generations and improve our Principles for the common good which two aforesaid causes if they be not removed will never admit of the removall of the subsequent causes A third particular cause in man of the Earths unfruitfulness is want of severe punishment of Idleness the Mother and Drunkenness the Daughter or the putting in execution of such good and wholsome Lawes as both God and man have provided therein As also not raising stocks in all Countries as a Magazine or treasury of work and labour for those that want it And those other Lawes for punishing of Rogues and Vagrants that wander the Country and compelling and constraining youth and idle people to some callings All which would both put them on to more Ingenuity and the Gentry and Yeomanry of the Nation would be much induced to Invention and expatiating themselves in charge and treasure to maintain them wherby these horrid sinnes of Idleness Lust and Laciviousness would be checked and those Drones and Caterpillars the bane of a Christian State and shame of a Christian Nation would not so swarm amongst us It is a crying sin of our Nation I pray God charge it not upon us lest as we have already smarted for it we smart not now at last to purpose So that were but these Improvements put into Experiments their great plea would be silenced viz VVill you set us on work we will work if you 'll provide it c. and out of all question the capacities of the Nation herein are farr more than here be labouring men to act them and so as they conceive they justifie their Abomination both by necessity and authority As for Drunkenness the Daughter which so aboundeth every where that I verily believe and fear not to make it forth by reason and experience that were it the Daughter with Idleness the Mother suppressed in this Nation wee need never to fear want or penury I know divers Towns in this land where you shall have two or three poor Ale-houses wickedly and wastfully devour more Mault than all the Freeholders Labourers and Inhabitants besides And judge you Labouring Countrie people for the most part brew their own Beer also neither is there any passage or Road-way through the Townes where these private houses of resort are and yet these to vent so much Beer or Ale is wonderfull How much then is consumed in great Passages common Roads great Towns Markets or Cities wastfully and wickedly if so much be in Corners remote and not thought of so that were there a suppression hereof how would Idleness be abashed men would scarce stand idle in open wayes or passages for shame wife and children enjoy their Fathers and Husbands at home if doing little yet not consuming that they have got already and the Markets more full and plentifull of corn so miserably wasted And therefore as I highly commend these Lawes we have already and praise God for them so I humbly pray a quickning of their execution wherein our Worthies had they not so heavy pressures upon their shoulders as are ready to break their backs I am sure they have broke the spirits already of divers whose loss we have cause to lament with watery eyes they might humbly be implored for some Inlivening Quickning Lawes with such strict penalties annexed to the execution of them as the Discoverer or Projector might not onely be rewarded but commended and protected from disgrace and calumny The second generall cause of Barrenness is in the Earth itself and the principall causes of her Barrenness are very many some are obvious to the Judgement and understanding of all as tilling Land till it bear no corn And mowing Ground till it Graze no more or yeeld no grass all which are easily to be remedied if men would learn moderation But my design lyes not so much in Reproving as Improving and discovering that there are many causes which lie more obscure and are either not discerned at all or else not adjudged any cause of Barrenness or hinderance of the Earth her fertility and so not at all endeavoured to be removed and they are in some Lands extreme Coldness of nature having a moist springing water lying near or just under the surface or superficies of the Earth which doth either eat away or devour the Sap Fruit and Strength of the said Lands or else breed and increase the Rush and Flagg which groweth in the room of Grass and eateth away the same Another cause is Rockiness Stoniness and Gravelliness all which many times lie so near the surface of the Land that they devour much of the Earth and so make that little left so weak that it can scarce bring forth any fruit Another cause is lying Mountainous sometimes so near the Sea that the Vapors and Fogs that come from thence anoy the same Also lying far from the Sun and in shady parts occasioneth Barrenness Another cause of Barrenness is the unsuitable unnaturall laying down of Land to Graze a cause scarce imagined so to be or the present ill lying of Land that hath layen long and was ancient Inclosure al which are infinitely more prejudiciall to the fertility thereof than can be imagined till contrary experience hath discovered it viz For that Land that is sandy warm or gravelly that to be laid on high Ridge or Furrow is directly contrary to the naturall fruitfulness of that Land And that which is of a cold moist spewing or weeping nature for that to be laid down flat or levell is to the ruin and destruction of that also and is an extreme on the other hand The latter sort requireth high ridged Lands and clear open Furrowes and the first sort the contrary and especially all lands whatsoever to be laid down in good heart and strength Also another cause is the standing of the winter water upon the land or the rain of Heaven I say not the running over lands so that it may be laid dry at pleasure but the standing soaking water breeds the Rush and fowleness and likewise gnawes out the heart and strength of it like the worm at the stomack and devoureth the strength of it as experience will shew in mady parts of the Land where great Balkes betwixt Lands Hades Meares or Divisions betwixt Land and Land are left and one Furlong butting or Hadlanding upon other Furlogns makes such a stoppage of the free passage of the water that a great part of that land lyeth as it were drowned a great part of the year that it overcomes not that backing many times till near Midsummer when other sound Lands have yeelded a full half yeares profit and so for half a year yeelds little or no profit at all Another great prejudice is the Mole-hills and the Ant-hills although I shall not directly argue hence Barrenness naturally yet accidentally they much barrennize it therefore I shall demonstrate the evil of both for the Mole-hills that destroyes some
one weed than to another some grain wil do best with two summers and others with one In all which consider and advise thy self as much as thou canst of the nature of them all and make out what experiences thou canst thy self and somewhat incline to the most ingenuous usage and custome of thy Country In some cases a good custome is instructive but I 'll be brief here that I may be a little larger elsewhere following The fourth and last abuse is a calumniating and depraving every new Invention of this most culpable are your mouldy old leavened husbandmen who themselves and their forefathers have been accustomed to such a course of husbandry as they will practise and no other their resolution is so fixed no issues or events whatsoever shall change them if their neighbour hath as much corn of one Acre as they of two upon the same land or if another plow the same land for strength and nature with two horses and one man as well as he and have as good corn as he hath been used with four horse and two men yet so he will continue Or if an Improvement be discovered to him and all his neighbours hee 'l oppose it and degrade it What forsooth saith he who taught you more wit than your forefathers would they have neglected so great advantage if there had been any they kept good hospitality and made shift to breed up many children c. and I know not what simple chaff to blind themselves this proud unteachable spirit an ingenious man abhorrs which banes and poysons the very plenty of our Nation These prejudices both upon your minds and practises which boult you out from wealth and glory my dear friends and fellow husbandmen I pray you lay aside and doe but in charity walk with me a little through this discourse and I shall hope to satisfy that there is no other end but common good proposed The poor thy posterity and all Interest advantage here intended by him that is as studious of thine the Common wealths Improvement as his own W. B. The severall waies of Improvement or Advancement of the Lands of this Nation many whereof are undiscovered and most of them little practised which being experienced would be the Common-wealths glory and a pattern to other Nations FOr the dscovery whereof by Gods leave some particulars shall bee laid down as generalls to be discovered And that I may speak to the understanding of all men especially those who have little or nothing at all considered of such things nor so much as ever suffered the practique part of Husbandry to come into their minds or those who in respect of their more noble and high imployment have lived and conversed in another Region about the weighty affaires of the Nation onely receiving living upon the present profits of their Lands not minding their Lands advance And some few others who have lived more above the creature and conversed much in heaven and so are more unacquainted with the language tearmes of Husbandry therfore I will deliver my self in our own naturall Country Language and in our ordinary usuall homâ—-spun tearmes especially because I can speak no other in as few words as I can possibly conceive it clear to each apprehension and therfore before I begin to enter the discourse at large give me leave to premise the Excellency Necessity and Usefulness of improvement or good husbandry And then the discourse shall follow under these two generall heads 1. First I will discover the causes of Barrenness upon all Land and what corruptions both in the Land it self and in mens opinions practices and customes must be removed 2. The second generall being the Remedies and Preventions of the said Barrennesse and the meanes of reducing some to its utmost former Fruitfulness and Improving others to the greatest advantage it is capable of wherein that great Improvement promised is held forth at large All which will be discoursed under Six Severall Heads or Peeces of Improvement which are made good 1 BY floting or watering all sorts of Lands which lie under that capacity 2. By drayning or reducing of Boggy Fenny Sea or drowned Lnds to firmness and fruitsuiness 3 Shall be by such a way of Enclosure of common Fields Heaths Moors or Forrests as shall admit of no depopulation nor prejudice to any particular Interest whatsoever 4. Shall be by such way of Plowing or comeing some old Pasture Land already spoyled for want thereof as shall much better it and by so pasturing others already destroyed by plowing as to recover it and divers other waies to improve your lands to a great advantage 5 Shall be a discovery of such simples or Materialls as Soyl compounded with the Earth with the nature and use of both so as thereby you shall raise so much more Corn unto this Nation as shall make good the Improvement promised 6 By a new Election or Plantation of divers sorts of Woods and Timber as in few yeares a man may make sufficient buildings thereof yea upon divers sorts of Land in this Nation at twenty yeares growth it wil arise unto an incredible height and bigness yea as fast again as it naturally groweth CHAP. I. Treateth of the Excellency Necessity and Vsefulness of Improvement and good Husbandry WHich appeareth partly by the Antiquity of it for every thing is the more excellent the more ancient and nearer it comes to God the first being of all things which as all things nearest the Center move more strongly so all Excellency appeares most evidently the nearer if I may speak with reverence to that great Majesty the great Husbandman God himself First in his making the world hee made all Creatures and all Plants Fruits Trees Herbs and all bearing Seed for the food of Man and Beast He also made those more excellent and glorious Creatures as the Light the Day and Night the Firmament the Earth and Seas the Sun Moon and Starrs all to be serviceable and ministers unto the Creatures relief and all the Creatures subservient to Man and Man to Husbandize the fruits of the Earth and dress and keep them for the use of the whole Creation So God was the Originall and first Husbandman the patern of all Husbandry and first projector of that great design to bring that old Masse and Chaos of confusion unto so vast an Improvement as all the world admires and subsists from And having given man such a Patern both for precept and president for his incouragement he makes him Lord of all untill the fall And after that God intending the preservation of what he made notwithstanding the great curse upon Adam Eve and Serpent the Earth not going free but a curse of Barrennesse cast upon it also yet Adam is sent forth to till the Earth and improve it In the sweat of his face he must eat bread until be return to the Earth again And so down to Cain and Abel the one Husbanding the
part of the Land by the severall casting up of much mould upon the Grass all which are hinderanees very great to the increase of the owner But for the Ant-hils if my opinion fail not excedingly they are grand enemies to the Grazier and Husbandmans advantage they destroy more than men observe I do beleeve that in some great Pastures in England there is one fourth part of the clear fruit of that Land lost by the multiplicity of them and little better in other pastures by the Molehills for although some are of opinion that the Ant-hills are little or no prejudice they are much mistaken and they will clearly bee convinced thereof if they will but either seriously consider the quantity of grass that groweth upon them or else consider the rareness of Cattle feeding upon them and then also consider the quantity of Ground and good Ground they cover will easily appear the great prejudice by them And that the sand and gravell washed from the Mole-hill is a great cause of rotting Sheep I absolutely affirm But thereto some may object they make more ground I Answer they do such as it is destroy a lesser good quantity of Land and add possibly a double bad but let them consider that this Addition is a great Substraction for if you weigh what I said before they bear little or no grass a little wild Time and speary harsh grass that Cattell eat not but a little thereof in case of hunger And I am sure they cover a great deal of good land Doe but really consider it upon experience made upon one Acre and thou shalt find that one Acre plain or bancked shall do as much service as an Acre and near an half shall do that is so hilly And again if you do not flatter your selves in your own judgments you will find that while the Land was plain if you consider the fruit it then yeelded and the Cattle it then maintained you will find there is no proportion between what it then kept and what it now maintaines for in my experience I find that old resty Land much overrun with these hills much degenerates and doth not nor hath of late yeares kept the former usuall Stock it kept before it grew so hilly and so old by near or about one fourth part which I am sure is as much or more advantage or clear profit the Grazier Breeder or Tenant need expect and although some will not acknowledge their experience herein yet many I am sure they find it by losing proof besides the danger of casting their Cattle and Sheep betwixt the Hills which oft destroyes them Another cause of Barrenness is Bogginess or Mieriness which turns all Lands both bad good and better into such a state of Barrenness unfruitfulness that it in some parts almost destroyes the Land and in other parts it wholly destroyes it and in some places makes it worse than nothing foâ— in stead of yeelding some fruit it not onely yeeldeth none but corrupts and prejudiceth other Lands on which it borders and it self most dangerous to mischieve the Goods or Chattell that do pasture upon the same and so may be accidentally many degrees worse than nothing Another cause of Barrenness is the Overflowing and constant abiding or resting of the waters of the Sea Fenns Rivers standing Lakes or Pools for be it fresh or salt water if it lye constantly upon it it assuredly destroyeth it although some more some less according to the deepness and barrenness of the water which covers it the soundness of the ground on which it lyeth so is the fruitfulness more or less perspicuous Some pretend strange causes which my plainess fathomes not nor much affects our Country Farmers now Yet one more I must not pass by that is such New Inventions for the Improving of Land discovered by some young Husband-man at experiences as I conceive the use wherof will rather destroy Land and wast a mans profits therupon than advance some such I have lately found in a little book called New Inventions for the Improving lands Printed for J. S. and sold at the sign of the Ball on Adling hill 1646. By which I fearing some willing to lay out themselvs in Husbandry experience should be beguiled by his so great overtures of Advantage I shall onely speak to two or three particulars and leave the rest to thy leisure to consider of First As to his manuring Plough manuring Wagon manuring Stone Corroding Harrow or Corroding Rakes which he pretends as Improvements so far as my shallow Principles will compass are likely to prove Impoverishers because while a man stands to dress his Land with fine mould in which is a little strength his Land decayes for want of good soyl or ranck muck which he may sooner lay on work into his Land by the old way than he may his fine earth by his new devised mysticall Instruments not one of them discovered neither but puzzle thy self thou mayst about the thoughts thereof and though thou givest twice as much for the book as it is worth for so thou must thou art but where thou wast at first And for his Seed-Barrâ—w could he but hold that forth to set Corn as he pretends it might be of some good use because certainly setting Corn could it be done with speed and at a certain depth and well covered would be worth discovering but of this I have as little hope and as low an esteem as of his other aforesaid Instruments because he holds it out to contain one Tunnell onely for his Seed which did it contain a hundred would more likely prove for in setting one seed at once no Engine can come near the hand-setting as I conceive And this I charge as a great prejudice and may be as a barrenning the land while men stand looking for great things they neglect their ordinary and old way of Hushandry far better Another cause of Barrenness which this Gentleman puts as a meanes of Improvement is the setting up or banking into a mans land the Rain water or cold Spring water and then trampling in dung by carting and cattell as he saith will raise and increase mire and dirt and so it will I must confess but what that mireand dirt is worth I know not the dung would be excellent good of it self but what it will be in this course of husbandry I not only much question but affirm that in all my experience that treading poching and holing land in winter was an exceeding great hinderance to Corn or Grass that Spring nay some Land I have known so poched by Cattels treading though fothered upon the same both in Kent and Essex and many other parts that it hath not recovered of divers years And what strength or vertue cold spring-water or rain-water hath to fatten any land I know not but wonder then how we have any barren land in England And to make good his Assertion he appeales to them that
float Land by Rivers whose practice clean confutes his opinion who study to drain their Land as fast as float it and the best and most skilfull of them will drown none at all unless for a day or two but drain as fast and draw off as fast as they bring it on And to prove his Tenent he affirms how advantageous it will be in keeping up the flouds by his inbankments to secure the Fens from drowning which is as likely as to keep the Sea from flowing after ebbing for he that will make banks to keep in Land-flouds may as well make a hedge to keep in the Cuckow and whereas he pretends hereby to raise new Springs that may be sure I am he will raise new Quick-sands and what good use they are of I am yet to learn And for Barren Land which he seemes so well skilled in the Improvement which he desires to purchase I will help him to enough if he will either be pleased to return a miâ—d answer if my plainess have offended him or else practically make good what he hath affirmed for that a man doth do is far more credible than that he affirmes he can do Many other causes of offences might be spoken unto but they are referred to a more proper Opportunity wherein they may receive a more suitable capacity of removall and will be dropped into the discourse at large as occasion most seasonably is administred And so I proceed to the Recoveries of the said Barrenness But before I descend to the particulars consider the severall sorts of Lands that will admit of Improvement Which I consider under two Generall Heads First all inclosed Severall Land whether Meadow or Pasture Secondly Common Lands whether Arable or Grazing First Severall inclosed Lands I divide into three sorts or else will rank them under three Heads 1 First shall be our worst sort of Lands of what nature soever they be from the value of one shilling per Acre to Ten shillings The Improvement whereof will fall under most of the six particular Pieces it being capable of most and greatest Improvement 2 Secondly is our middle sorts of Lands from the value of Ten shillings per Acre unto Twenty which falls naturally under the third Piece or way of Improvement yet is capable oft times to fall under some or most of the other Pieces also 3 Third shall be our richest Land from Twenty shillings per Acre to forty and from forty to three or four Pounds an Acre some of this sort will admit of very little or no Improvement having all Naturall and Artificiall experiments already made upon it but some others of this richer sort will admit of a very considerable Improvement and is principally discovered under the sixt Piece Neither can I say that all Lands without exception of the two former sorts may be Improved For possibly and out of question very much is Improved already and others may lie so void of any capacity of Improvement that either there may be none at all or else none that will raise such Improvements as will well and sufficiently requite the charge and cost bestowed but comparatively not much of this in England And my design is principally to hold onely forth possbilities of Improving at a far inferiour charge to the cost bestowed and the Improvement made from such materialls as generally are lost or little or no whit practised in most parts of the Land The second Generall are our common Lands whether errable constantly unde Tillage such as are our common fields all the fieldon or field Land throughout the Nation of which there may be three sorts also Bad Better Best of all and all and every part thereof may be very much and manifoldly advanced under some or all of the aforesaid Pieces or else whether it be Commons or Commune of Pastures upon those great and vast Commons called Heaths Forrests Moores Marshes Meades or whatsoever of them Those also may admit of a very great Advancement and these Lands will fall familiarly under every Piece according to their severall values and capacities but most especially under the third and fourth Piece treating of Tillage and Inclosure And then I shall proceed to shew you the nature of each sorts of Lands whereby the Remedies will be most facile and easie in the application And so I have ended the first Generall The second Generall Head holds forth the severall meanes of Cure Or the reducement of Land unto Fruitfulness and Fertility discovered under the first Piece of Improvement of floating or watering Lands CHAP. III. Shewes the first Cure or Remedy against Barrenness and therein discourseth what Lands are most suitable to watering Aud how to gain watering upon the same BUt before I discourse the same at large I shall only say that there are severall Remedies against the said Barrenness or divers meanes of reducing these Lands to their naturall fruitfulness or to the Improvement of them to a more Supernaturall Advance than they were ever known to be To which I must premonish the Reader that here lyeth all the Skill and Kernell which being made forth in some good measure I hope will give thee such satisfaction that thou wilt not onely vouchsafe me the reading and thy credit thereto but also be a practioner therein Which done with delight will not onely produce the reall advantage here discovered but far greater For these things are and may be brought to a greater height of Advancement by how much the more Ingenuity and Activity is exercised in the Prosecution and Experimenting of them and to a greater discovery by a constant familiar use of them which is the true and reall end of his Discovery and the Proverb herein best will hold The more the Merrier The Cure followes now more largely ALl sorts of Lands of what nature or quality soever they be under what Climate soever of what constitution or condition soever of what face or character soever they be unless it be such as Naturally participates of so much fatness which Artificially it may be raised unto wil admit of a very large Improvement Yet the fattest Land was hath been or may be bettered by good husbandry And such are the Lands that lye near or bordering upon any River or small Brooks your little Rivers and Rivulets admitting of greater falls and descents than your bigger Rivers do which run more dull slow more dead and levell whereby little Opportunity will be gained of bringing but little Land to so great advance by them but where the greater Rivers can be gained over any Lands there will the Improvement be the greatest and the Lands made the richest the greater Rivers being usually the fruit-fullest having more Land-floods fall into them But under your lesser Brooks may your greatest quantities of Land be gained and your water most easily and with small charge be brought over greater parcels than upon greater Rivers 1 For the discovering of such Lands as lie
Sluces c. and the maintenance of the same for preservation of this charge and for the moee easy working the Improvement Take a most exact Survey of thy Water not by thy Eye onely but by and with a true exact Water Levell which is an instrument though plain and easy yet rarely made nor used among us which shall be largely described among other Tools in the tenth Chapter then either begin at the over end or neather end of thy Land which thou pleasest if at the over end where the water first entreth into thy Land And by thy Levell discover and plot out where thy water will go along thy Land as thou goest downeward that so thou maiest lose no Land that will easily be brought under thy water Then cut out thy Master Trench or Water-course if thou pleasest to such a bigness as may contain all thy Land-floud especially to bring it within thy Land and so bring down thy whole Water-course together But the most certainest way is as soon as thou hast brought thy Water within thy Land upon the superficies of it then carry it along in a foot broad Trench or lesser all along thy Levell which Water will be a great help and a second and truer Levell than the other and in thy working of it thou shalt find all little enough too prevent too dead a Levell yet lose no Ground neither If thy Levell be too dead the lesser stream will follow thee so that a convenient descent must be minded also to give the water a fair and plausible passage or current all along And if thou discover in his lesser Trench any mistake or failing then thou mayest with more ease and less charge amend the same easily by going higher upon thy Land or lower towards the water stop up the same again for thy Trench need be no deeper than the thickness of thy over Turff and cut out a new and so thou mayst most certainly demonstrate where thy main work shall go without hazard which will be a great certainty and little loss This done thou mayest cut out thy water-course and be sure it be large enough to contain the whole Water thou needest or intendest and so thou have longitude or length of ground the Trench must be the broader not the deeper for a shallow Trench is best for this work And when thou hast brought it so far into thy land as thou hast any land to work upon thou mayst a little narrow thy Course as thou seest the quantity of thy land or water requires so far as thou wouldest have thy course float over all at once thou must cut thy trench narrower narrower all along to the neather end that so without stops and staies it may flow all along at once the Trench being narrower and narrower that Water that comes within the Trench when it is wider must needs be thrust out when the narrower cannot contain it for here is the true excellency of this sort of Trenches and thus should all thy floating Trenches bee made in every work As soon as thou hast brought thy water upon thy Land and turned it over or upon it then as aforesaid be sure thou take it off as speedy as possibly and so fail not to cut out thy work so as unless thy Land bee very sound and thy Land-floud very Rich thou must take it off the sooner by a deep drayning Trench therefore I prescribe thee no certain breadth betwixt floating and drayning Trenches but if thy Land is sounder and Dryer or lieth more Descending thou mayest let it run the broader and as the Land is Moyst Sad Rushey and Levell let it run the lesser breadth or compass And for thy drayning Trench it must bee made so deep that it goe to the bottom of the cold spewing moyst water that feeds the Flagg and Rush for the wideness of it use thine own liberty but bee sure to make it so wide as thou mayest goe to the bottom of it which must bee so low as any moysture lyeth which moysture usually lyeth under the over and second swarth of the Earth in some Gravell or Sand or else where some greater Stones are mixt with clay under which thou must go half one Spades graft deep at lest Yea suppose this corruption that feeds and nourisheth the Rush or Flagg should lie a yard or four foot deep to the bottom of it thou must go if ever thou wilt drain it to purpose or make the utmost advantage of either floating or draining without which thy water cannot have its kindly Operation for though the water fatten naturally yet still this Coldness and Moisture lies gnawing within and not being taken clean away it eats out what the Water fattens And this also I must desire thee seriously to observe that as soon as thy Water hath spent it self and the Earth or Grass hath exhausted and drawn out of the Water her strength and richness then how long soever it runs longer and further it prejudiceth and corrupts it by breeding the Rushes in abundance The water running trickling among the Grass and upon the Earth leaving her Thickness Soyl or Filth which I call Richness among the Grass and upon the Earth and it self runneth away into the drayning Trench and troubles thee no more and so the Goodness of the Water is as it were Ridled Screened and Strained out into the Land and the Leaness slideth away from thee which can never be done neither so speedily nor so purely by standing on Lakes or Pooles besides the loss of the Grazing which may be near as good in Winter as in Summer upon a good Land-flood or rich Waters CHAP. V. Shewes the cause of water its fruitfulness and the proper season of watering Lands A Rich Land-flood is ever the washing down of great Road wayes Common Fields under Tillage or else from great Towns Houses or Dunghills The riches whereof is unvaluable Consider the goodness of thy Water if thy Water be a rich Land-flood or a lusty gallant Stream it will run further and wider upon thy Land with life and fruitfulness If lean thin and onely from Springs and Herbs or green soard t is more barren and so will operate upon less Lands so that as I said before thou must well observe both Land and Waters suitableness and so increase the latitude or breadth of thy Land thou intendest to improve with that stream before it fall into his Drain Which Drain thou must dig or make straight down as it were by a Perpendicular plum-Line which will drain the best of all Or else thou mayest make thy Drain or Trench somewhat Taper viz Narrower and Narrower downwards which will keep open the best and continue longest and for the Widness of it that must be resolved both from the nature of the ground which if Sound and Dry will require the less but if Moist and Boggy the Greater and Deeper or else from the quantity of Water it is
would for a thousand Trenches made above the Corruption that feeds the Bogginess or Rushes never Draynes or takes away the cause that the effect cannot possibly cease As for heaping the Earth and moyling the ground that I also conceive may be prevented by maintaining one Horse and Cart and sometimes a couple of Wheel-Barrowes or a double Wheel-Barrow with two Wheeles made big enough for two men to wield or a little Cart made with two little Wheeles and another lesser than them by half to bear it at a constant pitch to fill which may be so made that either with two men or a horse you may carry away a great weight with much speed and shift it horse and man at pleasure which shall be described at large in the shaddow of it in the Tenth Chapter of Trenching tooles and into them I cast my Mould as I digg or cut out my Trench and so carry it away when I first digg it either into some old Trench or hollow place and there lay it and then take my Turf which I took up in all my other Trenches and cover over that Earth and there will be as good Soard that year if it be laid before February enter as in many parts of the Field beside And so shall save both the labour of removing my heaps afterward and the spoyling of so much Land as they would cover And for the better carrying on this Improvement by Water if thy Lands be either Hilly or Banky or lye high Ridge or Furrowes upon which thy water will never work kindly take a Direction on or two for the more easie Levelling of the same how to levell or plain Lands for watering most easily and Artificially which thou mayst doe either of these two wayes Either of which I cannot more especially commend unto thee thine own Experience will demonstrate that The first is levâ—lling by the Plough which thou mayst do by two or three dlowings and gain o crop also if thou rather affect it herein thou wert best to begin about the latter end of September first to plough thy land which I advise to cast as most men do a Fallow and then in the beginning of December be sure to give it a second plowing just overthwart all the Lands and so cut the Turf that the Soard may have all the Winters frost to wrox and moulder it which towards March thou mayst plow again and so cast it or raise it as thy Land requireth to bring it most even and levell and if one more plowing will not do it then thou must do more and Harrow it also to draw down high places and fill up Valleys and if it yet bee too irregular and some places so high that the Plough and Harrow will not bring them down thou must get some Labourers with their Spades and take down those places and cast them into Regularity A Labourer with a Spade upon this wrought Land will do aboundance in a day but be most Exact and curious in Levelling thy Land it brings more Advantages than thou art aware of or I have time to shew And then about the middest of April sow thy Lands with such seeds as are more suitable to the nature and richness of it but sow it not too thick by any meant nor too thin neither but the thinner is thy Corn the stronger it will be and the more grass will grow among which will help thee more in the Soarding of it than hinder thee in the Crop of it which Crop may pay a considerable summe towards this Charges But it thou desire a more speedy Soarding of it and hast no respect to the present profit nor charge in respect of a suddain dispatch of it then as before so soon as Grass begins to stand at a stay and growes but a little plow thy Land a thin broad furrow exceeding exact and true or rather flay it or take off thy Skin or Turf with a very broad whinged or rushed share as broad a Furrow as thy Plough will carry and as soon as thou hast plowed it cut it all at such length as thy Turf may hold taking up and heap thy Turf speedily upon the next Land and then plow thy Land again and cast it down and if it lye exceeding high cast it twice and then two men with their Spades will levell any uneven Hill or Ridge most easily and thou mayst either with the Plough or Spade or both immediately bring it flat and pursue the work with all violence the Turf being taken up speed thy levelling with Plough and Spade that so thou maiest be suddenly ready to lay down thy Turf again and then take this Turf by all meanes before the Grass be killed or lose the colour or deaded and lay it down as thou plowedst it up every Joynt meeting and closing as even as thou canst possibly and expect how much soever thou canst make plain and Levell before February thou mayest reap great fruit or a good Crop of Grass that Summer especially if thou hast Water to float it withall and when thou hast done One Land then thou maiest remove thy Furrowes or Turf to that thou hast levelled and work that Land accordingly as the other and then Turf it also and so goe forward throughout thy Field one after another And having brought your Land thus levell then your water will work most gallantly and even Floating every place Proportionably which you must take special care of not suffer it to run a whole Stream over some and scarce discernable over other parts but be sure every where alike and when you have your water over your Land that it run over it with a constant thin Stream it will Improve fast enough for soaking water breeds the filth which you must avoid as the most Pestilent Enemy to this Husbandry The second Piece of Improvement containing the Drayning or Reducing of Boggy Lands to sound Pasture is further discoursed in the Chapters following CHAP. VII WHerein is to be handled Drayning or taking away Superfluous and Venomous Water which lyeth in the Earth and much occasioneth Bogginess Miriness Rushes Flags and other filth and is indeed the chief cause of Barrenness in any Land of this nature Something I have already spoken as to Bogginess that lyeth under a Capacity to be floated with Water either River or Land-floods in the Reducement whereof you must precisely apply your self to al Parts of the former Chapter for bringing your Water upon your Land and working it also and taking it off again Especially that your Drayning-Trench or Trenches for possibly in this sort of Land more may be required according to the nature of the lying of your Land if Uneven and full of Dales and Vallies be made one Spades graft or pitch below the matter of the Bog I mean the Spring for so it is which must be clearly Drayned which I cannot too oft remind you of But now I onely speak to those
Lands which are from under such a Capacity of floating with Water And are onely such as are covered with constant Water and Lakes or else the Boggy Miry Lands it self and have no River or Land-flood to be brought over them and the remedies being equally applicatory to both for the most part I will propose generall remedies I say that Drayning is an excellent and chiefest meanes for their Reducement and for the depth of such Draynes I cannot possibly bound because I have not time and opportunity to take in all circumstances therefore in generall thus Be sure thy Draines be such and so deep and so deep as thou hast a descent in the end thereof to take away all thy water from thy Drayn to the very bottom or else it is to no use at all for suppose thou make thy Drain as high as an house and canst not take thy water from it thy work is lost for look how low soever is thy lowest levell in thy Drain thou mayst drain thy water so low and not one haires breadth lower will it drain thy ground than theu hast a fall or desent to take it cleanly from thy Drain therefore be especially carefull herein and then if thou canst get a low descent from thence carry thy Drain upon thy Levell untill thou art assuredly got under that moysture mirinesse or water that either offends thy Bog or covers thy Land and goe one Spades graft deeper by all meanes or thereabouts and then thou needest not tye thy self precisely to a dead Levell but as thy ground riseth or as the moysture lyeth higher so mayst thou rise also so that thou keep one Spades graft as aforesaid under it and that thou mayst not fall herein observe that in Cold Rushy Land this moysture or cold hungry water is found beneath the first and second swarth of thy Land and then oft-times thou commest immediately unto a little Gravill or Stoniness in which this water is and sometimes below this in a hungry gravell and many times this Gravell or Stoniness lyeth lower as aforesaid but in Boggy Land it usually lyeth deeper than in Rushy but to the bottom where the spewing Spring lyeth thou must goe and one spades depth or graft beneath how deep soever it be if thou wilt drain thy Land to purpose I am forced to use Repetions of some things because of the suitableness of the things to which they are applyed as also because of the slowness of peoples Apprehensions of them as appeares by the non-practise of them the which were ever you see drayning and trenching you shal rarely find few or none of them wrought to the bottom And for the matter or Bogg-maker that is most easily discovered for sometimes it lyeth within two foot of the top of the ground and sometimes and very usually within three or four foot yet also some lye far deeper six eight or nine foot and all these are feazable to be wrought and the Bog to be discovered but not untill thou come past the black Earth or Turf which usually is two or three foot thick unto another sort of Earth and sometimes to old Wood and Trees I mean the proportion and form thereof but the nature is turned as soft and tender as the earth it self which have layen there no man knowes how long and then to a white Earth many times like Lime as the Tanner and white-Tawer takes out their Lime-pits and then to a Gravell or Sand where the water lyeth and then one Spades depth clearly under this which is indeed nothing else but a spring that would fain burst forth at some certain place which if it did clearly break out and run quick and lively as other Springs do thy Bog would dy but being held down by the power and weight of the Earth that opposeth the Spring which boyles and workes up into the Earth and as it were blowes it up and filleth the Earth with Wind as I may call it and makes it swell and rise like a Puf-ball as seldom or never you shall find any Bogg but it lyeth higher and rising from the adjacent Land to it so that I beleeve could you possibly light of the very place where the Spring naturally lyeth you need but open that very place to your Quick-spring and give it a clear vent and certainly your Bog would decay by reason whereof it hath so corrupted and swoln the Earth as a Dropsie doth the Body for if you observe the Mould it is very light and hollow and three foot square thereof is not above the weight of one sollid foot of naturall Earth Clay or Land whereby I conceive that how much soever this Mould is forced from the naturall weight or hardness of solid Earth or Clay so much it is corrupted swoln or increased and blown up and so much it must be taken down or let forth before ever it be reduced I therefore prescribe this direction viz. Go to the bottom of the Bog and there make a Trench in the sound ground or else in some old Ditch so low as thou verily conceivest thy self assuredly under the Levell of the Spring or spewing water and then carry up thy Trench into thy Bog straight through the middle of it one foot under that Spring or spewing water upon thy Levell unless it rise higher as many times the water or Spring riseth as the Land riseth and sometimes lyeth very levell unto the very head of thy Bog unto which thou must carry thy Drain or within two or three yards of the very head of it and then strike another Trench overthwart the very head both wayes from that middle Trench as far as thy Bog goeth all along to the very end of it still continuing one foot at least under the same and possibly this may work a strange change in the ground of it self without any more Trenching But for these common and many Trenches oft times crooked too that men usually make in their Boggy grounds some one foot some Two never having respect to the cause or matter that maketh the Bog to take that way I say away with them as a great piece of Folly lost labour and spoyl which I desire as well to preserve the Reader from as to put him upon any profitable Experiment for truly they do far more hurt than good destroy with their Trench and Earth cast out half their Land danger their Cattell and when the Trench is old it stoppeth more than it taketh away when it is new as to the destroying the Bog it doth just nothing onely take away a little water which falles from the heavens and weakens the Bog nothing at all and to the end it pretends is of no use for the cause thereof lyeth beneath and under the bottom of all their workes and so remaines as fruitfull to the Bog as before and more secure from reducement than if nothing was done at all upon it Or thus thou mayst work
I the managing it whilst under Tillage I would make good the same upon good Security But as I said before use your own liberty he that Plows not such Land at all that yeelds its utmost strength and fruit in Grazing which admits of no Corruption or Degeneration doth wel Because the Nation will afford other Land enough that stands in more need of this Husbandry to supply the Country Corn And also because many men hold it a great Disparagement to Plow up such gallant Pasture from whom I do very little or nothing dissent in Judgement yet he that if by Plowing can Advance the Publique and himself also I dare not say but he doth better yet neither much amiss Every man herein may please his own affection where the Common-wealth is not eminently prejudiced But for other wayes of Improvement of the Richest sort of Land I know little more worth Divulging for either the Cost and Charge expended will not produce an answerable present Advantage or else the continuance and certainty of future hopes may prove doubtfull Which uncertainties I affect not onely take this remembrance with thee that if thy Pasture be very Vast and Large Lesser Divisions will set the dearer and better and every mans money for Conveniency when greater are bargains for few men and those for great ones also that will make their own Advantage yet use moderation herein also A large Pasture is comely and a little Pingle Inconvenient Extremes are neither for Credit nor Profit but for Destruction A Pasture about one hundred or sixscore Acres or a hundred and fifty Acres is very commendable where they lye remote and at good distance from great Market-Towns or where Pasturing is very plentifull but if either Pasture-Land be scarce or border upon Common Fields or Heaths or Forrests or if they lye near or adjoynining to any good Market or great City lesser divisions wil farre out-vy with greater in their price advantage the people lying under such necessities of Pasturage some to help to relieve their Common and others to relieve the necessities of their own neighbouring Families But in thy Divisions be sure to make them alwaies in the lowest parts of thy Lands that so thy Ditches may serve in stead of Draines or Conveyances of Water or taking away the Coldness that offends thy Land every mans own Experience will patronize this Position But secondly when any of these Rich Lands shall Degenerate into Mossiness Rushes Coldness or Over-grow with Weeds Nettles Hemlocks Sow-Thistles c then thy Land wil need good Husbandry and wil admit of Improvement for Hemlocks Nettles Docks Chick-weeds and other common Weeds these are as much occasioned with Fatness and too much Richness as from any other cause And when from this cause no cure like Plowing for that brings profit with the Cure and advance in the very Reducement there is much Land of this Fatness Some there is in divess parts of this Nation as about Hay-Stacks or Sheep-Pens or places of Shade or in the Warmest parts of many Pastures which Sheep and Cattell chuse alway for their Lieare and very much about the heads of Conney-Berries All which according to former Direction in Plowing old Resty Land will Reduce this to Moderation in over much Rankness And especially if it be Plowed somewhat oftner than the other sorts of Lands it will bear near as many more Crops without prejudice and no other means whatsover will so Surely Feacibly and Profitably work this Effect in my Experience viz. To destroy the Weeds and reduce it to perfect Grazing And as your Land degenerates to Mossiness Rushes and Coldness none will deny the wonderfull certain change and alteration thereof by Plowing if they should I conceive I have sufficiently cleared it where I have discoursed of the second sort of Land at large in the thirteenth fourteenth and fifteenth Chapters and answered severall Objections made against the same yet one or two more remains to be Objected Bear with me I say the more herein as Coveting to beguile men of such Prejudice as possesseth most and so deeply rooted as will ask hot water to Mattock up Some say they have fouâ—d the contrary their Land not Soarding of many years after and when it hath come to Soard it hath been neither so Rich Thick nor Fruitfull therefore Prejudiced by Plowing All which I Eccho with thee that possibly it may be so and yet this may not reach too nor in the least weaken my Propositions which give direction onely to three or four Crops at most unless in case of Weeds and Nettles and too much Fatness I never advise to Plow thy Land so long to bring it to this I abominate such Husbandry neither do I absolutely perswade to the Plowing of all Lands without Exception well knowing that in some parts of this Nation there are some Lands so Binding so Tough a Sodering Clay Cold that it will neither Soard so thick nor quick as others will which sort of Land if Rich and Sweet will less Advance by Plowing than any other but to this sort of Land as it doth degenerate and decay use it as a Medicine and use it as according to former Rules and lay down thy Land according to former Limitations question not though it Soard not so soon as other Lands Mixed Light more Loosened yet it shal both Soard so Timely so Richly as it shall counter-profit all thy prejudice And for other Lands either Gravelly Light Warm and Sandy or else Mixed and Compounded I dare affirm some Land the first year may be full as good as it was before Plowing I have known a Winter Stubble after the Crop was Inned of some Pastures worth as much that Winter half year as it usually was worth any Winter upon the old Soard yet hath not bin Pastured the whole half year neither nay some have been worth as much as the said Lands have bin worth almost the whole year The Eadish hath bin so fruitfull and my self have had the like Profits and Advantages and have had a Wheat Stubble of my own being the third Crop that will make good what I have Affirmed and the very first year of Grazing full as good if not better than it was upon the old Turf before Plowing They that cannot manage this Objection further yet confess and say 't is true for two or three of the first years it may possibly hold fruitfull but it shall fall after seven eight or ten or more years after that it shall be worse than ever To this I can say little more than what I have said before unless you can produce me some Experiment wherein my directions have been observed and your Prejudice succeeded otherwise you say nothing which Experiment when you have found I shall not question but to discover your mistake either you are mistaken in the nature of the Land or else
there would not be one foot of ground more lost but a double or treble Advantage raised upon it in few yeares and ever after with no other Husbandry continued but ever bring in double profit for the charge bestowed As in the cutting plashing scouring of the Hedges which payes his cost bestowed and sometimes double and treble and if it be a Hedge curiously preserved and cut just in his ripest season before it begin to die i' th' bottom and have in it either good store of great Wood or Fruit-Trees planted among the profits may arisâ— to much more than is here spoken of CHAP. XVII Wherein I proceed to a second sort of Land somewhat Inferiour to the former wherein is discoursed the destruction of the Rush Flag and Mare-blab altering the Coldness of Nature and the preventing the standing Winters Water and destroying Ant and Mole-hills c. All which are most incident to this second sort of Land THis which I call a second sort is our midling Land I delight in plainess and avoyd all Language darkning the plainest sense or whatsoever may occasion mysteriousness or confusion in the reading or practice so that this middle sort of Lands as aforesaid is all such Lands that are betwixt the value of twenty shillings per Acre and six shiliings eight pence per Acre which sort of Lands as they lye under a capacity of the greatest Improvement I have handled them at large in the foregoing Discourse especially under the four first Pieces of Improvement But as they lye under a Capacity of a moderate and less Improvement fall here to be discoursed and although I call it a moderate Improvement yet being well Husbandred according to the subsequent directions may produce a double increase and some far more and some less but in all a considerable advantage enough to encourage to the prosecution And possibly some of these Lands may be of the richest and first sort naturally but by some Improvidence or ill Husbandry being degenerate are faln under this second and that where the Rush either hard or soft prevaileth or else where the Land lyeth so flat cold and moyst that the Flag or Marâ—-blab thriveth I shall here onely apply one remedy for the removall of them all to avoid Tediousness which is most naturall thereto and cannot fail being punctually observed and that is a way all men use already though to little purpose which is to indeavour Drayning of the same as you shall see in most mens Lands both Pasture and Common â—ull of Trenches as they can hold to their great cost and loss of abundance of good Land devoured in the Trenches Heaps and banks they make and yet all is of little use the Rush as fruitfull and the Land as cold as formerly in comparison Therefore I shall advise far less Trenching and yet produce more soundness I say then as I have often said seek out the lowest part of thy Land and there make either a large Trench or good Ditch or be it but the old one well scoured up if there be one to such a Depth as may carry away that water or Corruption that feeds the Rush or Flag from every other upper Trench thou shalt see cause to make and so ascend to any part of thy Land where these offences are carrying with thee one Master Trench to receive all thy less Draines along with thee and there make a Drain yea all thy Draines and Trenches so deep for I prescribe no certain depth as to that Cold spewing water that lyeth at the bottom of the Rush or Flag which alway either lyeth in a Vein of Sand and Gravell mixed or Gravell or Clay and stones mixed as aforesaid and thence will issue a little water especially making thy Trench half a foot or one Foot deeper into which will soak the Rushes food which being laid Dry and Drayned away cannot grow but needs dye and wither It is impossible without going to the bottome to do any good Our own experience shews it and so the depth may be two Spades graâ—t or more however to the bottom thou must go and then one Trench shall do as much good as twenty alwaies curiously observing that thy Trenches run in the lowest part of thy Ground and through the Coldest and most quealiest parts of thy Lands and for the manner of making the same and further Direction therin I shall refer thee back unto the second Piece the seventh Chapter where I have spoken something to most of the aforesaid Passages But if thy Land lyes upon a Flat or upon a Levell and have many great wide Balks of which there wil be no end of Trenching or Drayning I must then assure thee it is to little purpose yet art not left remediless for this insuing direction will not fail and will bring profit with it to pay for curing also which is a moderate Plowing Ridging all thy Balks raising and Landing all thy Flats gaining them as high as possibly thou canst Plow all and leave none and do this three yeares together and observe such former Directions as are contained in the thirteenth fourteenth and fifteenth Chapters in the third Piece of Improvement And by the blessing of God expect the issue promised It will lay Land sound and dry more warm and healthfull than formerly destroy the Rush and many other Annoyances beyond Expectation I have been forced to be more large to speak twice to one thing because of the suitableness thereof unto these Lands but especially because I cannot speak enough to make some to understand it nor others to set upon the Practise and more especially because the Reader may miss the reading of it in the former part unless he take the paines as few do deliberately to read the whole Therefore if thou wilt forgive this fault I le mend the next As for the Mole-hils so great an Enemy to the Husbandman and Grazier there is so much Experience made for their Destruction that almost every Ingenuous man is grown a Moal-catcher in many parts and that is a certain way yet in many parts men are Slothful that because all their Neighbours wil not kil them therfore they wil not so they suffer their Land one third part to be turned up There is a Law to compell men to Ring their Swine to prevent their Rooting it were more advantage to the CoÌ„mon-Weal a severe Law were made to Compell all men to keep the Moal from Rooting for he destroyes abundance of Grass he covers with the Mould and Corn he throws up by the Roots which utterly perisheth Spoyls the Mâ—wers work and Tools and raiseth Balks in Meads and Pastures besides the work he makes the Husbandman to spread some of them the Cost whereof were it but bestowed in Moal-killing would prevent the aforesaid losses And although I can make no new Addition to the Moales Destruction there being so many Artists with the Moalâ—staff Tines and
Peece of improvement hath respect unto the Plantations of hops and Liquorish both in relation to the Mystery thereof and profits thereby Chap. XXXVII Treates of Hops plantation and how Land is Improved thereby ibid. How a hop-yard should stand 139. One of the main things in the Hop-yard is raising the hils 140. The profits may be made of them 145. Chap. XXXVIII Treats of the mystery of Saffron and the way of Planting it 148. How to set Saffron ibid. How to pick it pag 149. How to dry it ibid. Chaap XXXIX Treates of the plantation of Liquorish at large 150. The best land for it ibid. How to set your plants 151. The time of planting it 152. The advantage thereof ibid. The fifth Peece contains the 40. 41 42. Chap. And treateth of the Art of Planting of Rape Cole-seed Hemp and Flax with the severall advantages that may be made of each Chap. XL. Containeth onely the discovery of Rape and Cole-seeds Husbandry 253. The best seed ibid. The time of sowing it ibid. VVhen to cut it ibid. How to use it ibid. Chap. XLI Shewes how good a publique commodity hemp is with the manner of planting 255. How to know the best hemp-seed 259. The time of sowing it ibid. The time of getting it ibid. The best land for hemp 260. Chap. XLIII Treateth onely of the husbandring Flax so as to make it come up to as much of the Improvement as wee can 261. How to raise the best Flax. pag. 263. The best Flaxseed ibid. The season for sowing it ibid. The manner of watering it 264. The sixt and last Peece containeth 2 Chapters And discovereth what great advantage may be made upon our lands by a plantation of some Orchard Fruits and some Garden commodities Chap. XLII Treats how our Lands may be advanced by planting them with Orchard fruits 265. Chap. XLIV Doth contain a brief discourse of some choice and more generall Garden fruits intended to have been spoen to more largely 271. FINIS Excellency Necessity Antiquity Gen. 4. 2. Gen 9. 16. â— Chr. 26. 11. Prov. 6. 6. Prov. 15. 19. Prov. 20. 30. Prov. 22. 21. Prov. 12. 20. Prov. 11. 26 Prov. 21. 5 Causes of Barrennesse 1 Cause of Barrenness is ignorance occasioning Prejudice Prov. 4. 15. Prov. 36. 13. 2. Cause is Improvidence and a slavish custome 3. Cause is want of punishment of Idleness and want of Stock to set the poor on work A Crying sin Drunkenness A generall cause of Barrenness Tilling Rockiness Mountainous Improvidence laying down all Lands How to lay down warm Land How cold Land Standing water in winter Mole hils Ob. Ans. Bogginess Constant resting of the water on that Land 1 Head 2 Head Only improve upon great advantage Under great Rivers will be the best Land And under lesser the greater quantities and greatest Improvement Setting water on Pooles or Lakes not so excellent In what Cases to cover land by Water Land sad and moist worst to Improve by watering Land found dry and warm the best Boggy Lands good for watering How to begin the first piece of watering How to make the drayning Trench Shewes how the water is fruitfull How to make the Drayning Trench The best floating season Upoâ— moist Land Upâ—n warm Land A double Advantage of having a water course cut out President of one year cuâ—ting but five or six and the next twenty four President of sandy Land Mr. Plats President President of Boggy Lands To much Trenching is madness There are two sorts of Trenching Manner of making the floating Trench A shallow Trench doth certain hurt and uncertain good How to prevent heaping Earth and in evening the ground How to Level Land Plowing to Levell Spade to help Levelling The speediest Soarding of Land How to make thy Drayn to drain a Bog to purpose Where water lyeth in Rushy Land The matter that feeds the Bog where that lyeth Every Bog hath most certainly a living Spring within it Shewing how every Drayn must â—e carried up from the lowest levell Shallow Trench reprehended The most sure way to destroy a Bog The prejudice by crooks and angles in water courses How to make Draynes without any prejudice to any sheep or bâ—ast The best way of preventing danger to Cattell in Drayning Fens and Marshes recoâ—ery Floring best destroyes a Beg. The probable occasion or first cause of Bogginess Ob. These are but pretences Ans. 1. Watering breeds the Rush. Ans. Especiall season for watering Land Iob 8. 12. Ans. 2. A sign when Land begins to fatten Obj. Many have done great things herein and alway to no purpose Mountebanck Engineers projections Mysterious Engines repâ—â—â—ved Object Answ. Object Answ. Marsh Lands The first Fendrayne's or Levellers highly to be honoured Invention far harder than an Addition to it Cutting water-courses strait no small aâ—vantage Many thousands of acres recoverable wiâ—h little charge to manifold advantage Some Mils destroy more than they are worth To prevent corrupting land by a Mildam as much as may be What Fen-Drayning is not What perfect Drayning is indeed How to know when Land is firmly Drayned The just Form or Modell of the Fen-lands How the Commoner is a hindrance to Fen-drayning How Undertakers may be a prejudice to the work Queries in Fen-drayning Reasons why the land floods would be best taken oâ—â— on the outside the Fen. Some particular â—ands may be drayned of themselves though the generall be not All such-Lands are most feciblâ— to be drayned Water Engins helpfull in 〈◊〉 These more difficult and yet fecible A new World may best admit of new Husbandry Denshiâ—ing Fen lands very usefull Denshiring lands reproved in the West Burning Land extolled in the North. Lands drowned by the Sea A Good Overseer worth Gold Tooles belonging to floating and Trenching to make the work more easie and less châ—rgable A good Line A Water-Levell Sir Edward Peto his Level The manner and form of a true and the speediest Level that I can devise Who are the makers of it The Trenching Plough Turving Spade The paring Spade The use of the Paring Spade 1 Extreme 2 Extreme Enclosure held forth without Depopulation The grandest evill of a just and equall Inclosure prevents Idleness and Oppression onely Enclosure prevents the Rot of sheep exceedingly Inclosure may occasion more work done at an easier charge Lands capable of enclosure Cottier provided for Labourer provided for Minister provided for Tithes not Gospell wayes maintenance 1. Tit. 8. Depopulation reproved Impropiations to be thought of Free-holder Lord of the Soyl or Landlord How Inclosure shall not prejudice the increase of Corn or food Four arguments to prove the advantage by Enclosure and that more Corn may be raised being Inclosed than Common One Acre brings forth as much Corn as three Tillage great profit Onely Right in Commons not Vsurpers I speak to At the first Enclosing of any Common how to cast out Land to the greatest Advance Tow Advantages of this Enclosure Cavils against Improvement in Common A
President of great store of lost Land under puddle hill capable of Improvement An offer made once to have made good the same 2 Advantage of this Enclosure III husbandry discovered along the River Thames both wayes much barren Land near London 109. p. 160. See Mr. Hartlip his legacy page 56. A second sort of Coarser Land the only Land for Plowing The middle sort of Clay strong Land advanceth it self by Tillage The warm lighter Land advanceth most in Corn to the Commonnwealth How to bank Ant-hills most speedily The best way to destroy Rush or coldness in any Pasture Moderate Tillage must needs advance â—and Advance for Plowing and the old Rent the first year after An offer made of making good a Lease after Plowing of old Rent and a great advance in Plowing Stratford upon Avon President Thâ— manner how to Plow such Lâ—nds Mow the Rushes Especiall directions for plowing Experiment of Plowing the second sort of Land and the fruits of it A President of the fruit that came of poor Lands worth but nine shillings an Acre To lay open Furrows clear is very good What Hardness and Harrowing is most advantagious Overâ—plow cryed down and reproved Reasons why but three or four yeares are prescribed for Plowing old Pasture Land neither more nor less Last Crop may yeeld most Corn but worst for the Land To lay down Land upon the Wheat or Rie Stubble is best and the reasons of it The way of Sowing Land to be left after to Grass Dung laid upon the new fresh Turf works wonders When one Load of Manure will go as far as two or three Prov. 12. 11. Prov. 28. 10. Prov. 13. 23. Prov. 11. 16. Prov. 13. 23. Richst â—or â— of Land Destruction of the best Land is by over-plowing Mowing Land a great Impoverishing Moderate Plowing better than unlimited Mowing Plowing left indifferent upon the Richest Lands Divisions of Land advanceth Small Divisions reproved Plowing the onely Cure of VVeeds Plowing the only Cure against Mossiness Rush Coldness Object Against timely Soarding Ans. 2. Plowing some Land must be used as a Medicine â—oâ— as a Calling VVhat Land it is that may Soard as well the first year to as much profit as before A President of Wheat stubble its speed so Soarding Object Ans. A president of fattest Mutton on the newest 〈◊〉 Object Ans. Rotting Sheep in new Pastures well ordered may be rate To prevent Rotting in new Tilled Pastures Separations and raising of Quick-set Hedges a greâ—t advancement Hedg rowes a thing of delight and credit Reasons why Quick-setting thrives no 〈◊〉 Hedg rows a great help for Firing and Timber Not preserving Quick-sets when planted is ruin to good Husbandry Usuall wayes to kill the Rush Flag or Mare'-blab Drayning the most naturall way Much Trenching reproved How to find the matter that â—eed the Rush Flag How to drain Land well where there is no end of Trenching The causes of Moals increasing VVant of a Law for killiâ—g of Moales a great mischief Pot-Tâ—â—p chief Engine in Moal Destruction Destroying the nests destroyes multitudes of them VVater best to destroy Moals Ant-hills Destruction Object Ans. Ant-Hills good to destroy Sheep or Beasts How to bank Ant Hills most speedily Why to lay them lower than the Surface of the Earth Sow-thistle a great annoyance Easiest way to destroy the Sow-thistle Goose Tansey Feâ—rn howâ—o destroy The reason of Fearns dying Easiest way to destroy Broom Excellentest way to destroy Broom Goss Ling and Braking When one load of Soyl doth as much good as two or three An unsailing way of destroying any filth Planting Fruit-trees in hedges is good husbandry Chief piece in Planting all fruits Best Earth discovered How to reap two Harvests An unfailing way to preserve Corn from Blasting The most usuall naturall help A good help to preserve Corn pure To preserve Corn from Fowls and Vermine An unfailing Prevention of Crows Rooks or Daws from Corn. The Reason of the Crows offence taken The fuller Description of the Persian VVheel Improvement of Up-Land several waies President of Plowing Wood-Land Land A Husband-mans old principle Wood-Land Lands Tilled every ten yeares yea some every eight Means or Materials to in-rich Land Liming of Land Object Ans. Presidents for Liming The Land most naturall for Lime The nature of Lime quite contrary to the common opinion How much wil Lime an Acre Marl. Nature of Marl. Signs of good Marl described Slipperâ—ress no infallible sâ—gn A Marling Experiment Some Mucked some Folded some Mâ—râ—ed One no cost at all A double Experiment Marl saddens Land exceedingly Extremes is Marling reproved How to lay down Land to graze after Marling The Prime Principle in Husbandry Land most naturall for Marl. Sand. Of no worth or use at all Sand from the Land-flood are good What Lands are naturall for Sands Pest Sand of all What causeth so much richness in the Sea Sands The Seas fruitfulness by Fish Sea Weeds very good soyl for Land Urine frâ—itful The richness of Snayl Cod. Where the right Snayl is to be got The chief River whereâ—n this Mud lyeth comes from-ward Vxbridge by Cole-brook and is not the Thames as I can yet discover having made a Journy thither since I wrote the aforesaid discourse Mud in Rivers of great use Bacons Naturall History pag. 123. Chalk Chalk mixed most certain Mud. Ingenuity not of such esteem as a base Outlandish fashion Earth covered with any house or baâ—n is rich Pidgeons and Poultry dung little less inferiour Horses well corned make best dung Swines dung most excellent soyl The great account of swines dung The usage of their Swine and the making of the Hogyard How to feed Swin without any cornish meat Raggâ— VVoo's Marrowbone Beef Broaâ—h Sheeps-Dung How with great ease to raise rich dung Horse Dungs Excellency A great mistake in letting soyl be uncovered How to lose none of the least benefit in mucking any Land notwithstanding Land-floods Some lose no Laâ—d flood at all Vrine of mankind usefull for Lands Ashes Soot Best Manure for Gardens Stubbâ—e or Straw Salts effect How much Liming Corn or watering Corn advanceth it Oyl the fruit thereof Leaves of Tâ—eâ—â— Fearn or Rushes will make soyl The most naturall Land to plant with Wood. How to cast our thy Wood-plots for pleasure Method and conâ—usion to thee bring of an equal price and probably be the cheaper How to cast out thy plot into most delightfull divisions Planting Strawberyes is excellent How to get thy seâ—s for planting The quickest growing wood What Sets are best How to plant thy Sets How to make thy Dike to Plant thy Sets in How to plant thy Quick and mould them also Object Ans. 1. Ans. 2. 2. A President of Wood planted that one Acre was worth 60. at 11 years growth What an Acre costs plenting Object Ans. 1. Ans. 2. No Observation of the Moon Eccl. 11. 4 5 6. Weeding most necessary Boggy-Land will bring forth a Plantation of Wood. What one Acre of
Willow Planted on Boggy Lands may be worth How to thick Woods that grow too thiâ— A president of a wood thickned Elm plants Sicamore plants Land as well imployed by planting wood as any way A president of 50. years growth of Ash. Oak plants A president for Nurseries of Wood. How to plant for Timber Open loose land the best for any wood An Oak above 40 yards in Timber Another ten yards thicknes Beech wood the use and fruit The Elm described How to raise Elm-plants The use of the Elm. The description of the Ash. The use of the Ash. Season for the Ash its selling A president of Ash his growth and advantage The best sets c. The best time to remove Ash. Birch The Walnuts The use and advantage of it The Willow Osier his use and how planted The Lime tree Causes why the Reader digest not the Discourse The Autâ—ors promise to mend The author clear his endeavours are for publique good His book is but to draw thee to his chamber to tel thy fortune there Seed described Right seed is the best peece in the whole work Claver sowed but none came up The best is of our own growing I have heard of one that got above 2 bushels out of an Acre A new way of getting out the Clover forth of the husk Best time to sow Claver To know when t is full ripe When and how to get one the seed Yeelds much Milk and feeds fat Beef A great mistake about Claver Old land better for Claver than tillable How much seed soweâ—han Acre The lands most proper for the Clover A generall rule in Clavering The Annuall profit of Clover Grass Clover â—i's for corning and corning for clovering The description of St. Foyn The manner of sowing it La lucern Plough irons made very true The remedies of the ploughs abuses A description of the plain share The Coulter how best made The Dutch Coulter The best way for the tryall of a new plough Plough well clouted and irons sharp smooth kept Size your Horses or Oxen equal A good character of a good Plough-man Plough-beam Wheel plows described Plough-sheath Plough head The Turn-wrest plough The single wheel plough A president of land plowed for 5 s. an Acre plough and horses found The dutch coulter is appliable to any pure clean land The onely advantages for making the easiest going plough The description of the plain plough The benefit of a broad and short Wrest What ease and advantage this plough and the directions will afford The season of plowing for summer corn The season for plowing for winter corn A foot described as will go in hillaâ—ground A plow to cast down land A plow to set up land The particular use of many of the members of the wel regulated plough How to plow as it may yeild most mould How to plow as your lay your land most level How to set the double plough together The plough wiâ—h a harrow affixed Plough harrow seedsman and all in one ploughâ—o work all at one time The lasting plough that may endure many yeares Welde described The manner of sowing it at no cost How much soweth au acre When ripe How to use it What Improvement welde yeildeâ—h The best Land for Woad Pest known parts for Woad What price men will give for good Woad-land Woad prepares exceeding well for Corn The best Corn. How ploughed How much soweth an Acre What is costs an Acre weeding The joyce of the Woad must by carefully preserved Five or six Crops in one year of Woad Season for sowing VVoad When Woad is ripe The best Woad for use The way of seasonidg Woad How hot the Woad arise unâ—o in the couch The advantage of VVoâ—d what it yeelds an Acre The description of Madder The seasons of drawing the sets What ground is best and how to prepare it A rod of ground what worth setting At what distance and how to set them When to get sets of our own planting Madder planting formerly granâ—ee by Patent At Dedford by Greenwich is his Plantation Best Hop-land How a hop-garden should stand Best hop-sets and where to have them Signs of an unproveable hop How to make the hop-hills The very time to plant in The best manner of setting the sets How to pole them which poles are best Poles length The best sort of poling And spediest way And best season How to draw broken hop-poles How to lay the poles How to turne the hops to the pole One of the main things in the hop-yard is raising the hils At first suppress not one science How to heighten your hils When to break off the top of the hop bind When hops blow and bell and are ripe How to pull your hops Neatness about them is very good How to dress pruin the roots in Winter The charge of seâ—ting dressing hops How to dry hops The sign when they are dry enough The profits may be made of hops Best time for Saffron How to set Saffron Saffron as green as a leek all Winte How to pick Saffron How to dry Saffron The Saffron Country The best land for Liquorish The charge of workmanship Price of sets The place where best lands lye for this use How to set your Plants If dry water â—your sets Time of planting The Runuer yeelds good sets When taken up and when sold. The advantages thereof Best seed Time of sowing How much seed sowed upon an Acre When to cut it How to use it How much an Acre may bear The charge of an Acre A design to set all poore to workâ— and wel maintain them How to know the best hempseed Best hemp-land The quantity the time of sowing of it It must be fenced Times of getting it How much the statute requires in a bundle What seed is worth The best land for Hempe Fitâ—est flaex Land 3. l. given for slax Land The several persons that slax imployes How to raise the best flaxe Best flax seed An experiment of both sorts of seed The season for sowing flax The manner of watering of it The charge of the flax from the beginning till it come to the Market The flax and Hempe-trade not come to perfection What parts prove the improvements What Nurceries of young Trees may improve How land is improved to twentyfold by Orcharding One land may improve as wel as another Very much land may improve as well as that which is improved Object Answer 2. The natured lands upon which the chiefestfruits doe grow Answ. 3. Lands of the same nature may raise the same improvement Object The climate but a very smal hindrance Sloth and ignorance the greatest hindrance of improvement That Wines may be made in England feasibly Charges and hazards in gardening cuts the comb of its greatest hopes How Turnepâ— will help out the improvement though Markets fail How Turnep makes bread in a dear year How Hogs may be kept and fed with Turneps What Turnep seed sowes an Acre and how to order it throughout