroy themosse.

Proyning of Trees. After you haue drestand trimmed your trées, you shall thenproyne them, which is to cut away allthose superfluous branches, armes, orcyons, which being either barraine,bruised or misplaced, doe like drones,steale-away that nutriment whichshould maintaine the better deseruingsinewes, and you shall vnderstand that

the best time for proyning of trées, is inMarch and Aprill, at which time thesappe assending vpward, causeth thetrées to budde: the branches you shallcut away are all such as shall grow outof the stocke vnderneath the placegrafted, or all such as by the shaking oftempests shall grow in a disorderly andill fashioned crookednesse, or anyother, that out of a well temperediudgement shall séeme superfluous andburdensome to the stocke from whenceit springs, also such as haue by disorderbéene brooken, or maimed, and all

these you shall cut away with a hookeknife, close by the trée, vnlesse youhaue occasion by some misfortune tocut away some of the maine and greatarmes of the trée, and then you shallnot vse your knife for feare of tearingthe barke, [ I4v ] [ 64 ] but taking yoursawe you shall sawe off those greatarmes close by the trée, neither shallyou sawe them off downeward butvpward, least the waight of the armebreake the barke from the body: Andherein you shall also vnderstand thatfor as much as the mischances which

beget these dismembrings doe happenat the latter end of Summer, in thegathering of the fruit, and that it is notfit such maymed and broken bougheshang vpon the trée till the Spring,therefore you shall cut them off in theWinter time, but not close to the tréeby almost a foote, and so letting themrest vntill the spring, at that time cutthem off close by the trée. Now if youfinde the superfluitie of brancheswhich annoy your trées to be onelysmall cyons, springing from the rootesof the trées, as it often hapneth with all

sorts of Plumbe-trées, Cherry-trées,Nut-trées, and such like, then you shallin the winter, bare the rootes of thosetrées, and cut off those cyons close bythe roote: but if your trées be brousedor eaten by tame-Deare, Goates,Shéepe, Kine, Oxen, or such like, thenthere is no help for such a misfortunebut onely to cut off the whole head andgraft the stocke anew.

Of Barke-bound. Next to the proyning oftrées, is the preseruing, phisicking, andcuring of the diseases of trées: to which

they are subiect as well as our naturallbodyes: and first of all, there is adisease called Barke-bound, which iswhen the barke, through a mislike andleperous drynesse, bindeth in the tréewith such straitnesse that the sappebeing denied passage the body growesinto a consumption: it is in nature likevnto that disease which in beasts iscalled hide-bound, and the cure is thus:at the beginning of March take a sharpeknife, and from the toppe of the bodyof the trée, to the very roote, drawdowne certaine slits, or incissions,

cleane through the barke, vnto the verysappe of the trée, round about the trée,& then with the backe of your knifeopen those slits and annoint them allthrough with Tarre, and in short spaceit will giue libertie vnto the trée toencrease & grow: this disease commethby the rubbing of cattell against thetrée, especially Swine, who are verypoyson vnto all plants.

[ K ] [ 65 ] Of the Gall. There is anotherdisease in fruit-trées, called the Gall,and it eateth and consumeth the barke

quit away, and so in time kills the trée:the cure is to cut and open the barkewhich you sée infected, and with achissell to take away all that is fouleand putrefied, and then to clappe Oxedunge vpon the place, and it will helpeit, and this must be done euer in winter.

Of the Canker. The Canker in fruit tréesis the consumption both of the barkeand the body, & it commeth either bythe dropping of trées one vpon another,or else when some hollow places of thetrée retaineth raine water in them,

which fretting through the barke,poysoneth the trée: the cure is to cutaway all such boughes as by droppingbréede the euill, and if the hollowplaces cannot be smooth and madeeuen, then to stoppe them with clay,waxe, and sope-ashes mixt together.

Of worme-eaten barkes. If the barkes ofyour trées be eaten with wormes, whichyou shall perceiue by the swelling ofthe barke, you shall then open the barkeand lay there-vpon swines dunge, sage,and lime beaten together, and bound

with a cloath fast to the trée, and it willcure it: or wash the trée with cowes-pisse and vinegar and it will helpe it.

Of Pismiers and Snailes. If your youngtrées be troubled with Pismiers, orSnailes, which are very noysome vntothem, you shall take vnsleckt lime andsope-ashes and mingling them withwine-lées, spread it all about the rooteof the trées so infected, and annoint thebody of the trée likewise therewith, andit will not onely destroy them but giuecomfort to the trée: the soote of a

chimney or Oake sawe-dust spreadabout the roote will doe the same.

Of Caterpillers, and Earewigges. IfCaterpillers doe annoy your youngtrées, who are great deuourers of theleaues and young buddes, and spoylersof the barke, you shall, if it be in thesummer time, make a very strong brineof water and salt, and either with agarden pumpe, placed in a tubbe, orwith squirts which haue many hoalesyou shall euery second day water andwash your trées, and it will destroy

them, because [ K1v ] [ 66 ] the Caterpillernaturally cannot indure moisture, but ifneuerthelesse you sée they doecontinue still vpon your trees inWinter, then you shall when the leauesare falne away take dankish straw andsetting it on fire smeare and burnethem from the trée, and you shallhardly euer be troubled with themagaine vpon the same trées: roules ofhay layd on the trées will gather vpEarewigges and kill them.

Of the barrainenesse of Trees. If your trées

be barraine, and albeit they flourishand spread there leaues brauely, yetbring 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 twomuch fertillitie, and fatnesse of theground, which causeth the leafe to putforth and flourish in such vnnaturallabundance, that all such sappe andnutriment as should knit and bringforth fruit, turnes onely vnto leafe,cyons, and vnprofitable branches,which you shall perceiue both by the

abundance of the leaues and by thecolour also, which will be of a moreblacker and déeper gréene, and of muchlarger proportion then those whichhaue but their naturall and properrights: and the cure thereof is to takeaway the earth from the roote of suchtrées and fill vp the place againe withother earth, which is of a much leanersubstance: but if your trée haue no suchinfirmitie of fatnesse, but beareth hisleaues and branches in good order andof right colour and yet notwithstandingis barraine and bringeth forth little or

no fruit, then that disease springethfrom some naturall defect in the trée,and the cure thereof is thus: first, youshall vnbare the roote of the trée, andthen noting which is the greatest andprincipallest branch of all the roote,you shall with a great wimble boare ahole into that roote and then driue apinne of olde dry Ashe into the same(for Oake is not altogether so good)and then cutting the pinne off close bythe roote, couer all the head of thepinne with yealow waxe, and then laythe mould vpon the roote of the trée

againe, and treade it hard and firmelydowne, and there is no doubte but thetrée will beare the yéere following: inFraunce they vse for this infirmitie toboare [ K2 ] [ 67 ] a hoale in the body ofthe trée slope-wise, somewhat past thehart, and to fill vp the hoale with lifehoney and Rose-water mixt together,and incorporated for at least xxiiij.howers, and then to stoppe the holewith a pinne of the one woode: also ifyou wash the rootes of your trées in thedrane water which runneth from yourBarley when you stéepe it for Malt, it

will cure this disease of barrainenesse.

Of the bitternesse of Fruit. If the fruitwhich is vpon your trées be of a bitterand sootie tast, to make it morepleasant and swéet you shall wash yourtrée all ouer with Swines dunge andwater mixt together, & to the rootes ofthe trées you shall lay earth and Swinesdunge mixt together, which must bedone in the month of Ianuary andFebruary onely, and it will make thefruit tast pleasantly. And thus much forthe dressing and preseruing of trées.

CHAP. VIII.

Of the Vine, and of hisordering.

or as much as the nature, temperature,and clymate, of our soyle is not sotruely proper and agréeing with theVine as that of Fraunce, Italy, Spaine,and such like, and sith wée haue itmore for delight, pleasure, andprospect, then for any peculyar profit, Iwill not vndertake Monsiuer Lybaultspainefull labour, in discribing euery

curious perfection or defect thatbelongs thereunto, as if it were theonely iewell and commoditie of ourkingdome, but onely write so much asis fitting for our knowledge touchingthe maintaynance, increase, andpreseruation thereof, in our Orchards,Gardens, and other places of recreation.

Of planting or setting the Vine. First then tospeake of the planting or setting of theVine, your greatest diligence must beto séeke out the best plants, and if thatwhich is most strange, rare, great and

pleasant be the best, then is that grapewhich is called [ K2v ] [ 68 ] theMuskadine, or Sacke grape, the best,and haue their beginning either fromSpaine, the Canary Ilands, or such likeplaces: next to them is the Frenchgrape, of which there be many kindes,the best whereof is the grape ofOrleance, the next the grape ofGascoynie, the next of Burdeaux, andthe worst of Rochell, and not any ofthese but by industry will prosper inour English gardens: when thereforeyou chuse your plants, you shall chuse

such of the young cyons as springingfrom the olde woode, you may in thecutting cut at least a ioynt or two ofolde woode with the young: for theolde will take soonest, and this oldewoode must be at least seauen or eightinches long, and the young cyon almosta yard, and the thicker and closer theioynts of the young cyon are, so muchthe better they are: and the fit time forcutting and gathering these sets are inmidde-Ianuary, then hauing prepared,digged, and dunged your earth thewinter before, you shall at the latter

end of Ianuary take two of these sets,or plants, placing them according tothis figure:

[ K3 ] [ 69 ] And lay them in the earthslope-wise, at least a foote déepe,leauing out of the earth, vncouered, notaboue foure or fiue ioynts, at the most,

and then couer them with good earthfirmely, closely, and strongly, hauingregard to raise those cyons which arewithout the earth directly vpward,obseruing after they be set, once in amonth to wéede them, and kéepe themas cleane as is possible: for nothing ismore noysome vnto them then thesuffocating of wéeds: also you shall notsuffer the mould to grow hard or bindabout the rootes, but with a small spadeonce in a fortnight to loosen and breakethe earth, because there rootes are sotender that the least straytning doth

strangle and confound them. If theseason doe grow dry, you may vse towater them, but not in such sort as youwater other plants, which is tosprinckle water round about the earthof the rootes, but you shall with around Iron made for the purposesomewhat bigger then a mans fingar,make certaine holes into the earth,close vpon the roote of the Vine, andpowre therein either water, the dreggesof strong-Ale, or the lées of Wine, or ifyou will you may mixe with the lées ofWine either Goats-milke, or Cowes-

milke, and power it into the holes andit will nourish the Vine excéedingly,and not the Vine onely, but all sorts ofdainty grafted Plumbes, especiallyPeaches.

Of proyning the Vine. Now for proyningthe Vine, you shall vnderstand that it iseuer to be done after the fall of theleafe, when the sappe is desendeddowneward, for if you shall proyne, orcut him, either in the spring, or whenthe sappe is aloft, it will bléede soexcéedingly, that with great difficulty

you shall saue the body of the trée fromdying: and, in proyning of the Vine youshall obserue two things, the first, thatyou cut away all superfluous cyons andbranches, both aboue and below, whicheither grow disorderly aboue, orfruitlessely below, and in cutting themyou shall obserue, neither to cut theolde woode with the young cyon, nor toleaue aboue one head or leader vponone branch: secondly, you shall inproyning, plash and spread the VINE [

K3v ] [ 70 ] thinnely against the wall,giuing euery seuerall branch and cyon

his place, and passage, and not suffer itto grow loosely, rudely, or like a wildethorne, out of all decency andproportion: for you must vnderstandthat your Grapes doe grow euer vponthe youngest cyons, and if of them youshall preserue too many, questionlessefor want of nourishment they will losetheir vertue, and you your profit. Nowif your Vine be a very olde Vine, andthat his fruit doth decay, either inquantitie or proportion; if then youfinde he haue any young cyons whichspring from his roote, then when you

proyne him you shall cut away all theolde stocke, within lesse then anhandfull of the young cyons, and makethem the leaders, who will prosper andcontinue in perfection a long timeafter, especially if you trimme therootes with fresh earth, and freshdunge. Againe, if you be carefull tolooke vnto your Vine, you shallperceiue close by euery bunch ofgrapes certaine small thridde-likecyons, which resemble twound wyars,curling and turning in many rings,these also take from the grapes very

much nutriment, so that it shall be alabour very well imployd to cut themaway as you perceiue them.

Experiments of the Vine. Now from theVine there is gathered sundryexperiments, as to haue it tast morepleasant then the true nature of thegrape, and to smell in the mouthodoriferously, or as if it wereperfumed, which may be done in thissort: Take damaske-Rose-water andboyle therein the powder of Cloaues,Cynamon, thrée graines of Amber, and

one of Muske, and when it is come tobe somewhat thicke, take a roundgoudge and make a hole in the mainestocke of the Vine, full as déepe as thehart thereof, and then put therein thismedicine, then stopping the hole withCypresse, or Iuniper, lay gréene-waxethereupon, and binde a linnen cloathabout it, and the next grapes whichshall spring from that Vine will tast asif they were preserued or perfumed.

If you will haue grapes without stones,you shall take your plants and plant the

small ends downeward and be assuredyour desire is attained.

[ K4r ] [ 71 ] The Vine naturally ofhimselfe doth not bring forth fruit till ithaue béene thrée yéeres planted: but ifeuening and morning for the firstmonth you will bath his roote withGoats-milke or Cowes-milke, it willbeare fruit the first yéere of hisplanting. Lastly, you may if you pleasegraft one Vine vpon another, as theswéet vpon the sower, as theMuskadine grape, or gréeke, vpon the

Rochell or Burdeaux, the Spanish, orIland grape, on the Gascoyne, and theOrleance vpon any at all: and thesecompositions are the best, and bringforth both the greatest and pleasantestgrapes: therefore whensoeuer you willgraft one grape vpon another, you shalldoe it in the beginning of Ianuary, inthis sort: first, after you haue chosenand trimmed your grafts, which in allsorts must be like the grafts of otherfruits, then with a sharpe knife, youshall cleaue the head of the Vine, asyou doe other stockes and then put in

your graft, or cyon, being made asthinne as may be and sée that thebarkes and sappes ioyne euen and closetogether, then clay it, mosse it, andcouer it, as hath béene before declared.

The medicining of the Vine. If your Vinegrow too ranke and thicke of leaues, sothat the sappe doth wast it selfe inthem, and you thereby lose the profit ofthe fruit, you shall then bare all therootes of the Vine, and cast away theearth, filling vp the place againe withsand & ashes mingled together: but if

the Vine be naturally of it selfebarraine, then with a goudge you shallmake a hole halfe way through themaine body of the Vine, and driue intothe hole a round pible stone, whichalthough it goe straitly in, yet it maynot fill vp the hole, but that the sickehumour of the Vine may passe thorrowthereat: then couer the roote with richearth, and Oxe dunge mixt together,and once a day for a month water itwith olde pisse, or vrine of a man, andit will make the trée fruitfull: if theVine be troubled with Wormes,

Snailes, Ants, Earewigges, or such like,you shall morning and eueningsprinckle it ouer with cowes-pisse andvinegar mixt together & it will helpe it:& thus much for ordering the Vine.

[ K4v ] [ 72 ] CHAP. IX.

The office of the Fruiterrer, orthe Gatherer, and keeper, of

Fruit.

fter you haue planted euery seuerallquarter, allye, and border within yourOrchard, with euery seuerall fruitproper vnto his place, and that youhaue placed them in that orderly andcomely equipage which may giue mostdelight to the eye, profit to the trée, andcommendations to the workeman,(according to the forme and orderprescribed in the first Chapter) and thatnow the blessing of the highest, time,and your indeuours hath brought forth

the haruest and recompence of yourtrauell, so that you behould the long-expected fruit hang vpon the trées, as itwere in their ripenesse, wooing you toplucke, tast, and to deliuer them fromthe wombes of their parents, it isnecessary then that you learne the trueoffice of the Fruiterer, who is in dueseason and time to gather those fruitswhich God hath sent him: for as in thehusbanding of our grayne if theHusbandman be neuer so carefull, orskilfull, in ploughing, dungging,sowing, wéeding and preseruing his

crop, yet in the time of haruest benegligent, neither regarding thestrength or ripnesse thereof, or in theleading and mowing respects notwhether it be wet or dry, doth in thatmoments space loose the wages of hiswhole yéeres trauell, getting but durtfrom durt, and losse from hisnegligence: so in like case houlds itwith all other fruits, if a man withneuer so great care and cost procure,yet if he be inrespectiue in thegathering, all his former businesse isvaine and to no purpose; and therefore

I hould nothing more necessary thenthe relation of this office of theFruiterer, which is the consummationand onely hope of our cost, anddiligence, teaching vs to gather wiselywhat wée haue planted [ L ] [ 73 ] wearily,and to eate with contentment what wehaue preserued with care.

Of gathering and preseruing Cherries.

Know then, that of all fruits (for themost part) the Cherry is the soonestripe, as being one of the oldest childrenof the summer, and therefore first of allto be spoken of in this place, yet are

not all Cherries ripe at one instant, butsome sooner then other some,according to the benefit of the Sunne,the warmth of the ayre, and thestrength of sappe in the branch onwhich the Cherry hangeth: they are afruit tender and pleasant, and thereforemuch subiect to be deuoured andconsumed with Byrds of the smallestkindes, as Sparrowes, Robins,Starlings, and such like, especially theIay, and the Bull-finch, who deuourethem stones and all, euen so fast asthey rypen: for preuention whereof; if

you haue great abundance of Cherrytrées, as maine holts that be either oneor many akers in compasse, you shallthen in diuers places of your holts, aswell in the midst, as out-corners, causeto be errected vp certaine long poalesof Fyrre, or other woode, which maymount somewhat aboue the toppes ofthe trées, and one the toppes of thosepoales you shall place certaine clappe-milles made of broken trenchers ioynedtogether like sayles, which beingmoued and carryed about with thesmallest ayre, may haue vnderneath the

sayles a certaine loose little board,against which euery sayle may clap andmake a great noyse, which will afrightand scare the Byrds from your trées:these milles you shall commonly sée inHusbandmens yards placed on theirstackes or houells of Corne, which dothpreserue them from fowle and vermine:but for want of these clap-milles youmust haue some boy or young fellowthat must euery morning from thedawning of the day till the Sunne bemore then an houre high, and eueryeuening from fiue of the clocke till

nine, runne vp and downe your ground,whooping, showtying, and making of agreat noyse, or now and then shootingof some Harquebush, or other Péece:but by no meanes to vse slings orthrowing of stones, least by themiscarriage [ L1c ] [ 74 ] of his hand héeeither beate downe the fruit or bruisethe trees. In this sort hauing preseruedyour Cherries from destruction, youshall then know there ripenesse by theircolours, for euer those which are mostred, are most ripe, and when you séeany that are ripe, you shall take a light

ladder, made either of fyrre or sallow,and setting it carefully against thebranches, so as you neither bruise themnor the fruit, you shall gather those youfinde ripe, not taking the fruit from thestalke, but nipping the stalke and fruitboth together from the trée: also youshall be carefull in gathering to handleor touch the Cherry so little as may be,but the stalke onely, especially if yourhands be hot, or sweaty, for that willchange the colour of your Cherries, andmake them looke blacke: if there beany ripe Cherries which hang out of the

reach of your hands, then you shallhaue a fine small gathering hooke ofwoode, whose bout shall be maderound, and smooth, for nipping thebarke of the branches, and with it youshall gently pull vnto you thosebranches you cannot reach: you shallalso haue a little round basket ofalmost a foote déepe, made with a siuebottome, hauing a handle thwarte thetoppe, to which a small hooke beingfastned, you shall with that hooke hangthe basket by you on some conuenientcyon, and as you gather the Cherries,

gently lay them downe into the same,and when you haue filled your basketyou shall descend and empty it intolarger great baskets made of the samefashion, with siue bottomes, and hauingvnderneath two broad lathes orsplinters, at least thrée fingers broad apéece, within foure inches one of theother, and going both one way crosseouerthwart the basket, that if eitherman or woman shall carry them vpontheir heads, which is the best manner ofcariage, then the splinters may defendthe bottome of the basket from the

head of the party, and kéepe theCherries from hurt or bruising, and ifyou haue occasion to carry yourCherries farre, and that the quantitiegrow beyond the support of a man, thenyou shall packe them in hampers orpanniers made with [ L2 ] [ 75 ] falsebottoms like siues, and finely lyned onthe out side with white straw, and sobeing closely trust on each side aHorses-backe, to carry them whetheryou please. You shall by no meanessuffer your Cherries to lye in any greator thicke heapes one vpon another, but

vntill you sell them, or vse them, laythem as thinne as may be, because theyare apt of themselues to sweat andcatch heate, and that heate doth soonedepriue them of the glory of theircolour. When you gather any Cherriesto preserue, you shall gather thosewhich are the greatest, the ripest, youshall pull them from their stalkes oneby one, and vse them at furthest withinxxiiij. howers after the time they aregotten.

The gathering of stone Fruit. For the

gathering of Plumbes in generall, it isin the same manner as you did gatheryour Cherries, both with such a likeladder, such a like hooke, and such likevessels, onely some more speciallobseruations are to be obserued ingathering your dainty grafted Plumbes,then of the others, which are of a morehard and induring nature. You shallknow then that for gathering ofAbricots, Peaches, Date-Plumbes, andsuch like grafted Plumbes, you shallduely consider when they are perfectlyripe, which you shall not iudge by their

dropping from the trée, which is asigne of ouer-much ripnesse, tending torottennesse, but by the true mixture oftheir colour, and perfect change fromtheir first complexion: for when youshall perceiue that there is nogréenenesse nor hardnesse in their out-sides, no, not so much as at the settingon of the stalke, you may then iudgethat they are ready to be gathered, andfor a perfecter tryall thereof you may ifyou please, take one which you thinkeripest from the trée, and opening it ifyou sée the stone comes cleane and dry

away and not any of the in-part of thefruit cleauing vnto it, then you mayassure your selfe that the fruit is readyto be gathered, which you shall withgreat deligence and care gather, not byany meanes laying one Plumbe vponanother, but each seuerally by another,for these dainty Plumbes are naturallyso tender that the least touch, though ofthemselues, doth bruise them, [ L2v ] [ 76 ]

and occasion rottennesse. Now whenyou haue gathered them, if either youhaue desire to send them any iourney,as in gratulation to your friends, or for

other priuate commoditie, you shalltake some close, smooth, boxe,answerable to the store of fruit you areto send, and first line it within all ouerwith white paper, then lay yourPlumbes one by one all ouer thebottome of the boxe, then coueringthem all ouer with white paper, lay asmany moe vpon the toppe of them, andcouer them likewise with paper, asbefore, and so lay row vpon row withpapers betwéene them, vntill the boxebe sufficiently filled, and then closingit vp sende it whether you please, and

they will take the least hurt, whereas ifyou should line the boxe either withhay or straw, the very skinnes are sotender that the straw would print intothem and bruise them excéedingly, andto lay any other soft thing about them,as either wooll or bumbast, isexcéeding euill, because it heateth thePlumbes, and maketh them sweat,through which they both loose theircolour and rot spéedily. Of gathering

hard Plumbes. As touching the gatheringof Plumbes when they are hard, and toripen them afterward by laying them

vpon nettles, to which consenteth themost of our London-Fruiterrers, I amvtterly against the opinion, because Iboth know Nature to be the perfectestworke-Mistris, and where she isabridged of her power there euer tofollow disorders and imperfections, asalso that when such things are done, asit were through an ouer-hastyconstraint, there cannot procéede anything but abortiuenesse, and adistastfull rellish: from whence Ithinke it comes to passe that in Londona man shall very seldome tast a

delicate or well rellisht Plumbe,vnlesse it be from such as hauing fruitof their owne, make no commoditiethereof more then their owne pleasures:Of keeping of Plumbes. yet thus much Iwould perswade euery one, that if theyhaue moe Plumbes ripe at once thenthey can vse, or spend, that then afterthey are gathered, to spread themthinnely vpon Nettles or Vine-tréeleaues, and it will preserue them soundand well coloured a long time together,but if your store be [ L3 ] [ 77 ] sosuperabundant that in no reasonable

time you can spend them, then whatyou doe not preserue, or makeGodiniake, or Maruulade of, the restyou shall take and sprinkling them ouerwith swéet-worte, or growt, and thenlaying them one by one (yet so as theymay not touch one another) vponhurdles or fleakes made of wands, ortwigges, and put them into an Ouenafter bread or Pyes haue béene tainethereout, and so leasurely dry them,and they will not onely last, but tastpleasantly all the yéere after: and inthis sort you may vse all kindes of

Plumbes, or Peares, whatsoeuer. Nowfor the gathering of the other ordinarysorts of vngrafted Plumbes, which haueboth much stronger rindes, and arelesse subiect to rotting, you shallgather them, carry, or transport them,in the same manner that you did yourCherries, onely in these, as in all othersorts of fruit whatsoeuer, you shall notomit neuer to gather, or pull them fromthe trée, till the dewe be dryed cleaneboth from the grasse and from thetrées, and that the day be dry, faire, andfull of sunne-shine: for the least wet or

moisture doth canker and rot the fruit.

Of the gathering of Peares. As touchingthe gathering of Peares, though sundryFruiterrers obserue sundry wayes ingathering them, as some making morehast then good-spéed, as either to hauethe first tast, or the first profit, somevsing more negligence, thincking theirstore so great it will neuer beconsumed, and some so curious thatthey will not gather till the Peares fallinto their bosomes, all which aredispraiseable fashions, yet I for my

part would euer aduise all diligenthusbands to obserue a mediocritie, andtake the fittest season for the gatheringof his fruit: as thus for example. Ifbecause you are vnexperienced orvnacquainted with the fruit you doe notknow the due time of his ripening, youshall obserue the colour of the Peare,and if you sée it doe alter, either inpart, or in all, you shall be assured thefruit is neare ripening, for Peares doeneuer change their colours, but whenthey doe desire to be taken from thetrée: and of all fruit the Peare may be

gathered the hardest, [ L3v ] [ 78 ] becauseboth his owne naturall heate andpeculiar quallittie will ripen him bestwith lying: yet to be more stronglyfortefied in the knowledge of theripenesse of your fruit, and because itis better to get a day too late, then anhower to earely, you shall before yougather your Peares, whether they beSummer fruit or Winter fruit, orwhether you meane to spend themsoone or preserue them long, take oneof them from the trée, which is neitherthe ripest nor the gréenest, but betwixt

both, and cut it through the midst withyour knife, not longwise, butouerthwart, and then looke into thecoare where the kirnells lye, and if it behollow so as the kirnells lye as it werehollow therein, the neather ends thereofbeing turned either blacke, or blackish,albeit the complexion of the Peare belittle, or not at all altered, yet thePeares haue their full growth, and mayvery well be gathered: then laying themeither vpon a bedde of ferne, or straw,one vpon another, in great thicknesse,their owne naturall heate will in short

space ripen them, which you shallperceiue both by the spéedy changingof their colour, & the strength of theirsmell, which will be excéedingsuffocating, which as soone as youperceiue, you shall then spread themthinner and thinner, vntill they be allripe, and then lay them one by one, insuch sort as they may not touch oneanother, and then they will last muchthe longer, you shall also after they beripe, neither suffer them to haue strawnor ferne vnder them, but lay themeither vpon some smooth table, boards

or fleakes of wands, and they will lastthe longer.

Of transporting, or carrying of Peares farre.

If you be to carry or transport Pearesfarre, you shall then gather them somuch the sooner, and not suffer anyripe one to be amongst them, and thenlyning great wicker baskets (such aswill hould at least quarters a péece)finely within with white-straw, fillthem vp with Peares, and then couerthem with straw, and corde themaboue, and you may either transportthem by land or Sea, whether you

please, for they will ripen in theircariage: but when you come to yourplace of residence, then you must [ L4r ] [

79 ] néeds vnpacke them and spreadthem thinner, or else they will rot andconsume in a sodaine.

Of gathering diuersly. There be sundrywayes of gathering Peares, or otherfruit, as namely, to climbe into the tréeand to haue a basket with a line fastnedthereto, and so when it is filled to let itdowne, and cause it to be emptied,which labour though some of our

southerne Fruiterers doe not muchcommend, yet for mine owne part I doenot sée much errour therein, but that itis both allowable and conuenient, bothbecause it neither bruiseth the fruit, norputteth the gatherer to anyextraordinary labour, onely theimaginary euill is, that by climbing vpinto the trée, hée that gathereth thefruit may indanger the breaking,slipping, and disbranching of many ofthe young cyons, which bréedeth muchhurt and damage to the trée, butiudgement, and care, which ought to be

apropriate to men of this quallitie, is acertaine preuenter of all suchmischeifes. Now for such as ingathering of their fruit doe euery timethat the basket is full bring it downethemselues from the trée, and empty itby powring the fruit rudely, andboystrously forth, or for beating offruit downe with long poales, loggets,or such like, they are both most vildeand preposterous courses, the firstbeing full of too much foolish andcarelesse trouble, the latter of too muchdisorder, & cruelty, ruyning in a

moment what hath béene many yéeresin building: as for the climbing the tréewith a ladder, albeit it be a very goodway for the gathering of fruit, yet if itbe neuer so little indiscréetly handled,it as much hazardeth the breaking andbruising both of the fruit and the smallcyons, as either climbing the trée, orany other way whatsoeuer.

The gathering of Apples. Now for thegathering of your Apples: you shallvnderstand that your summer fruit, asyour Ieniting, Wibourne, and such like,

are first to be gathered, whoseripenesse, you may partly know by thechange of colour, partly by the peckingof Birds, but cheifely by the courseformerly discribed for your knowledgeof the ripenesse of the Peare, which isthe hollownesse of coare, and liberty ofthe kirnell [ L4v ] [ 80 ] onely, and whenyou doe perceiue they are ripe, youshall gather them in such wise as hathbéene declared for the gathering ofyour Peares, without respecting thestate of the Moone, or any such likeobseruation, but when you come to

gather your Winter-fruit, which is thePippin, Peare-maine, Russetting,Blacke-annat, and such like, you shallin any wise gather them in the wane ofthe Moone, and, as before I said, in thedryest season that may be, and if it beso that your store be so great that youcannot gather all in that season, yet youshall get so much of your principallfruit, the youngest and fairest, as ispossible to be gotten, and preserue itfor the last which you intend either tospend, or vtter. Now for the manner ofgathering your Apples I doe not thinke

you can amend or approue a better waythen that which hath béene discribedfor the gathering of Peares, yet some ofour late practitioners (who thinkethemselues not cunning if they be notcurious) dislike that way, and willonely haue a gathering apron, intowhich hauing gathered their fruit, theydoe empty it into larger vessells: thisgathering apron is a strong péece ofCanuas at least an ell euery way, whichhauing the vpper end made fast about amans necke, & the neather end withthrée loopes, that is, one at each corner,

& one in the midst, through which youshall put a string, and binde it aboutyour waste, in so much that both thesides of your apron being open youmay put your fruit therein with whichhand you please: this manner ofgathering Apples is not amisse, yet inmy conceit the apron is so small adefence for the Apples, that if it doebut knocke against the boughes as youdoe moue your selfe, it cannot chusebut bruise the fruit very much, whichought euer to be auoyded: thereforestill I am of this opinion, there is no

better way, safer, nor more easie, thengathering them into a small basket,with a long line thereat, as hath béenebefore declared in the gathering ofPeares. Now you shall carefullyobserue in empting one basket intoanother, that you doe it so gently asmay be, least in powring them out toorudely the stalkes [ M ] [ 81 ] of the fruitdoe pricke one another, which althoughit doe appeare little or nothing at thefirst, yet it is the first ground, cause,and beginning of rottennesse, andtherefore you shall to your vttermost

power gather your Apples with as smallstalkes as may be, so they haue any atall, which they must néedes haue,because that as too bigge stalkes dothpricke and bruise the fruit, so to hauenone at all makes the fruit rot first inthe place where the stalke should be:you shall also kéepe your fruit cleanefrom leaues, for they being gréene andfull of moisture, when by reason oftheir lying close together they beginneto wither they strike such an heate intothe Apples, that they mil-dew and rotinstantly.

Of Fallings. As touching your Fallings,which are those Apples which fall fromyour trées, either through too muchripenesse, or else through the violenceof winde, or tempests, you shall by nomeanes match them, or mixe them,with your gathered fruit, for they canby no meanes last or indure so long, forthe latter which falleth by force ofwinde, wanting the true nourishment ofthe earth and the kindly ripening vponthe trée, must necessarily shrinkewither, and grow riuelled, so that yourbest course is to spend them presently,

with all spéede possible: for the otherwhich hath too much ripenesse fromthe earth, and the trée, though it bemuch better then the other, yet itcannot be long lasting, both because itis in the falling bruised, and also hathtoo much ripenesse, which is the firststeppe to rottennesse, so that they mustlikewise be spent with all expedition.Of carriage and keeping Fruit. For thecarriage of your Apples, if the place benot farre whether you should carrythem, you shall then in those largebaskets into which you last emptied

them, carry them vpon cole-staues, orstangs, betwixt two men, and hauingbrought them carefully into yourApple-loft, power them downe gentlyvpon bedds of ferne or straw, and laythem in reasonable large heapes, euerysort of Apples seuerall by themselues,without mixture, or any confusion: andfor such Apples as you would haue toripen soone, you [ M1v ] [ 82 ] shall couerthem all ouer with ferne also, but forsuch as you would haue take allpossible leasure in ripening, those youshall lay neither vpon ferne, nor straw,

but vpon the bare boards, nay, if youlay them vpon a plaster floare (which isof all floares the coldest) till SaintAndrewes tide, it is not amisse, butvery profitable, and the thinner you laythem so much the better. Now if youhaue any farre iourney to carry yourApples, either by land, or by water,then trimming and lyning the insides ofyour baskets with ferne, or wheat-strawwouen as it were cleane through thebasket, you shall packe, couer, and cordvp your Apples, in such sort as you didyour Peares, and there is no danger in

the transportation of them, be it byshippe, cart, waggon, or horse-backe. Ifyou be inforced to packe sundry sortsof Apples in one basket, sée thatbetwixt euery sort you lay a diuision ofstraw, or ferne, that when they arevnpackt, you may lay them againeseuerally: but if when they are vnpackt,for want of roome you are compeld tolay some sorts together, in any wiseobserue to mixe those sorts togetherwhich are nearest of taste, likest ofcolour, and all of one continuance inlasting: as for the packing vp of fruit in

hogsheads, or shooting them vnderhatches when you transport them bySea, I like neither of the courses, forthe first is too close, and nothing morethen the want of ayre doth rot fruit, theother is subiect to much wet, when thebreach of euery Sea indangereth thewashing of the Apples, and nothingdoth more certainely spoyle them. Thetimes most vnseasonable for thetransporting of fruit, is either in themonth of March, or generally in anyfrosty weather, for if the sharpecoldenesse of those ayres doe touch the

fruit, it presently makes them lookeblacke, and riuelled, so that there is nohope of their continuance.

The place where you shall lay yourfruit must neither be too open, nor tooclose, yet rather close then open, itmust by no meanes be low vpon theground, nor in any place of moistnesse:for moisture bréedes fustinesse, andsuch [ M2 ] [ 83 ] naughty smells easilyenter into the fruit, and taint the rellishthereof, yet if you haue no other placebut some low cellar to lay your fruit in,

then you shall raise shelues roundabout, the nearest not within two footeof the ground, and lay your Applesthereupon, hauing them first lyned,either with swéet Rye-straw, Wheate-straw, or dry ferne: as these vndermostroomes are not the best, so are thevppermost, if they be vnséeld, theworst of all other, because both thesunne, winde, and weather, peircingthrough the tiles, doth annoy and hurtthe fruit: the best roome then is a wellséeld chamber, whose windowes maybe shut and made close at pleasure,

euer obseruing with straw to defend thefruit from any moist stone wall, ordusty mudde wall, both which aredangerous annoyances.

The seperating of Fruit. Now for theseperating of your fruit, you shall laythose nearest hand, which are first to bespent, as those which will last but tillAlhallontide, as the Cisling, Wibourne,and such like, by themselues: thosewhich will last till Christmas, as theCostard, Pome-water, Quéene-Apple,and such like: those which will last till

Candlemas, as the Pome-de-roy,Goose-Apple, and such like, and thosewhich will last all the yéere, as thePippin, Duzin, Russetting, Peare-maine, and such like, euery one in hisseuerall place, & in such order that youmay passe from bed to bed to clense orcast forth those which be rotten orputrefied at your pleasure, which withall diligence you must doe, becausethose which are tainted will soonepoyson the other, and therefore it isnecessary as soone as you sée any ofthem tainted, not onely to cull them

out, but also to looke vpon all the rest,and deuide them into thrée parts, layingthe soundest by themselues, thosewhich are least tainted by themselues,and those which are most tainted bythemselues, and so to vse them all toyour best benefit.

Now for the turning of your longestlasting fruit, you shall know that aboutthe latter end of December is the besttime to beginne, if you haue both gotand kept them in such sort as is beforesayd, and not mixt fruit of more [ M2v ] [

84 ] earely ripening amongst them: thesecond time you shall turne them, shallbe about the end of February, and soconsequently once euery month, tillPenticost, for as the yéere timeincreaseth in heate so fruit growesmore apt to rot: after Whitsontide youshall turne them once euery fortnight,alwayes in your turning making yourheapes thinner and thinner; but if theweather be frosty then stirre not yourfruit at all, neither when the thaw is,for then the fruit being moist may byno meanes be touched: also in wet

weather fruit will be a little dankish, sothat then it must be forborne also, andtherefore when any such moistnessehapneth, it is good to open yourwindowes and let the ayre dry yourfruit before it be turned: you may openyour windowe any time of the yéere inopen weather, as long as the sunne isvpon the skye, but not after, except inMarch onely, at what time the ayre andwinde is so sharpe that it tainteth andriuelleth all sorts of fruits whatsoeuer.

To keepe Fruit in frost. If the frost be very

extreame, and you feare theindangering your fruit, it is good tocouer them somewhat thicke with finehay, or else to lay them couered allouer either in Barley-chaffe, or drySalte: as for the laying them in chestsof Iuniper, or Cipresse, it is but a toy,and not worth the practise: if you hangApples in nettes within the ayre of thefire it will kéepe them long, but theywill be dry and withered, and will loosetheir best rellish.

Of Wardens. Now for the gathering,

kéeping, ordering, and preseruing ofWardens, they are in all sorts and in allrespects to be vsed as you doe vse yourPeares, onely you are to consider thatthey are a fruit of a much strongerconstitution, haue a much thickerskinne, and will endure much harderseason: neither ought you to séeke toripen them in hast, or before theordinary time of their owne nature, andtherefore to them you shall vse neitherstraw, ferne, nor hay, but onely dryboards to lay them vpon, and nootherwise.

Of Medlars and Seruices. For yourMedlars, you shall gather them aboutthe midst of October, after such time asthe frost hath nipt and [ M3 ] [ 85 ] bittenthem, for before they will not be ready,or loosen from the stalke, and then theywill be nothing ripe, but as hard asstones, for they neuer ripen vpon thetrée, therefore as soone as you hauegathered them, you shall packe theminto some close vessell, and couer themall ouer, and round about, with thickewoollen cloathes, and about thecloathes good store of hay, and some

other waight of boards, or such likevpon them, all which must bring theminto an extreame heate, without whichthey will neuer ripen kindely, becausetheir ripenesse is indéed perfectrottennesse: and after they haue laynethus, at least a fornight, you shall thenlooke vpon them, and turning themouer, such as you finde ripe you shalltake away, the rest you shall letremaine still, for they will not ripen allat once, and those which are halfe ripeyou shall also remoue into a thirdplace, least if you should kéepe them

together, they should beginne to growmouldy before the other were ready;and in the selfe same manner as youvse your Medlars, so you shall vse yourSeruices, and they will ripen mostkindely: or if you please to sticke thembetwixt large clouen stickes, and tosprinckle a little olde beare vpon them,and so set them in a close roome, theywill ripen as kindely as any other waywhatsoeuer.

Of Quinces. Now for Quinces, they are afruit which by no meanes you may

place neare any other kinde of fruit,because their sent is so strong andpeircing, that it will enter into anyfruit, and cleane take way his naturallrellish: the time of their gathering iseuer in October, and the méetest placeto lay them in is where they may hauemost ayre, so they may lye dry (for wetthey can by no meanes indure,) alsothey must not lye close, because thesmell of them is both strong &vnwholsome: the beds whereon theymust lye must be of swéet straw, andyou must both turne them and shift

them very often, or else they will rotspéedily: for the transporting orcarying them any long iourney, youmust vse them in all things as you vseyour Peares, & the carriage will besafe.

Of Nuts. For Nuts, of what sort soeuerthey be, you shall know [ M3v ] [ 86 ] theyare ripe as soone as you perceiue thema little browne within the huske, or as itwere ready to fall out of the same, theskill therefore in preseruing of themlong from drynesse, is all that can be

desired at the Fruiterers hands: for astouching the gathering of them, there isno scruple to be obserued, more then togather them cleane from the trée, withthe helpe of hookes and such like, foras touching the bruising of them, theshell is defence sufficient. After theybe gathered, you shall shale them, andtake them cleane out of their huskes,and then for preseruing them fromeither Wormes or drynesse, it shall begood to lay them in some low cellar,where you may couer them with sand,being first put into great bagges or

bladders: some french-men are ofopinion that if you put them intovessels made of Wal-nut-trée, andmixe Iuy-berries amongst them, it willpreserue them moist a long time:others thinke, but I haue found itvncertaine, that to preserue Nuts inHoney will kéepe them all the yéere asgréene, moist, and pleasant, as whenthey hung vpon the trée: The Dutch-men vse (and it is an excellent practise)to take the crusht Crabbes (after yourverdiuyce is strained out of them) andto mixe it with their Nuts, and so to lay

them in heapes, and it will preseruethem long: or otherwise if they be to betransported, to put them into barrellsand to lay one layre of crusht Crabbes,and another of Nuts, vntill the barrellbe filled, and then to close them vp,and set them where they may standcoole. But aboue all these foresaydexperiments, the best way for thepreseruing of Nuts is to put them intocleane earthen pots, and to mixe withthem good store of salt and thenclosing the pots close, to set them insome coole cellar, and couer them all

ouer with sand, and there is no doubtbut they will kéepe coole, pleasant, andmoist, vntill new come againe, which isa time fully conuenient.

Of Grapes. Now to conclude, for thekéeping of Grapes, you shall firstvnderstand that the best time for theirgathering is in the wane of the Moone,and about the midst of October, [ M4r ] [

87 ] as for the knowledge of hisripenesse it is euer at such time as hisfirst colour is cleane altered, for allGrapes before they be ripe are of adéepe, thicke, greene, colour, but afterthey be ripe, they are either of ablewish redde, or of a bright shiningpale gréene. Now for the preseruingthem for our english vse, which is but

onely for a fruit-dish at our Tables, forneither our store, nor our soyle, affordsvs any for the wine-presse, some thinkeit good, after they are gotten, to laythem in fine dry sand, or to glasse themvp in close glasses, where the ayrecannot peirce, will kéepe them long,both full, plumpe, and swéet, but in myconceit the best course is after they aregotten to hang them vpon strings bunchby bunch, in such places of your houseas they may take the ayre of the fire,and they will last longest, and kéepethe swéetest.

CHAP. X.

Of the making of Cyder, orPerry.

yder is a certaine liquor or drinkemade of the iuyce of Apples, andPerrye the like, made of Peares, theyare of great vse in France, and verywholsome for mans body, especially atthe Sea, and in hot Countries: for theyare coole and purgatiue, and doepreuent burning agues: with vs here inEngland Cyder is most made in the

West parts, as about Deuon-shire &Cornwaile, & Perry in Worcester-shire,Glocester-shire, & such like, whereindéede the greatest store of thosekindes of fruits are to be found: themanner of making them is, after yourfruit is gotten, you shall take eueryApple, or Peare, by it selfe, and lookingvpon them, picke them cleane from allmanner of filthinesse, as bruisings,rottennesse, worme-eating, and suchlike, neither leaue vpon them anystalkes, or the blacke buddes which areand grow vpon the tops of the fruit,

which done you shall put them in tosome [ M4v ] [ 88 ] very cleane vessell, ortrough, and with béetells, made for thepurpose, bruise or crush the Apples orPeares in péeces, & so remoue theminto other cleane vessells, till all thefruit be bruised: then take a bagge ofhayre-cloath, made at least a yard, orthrée quarters, square, and filling it fullof the crusht fruit, put it in a presse ofwoode, made for the purpose, andpresse out all the iuyce and moistureout of the fruit, turning and tossing thebagge vp and downe, vntill there be no

more moisture to runne forth, and sobaggefull after baggefull cease notvntill you haue prest all: wherein youare especially to obserue, that yourvessells into which you straine yourfruit be excéeding neate, swéet, andcleane, and there be no place of illfauour, or annoyance neare them, forthe liquour is most apt, especiallyCyder, to take any infection. As sooneas your liquor is prest forth and hathstoode to settle, about twelue houres,you shall then turne it vp into swéethogsheads, as those which haue had in

them last, either White-wine or Clarret,as for the Sacke vessell it is tollerable,but not excellent: you may also if youplease make a small long bagge of finelinnen cloath, and filling it full of thepowder of Cloues, Mace, Cynamon,Ginger, and the dry pils of Lemons, andhang it with a string at the bung-holeinto the vessell, and it will make eitherthe Cyder, or Perry, to tast aspleasantly as if it were Renish-wine,and this being done you shall clay vpthe bung-hole with clay and salt mixttogether, so close as is possible. And

thus much for the making of Perry orCyder.

[ N ] [ 89 ] CHAP. XI.

Of the Hoppe-garden, andfirst of the ground and

situation thereof.

Fit ground for Hoppes. hat the Hoppe isof great vse and commoditie in this

kingdome, both the Beare, which is thegenerall and perfect drinke of ourNation, and our dayly traffique, bothwith France, the low-Countries, andother nations, for this commoditie, is acontinuall testimony, wherefore thefirst thing to be considered of in thisworke, is the goodnesse and aptnesse ofthe ground for the bringing forth of thefruit thereof, wherein I thus farreconsent with Maister Scot, that I doenot so much respect the writings,opinions, and demonstrations, of theGréeke, Latine, or French authors, who

neuer were acquainted with our soyles,as I doe the dayly practise andexperience which I collect, both frommy owne knowledge, and the labours ofothers my Countrymen, best séene andapproued in this Art: therefore to cometo my purpose, you shal vnderstandthat the light sand, whether it be reddeor white, being simple and vnmixed ismost vnfit for the planting of Hoppes,because that through the barrainenesse,it neither hath comfort for the roote,nor through his seperate lightnesse, anystrong hould to maintaine and kéepe vp

the poales: likewise the most fertillrich, blacke clay, which of all soyles isthe best and most fruitfull, is not to beallowed for a Hoppe garden, becausehis fatnesse and iuyce is so strong thatthe roote being as it were ouer-fedde,doth make the branches bring forthleaues in such infinite abundance thatthey leaue neither strength nor placefor the fruit, either to knit, or put forthhis treasure, as I haue séene byexperience in many places: as for theearth which is of a morish, blacke, wetnature, and lyeth low, although I haue

often times séene good Hoppes to growthereupon, being well trencht, and the [N1v ] [ 90 ] hils cast high to the bestaduantage, yet it is not the principallground of all others, because it is neuerlong lasting, but apt to decay and growpast his strength of bearing. Thegrounds then which I haue generallyséene to beare the best Hoppes, andwhose natures doe the longest continuewith such fruit, are those mixt eartheswhich are clayes with clayes, as blackewith white, or clayes and sands of anysorts, wherein the soyle is so corrected

as neither too much fatnesse dothsuffocate, nor too much leannesse dothpine: for I had euer rather haue myHoppe-garden desire increase, thencontinually labour in abatement. Andalthough some doe excéedinglycondemne the chauke-ground for thisvse, yet I haue not at any time séenebetter Hoppes, or in more plenty, thenin such places, as at this day may beséene in many places about Hartford-shire. To conclude, though your bestmixt earths bring forth the bestHoppes, yet there is no soyle, or earth,

of what nature soeuer it be (if it lyefrée from inundation) but will bringforth good Hoppes, if it be put into thehands of an experienced workman.

Of the Situation. Now, for the situation orsite of your Hoppe-garden: you shall soneare as you can place it neare somecouer 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 yourHoppe hils, for that will kill them: alsothe nearer it is planted to your dwelling

house it is somuch the better, bothbecause the vigilance of your owne eyeis a good guarde thereunto, and also thelabours of your work-Maister will bemore carefull and diligent. A Hop-garden as it delighteth much in thepleasantnesse of the sunne, so it cannotendure by any meanes, the sharpenesseof the windes, frosts, or Winterweather, and therefore your onely careis your defence and shelter. For thebignesse of your ground, it must beordered according to your abillitie orplace of trade for that commoditie, for

if you shall haue them but for yourowne vse, then a roode or two roodeswill be inough, albeit your housekéeping match [ N2 ] [ 91 ] with Nobillitie:but if you haue them for a moreparticuler profit, then you may take anAker, two or thrée, according to yourowne discretion; wherein you shalleuer kéepe these obseruations: that onemans labour cannot attend aboue twothousand fiue hundred hils, that eueryroode will beare two hundred and fiftiehils, euery hill beare at least twopounds and an halfe of Hoppes, (which

is the iust quantitie that will serue tobrew one quarter of Malt) and thateuery hundred waight of Hoppes, is atthe least, in a reasonable yéere, worthfoure-nobles the hundred: so that eueryroode of ground thus imployed, cannotbe lesse worth, at the meanestreckoning, then sixe pounds by theyéere: for if the ground be principallgood for the purpose, and well ordered,the profit will be much greater, in asmuch as the bells of the Hoppes will bemuch greater, full, and more waighty:And thus much for the ground and

situation.

CHAP. XII.

Of the ordering of the Garden,and placing of the Hils.

s soone as you haue chosen out yourplatforme of ground, you shal either byploughing, or digging, or by both, makeit as flat & leuell as is possible, vnlesse

it be any thing subiect vnto water, andthen you shall giue it some smalldesent, and with little trenches conuayethe water from annoying it: you shallalso the yéere before you either makehill or plant it with Hoppe-rootes, soweit all ouer with hempe, which will notonely kill, and stifle all sorts of wéeds,but also rot the gréene-swarth, andmake the mould mellow, and apt toreceiue the rootes when they come tobe planted.

Now, as soone as your ground is thus

prepared, you shall then take a line, andwith it measure your ground [ N2v ] [ 92 ]

ouerthwart, and to euery hill allow atleast thrée foote of ground euery way,and betwixt hill and hill, at the leastsixe foote distance: and when you hauemarked thus the number of thirty orforty places, where your hils shall beplaced, intending euer that the time ofyéere for this worke must be about thebeginning of Aprill, you shall then inthe center, or midde part of theseplaces made for the site of your hils,digge small square holes of a foote

square each way, and a full footedéepe, and in these holes you shall setyour Hoppe-rootes, that is to say, ineuery hole at least thrée rootes, andthese thrée rootes you shall ioynetogether in such wise that the toppes ofthem may be of one equall height, andagréeing with the face or vpper part ofthe earth, you shall set them straightand vpright, and not seperating them,as many doe, and setting at each cornerof the hole a roote, neither shall youtwist them, and set both ends vpward,nor lay them flat or crosse-wise in the

earth, neither shall you make the hilsfirst and set the rootes after, norimmediately vpon the setting cast greathils vpon them, all which are very vildewayes for the setting of Hoppes, but, asbefore I sayd, hauing ioyned yourrootes together, you shall place themstraight and vpright, and so holdingthem in one hand, with the other putthe moulds close, firme, and perfectlyabout them, especially to each cornerof the hole, which done you shalllikewise couer the sets themselues allouer with fine moulds, at least two

fingers thicke, and in this sort you shallplant all your garden quite ouer,making the sites for your hill to standin rowes and rankes, in such order thatyou may haue euery way betwéene thehils small alleyes and passages,wherein you may goe at pleasure fromhill to hill, without any trouble orannoyance, according to that formewhich I haue before prescribedtouching the placing of your Apple-trées in each seuerall quarter in yourOrchard: and herein you are tovnderstand, that in this first yéere of

planting your Hoppe-garden you shallby no meanes fashion or make anygreat hils, but onely raise that part ofthe earth where [ N3 ] [ 93 ] your plants areset, some two or thrée fingers higherthen the ordinary ground.

The choise of Rootes. Now, before Iprocéede any further, I thinke it notamisse to speake some thing touchingthe choise, gathering and trimming ofHoppe-rootes: wherefore you shallvnderstand that about the latter end ofMarch is the best gathering of Hoppe-

rootes, which so neare as you can youshall select out of some garden of goodreputation, which is both carefullykept, and by a man of good knowledge,for there euery thing being preserued inhis best perfection, the rootes will bethe greatest and most apt to take: andin the choise of your rootes you shalleuer chuse those which are the greatest,as namely, such as are at the least thréeor foure inches about, & ten incheslong, let euery roote containe aboutthrée ioynts, and no more, and in anycase let them be the cyons of the last

yéeres growth: if they be perfectlygood they haue a great gréene stalkewith redde streakes, and a hard, broad,long, gréene, bell; if they be otherwise,as namely, wilde-Hoppes, then they aresmall and slender, like thriddes, theircolour is all redde, euen when it is atleast thrée yards high, whereas the bestHoppe carieth his reddish colour notthrée foote from the earth. Now hauinggotten such rootes as are good and fitfor your purpose, if the season of theweather, or other necessitie hinder youfrom presently setting them, you shall

then either lay them in some puddle,neare to your garden, or else bury themin the ground, vntill fit time for theirplanting: and of the two it is better tobury them then lay them in puddle,because if you so let them lye abouexxiiij. houres, the rootes will bespoyled.

Now after you haue in manneraforeshewed, planted your garden withrootes, it shall not be amisse, if theplace be apt to such annoyance, topricke vpon the site of euery hill a few

sharpe Thornes to defend them fromthe scratching of poultry, or such like,which euer are busie to doe mischeife:yet of all house-fowle Géese be theworst, but if your fence be as it ought,high, strong, and close, it will bothpreuent their harme and this labour.

[ N3v ] [ 94 ] Of Poales. Next vnto thisworke is the placing of Poales, ofwhich we will first speake of the choisethereof, wherein if I discent from theopinion of other men, yet imagine I setdowne no Oracle, but referre you to the

experience or the practise, and so makeyour owne discreation the arbiterbetwéene our discentions. It is theopinion of some, that Alder-poales aremost proper and fit for the Hoppe-garden, both that the Hoppe taketh, asthey say, a certaine naturall loue to thatwoode, as also that the roughnesse ofthe rinde is a stay & benefit to thegrowth of the Hoppe: to all which I doenot disagrée, but that there should befound Alder-poales of that length, asnamely, xvj. or xviij. foote long, nine,or ten, inches in compasse, and with all

rush-growne, straight, and fit for thisvse, séemeth to mée as much as amiracle, because in my life I haue notbeheld the like, neither doe I thinke ourkingdome can afford it, vnlesse insome such especiall place where theyare purposely kept and maintained,more to shew the art of theirmaintenance, then the excellency oftheir natures: in this one benefit, anddoutlesse where they are so preserued,the cost of their preseruationamounteth to more than the goodnesseof their extraordinary quallitie, which

mine author defends to the contrary,giuing them a larger prerogatiue, inthat they are cheaper to the purse, moreprofitable to the plant, and lesseconsumption to the common-wealth:but I greatly doubt in the approbation,and therefore mine aduise is not to relyonely vpon the Alder, and for hispreheminence imagine all other poalesinsufficient: but be assured that either,the Oake-poale, the Ashe, the Béeche,the Aspe, or Maple, are euery way asgood, as profitable, and by manydegrées much longer lasting.

Now, if it be so that you happen to liuein the champian Country, as for themost part Northampton shire, Oxford-shire, some parts of Leycester andRutland are, or in the wet and lowCountries, as Holland, and Kesten inLincolne-shire, or the Ile of Elye inCambridge-shire, all which places arevery barraine of woode, and yetexcellent [ N4r ] [ 95 ] soyles to beareHoppes, rather then to loose thecommoditie of the Hoppe-garden Iwish you to plant great store ofWillowes, which will afforde you

poales as sufficient as any of the otherwhatsoeuer, onely they are not so longlasting, and yet with carefull and drykeeping, I haue séene them last full outseauen yéeres, a time reasonablysufficient for any young woode, forsuch a vse. The proportion of the Poale.

Thus you sée the curiositie is not verygreat of what woode so euer your poalebe, so it be of young and cleane growth,rush-growne, (that is to say, biggest atthe neather end) eightéene foote inlength, and ten inches in compasse. Of

cutting and erecting Poales. These poales

you shall cut and prepare betwixt thefeast of Al-Saints, and Christmas, andso pile them vp in some dry place,where they may take no wet, vntill it bemidde-Aprill, at which time (yourHoppes being shot out of the ground atleast thrée quarters of a yarde, so thatyou may discerne the principall cyonswhich issue from the principall rootes)you shall then bring your poales intothe garden, and lay them along in thealleyes, by euery hill so many poales asshall be sufficient for the mainebranches, which happely the first yéere

will not be aboue two or thrée poales atthe most to a hill, but in processe oftime more, as foure or fiue, accordingto the prosperitie of the plants, and thelargenesse of the hils. After you hauethus layd your poales, you shall thenbeginne to set them vp in this sort:first, you shall take a gaue-locke, orcrow of iron, and strike it into the earthso neare vnto the roote of the Hoppe asis possible, prouided alwayes that youdoe not bruise, or touch the roote, andso stroake after stroake, cease notstriking till you haue made a hoale at

least two foote déepe, and make them alittle slantwise inward towards the hill,that the poales in their standing mayshoote outwards and hould theirgreatest distance in the toppes: thisdone you shall place the poales in thosehoales, thus made with the iron crow,and with another péece of woode, maderammer-wise, that is to say, as bigge atthe neather end as the biggest part ofthe poale, or somewhat more, [ N4v ] [ 96 ]

you shall ramme in the poales, andbeate the earth firme and hard aboutthem: alwayes prouided, that you touch

not any branch, or as little as you maybeate with your rammer withinbetwéene the poales, onely on the out-side make them so fast that the winde,or weather, may not disorder or blowthem downe: then lay to the bottome ofeuery poale the branch which shallascend it, and you shall sée in a shortspace, how out of their owne natures,they will imbrace and climbe aboutthem.

Now, if it happen after your Hoppes aregrowne vp, yet not come to their full

perfection, that any of your poaleschance to breake, you shall then take anew poale, and with some soft gréenerushes, or the inmost gréene barke ofan Alder-trée, tye the toppe of theHoppe to the toppe of the new poale,then draw the broken poale out of theHoppe (I meane that part which beingbroken lyeth vpon the ground) and asyou saw it did winde about the oldepoale (which is euer the same way thatthe sunne runnes) so you shall winde itabout the new poale: then loosening theearth a little from the neather part of

the broken poale, you may with yourowne strength pull it cleane out of theearth, and place the new poale in hisroome. Now, there be some which areexcéeding curious in pulling vp theseolde poales, and rather then they willshake the earth, or loosen the mould,they will make a paire of large pincers,or tarriers of iron, at least fiue footelong with sharpe téeth, and a claspinghooke to hould the téeth together, whenthey haue taken fast hould vpon thepoale so neare the earth as is possible,and then laying a peice of woode vnder

the tarriers, and poysing downe theother ends to rest the poale out of theearth without any disturbance, themodell or fashion of which instrumentis contained in this figure:

[ O ] [ 97 ]

This instrument is not to bediscommended, but to be held of good

vse, either in binding grounds wherethe earth hardneth and houldeth thepoale more then fast, or in the strengthand heate of summer, when thedrynesse of the mould will by nomeanes suffer the poale to part from it:but otherwise it is néedlesse and maywithout danger be omitted.

As soone as you haue sufficiently seteuery hill with poales, and that there isno disorder in your worke, you shallwhen the Hoppes beginne to climbe,note if their be any cyons or branches

which doe forsake the poales, andrather shoote alongst the ground thenlooke vp to their supporters, and allsuch as you shall so finde, you shall asbefore I sayd, either with soft gréenerushes, or the gréene barke of Elder,tye them gently vnto the poales, andwinde them about, in the same coursethat the sunne goes, as oft asconueniently you can: and this youshall doe euer after the dew is gonefrom the ground, and not before, andthis must be done with all possiblespeede, for that cyon which is the

longest before it take vnto the poale iseuer the worst and brings forth his fruitin the worst season.

Of the Hils. Now, as touching the makingof your hils, you shall vnderstand thatalthough generally they are not madethe first yéere, yet it is not amisse ifyou omit that scruple, and [ O1v ] [ 98 ]

beginne to make your hils as soone asyou haue placed your poales, for ifyour industry be answerable to thedesert of the labour, you shall reape asgood profit the first yéere, as either the

second or the third. To beginnetherefore to make your hils, you shallmake you an instrument like a stubbingHoe, which is a toole wherewithlabourers stubbe rootes out of decayedwoode-land grounds, onely this shall besomewhat broader and thinner,somewhat in fashion (though twice sobigge) vnto a Coopers Addes, with ashaft at least foure foote long: someonely for this purpose vse a fine paringspade, which is euery way as good, andas profitable, the fashion of which is inthis figure.

With this paring spade, or hoe, youshall pare vp the gréene-swarth andvppermost earth, which is in the alleyesbetwéene the hils, and lay it vnto therootes of the Hoppes, raising them vplike small Mole-hils, and so monthlyincreasing them all the yéere through,make them as large as the site of yourground will suffer, which is at leastfoure or fiue foote ouerthwart in thebottome, and so high as conueniently

that height will carry: you shall not byany meanes this first yéere decay anycyons or branches which spring fromthe hils, but maintaine them in theirgrowth, and suffer them to climbe vpthe poales, but after the first yéere isexpired you shall not suffer aboue twoor thrée cyons, at the most, to rise vponone poale. After your hils are made,which as before I sayd would be atleast foure or fiue foote square in thebottome, and thrée foote high, youshall then diligently euery day attendyour garden, and if you finde any

branches that being risen more [ O2 ] [ 99 ]

then halfe way vp the poales, doe thenforsake them and spread outward,dangling downe, then you shall eitherwith the helpe of a high stoole, onwhich standing you may reach thetoppe of the poale, or else with a smallforckt sticke, put vp the branch, andwinde it about the poale: you shall alsobe carefull that no wéeds or otherfilthinesse grow about the rootes ofyour Hoppes to choake them, but vponthe first discouery to destroy them.

CHAP. XIII.

Of the gathering of Hoppes,and the preseruing of the

Poales.

ouching the gathering of Hoppes youshall vnderstand that after SaintMargarets day they beginne toblossome, if it be in hot and richsoyles, but otherwise not till Lammas:likewise in the best soyles they bell atLammas, in the worst at Michaelmas,and in the best earth they are full ripe

at Michaelmas, in the worst atMartillmas; but to know when they areripe indeede, you shall perceiue theséede to loose his gréene colour, andlooke as browne as a Hares backe,wherefore then you shall with alldilligence gather them, and becausethey are a fruit that will endure little orno delay, as being ready to fall assoone as they be ripe, and because theexchange of weather may bréedechange in your worke, you shall vponthe first aduantage of faire weather,euen so soone as you shall sée the dewe

exhaled and drawne from the earth, getall the ayde of Men, Women, andchildren which haue any vnderstanding,to helpe you, and then hauing someconuenient empty barne, or shedde,made either of boards or canuas, neareto the garden, in which you shall pullyour Hoppes, you shall then beginne atthe nearest part of the garden, and witha sharpe garden knife cut the stalkes ofthe Hoppes asunder [ O2v ] [ 100 ] close bythe toppes of the hils; and then with astraite forke of iron, made broad andsharpe, for the purpose, shere vp all the

Hoppes, and leaue the poales naked.Then hauing labouring persons for thepurpose, let them cary them vnto theplace where they are to be puld; and inany case cut no more then presently iscaryed away as fast as they are cut,least if a shower of raine should happento fall, and those being cut and takingwet, are in danger of spoyling. Youshall prouide that those which pull yourHoppes be persons of good discretion,who must not pull them one by one, butstripe them roundly through their handsinto baskets, mixing the young budds

and small leaues with them, which areas good as any part of the Hoppewhatsoeuer. After you haue pulled allyour Hoppes and carried them intosuch conuenient dry roomes as youhaue prepared for that purpose, youshall then spread them vpon cleanefloares, so thinne as may be, that theayre may passe thorrow them, leastlying in heapes they sweat, and somould, before you can haue leasure todry them. After your Hoppes are thusordered, you shall then cleanse yourgarden of all such Hoppe-straw, and

other trash, as in the gathering wasscattered therein: then shall you pluckevp all your Hoppe-poales, in mannerbefore shewed, and hauing either somedry boarded house, or shed, made forthe purpose, pile then one vponanother, safe from winde or weather,which howsoeuer some that would hauetheir experience, like a Collossus,séeme greater then it is, doe disalow,yet it is the best manner of kéeping ofpoales, and well worthy the charge: butfor want of such a house, it shall not beamisse to take first your Hoppe-straw,

and lay it a good thicknesse vpon theground, and with sixe strong stakes,driuen slant-wise into the earth, so asthe vppermost ends may be inward oneto another, lay then your Hoppe-poalesbetwéene the stakes, and pile them onevpon another, drawing them narrowerand narrower to the top, and then couerthem all ouer with more Hoppe-straw,and so let them rest till the next March,at which [ O3 ] [ 101 ] time you shall hauenew occasion to vse them.

Winter businesse. As soone as you haue

piled vp your Hoppe-poales, dry andclose, then you shall about mid-Nouember following throw downe yourhils, and lay all your rootes bare, thatthe sharpenesse of the season may nipthem, and kéepe them from springingtoo earely: you shall also then bringinto the garden olde Cow-dunge, whichis at least two yéeres olde, for no newdunge is good, and this you shall lay insome great heape in some conuenientplace of the garden vntill Aprill, atwhich time, after you haue wound yourHoppes about your poales, you shall

then bestow vpon euery hill two orthrée spade-full of the Manure mixtwith earth, which will comfort theplant and make it spring pleasantly.

After your hils are puld downe, youshall with your garden spade, or yourhoe, vndermine all the earth roundabout the roote of the Hoppe, till youcome to the principall rootes thereof,and then taking the youngest rootes inyour hand, and shaking away the earth,you shall sée how the new rootes growfrom the olde sets, then with a sharpe

knife cut away all those rootes as didspring the yéere before, out of yoursets, within an inch and an halfe of thesame, but euery yéere after the firstyou shall cut them close by the olderootes. Now, if you sée any rooteswhich doe grow straight downward,without ioynts, those you shall not cutat all, for they are great nourishers ofthe plant, but if they grow outward, orside-wayes, they are of contrarynatures, and must necessarily be cutaway. If any of your Hoppes turnewilde, as oft it happens, which you

shall know by the perfect rednesse ofthe branch, then you shall cut it quitevp, and plant a new roote in his place.After you haue cut and trimmed allyour rootes, then you shall couer themagaine, in such sort as you were taughtat the first planting them, and so letthem abide till their due time forpoaling.

[ O3v ] [ 102 ] CHAP. XIIII.

Of drying, and not drying ofHoppes, and of packing them

when they are dried.

lthough there be much curiositie in thedrying of Hoppes as well in thetemperature of heate (which hauing anyextremitie, as either of heate, or hiscontrary, bréedeth disorder in theworke) as also in the framing of the Ostor furnace after many new moulds andfashions, as variable as mens wits andexperiences, yet because innouations

and incertainty doth rather perplexethen profit, I will shunne, as much as inme lyeth, from loading the memory ofthe studious Husbandman with thosestratagems which disable hisvnderstanding from the attaining ofbetter perfection, not disalowing anymans approued knowledge, or thinkingthat because such a man can mendsmoking Chimnyes, therefore none buthée shall haue license to makeChimnyes, or that because some mencan melt Mettall without winde,therefore it shall be vtterly vnlawfull to

vse bellowes: these violent opinions Iall together disacknowledge, and wisheuery one the liberty of his ownethoughts, and for mine EnglishHusband, I will shew him that way todry his Hoppes which is most fit for hisprofit, safe, easie, and withoutextraordinary expences.

First then to speake of the time whichis fittest for the drying of your Hoppes,it is immediately as soone as they aregotten, if more vrgent occasions doenot delay the businesse, which if they

happen, then you haue a forme beforeprescribed how to preserue them frommouldinesse and putrifaction till youcan compasse fit time to effect theworke in. The manner of drying them isvpon a Kilne, of which there be twosorts, that is to say, an English Kilne,and a French Kilne: the English Kilnebeing composed of woode, [ O4r ] [ 103 ]

lath, and clay, and therefore subiect tosome danger of fire, the French, ofbricke, lime, and sand, and thereforesafe, close, and without all perill, andto be preferred much before the other:

yet because I haue hereafter moreoccasion to speake of the nature,fashion, and edifice of Kilnes in thatpart of this Volumne where I intreateof Malting, I will cease further tomention them then to say that vpon aKilne is the best drying your Hoppes,after this manner, hauing finely beddedyour Kilne with Wheate-straw, youshall lay on your hayre cloath, althoughsome disallow it, but giue no reasontherefore, yet it cannot be hurtfull inany degrée, for it neither distasteth theHoppes, nor defendeth them from the

fire, making the worke longer then itwould, but it preserueth both theHoppes from filthynesse, and theirséede from losse: when your hayre-cloath is spread, you shall cause one todeliuer you vp your Hoppes in baskets,which you shall spread vpon the cloath,all ouer the Kilne, at the least eightinches thicke, and then commingdowne, and going to the hole of theKilne, you shall with a little dry strawkindle the fire, and then maintaining itwith more straw, you shall kéepe a firea little more feruent then for the drying

of a kilne-full of Malt, being assuredthat the same quantitie of fuell, heate,and time, which dryeth a kilne-full ofMalt, will also dry a kilne-full ofHoppes, and if your Kilne will drytwenty strikes, or bushels of Malt atone drying, then it will dry forty ofHoppes, because being layd muchthicker the quantitie can be no lessethen doubled, which is a spéede alltogether sufficient, and may very wellserue to dry more Hoppes then any oneman hath growing in this kingdome.

Now, for as much as some men doe notalow to dry Hoppes with straw, butrather preferre woode, and of woodestill to chuse the gréenest, yet I am of acontrary opinion, for I know byexperience that the smoake whichprocéedeth from woode, (especially ifit be greene woode) being a strong andsharpe vapour, doth so taint and infectthe Hoppes that when those Hoppescome to be brewed [ O4v ] [ 104 ] with, theygiue the drinke a smoakie taste, euen asif the Malt it selfe had beene woode-dryed: the vnpleasantnesse whereof I

leaue to the iudgement of them thathaue trauelled in York-shire, where, forthe most part, is nothing but woode-dryed Malt onely.

That you may know when your Hoppesare dry inough, you shall take a smalllong sticke, and stirring the Hoppes tooand fro with it, if the Hoppes doerussell and make a light noyse, each asit were seperating one from another,then they are altogether dry inough, butif in any part you finde them heauy orglewing one to another, then they haue

not inough of the fire: also when theyare sufficiently and moderately dryedthey are of a bright-browne colour,little or nothing altered from that theyheld when they were vpon the stalke,but if they be ouer dryed, then theircolour will be redde: and if they werenot well ordered before they weredryed, but suffered either to take wet ormould, then they will looke blackewhen they are dry.

Of the drying Hoppes. There be somewhich are of opinion that if you doe not

dry your Hoppes at all, it shall be nolosse, but it is an errour most grose, forif they be not dryed, there is neitherprofit in their vse, nor safty inpreseruing them.

As soone as your Hoppes aresufficiently dryed, you shall by theplucking vp of the foure corners ofyour hayre-cloath thrust all yourHoppes together, and then putting theminto baskets, carry them into such dryplaces as you haue prepared of purposeto lay them in, as namely, either in dry-

fats, or in garners, made either ofplaster, or boards: and herein you shallobserue to packe them close and hardtogether, which will be a meanes that ifany of them be not dry, yet the heatethey shall get by such lying will drythem fully and make them fit forseruice.

Of packing Hoppes. Now to conclude, ifyour store of Hoppes be so great thatyou shall trade or make Marchandizeof them, then either to conuay them byland or Sea, it is best that you packe

them into great bagges of canuas, madein fashion of those bagges whichwoole-men vse, and call them pockets, [ P ] [ 105 ] but not being altogether solarge: these bagges you shall open, andeither hang vp betwéene some crosse-beames, or else let downe into somelower floare, and then putting in yourHoppes cause a man to goe into thebagge and tread downe the Hoppes, sohard as is possible, pressing downebasket-full after basket-full, till thebagge be filled, euen vnto the toppe,and then with an extraordinary packe-

thriede, sowing the open end of thebagge close together, let euery hollowplace be crammed with Hoppes, whilstyou can get one hand-full to goe in, andso hauing made euery corner strongand fast, let them lye dry till you haueoccasion either to shippe or cart them.And thus much for the ordering ofHoppes, and their vses.

CHAP. XV.

The office of the Gardiner,and first of the Earth,

Situation, and fencing of aGarden for pleasure.

here is to be required at the hands ofeuery perfect Gardiner thrée especiallvertues, that is to say, Diligence,Industry, and Art: the two first, asnamely, Diligence (vnder which word Icomprehend his loue, care, and delightin the vertue hee professeth) andIndustry (vnder which word I conclude

his labour, paine, and study, which arethe onely testimonies of his perfection)hée must reape from Nature: for, if héebe not inclined, euen from the strengthof his blood to this loue and labour, itis impossible he should euer proue anabsolute gardiner: the latter, whichcontaineth his skill, habit, andvnderstanding in what hée professeth, Idoubt not but hée shall gather from theabstracts or rules which shall followhereafter in this Treatise, so that wherenature, and this worke shall concurre inone subiect, there is no doubt to be

made, but the professor shall in allpoints, be able to discharge a sufficientdutie.

[ P1v ] [ 106 ] Now, for as much as all ourantient and forraine writers (for wéeare very sleightly beholding to ourselues for these indeauours) areexcéeding curious in the choise ofearth, and situation of the plot ofground which is méete for the garden:yet I, that am all English Husbandman,and know our soyles out of theworthinesse of their owne natures doe

as it were rebell against forraineimitation, thinking their owne vertuesare able to propound their owne rules:and the rather when I call into myremembrance, that in all the forraineplaces I haue séene, there is none moreworthy then our owne, and yet noneordered like our owne, I cannot beinduced to follow the rules of Italie,vnlesse I were in Italie, neither those ofFrance, vnlesse I dwelt in France, northose of Germany except in Germany Ihad my habitation, knowing that thetoo much heate of the one, or the too

much coldnesse of the other, mustrather confound then help in ourtemperate climate: whence it comes,that our english booke-knowledge inthese cases is both disgraced andcondemned, euery one fayling in hisexperiments, because he is guided byno home-bredde, but a stranger; as if toreade the english tongue there werenone better then an Italian Pedant. Thisto auoide, I will neither begge ayde norauthoritie from strangers, but reuerencethem as worthies and fathers of theirowne Countries.

Of the ground. To speake therefore firstof the ground which is fit for thegarden, albeit the best is best worthy,the labour least, and the profit mostcertaine, yet it is not méete that yourefuse 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 lame andmaymed if it want that goodly limbe,and beauty. Besides, if no gardensshould be planted but in the best andrichest soyles, it were infinite the losse

we should sustaine in our priuateprofit, and in the due commendations,fit for many worthy workmen, whohaue reduced the worst and barrainestearths to as rare perfection and profitas if they [ P2 ] [ 107 ] had béene the onelysoyles of this kingdome: and for mineowne part, I doe not wonder either atthe worke of Art or Nature, when Ibehould in a goodly, rich, and fertillsoyle, a garden adorned with all thedelights and delicacies which arewithin mans vnderstanding, becausethe naturall goodnesse of the earth

(which not induring to be idle) willbring forth whatsoeuer is cast into her:but when I behould vpon a barraine,dry, and deiected earth, such as thePeake-hils, where a man may behouldSnow all summer, or on the East-mores, whose best hearbage is nothingbut mosse, and iron stone, in such aplace, I say, to behould a delicate, rich,and fruitfull garden, it shewes greatworthinesse in the owner, and infiniteArt and industry in the workeman, andmakes me both admire and loue thebegetters of such excellencies.

But to returne to my purpose touchingthe choise of your earth for a garden,sith no house can conueniently bewithout one, and that our EnglishNation is of that great popularitie, thatnot the worst place thereof but isabundantly inhabited, I thinke it méetethat you refuse no earth whatsoeuer toplant your garden vpon, euer obseruingthis rule, that the more barraine it is,the more cost must be bestowed vponit, both in Manuring, digging, and intrenching, as shall be shewed hereafter,and the more rich it is, lesse cost of

such labour, and more curiositie inwéeding, proyning, and trimming theearth: for, as the first is too slow, so thelatter is too swift, both in her increaseand multiplication.

Now, for the knowledge of soyles,which is good, and which is badde, Ihaue spoken sufficiently already in thatpart which intreateth of Tillage, onelythis one caueat I will giue you, assoone as you haue markt out yourgarden-plot, you shall turne vp a sodde,and taking some part of the fresh

mould, champe it betwéene your téethin your mouth, and if it taste swéetishthen is the mould excellent good and fitto receiue either seedes or plants,without much Manuring, but if it tastesalt or bitter, then it is a [ P2v ] [ 108 ] greatsigne of barrainenesse, and must ofnecessitie be corrected with Manure:for saltnesse sheweth much windinesse,which choaketh and stifleth the séede,and bitternesse that vnnaturall heatewhich blasteth it before it sprout.

Of the situation. Now, for the situation of

the garden-plot for pleasure, you shallvnderstand that it must euer be placedso neare vnto the dwelling house as ispossible, both because the eye of theowner may be a guard and supportfrom inconueniences, as also that theespeciall roomes and prospects of thehouse may be adorned, perfumed, andinriched, with the delicate proportions,odorifferous smells, and wholsomeayres which shall ascend and vaporatefrom the same, as may more amply beséene in that former Chapter, wheremodelling forth the Husbandmans

house, I shew you the site and place forhis Garden, onely you must diligentlyobserue, that neare vnto this garden doenot stand any houells, stackes of hay,or Corne, which ouer-pearing the walls,or fence, of the same, may by reason ofwinde, or other occasion, annoy thesame with straw, chaffe, séedes, orsuch like filthinesse, which doth notonely blemish the beauty thereof, but isalso naturally very hurtfull andcankerous to all plants whatsoeuer.Within this garden plot would be alsoeither some Well, Pumpe, Conduit,

Pond, or Cesterne for water, sith agarden, at many times of the yéere,requireth much watering: & this placefor water you shall order and disposeaccording to your abillitie, and thenature of the soyle, as thus: if bothyour reputation, and your wealth be ofthe lowest account, if then your gardenaford you a plaine Well, comelycouered, or a plaine Pump, it shall besufficient, or if for want of suchsprings you digge a fayre Pond in someconuenient part thereof, or else (whichis much better) erect a Cesterne of

leade, into which by pippes maydiscend all the raine-water which fallsabout any part of the house, it willserue for your purpose: but if God hauebestowed vpon you a greater measureof his blessings, both in wealth &account, if then insteade of either Well,Pumpe, Pond, or Cesterne, you erectConduits, [ P3 ] [ 109 ] or continuallrunning Fountaines, composed ofAntique workes, according to thecuriositie of mans inuention, it shall bemore gallant and worthy: and theseConduits or water-courses, you may

bring in pippes of leade from otherremote or more necessary places ofwater springs, standing aboue the leuellof your garden, as euery Artist in theprofession of such workes can moreamply declare vnto you, onely for méelet it be sufficient to let you vnderstandthat euery garden would beaccompanied with water.

Also you shall haue great care thatthere adioyne not vnto your garden-plotany common-shewers, stinking ormuddy dikes, dung-hils, or such like,

the annoyance of whose smells andeuill vapors doth not onely corrupt andbréede infection in man, but alsocankereth, killeth and consumeth allmanner of plants, especially thosewhich are most pleasant, fragrant, andodorifferous, as being of tenderestnature and qualitie: and for this causediuers will not alow the moating ofgarden-plots about, imagining that theouer great moistnesse thereof, and thestrong smells which doe arise from themudde in the Summer season, doecorrupt and putrifie the hearbes and

plants within the compasse of thesame, but I am not altogether of thatopinion, for if the water be swéet, orthe channell thereof sandy or grauelly,then there is no such scruple to betaken: but if it be contrary, then it iswith all care to be auoyded, because itis euer a Maxime in this case, that yourgarden-plot must euer be compassedwith the pleasantest and swéetest ayrethat may be.

The windes which you shall generallydefend from your garden, are the

Easterne windes and the Northerne,because they are sharpest, coldest, andbring with them tempers of mostvnseasonablenesse, & albeit in Italie,Spaine, and such like hot Countries,they rather defend away the Westerneand Southerne winde, giuing fréepassage to the East and North, yet withEngland it may not be so, because thenaturall coldenes of our Climate issufficient [ P3v ] [ 110 ] without anyassistance to further bitternesse, ourbest industry being to be imployedrather to get warmth, which may

nourish and bring forth our labours,then any way to diminish or weaken thesame.

This plot of ground also would lye, asneare as you can, at the foote orbottome of an hill, both that the hillmay defend the windes and sharpeweather from the same, as also that youmay haue certaine ascents or risings ofstate, from leuell to leuell, as was insome sort before shewed in the plot forthe Orchard, and shall be betterdeclared in the next Chapter.

Of fencing the garden. Now lastly for thefencing or making priuate the garden-plot, it is to be done according to yourabillitie, and the nature of the climatewherein you liue: as thus, if yourreuenewes will reach thereunto, andmatter be to be got, for that purpose,where you liue, then you shallvnderstand that your best fence is astrong wall, either of Bricke, Ashler,rough-Stone, or Earth, of which you arethe best-owner, or can with leastdammage compasse: but for wanteither of earth to make bricke, or

quarries out of which to get stone, itshall not then be amisse to fence yourgarden with a tall strong pale ofseasoned Oake, fixt to a double parrisraile, being lined on the inside with athicke quicke-set of white-Thorne, theplanting whereof shall be more largelyspoken of where I intreate of fencingonely. But if the place where you liuein, be so barraine of timber that youcannot get sufficient for the purpose,then you shall make a studde wall,which shall be splinted and lomed bothwith earth and lime, and hayre, and

copt vpon the toppe (to defend awaywet) either with tile, slate, or straw,and this wall is both beautifull, and oflong continuance, as may be séene inthe most parts of the South of thiskingdome: but if either your pouerty orclimate doe deny you timber for thispurpose, you shall then first make asmall trench round about your garden-plot, and set at least foure rowes ofquicke-set of white-Thorne, one aboueanother, and then round about theoutside, to [ P4r ] [ 111 ] defend the quick-set, make a tall fence of dead woode,

being either long, small, brushy poalesprickt into the earth, and standingvpright, and so bound together in thewast betwéene two other poales,according to the figure set downe,

being so high that not any kinde ofPullen may flie ouer the same, or elsean ordinary hedge of common woode,being beyrded vpon the toppe with

sharpe Thornes, in such wise that notany thing may dare to aduenture ouerit: and this dead fence you shall repaireand maintaine as occasion shall requirefrom time to time, till your quicke-setbe growne vp, and, by continuallplashing and interfouldings, be madeable and sufficient to fence and defendyour garden, which will be within fiueor seauen yeeres at the most, and socontinue with good order for euer. Andthus much for the situation of gardens.

[ P4v ] [ 112 ] CHAP. XVI.

Of the fashion of the garden-plot for pleasure, the Alleyes,

Quarters, Digging andDungging of the same.

fter you haue chosen out and fencedyour garden-plot, according as isbefore sayd, you shall then beginne tofashion and proportion out the same,sith in the conuayance remaineth agreat part of the gardiners art. The

fashion. And herein you shall

vnderstand that there be two formes ofproportions belonging to the garden,the first, onely beautifull, as the plaine,and single square, contayning onelyfoure quarters, with his large Alleyeseuery way, as was discribed before inthe Orchard: the other both beautifulland stately, as when there is one, twoor thrée leuelled squares, eachmounting seauen or eight steppes oneaboue another, and euery squarecontayning foure seuerall Quarters withtheir distinct and seuerall Alleyes ofequall breadth and proportion; placing

in the center of euery square, that is tosay, where the foure corners of thefoure Quarters doe as it were neighbourand méete one another, either aConduit of antique fashion, a Standardof some vnusuall deuise, or else someDyall, or other Piramed, that may graceand beautifie the garden. And herein Iwould haue you vnderstand that Iwould not haue you to cast euerysquare into one forme or fashion ofQuarters or Alleyes, for that wouldshew little varytie or inuention in Art,but rather to cast one in plaine Squares,

another in Tryangulars, another inroundalls, & so a fourth according tothe worthinesse of conceite, as in somesort you may behould by these figures,which questionlesse when they areadorned with their ornaments, willbreed infinite delight to the beholders.

[ Q ] [ 113 ]

The Plaine Square.

[ Q1v ] [ 114 ]

The Square Triangular or circular.

[ Q2 ] [ 115 ]

The Square of eight Diamonds.

[ Q2v ] [ 116 ] From the modell of theseSquares, Tryangles, and Rounds, anyindustrious braine may with little

difficulty deriue and fashion tohimselfe diuers other shapes andproportions, according to the natureand site of the earth, which mayappeare more quaint and strange thenthese which are in our common vse,albeit these are in the truth ofworkmanship the perfect father andmother of all proportions whatsoeuer.

The ordering of Alleyes. Now, you shallvnderstand that concerning the Alleyesand walkes in this garden of pleasure, itis very méete that your ground, being

spacious and large, (which is the bestbeauty) that you cut through the midstof euery Alley an ample and large pathor walke, the full depth of the roote ofthe gréene-swarth, and at least thebreadth of seauen or eight foote: and inthis path you shall strow either somefine redde-sand, of a good bindingnature, or else some fine small grauell,or for want of both them you may takethe finest of your pit-coale-dust, whichwill both kéepe your Alleyes dry andsmooth, and also not suffer any grasseor gréene thing to grow within them,

which is disgracefull, if it be suffered:the French-men doe vse, to couer theirAlleyes, either with the powder ofmarble, or the powder of slate-stone, orelse paue them either with Pit-stone,Frée-stone, or Tiles, the first of whichis too hard to get, the other great costto small purpose, the rather sith ourowne grauell is in euery respect asbeautifull, as dry, as strong, and as longlasting: Onely this héedfulnesse youmust diligently obserue, that if thesituation of your garden-plot be lowand much subiect to moisture, that then

these middle-cut paths or walkes mustbe heightned vp in the midst, and madein a proportionall bent or compasse:wherein you shall obserue that the outmost verdges of the walke must beleuell with the gréene-swarth whichholded in each side, and the midst sotruly raised vp in compasse, that theraine which falles may haue a passageto each side of the gréene-swarth. Now,the lesse this compasse is made (so itauoyde the water, and remaine hard)the better it is, because [ Q3 ] [ 117 ] bythat meanes both the eye shall be

deceiued (which shewes art in theworkman) and the more leuell they are,the more ease vnto them which shallcontinually walke vpon them.

Obiection. Now, if any shall obiect, whyI doe not rather couet to haue theseAlleyes or walkes rather all gréene,then thus cut and deuided, sith it is amost beautifull thing to see a pleasantgréene walke, my answere is this, thatfirst the mixture of colours, is theonely delight of the eye aboue allother: for beauty being the onely obiect

in which it ioyeth, that beautie isnothing but an excellent mixture, orconsent of colours, as in thecomposition of a delicate woman thegrace of her chéeke is the mixture ofredde and white, the wonder of her eyeblacke and white, and the beauty of herhand blewe and white, any of which isnot sayd to be beautifull if it consist ofsingle or simple colours: and so inthese walkes, or Alleyes, the all gréene,nor the all yealow cannot be sayd to bemost beautifull, but the gréene andyealow, (that is to say, the vntroade

grasse, and the well knit grauell) beingequally mixt, giue the eye both lusterand delight beyonde all comparison.

Againe, to kéepe your walkes allgréene, or grassy, you must of forceeither forbeare to tread vpon them,(which is the vse for which they wereonely fashioned,) or treading vponthem you shall make so many pathesand ilfauored wayes as will be mostvglie to the eye: besides the dewe andwet hanging vpon the grasse will soannoy you, that if you doe not select

especiall howers to walke in, you mustprouide shooes or bootes ofextraordinary goodnesse: which ishalfe a depriuement of your liberty,whereas these things of recreation werecreated for a contrary purpose.

Now, you shall also vnderstand that asyou make this sandy and smooth walkethrough the midst of your Alleyes, soyou shall not omit but leaue as muchgréene-swarth, or grasse ground ofeache side the plaine path as may fullycounteruaile the breadth of the walke,

as thus for example: if your sandywalke be sixe foote broad, the grasse [

Q3v ] [ 118 ] ground of each side it, shall beat least sixe foote also, so that thewhole Alley shall be at least eightéenefoote in breadth, which will be bothcomely and stately.

Of the Quarters. Your Alleyes being thusproportioned and set forth, your nextworke shall be the ordering of yourQuarters, which as I sayd before, youmay frame into what proportions youplease, as into Squares, Tryangles and

Rounds, according to the ground, oryour owne inuention: and hauingmarked them out with lines, and thegarden compasse, you shall thenbeginne to digge them in this manner:first, with a paring spade, the fashionwhereof is formerly shewed, you shallpare away all the gréene-swarth, fullyso déepe as the roote of the grasse shallgoe, and cast it away, then with otherdigging spades you shall digge vp theearth, at least two foote and a halfe, orthrée foote déepe, in turning vp ofwhich earth, you shall note that as any

rootes of wéedes, or other quickes shallbe raised or stirred vp, so presentlywith your hands to gather them vp, andcast them away, that your mould may(as neare as your dilligence canperforme it) be cleane from eitherwilde rootes, stones, or such likeoffences: & in this digging of yourQuarters you shall not forget but raisevp the ground of your Quarters at leasttwo foote higher then your Alleyes, andwhere by meanes of such reasure, youshall want mould, there you shallsupply that lacke by bringing mould

and cleane earth from some otherplace, where most conueniently youmay spare it, that your whole Quarterbeing digged all ouer, it may rise in allparts alike, and carry an orderly andwell proportioned leuell through thewhole worke.

Of Dunging. The best season for this firstdigging of your garden mould is inSeptember: and after it is so digged androughly cast vp, you shall let it rest tillthe latter end of Nouember, at whattime you shall digge it vp againe, in

manner as afore sayd, onely with theseadditions, that you shall enter into thefresh mould, halfe a spade-graft déeperthen before, and at euery two footebreadth of ground, enlarging [ Q4r ] [ 119 ]

the trench both wide and déepe, fill itvp with the oldest and best Oxe orCow-Manure that you can possibly get,till such time that increasing from twofoote to two foote, you haue gone ouerand Manured all your quarters, hauinga principall care that your dunge orManure lye both déepe and thicke, inso much that euery part of your mould

may indifferently pertake and beinriched with the same Manure.

Diuersitie of Manures. Now, you shallvnderstand that although I doeparticularly speake but of Oxe or Cow-Manure, because it is of all the fattestand strongest, especially being olde,yet their are diuers respects to be hadin the Manuring of gardens: as first, ifyour ground be naturally of a good, fat,blacke, and well tempered earth, or if itbe of a barraine, sandy, hot, yet firmemould, that in either of these cases

your Oxe, Cow, or beast Manure is thebest & most sufficient, but if it be of acolde, barraine, or spewing mould thenit shall be good to mixe your Oxe-dunge with Horse-dunge, which shallbe at least two yéeres olde, if you canget it, otherwise such as you cancompasse: if your ground be good andfertill yet out of his drynesse in thesummer-time it be giuen to riue andchappe as is séene in many earths; youshall then mixe your Oxe-dunge wellwith Ashes, orts of Lime, and suchlike: lastly, if your earth be too much

binding and colde therewithall, thenmixe your Oxe-dunge with chalke ormarle and it is the best Manure. Andthus much for the generall vse ofearths.

Now, for perticular vses you shallvnderstand that for Hearbs or Flowersthe Oxe and Horse-dunge is the best,for rootes or Cabbages, mans ordure isthe best, for Harty-chockes, or any suchlike thisly-fruit, Swines-dunge is mostsufficient, and thus according to yoursetled determination you shall

seuerally prouide for euery seuerallpurpose, and so, God assisting,seldome faile in your profit. And thisdunge you shall bring into your gardenin little drumblars or whéele-barrowes,made for the purpose, such as being incommon vse in euery Husbandmansyarde it [ Q4v ] [ 120 ] shall be néedlessehere either to shew the figure orproportion thereof. And thus much forthe fashion, digging, and dunging ofgardens.

CHAP. XVII.

Of the adornation andbeautifying of the Garden for

pleasure.

he adornation and beautifying ofgardens is not onely diuers but almostinfinite, the industry of mens braineshourely begetting and bringing forthsuch new garments and imbroadery forthe earth, that it is impossible to saythis shall be singular, neither can anyman say that this or that is the best, sith

as mens tastes so their fancies arecarried away with the varietie of theiraffections, some being pleased withone forme, some with another: I willnot therefore giue preheminence to anyone beauty, but discribing the faces andglories of all the best ornamentsgeneraly or particularly vsed in ourEnglish gardens, referre euery man tothe ellection of that which shall bestagrée with his fancy.

Of Knots and Mazes. To beginne thereforewith that which is most antient and at

this day of most vse amongst thevulgar though least respected withgreat ones, who for the most part arewholy giuen ouer to nouelties: youshall vnderstand that Knots and Mazeswere the first that were receiued intoadmiration, which Knots or Mazeswere 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 least eightéene

inches broad at the bottome & beingkept with cliping both smooth andleuell on the toppe and on each side,those borders as they were ornamentsso were they also very profitable [ R ] [

121 ] to the huswife for the drying oflinnen cloaths, yarne, and such like: forthe nature of Boxe and Primpe being togrow like a hedge, strong and thicke,together, the Gardiner, with his shearesmay kéepe it as broad & plaine ashimselfe listeth. Within this bordershall your knot or maze be drawne, itbeing euer intended that before the

setting of your border your quartershall be the third time digged, madeexceeding leuell, and smooth, withoutclot or stone, and the mould, with yourgarden rake of iron, so broken that itmay lye like the finest ashes, and thenwith your garden mauls, which arebroad-boards of more then two footesquare set at the ends of strong staues,the earth shall be beaten so hard andfirme together that it may beare theburthen of a man without shrinking.And in the beating of the mould youshall haue all diligent care that you

preserue and kéepe your leuell to ahayre, for if you faile in it, you faile inyour whole worke.

[ R1v ] [ 122 ] Now for the time of thislabour, it is euer best about thebeginning of February, and indifferent,

about the midst of October, but for thesetting of your Primpe, or Boxe-border,let the beginning of Nouember be yourlatest time, for so shall you be sure thatit will haue taken roote, and the leafewill flourish in the spring following: atwhich time your ground being thusartificially prepared, you shall begin todraw forth your knot in this manner:first, with lines you shall draw theforme of the figure next before setdowne, and with a small instrument ofiron make it vpon the earth.

Which done, from the order andproportion of these lines you shall drawyour single knots or plaine knots of the

least curiositie, as may appeare by thisfigure, being one quarter of the wholeKnot: euer proportioning your Traylesand windings according to the linesthere discribed, which will kéepe yourworke in iust proportion.

[ R2 ] [ 123 ] But if you desire to haueknots of much more curiositie beingmore double and intricate, then youshall draw your first lines after thisproportion here figured, pinning downeeuery line firme to the earth with alittle pinne made of woode.

Which done you shall draw yourdouble and curious knots after themanner of the figure following, which

is also but one quarter of the wholeknot, for looke in what manner you doeone knot in like sort will the other thréequarters succéede, your lines kéepingyou in a continuall euen proportion.

[ R2v ] [ 124 ]

And in this manner as you draw theseknots, with the like helps and lines alsoyou shall draw out your Mazes, and

laborinths, of what sort or kind soeueryou please, whether they be round orsquare. But for as much, as not onelyt h e Country-farme, but also diuersother translated bookes, doe at largedescribe the manner of casting andproportioning these knots, I will notpersist to write more curiously vponthem, but wish euery painefull gardinerwhich coueteth to be more satisfiedtherein, to repaire to those authors,where hée shall finde more largeamplifications, and greater diuersitiesof knots, yet all tending to no more

purpose then this which I haue allready written.

Now, as soone as you haue drawneforth and figured your knot vpon theface of your quarter, you shall then setit either with Germander, Issoppe,Time or Pinke-gilly-flowers, [ R3 ] [ 125 ]

but of all hearbes Germander is themost principall best for this purpose:diuers doe vse in knots to set Thrift,and in time of néed it may serue, but itis not so good as any of the other,because it is much subiect to be slaine

with frost, and will also spread vponthe earth in such sort that, without verypainefull cutting, it will put your knotout of fashion.

Now there is another beautifying oradorning of Gardens, and it is mostgenerally to be séene in the gardens ofNoblemen and Gentlemen, which maybeare coate-armor, and that is, insteadof the knots and mazes formerlyspoken of, to draw vpon the faces ofyour quarters such Armes, or Ensines,as you may either beare your selfe, or

will preserue for the memory of anyfriend: and these armes being drawneforth in plaine lines, you shall set thoseplaine shadowing lines either withGermander, Issop, or such like hearbes:and then for the more ample beautiethereof, if you desire to haue them intheir proper and liuely colours (withoutwhich they haue but one quarter oftheir luster) you shall vnderstand thatyour colours in Armory are thus to bemade. Yeallow. First, for your mettalls:you shall make your Yeallow, either ofa yeallow clay, vsually to be had

almost in euery place, or the yeallowestsand, or for want of both, of yourFlanders Tile, which is to be bought ofeuery Iron-monger or Chandelor; andany of these you must beate to dust:White. for your White you shall make itof the coursest chalke beaten to dust, orof well burnt plaister, or, for necessity,of lime, but that will soone decay:Blacke.Red.

Blew. your Blacke is to be made of yourbest and purest coale-dust, well clensedand sifted: your Red is to be made of

broken vselesse brickes beaten to dust,and well clensed from spots: your Blewis to be made of white-chalke, andblacke coale dust mixed together, tillthe blacke haue brought the white to aperfect blewnes: Greene. lastly yourGréene, both for the naturall propertybelonging to your Garden, as also forbetter continuance and long lasting,you shall make of Camomill, wellplanted where any such colour is [ R3v ] [

126 ] to be vsed, as for the rest of thecolours, you shall sift them, and strowthem into their proper places, and then

with a flat beating-Béetell you shallbeate it, and incorporate it with theearth, and as any of the colours shalldecay, you shall diligently repairethem, and the luster will be mostbeautifull.

There is also another beautifying ofgardens, which although it last not thewhole yéere, yet it is most quaint, rare,and best eye-pleasing, and thus it is:you shall vpon the face of your quarterdraw a plaine double knot, in mannerof billet-wise: for you shall vnderstand

that in this case the plainest knot is thebest, and you shall let it be more then afoote betwixt line and line (for in thelargenesse consists much beauty) thisknot being scored out, you shall takeTiles, or tileshreds and fixe themwithin the lines of your knot stronglywithin the earth, yet so as they maystand a good distance aboue the earthand this doe till you haue set out allyour knot with Tile: then precisely notethe seuerall passages of your knot, andthe seuerall thrids of which itconsisteth, and then betwixt your tiles,

(which are but as the shadowing linesof your knot) plant in euery seuerallthird, flowers of one kinde and colour,as thus for example: in one thrid plantyour carnation Gilly-flower, in anotheryour great white Geli flower, in anotheryour mingle-coloured Gilly-flower, andin another your blood-red Gilly-flower,and so likewise if you can compassethem you may in this sort plant yourseueral coloured Hyacinths, as the red,the blew, and the yealow, or yourseuerall coloured Dulippos, and manyother Italian and french flowers: or you

may, if you please, take of eueryseuerall plant one, and place them asafforesaid; the grace of all which is,that so soone as these flowers shall putforth their beauties, if you stand a littleremote from the knot, and any thingaboue it, you shall sée it appeare like aknot made of diuers coloured ribans,most pleasing and most rare.

Many other adornations andbeautifyings there are which belong tothe setting forth of a curious garden,but [ R4r ] [ 127 ] for as much as none are

more rare or more estéemed then theseI haue set downe, being the bestornaments of the best gardens of thiskingdome, I thinke them tastessufficient for euery husbandman, orother of better quality which delightethin the beauty and well trimming of hisground.

CHAP. XVIII.

How for the entertainment ofany great Person, in anyParke, or other place of

pleasure, where Sommer-bowers are made, to make acompleat Garden in two or

three dayes.

f the honest English husbandman, orany other, of what quallity soeuer, shallentertaine any Noble personage, towhom hee would giue the delight of allstrange contentment, either in his

Parke, or other remote place ofpleasure, néere vnto Ponds, Riuer, orother waters of cléerenesse, after héehath made his arbors and Summer-bowers to feast in, the fashion whereofis so common that euery labourer canmake them, hée shall then marke outhis garden-plot, bestowing such sleightfence thereon as hée shall thinke fit:then hée shall cast forth his alleys, anddeuide them from his quarters, byparing away the gréene-swarth with aparing spade, finely, and euen, by adirect line (for a line must euer be vsed

in this worke) then hauing store oflabourers (after the vpper-most swarthis taken away) you shall cast vp thequarters, and then breaking the mouldand leuelling it, you shall make sad theearth againe, then vpon your quartersyou shall draw forth either Knots,Armes, or any other deuise which shallbe best pleasing to your fancie, aseither knots with single or doubletrayles, or other emblemicall deuise, asBirds, Beasts, and such like: and inyour knots where you should planthearbes, you shall take [ R4v ] [ 128 ]

gréene-sods of the richest grasse, andcutting it proportionably to the knot,making a fine trench, you shall lay inyour sod, and so ioyning sod to sodclose and arteficially, you shall setforth your whole knot, or theportrayture of your armes, or otherdeuise, and then taking a cleanebroome that hath not formerly béeneswept withall, you shall brush allvncleanenesse from the grasse, andthen you shall behold your knot ascompleat, and as comely as if it hadbéene set with hearbes many yéeres

before. Now for the portrayture of anyliuing thing, you shall cut it forth,ioyning sod vnto sod, and thenafterward place it into the earth. Now ifwithin this plot of ground which youmake your garden piece there be eithernaturall or arteficiall mounts or bankesvpon them, you may in this selfe-samemanner with gréene sods set forth aflight, either at field or riuer, or themanner of hunting of any chase, or anystory, or other deuise that you please,to the infinit admiration of all themwhich shall behold it: onely in working

against mounts or bankes you mustobserue to haue many small pinnes, tostay your worke and kéepe your sodsfrom slipping one from another, tillsuch time as you haue made euerything fast with earth, which you mustrame very close and hard: as forFlowers, or such like adorments, youmay the morning before, remoue themwith their earth from some othergarden, and plant them at your bestpleasure. And thus much for a gardento be made in the time of hastynecessity.

[ S ] [ 129 ] CHAP. XIX.

How to preserue Abricots, orany kinde of curious

outlandish-stone-fruit, andmake them beare plentifullybe the Spring or beginning of

Summer neuer so bitter.

haue knowne diuers Noblemen,Gentlemen & men of vnder quallitie,that haue béene most laborious how topreserue these tender stone-fruits fromthe violence of stormes, frost and

windes, and to that end haue béene atgreat cost and charges yet many timeshaue found much losse in their labours,wherefore in the end, through thepractise of many experiments, this hathbéene found (which I will here setdowne) the most approuedst way tomake them beare without all kinde ofdanger. After you haue planted yourAbricot, or other delicate fruit, andplasht him vp against a wall in manneras hath béene before declared, youshall ouer the tops of the trées all alongthe wall, build a large pentisse, of at

least sixe or seauen foote in length:which pentisse ouer-shaddowing thetrées, will, as experience hath foundout, so defend them, that they will euerbeare in as plentifull manner as theyhaue done any particular yéere before.There be many that will scoffe, or atleast, giue no credit to this experiment,because it carrieth with it no morecuriositie, but I can assure thée that artthe honest English Husbandman, thatthere is nothing more certaine andvnfallible, for I haue séene in one ofthe greatest Noblemens gardens in the

kingdome, where such a pentisse wasmade, that so farre as the pentissewent, so farre the trées did prosper withall fruitfulnesse, and where the pentisseended, not one trée bare, the spring-time being most bitter and wonderfullvnseasonable.

[ S1v ] [ 130 ] Now I haue séene some greatPersonages (whose pursses may buytheir pleasures at any rate) which hauein those pentisses fixed diuers stronghookes of Iron, and then made acanuasse of the best Poldauie, with

most strong loopes, of small corde,which being hung vpon the Ironhookes, hath reacht from the pentisseto the ground, and so laced with cordeand small pulleys, that like the saile ofa ship it might be trust vp, and letdowne at pleasure: this canuasse thusprepared is all the Spring and latter endof Winter to be let downe at the settingof the Sunne, and to be drawne vp atthe rising of the Sunne againe. Thepractise of this I referre to such as haueabillitie to buy their delight, withoutlosse, assuring them that all reason and

experience doth finde it most probableto be most excellent, yet to the plaineEnglish Husbandman I giue certaineassurance that the pentisse onely issufficient enough and will defend allstormes whatsoeuer. And thus much forthe preseruation and increase of alltender Stone-fruit, of what nature, orclimbe bred, soeuer.

CHAP. XX.

How to make Grapes grow asbigge, full, and as naturally,

and to ripen in as due season,and be as long lasting as

either in Fraunce or Spaine.

iuers of our English Gardiners, andthose of the best and most approued'stiudgements, haue béene veryindustrious to bring Grapes, in ourkingdome, to their true nature andperfection: and some great persons Iknow, that with infinit cost, and I hope

prosperous successe, hath planted aVineyard of many Acres, in which thehands of the best experienced french-men hath béene imploied: but for thosegreat workes they are onely for greatmen, and not for the plaine EnglishHusbandman, neither will such workesby any [ S2r ] [ 131 ] meanes prosper inmany parts of our kingdome, especiallyin the North parts: and I that write forthe generall vse, must treate ofvniuersall Maximes: therefore if youdesire to haue Grapes in their true andbest kinde, most earely and longest

lasting, you shall in the mostconuenient part of your garden, whichis euer the center or middle pointthereof, build a round house, in thefashion of a round Doue-coate, butmany degrées lower, the ground workewhereof shalbe aboue the ground twoor thrée brickes thickenesse, vpon thisground-plot you shall place agroundsell, and thereon, fine, yetstrong studs, which may reach to theroofe: these studs shalbe placed betterthen foure foote one from another, withlittle square bars of woode, such as you

vse in glasse windowes, two betwixteuery two studs, the roofe you maymake in what proportion you will, forthis house may serue for a delicatebanqueting house, and you may eithercouer it with Leade, Slate or Tile,which you please. Now, from theground to the top, betwéene the studs,you shall glase it, with very strongglasse, made in an excéeding largesquare pane, well leaded and cimented.This house thus made, you shallobserue that through the bricke workethere be made, betwéene euery two

studs, square holes, cleane through intothe house; then on the out-side,opposite against those holes, you shallplant the roote of your Vine, hauingbéene very carefull in the election andchoise thereof: which done, as yourVine groweth you shall draw it throughthose holes, and as you vse to plash aVine against a wall, so you shall plashthis against the glasse window, on thein-side, and so soone as it shall beginneto beare Grapes you shall be sure toturne euery bunch, so that it may lyeclose to the glasse, that the reflection

of the Sunne heating the glasse, thatheate may hasten on the ripening, &increase the groath of your Grapes: asalso the house defending off all mannerof euill weather, these Grapes will hangripe, vnrotted or withered, euen tillChristmas. Thus haue I giuen you a tastof some of the first parts of EnglishHusbandry, [ S2v ] [ 132 ] which if I shallfinde thankefully accepted, if it pleaseGod to grant mée life, I will in my nextVolumne, shew you the choise of allmanner of Garden Hearbes andFlowers, both of this and other

kingdomes, the seasons of theirplantings, their florishings andorderings: I will also shew you the trueordering of Woodes, both high and low,as also the bréeding and féeding of allmanner of Cattell, with the cure of alldiseases incident vnto them, togetherwith other parts of Husbandry, neuerbefore published by any Author: this Ipromise, if God be pleased: to whombe onely ascribed the glory of all ouractions, and whose name be praised foreuer. Amen.

FINIS.

Transcriber's notes

The following changes have been madeand anomalies noted.

A Former Part

Chap. II.

'adicted to nouelty and curiouity'changed to 'adicted to nouelty andcuriousity' on signature A4r.

Chap. III.

'Plough houlder when hée cometh to'scan is unclear on signature B3r.

'two much earth' probable misprint for'too much earth' on signature C1r.

Chap. IIII.

'the of point your share' changed to 'thepoint of your share' on signature C2r.

Chap. V.

'of that which you soil'd:' changed to 'ofthat which you foil'd:' on signature C3v.

Chap. VI.

'the ridge of you land againe.' probablemisprint for 'the ridge of your landagaine.' on signature D4v.

'Tare-Cockle, or such like,' scan isunclear on signature D4v.

'After your land is soild,' changed to

'After your land is foild,' on signatureE2r.

Chap. VII.

'and if you ffnde any part of it' changedto 'and if you finde any part of it' onsignature F2r.

'Manure of beasts which can be-gotten'probable misprint for 'Manure of beastswhich can be gotten' on signature F4r.

'your fould of Séepe' changed to 'yourfould of Shéepe' on signature G1r.

'frost, winde, and weathe,rmakes'changed to 'frost, winde, and weather,makes' on signature G1v.

'no wing accoridng' changed to 'no wingaccording' on signature G2r.

Chap. IX.

'much barrainnesse, espcially' changedto 'much barrainnesse, especially' onsignature H3r.

'it shall be needlesse' scan is unclear onsignature H3v.

The First Part

Chap. I.

'you most turne euery furrow' probablemisprint for 'you must turne eueryfurrow' on page 3.

'hée must sooner stirer' changed to 'héemust sooner stirre'. Scan is unclear onpage 4.

Chap. II.

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

8.

Chap. III.

'their naturall lighnesse' changed to'their naturall lightnesse' on page 11.

'as hath, béene showed before' changedto 'as hath béene showed before' on page13.

Chap. IIII.

'it is most, certaine' changed to 'it is mostcertaine' on page 15.

'Cornes in their gardens thus, set seeing'changed to 'Cornes in their gardens thusset, seeing' on page 16.

Chap. V.

'vpon the or fourth field' changed to'vpon the third or fourth field' on page20.

'is ninam Barly,' probable misprint for 'isniam Barly,' on page 24.

Chap. VI.

'as we sée in dayly experience,' changed

to 'as we sée in dayly experience.' onpage 28.

The Second Part of the First Booke

Chap. I.

'perfect ground-plot, you' scan is unclearon page 34.

'twelue or fourtéene foote on of another,'probable misprint for 'twelue orfourtéene foote one of another,' on page35.

'thorny and sharpe, trées,' changed to

'thorny and sharpe trées,' on page 38.

Chap. IIII.

'you shall tak one of your grafts'changed to 'you shall take one of yourgrafts' on page 49.

Chap. V.

'Grafting betweene the barke.' scan ofsidenote is unclear on page 53.

'not aboue trée grafts at the most'

changed to 'not aboue thrée grafts at themost' on page 53.

'Grafting on the toppes of trees.' scan ofsidenote is unclear on page 56.

'and to contincu' changed to 'and tocontinue' on page 58.

Chap. VI.

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

the Orchard.' on page 59.

Chap. VII.

'it is a ready away' changed to 'it is aready way' on page 63.

'two much fertillitie' probable misprintfor 'too much fertillitie' on page 66.

'stéepe it Mfor alt' changed to 'stéepe itfor Malt' on page 67.

Chap. VIII.

'for any peculyar pofit' changed to 'forany peculyar profit' on page 67.

Chap. IX.

'and growriuelled' changed to 'and growriuelled' on page 81.

'they can by meanes indure,' changed to'they can by no meanes indure,' on page85.

Chap. XI.

'then contiunally labour' changed to'then continually labour' on page 90.

Chap. XII.

'Of Poales.' scan of sidenote is unclearon page 94.

Chap. XIIII.

'dry more Hoppes then any one man'scan is unclear on page 103.

Chap. XVII.

'then betwxit your tiles' changed to 'thenbetwixt your tiles' on page 126.

Chap. XVIII.

'CHAP: XVIII.' changed to 'CHAP. XVIII.'on page 127.

'single or double trayles,' scan unclearon page 127.

Chap. XIX.

'to the pliane English Husbandman'changed to 'to the plaine EnglishHusbandman'on page 130.

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Husbandman, by Gervase Markham

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