these particular profits following First plenty of Corne and Pulse because all grounds being made able and apt for Tillage the Kingdome may afford to sowe for one Bushell that is now hereafter fiue hundred so mightie great are the vnfruitfull and vntilled wastes of Heathes Downes Mores and such like which at this day lye vntilled and vnoccupied and to this abundance of Corne will redound an equall or greater abundance of Grasse and Pasture for besides that those men and Masters of many grounds may conuert all their best and most fruitfull Earth to Pasture and Medow and only keepe the Barren for tillage yet also this barren earth after it hath done bearing of Corne which will be in fiue or sixe yeares shall for as many yeares more beare as good Medow or Pasture either for breeding or feeding as can any way be reasonably required and then being newly made againe shall newly begin and flourish in his first Profit as shall be at large shewed and set forth hereafter as I haue seene with mine owne eies to my no small pleasure and amazement not in one butin diuers and sundry most vntruitfull and hard Countries Secondly whereas through the most parts of this Kingdome there is euery yeare a third or fourth part of all Corne grounds lost in the fallow or tylthe fields one field of three or one of foure continually lying at rest now by the vse of the Husbandry following you shall neuer keepe any fallow field at all but haue all your ground to beare you continually either Corne or Grasse in good aboundance Lastly whereas in all the generall best parts of this Nation you cannot haue any Graine of price as Wheat Barley Rye and such like vnder two three foure fiue and some sixe times plowing now you shall not plow aboue twice at the most for the tenderest and richest graine that is to be reaped whereby there shall be much paines eased in the Husbandman great trauell saued from the Cattell and a much larger limitation of time giuen for other neceâ—…ary houshold and forraine businesses Now some may heere aske me what true and vpright right testimonie I can giue of this my assertion or what inducements to draw men to a beliefe of my relation though I could referre such disputers to practise and the experience which shall arise from such practise yet to giue them better satisfaction if they please to ride or walke into the North parts of Deuonshire into the Barren or Mountainous parts of South Wales or North Wales or into that wildernesse of Bogges and Barrennesse I meane that colde vast Country of Exmore where is nothing but vnseasonablenesse and they shall euen there finde where the ground is industriously made and refined as good plenty of Corne and Grasse as in the fruitfullest vales in our In-land and warmer Countries Truly for mine owne part I dare boldly auow that which mine eies haue beheld for I haue seene on oneside of the hedge nothing but mosse for grasse furres goâ—…sse whynnes and all other tokens of Sterrill barrainnesse and on the other side as good Corne and Grasse and in as great plenty as in any fruitfull Country whatsoeuer and all this brought forth but with a little cost and some labour To proceede then to the full effect of my purpose without more preambulation or satisfaction to the curious for to the honestly vertuous are all mine indeuours directed you shall vnderstand that it is meete that euety Husbandman be skilfull in that true knowledge of the natures of Grounds as which is fruitfull which not of which in my first Bookes I haue written sufficiently nor doe I in this Booke intend to write any tittle that is in them contained for as I loue not Totologie so I deadly hate to wrong my friend Grounds then as I haue formerly written in my first Bookes being simple or compounded as simple Clayes or simple Sands or compounded of Clayes Sands or Grauels together may be all good and all fit to bring forth increase or all euill and barren and vnfit for profit for euery Earth whether it be simple or compounded whether of it selfe or of double mixture doth participate wholly with the Clime wherein it lyeth and as that is more hot or more cold more moist or more drye so is the Earth euer more or lesse fruitfull yet for the better vnderstanding of the plaine Country-man you shall know that both the fruitfull and vnfruitfull Ground hauetheir seuerall faces and charracters whereby they be as well knowne as by the Clime or situation of the Continent for that ground which though it beare not any extraordinary abundance of grasse yet will loade it selfe with strong and lusty weedes as Hemblocke Docks Mallowes Nettles Ketlocks and such like is vndoubtedly a most rich and fruitfull ground for any graine whatsoeuer also that ground which beareth Reede Rushes Clouer Daysie and such like is eâ—…er fruitfull in Grasse and Herbadge so that smal cost and lesse labour in such grounds will euer make good the profit of the Husbandman But with these rich grounds at this time I haue nothing to doe To come downe then to the barren vnwholesome Grounds you shall vnderstand that they are to be known three seuerall waies first by the Clyme and Continent wherein they lye next by their constitution and condition and lastly by outward faces and charracters By the Clyme and Continent as when the ground lies farre remote from the Sunne or when it lyes Mountainous and high stony and rocky or so neere vnto the skirts and borders of the Sea that the continuall Fogges Stormes Myfts and ill vapours arising from thence doe poyson and starue the Earth all which are most apparent â—…ignes of Barrennesse By the Constitution and Condition as when the ground is either too extreamely cold and moist or else to violently hot and dry either of which produceth much hardnesse to bring forth and sheweth the Earth so lying to be good for little or no profit By the outward Faces and Charracters as when you see insted of Grasse which should be greene flowrie and thicke growing a pale thinne mossie substance couer the Earth as most commonly is vpon all high Planes Heathes Downes and such like or when you see the ground couered with Heath Lynge Broome Braken Gorsse or such like they be most apparent signes of infinite great Barrennesse as may be seene in many Mores Forrests and other wilde and wooddy places And of these vnfertill places you shall vnderstand that it is the Clay ground which for the most part brings forth the Mosse the Broome the Gorsse and such like the Sand which bringeth forth Brakes Lynge Heath and the mixâ—… Earth which vtters Whynnes Bryars and a world of such like vnnaturall and bastardly issues Thus hauing a true knowledge of the Nature and Condition of your ground you shall then proceede to the ordering eareing and dressing of the same whereby it may not only be
grow were it not deuoured and eaten vp by these Snailes and such like vermine as so one as it begins to peepe vp or as it were but to open the earth whereby it is driuen backe and forced to dye in the earth for these creatures sucking vpon the tender sweetnesse deprine it both of life and nourishment The cure and preuention for this euillis to take the soot of a Chimney and after your Corne hath been sowne a weeke or ten dayes or within two or three dayes after the first shower of raine which shall fall after the Corne is sowne you shall sow this soot of the Chimney thinIy ouer the land and not a Snayle will indure to come thereon Others vse especially in France and those more fertill Countres to take common Oyle lees and after the Corne hath beene sowne and is ready to appeare aboue ground to sprinkle it all ouer the Lands by which meanes no Snaile or such like creature will indure to come neere the same The next great destroyer of Corne is accounted the Grashopper and he also destroyeth it after it is sprouted appeareth aboue the ground as the Snaile doth but somewhat more greedily for he not onely feedeth on the tender white strings bâ—…t vpon the first greene leaues that appeare also by which meanes the Corne is not able to spring or bring foorth a steme or stalke to beare the eare vpon or ifit doe put forth any yet it it is so small weake and wretched that the eare growing on the same is withered and leane and the graine dry and blasted and no better then chaffe nor is there any Corne that scapeth the destruction of the Grashoper for he generally seedeth on all first on Wheate and Rye because they are the earliest then on Barley and Oates and lastly on Pulse vppon whose leafe and blossom he feedeth whilst the first is sweet and pleasant or the other greene Now the cure or preuention for these Creatures is according to the opinion of some Husband-men to take Wormewood and boyle it well in water 'till the strength of the Wormwood be gone thereinto and then with that water in the month of May to sprinckell all your Corne ouer when the Sunne is rising or setting and not any Grashopper will come neare or anoy the same Others vse in steed of wormwood to boyle Century and to vse the water thereof in the same manner as afore said and findean equall and like proffit in the same but it is most certaine that any bitter decoction whatsoeuer vsed and applyed as aforesaid will not leaue one Grashopper about your fieldes for any bitternesse is such an enemie vnto them that they cannot liue where they feele any taste thereof The last offence of liuing Creatures belonging to Corne or Graine are Moales which not onely feed vpon it after it is sprouted and spindled by eating vp the roots thereof and so consequently by killing the whole Corne but also by their digging and vndermining of the earth doe not root vp the Corne and destroy it in most wonderfull manner for where they make their haunts or are suffered to digge there they will destroy almost halfe an acre in a day neither make they choice either of ground or Grain for all grounds and all Graines are alike if the ground be not too wet or subiect to inundation or ouerflowes as for the most part Corne grounds are not for aboue all things moales cannot indure wet ground or earth of too moyst quality Now the best cure or preuention against these creatures is to find out their trenches and passages which are most plaine and casie to be knowne by the turning vp of the new earth and digging crosse holes in the same to watch either the going forth or the comming backe of the Moale and when you see her cast to strike her with an yron forke made of many graines as eight or fixe at the least and so to kill and destroy them which still is so generally knowne amongst Husbandmen that it is become a trade and occupation amongst them so that it needs no further description the rather in as much as for iii. d. or iiii d. a score you may haue any ground cleansed of Moales whatsoeuer Now there be some others which haue not this art of killing or catching of Moales which onely doe take brimstone and wet stinking straw or any thing els that will make a stinking smoake and putting fire thereto smoake all the places of their haunts and by that meanes driue them all cleane away from the Corne lands many otherpractices they haue but none so good certaine and probable as these already declared Thus far I haue spoken of those offences which proceed from liuing creatures I will now intreat of these which come and grow from the influence of the heauens being malignant vapours which striking into the erathdo alter the sweet pleasant nourishment therof and change in into bitternesse and rottennesse whereby the Corne is either ssaine outright withered and made leane and vnkindly or else the kernell turned to a filthy blacknesse being bitter dry and dusty like vnto smoake which the Husbandman calleth smuttines or mildewing and yet this smuttinesse or mildewing commeth another way as namely by ouerrankenesse or to much fatnesse of the earth and this hapneth most commonly only to wheat for if blacknes happen to any other graine it commeth of blastings or other malice of the starres for ranknesse of the ground in Barley Rye or Oates onely makes them lye flat to the ground the stalke not being able to support the multiplicity of the eares and so by that means the grain wanting his true nourishment growes light withered and of no validity now that this is most easie to be found out the ranknes of the growing corne rising as it were in close bundles together and the deepe blacknesse of the greene blades will with small trauell shew you This to cure and preuent it shall be good before you sow your Graine to sow your land lightly ouer with fine chalke for that will abate his ouer-ranknesse To proceed then to the other imperfections which doe happen from the skies I hold haile in the formost ranke which with his violence beateth downe the Corne flat to the ground and bruiseth the reede so in pieces that the Corne not able to rise vp againe there lyes and rotteth or else withereth to nothing The cure and preuention of this euill according to the opinion of the French Husbandmen is to take the white Vine and to plant it in diuers parts of your Corne-fields and it will deffend the Graine from this annoyance of haile or if your soyle be such as the white vine will not grow therein if then you take but branches therof and strike them in diuers parts of your lands it is thought that no haile will at any time do offence to your corne Others vse to take
clotting beetles you shall breake all the hard clots and lumps of earth in pieces euen to so small dust as possibly you can because you are to presuppose that these clots thus hard tough and vnwilling to be with any easie meanes digested into mould are either not at all or else very insussiciently mixed with the Sand Lyme and other meanures and therefore you must the rather breake them that thereby they may mixe and giue easie passage to the graine and not like heauy poyses and dead lumps lye and presse downe the Seede so that it cannot sprout But if it so fall out that partly by the hardnesse of the ill earth partly through the season and drynesse of the yeare that these clots and lumpes of earth will either not be broken at all or at least so insufficiently that the mould will not bee any thing neere so fine as you would haue it you shall then hauing done your best indeuour let your ground rest till there haue fallen a good ground shower or two of raine which may wet the clots through and through and then the next faire blast you shall take your clotting beetles but not those which you tooke before in the dry season but some much lighter broader and flatter being made of thick Ashe boards more then a foote square and aboue two inches in thicknesse according to this figure And with these flat mauls and beetles you shall break all the vnbroken clots and lumps of earth which shall trouble or annoy your ground making your Lands as plaine and smooth as is possible so that the graine may haue easie passage forth which labour as soone as you haue finished you shall then referre the increase and prosperitie thereof vnto the mercies of God who no doubt will giue his blessings according to thy labour and thankfulnesse As touching the trimming and weeding of this Corne after it is sprung a foote aboue the earth or there abouts you shall vnderstand that these hard barren grounds are very seldome troubled with weedes for weedes especially great strong and offensiue weedes are the issues of rich and fertile soyles yet if through the trimming and making of this earth which is not commonly seene you doe perceiue any sâ—…ore of thystles or other grosser weedes to spring vp you shall then in the Month of May with hookes nippers and such like tooles cut them away orpull them vp by the rootes which indeede is the better manner of weeding Now heere is to be vnderstood that your ground being thus dressed and trimmed as is before shewed you may very well for the first two yeares sowe Wheate or Rye vpon it but Wheate is the greater profit and more certaine seede the third yearebestowing but your fold of Sheep vpon it that is meanuring it with your Sheep for it is to be intended that in these barren earths sheep are the greatest stocke of which the Husband man can boast you may very well sowe it with barley and haue a fruitfull and plentifull crop thereon the next three yeares you may sowe it with Oates and the senenth yeare you may sowe it with small white Garden Pease or Beanes according as you shall finde the strength and goodnesse of the ground for Beanes desire somewhat a richâ—…r soile then the Pease then for three or foure yeares following the seuen you may let it lye at rest for Grasse and doubtlesse it will yeeld you either as good Pasture or as good Medow as you can reasonably according as the necessitie of your occasions shall require And then after the expeence of this time it shall be good that you dresse and order your ground againe in such sort as was formerly declared and thus you may euery yeare dresse one or other piece of ground till you haue gone ouer all your ground or at least as much as you shall thinke expedient and without faile he that is Master of the most fruitfullest and richest soyle shall not boast of any greater increase then you shall only your charge may be a little more and so shall be also your commoditiâ—… which shall make an amends for your charge as for your toyles yours shall be much the lesse by a iust computation for though you haue many labours yet they are but Somer labours and neither hurt your owne body nor your Cattell whereas the Master of the rich soyle is in continuall worke both Winter and Somer labouring twice so much to confound the superfluous growth of weedes as you doe to beget the increase of Corne and whereas he must euer keepe a third or fourth part of his Corne-ground without fruit you shall not keepe any which shall not yeeld you a sufficient commoditie Now me thinkes I heare in this place to be obiected vnto me that whereas I doe prescribe the sanding of these barren Earths with the salt Sea-sand and no other as it is true for all other fresh sand is vnauaileable what if the ground doe lye so farre within the Land that there is no salt sand within many score of miles of it how then shall I make good my barren earth sure to fetch sand so farre will neuer equall the cost or it may be this experience hath no further limits then to such hard and barren earths as lye alongst the Sea coast only To this I answere that al-be this salt Sea sand be of infinite good and necessary vse inriching grounds wonderfully much yet is not this experience of bettering of barren soiles so strictly feltered or bound thereunto but that without any vse of the same you may make your earth as fruitfull in Corne or Grasse as hath beene already formerly declared Therefore if your ground lye much within the Land and farre from the Sea so that this commoditie of sand is not by any possible meanes to be gotten then you shall hauing first lookt into the nature of your ground and finding it to be by all charracters and faces a cold barren stiffe dry Clay yeelding nothing but a short mossie grasse without any other burthen at all as is seene vpon most Plaines and Downes of this Kingdome first plow it and hack it as was before shewed in the former part of this Chapter then in stead of sanding it you shall lime it as beforesaid or rather a little more plentifully then you shall meanure it after at seede time you shall plow it and hack it againe then harrow it as before said then to euery aker of ground you shall take two bushels of very dry bay salt and in such manner as you sowe your Wheate you shall sowe this salt vpon the ground then immediatly after the sowing of the salt you shall sowe your Wheate which Wheate would be thus prepared before you sowe it the day before you are to sowe your graine you shall take Bay salt and water and mixing them together make a brine so strong that it wil beare an egge then put the Wheate
but being full blowne they are then a little more whitish You therefore that haue any such ground and desier to bring it to fruitfulnesse and the bearing of good Corne and grasse in a reasonable abundance you shall first with sythes or sharpe hookes but old sythes are the better cut downe all the Heath or Lynge which groweth vpon the earth you intend to conuert to goodnesse so neere the ground as possibly you can then when it is cut downe which would euer be at the beginning of the Month of May you shall let it lye vpon the ground daily tossing and turning it till it become very dry then spreading it all ouer the ground and mixing or couering it with dry straw of any kinde whatsoeuer you shall presently set it on fier in so many seuerall corners of the field that all the seuerall fiers in the end may meete in one point and not leaue any part of the mowen Heath or Lyng vnburnt or any part of the ground vnscortched after this is done and the ground cooled you shall with your flat clotting beetles beate the ashes hard into the ground then you shall take a strong plow with a broad-winged share and an euen colture and you shall plow vp all this ground thus burnt in very large and deepe furrowes by no meanes picking out any of the quicke rootes which shall remaine in the furrowes so turned vp but letting them rest in the earth still then with your hacks and the help of your yron paring-shouell you shall cut vp the furrowes formerly turned vp into short pieces of three foote or three foote and a halfe long and some lesse as occasion shall serue then with these pieces you shall build little hollow hils such as in the former Chapter you made of the vpper swarth of the ground only and then filling the hollownesse with dry heath and dry straw mixt together you shall set euery hill on fier and so burne the very substance of the earth into ashes which will soone be done by reason of the infinite number of rootes and small strings which lie mixt in the earth and the drynesse thereof occasioned by the former burning And this is another kind of burning of Baite much different from all the former and yet to as great end and profit as any whatsoeuer and these hils must as the former be placed one as neere another as is possible so as they may spread and couer ouer the greatest part of the ground and leauiug no more then a good reasonable path to passe betweene hill and hill Now as soone as you haue thus burned all your Baite and that your hils are cold you shall then as was before shewed in the former Chapters with Betels and Shouels breake downe the hils and spread the earth and ashes ouer all the ground which done you shall sand it if the situation of the ground be answerable thereunto and lime it in such sort as was shewed in the second Chapter then when it is lymed and the lime equally spread not more in one place then in another you shall then meanure it with the best meanure you can prouide of which there is none better or more propper for this ground then mans ordure and the rubbish sweepings parings and spytlings of houses mixt together or for want of this because it may not be in so great plenty as other meanures you may take either old Oxe dung or Horse dung or for want of them the old rotten and mouldy staddels or bottomes of Corne-stacks or reedes especially Peasestacks or Beane-stacks prouided that it be thorowly rotten for the lesse rotten it is the worse it is Also the scowrings of common Sewers and especially those through which much of mans vrine doth passe is a most wonderfull and beneficiail meanure for these grounds so are also the scowâ—…ings of sinkes and channels which come from Kitchins and Wash-houses where great store of Brine and salt broth is shed and other greasy fat and putrified substances as also abundance of sope suddes and buck-ashes and other sope and lye washings then which there is no better meanure that can be vsed for these kinde of grounds After your ground is thus perfectly made and meanured and that Wheat-seede time doth draw on which as before was shewed is euer at the latter end of September you shall then plow vp your ground againe in that manner as was shewed for the former earths to wit much deeper then before for you are to vnderstand that this ground being drest as is before declared there will remaine nothing of the furrowes which were first plowed vp but the asâ—…s which being couered with sand lime and meanure the earth will lye plaine and leuell so that of necessitie you must raise vp new furrowes of new earth which being done you shall then with your hacks cut all the new earth into very small pieces mixing them well with the other mould made of sand lyme meanure and ashes then as was before said you shall harrow it to make the mixture so much the better and the mould so much the finer and then if it haue beene sanded you may sowe your Seede-Wheate simply of it selfe without any doubt of the plentifull increase thereof but if it haue not beene sanded then as in the fore going Chapter you shall not only steepe your Seede in Brine as before shewed but also you shall mixe your Seede with Bay-salt and so sowe it into the ground or if at the time of sowing after it is plowed hackt and harrowed youbestow or Pigeons dung or Pullens dung or sheepes dung vpon the Land it will be much better and the Corne will giue a much greater increase Now as soone as your Land is sowen you shall then forthwith harrow it againe and couer the Seede very close then you shall clot it smooth it and sleight it as was before shewed As touching the weeding and cleansing of this earth after the Corne is sprung vp you shall vnderstand that there is great care to be had thereunto for this ground is much subiect vnto weedes and those of the worst kinde fot although for the most part it will be free from all manner of soft and tender weedes as thy stels cockell darnell ketlocks docks rape and such like herball stuffe yet is it much subiect to twitch Bryars which grow at both ends lyng wilde time `and such like any of which as soone as you shall see appeare or peepe aboue the earth you shall presently with your Nippers pull them vp by the rootes and not suffer them in any wise to looke a handfull aboue the ground for if you doe their hardnesse is so great and their rootes so large and fast fixt in the mould that you can by no meanes pull them away without great losse and hurt to the graine pulling vp with them all such rootes of Corne as shall be fixed neere about them for any other weake and superfluous things
smooth it and sleight it as was before shewed in the second Chapter of this Booke And although a man would imagine that the sandy loosenesse of this soyle would not neede much clotting or sleighting of the Earth yet by reason of the mixture thereof with the Marle and meanure it will so hold and cleaue together that it will aske good strong labour to loosen it and lay it so hollow and smooth as in right it should be Touching the Weedes which are most subiect to this Soyle they are Thystles and yong Brakes or Fernes which will grow vp within the Corne which before they rise so high as the Corne and euen as it were at the first appearing you must with your woodden Nyppers pull vp by the rootes and after rake vp and lay in some conuenient place where they may wither and rot and so turne to good meanure And thus much touching the ordering dressing plowing and inriching of all barren Sands which are ouer-runne with Braken Ferne or Heath CHAP. VIII Of the Plowing Tilling ordering and inriching of all barraine Sands which are laden and ouer-runne with Twitch or wilde Bryar HAuing written fufficiently of this hard barraine waste wilde sandy ground which is ouer-run with Braken Ferne Heath such like I wil now proceed and vnto it ioyne another sand which is much more barren and that is the sand that bringeth forth nothing but wilde Twitch Bryars Thorn-bush and such like vndergrowth of yong misliking wood which neuer would rise or come to profit the bitter cold drinesse of the earth wherein it groweth and the sharpe stormes to which the clime is continually subiect both day and night blasting it in such manner that nothing appeareth but a starued withered and vtterly vnprofitable burthens good for nothing but the fire and that in a very simple sort Such ground if you be master of and would reduce it to profit and fruitfulnesse you shall first with hookes or axes cut vp the vpper growth thereof that is the bushes yong trees and such like then you shall also stubbe vp the rootes not leauing any part of them behind in the earth carrying away both home to your house to be imploide either for fewel or the mending of the hedges or such like as you shall haue occasion this done you shall take a paire of strong Iron harrowes and with them you shall harrow ouer all the earth tearing vp all the Twitch Bryars and rough Grasse so by the rootes that not any part but the bare earth may be seenâ—… and when your barrowes are cloyed you shall vulade them in seuerall places of the ground laying all such rubbish of weedes and other stuffe which the harrowes shall gather vp in a little round hill closse vp together that they may sweat wither and dry then spreading them abroad and mixing them well with dry straw burne them all ouer the ground leauing no part of the weeds or Grasse vnconsumed then without beating in of the ashes you shall presently plow the ground all ouer very cleane as may be laying the furrowes as close as you can one to another and leauing no earth vntoucht or vntorne vp with the Plow which done you shall immediately hacke it into small peeces and as you hacke it you shall haue idle Boyes to goe by the Hackers to gather away all the roots which they shall loosen or breake from the mould and laying them on heapes in the worst part of the ground they shall there burne them and spread the ashes thereon after your ground is thus harrowed plowed and hackt you shall then mucke it as was formerly shewed in the sixt Chapter then shall you sand it lyme it and manure it as before said Now of meanures which are most proper for this soyle you shall vnderstand that either Oxe or Horse meanure rotten straw or the scouring of Yards is very good prouided that with any of these meanures or all these meanures you mix the broad-leaued weeds and other greene-weeds which grow in Ditches Brooks Ponds or Lakes vnder Willow tree which with an yron Rake Drag or such likeinstrument you may easily draw vpon the banke and so carry it to your land and there mingle it with the other meanures so let it rot in the ground this meanure thus mixed is of all other most excellent for this soile both by the experience of the Ancients who haue left it vnto memory as also by daily practise now vsed in sundry parts of this kingdome aswell because of the temperat coolenes thereof which in a kindly manner asswageth the lime and sand as also through the moysture which distilling through those warme Soiles doth quicken the colde starued earth and giueth a wonderfull increase to the seede that shall be throwne into the same After your ground is thus sufficiently drest with these soiles and meanures you shal then plow it againe the second time which would bee after Michaelmas after the plowing you shall then hack it againe and be sure to mixe the earth and the meanures very well together then you shall breake it in gentle manner with your Harrowes and then sowe it which done you shall harrow it againe but then you shall harrow it much more painefully and not leaue any clots or hard earth vnbroken that the Harrow can pull in pieces as touching the seede which is fittest for this earth it is the same that is spoken of in the next foregoing Chapter as namely the best Rye or the best Masline which is Rye and Wheate equally mixt together or if there bee two parts Rye and but one Wheate the seede will bee so much the more certaine and surer holding and this seede you may sowe on this ground three yeares together then Barley then Oates and so foorth as is formerly writ of the grounds forgoing After your ground is sowne and harrowed you shall then clotte it sleight it and smooth it as you did the other groundes before and then lastly with your backe Harrowes that is with a paire of harrowes the teeth turned vpward from the ground and the backe of the harrow next vnto the ground you shall runne ouer all the ground and gather from the same all the loose Grasse Twitch or other weeds that shall any wayes be raised vp and the same so gathered you shall lay at the lands end in heapes either to rot for meanure or else at the time of the yeere to be burnt for ashes and sprinkled on the earth the next seed time Lastly touching the weeding of this soyle you shall vnderstand the weeds which are most incident thereunto are all the same you first went about to destroy as namely Twich rough wilde Grasse and yong woody vndergrowth besides Thistles Hare bottles and Gipsie flowers therefore you shall haue a great care at the first appearance or springing vp of the Corne to see what weeds ariseth with it for these weeds are euerfully as hasty as the Corne
breed Pismires Next vnto these your Dores or great black Clocks are vehement destroyers of all kind of Corne both white corne and Pulse whilst it lyeth dry in the earth and before it sprout for after it beginneth to rot they doe no more touch it and these Dores destroy it in the same manner as the Pysmyres doc by creeping in at the small crauies of the earth and finding the graine doe as long as it is dry feed thereon and though they are no hoarders or gatherers together of the graine keeping it in heapes in dry places as the Pismyres and other vermine doc yet they are great feeders thereon and that continually besides they will euer chuse out the fullest and best Corne and leaue the leaner wherby they doe the Husbandman a double inâ—…ury as first to deuoure and then to deuoure but the best onely The care or preuention for these Dores or blacke Clocks is in seed-time to make great smoakes in your corne-fields which will presently chase them from thence for they are the greatest enemies that may be to all manner of smoake but if that be not sufficient then immediately before you sow your Corne you shall very lightly sow your land with sharpe lime and whensoeuer the Dore shall find the smell or taste therof presently he wil depart or if he eat of the grain that toucheth the lyme it is as present poyson vnto him and he there dyeth After these your field Rats and Myce are very vehement destroyers of all manner of Graine or seeds before they sprout especially all sorts of wheate and all sorts of pulse because for the most part those kinde of graines in many soyles are sowne vnder furrow and not harrowed so that the furrowes at first lying a little hollow these vermines getting in betweene the earth and them will not onely deuoure and eat a great part of the graine but also gather together great heapes thereof into their nests as is often seene when at any time their nests are found some hauing more some lesse according to their labours And albeit in other soyles where the graine is sowne aboue furrow and so harrowed in and laide much more closse and safe they cannot doe so much hurt as in the former yet euen in these they will with their feet digge out the corne in great abundance and though in lesse measure yet doe hurt that is vnsufferable so that to conclude neither Rye Barley Oates nor any other smaller and more tender seeds are free from their annoyance and destruction Now the cure and preuention for these fielde Rats and Mice are diuers according to the opinions of diuers authors and diuers of our best experienst Husbandmen for some vse in the Dogge dayes or Canicular dayes when the fieldes are commonly bare to search out the holes and nests of these Rats and Mice which are easily knowne being little round holes in the earth made so round and artificially as if they were made with an Auger no bigger then the body of the Creature that was to lye in it and into these holes they vse to put a few Hemblock seeds of which when the beast tasts it is present death vnto them Others vse to sprinkle vpon the land Hellebere or neesing pouder mixt with Barley meale of which the myce and Rats will greedily feed and it is deadly bane and present death vnto them Lastly and which is the best medicine if you take a good quantity of ordinary greene glasse beaten to pouder and as much copporas or vitriall beaten also to pound and mixe them with course honey till it come to a paste and then lay it in the holes and most fuspicious places and it will neither leaue Rat nor Mouse about all your fields but fodainely destroy them The next great destroyers of Corne and Graine are wormes and they destroy it in the sprouting then when the ground hath rotted it and the white or milky substance breaking open the vpper huske shooteth forth in little white threds at both ends vpon which whilest it is so moyst and tender the worme feedeth extreamly so deuouring vp the substance or sperm is the cause that the Corne cannot grow or get out of the ground and these wormes being as it were the maine citizâ—…ns within the earth are so innumerable that the losse which is bred by them is infinite Now the cure or preuention for these wormes is diuersly taken for some husbandmen vse but onely to strike into the plow rest and vnder the lowest edge of the shelbord certaine crooked spikes of yron or great nailes halfe driuen in and turned backe againe with which as the plow runs tearing in the ground turnes vp the furrow those pices of yron kil and teare in pieces all such wormes as are either within or vnder the furrowes that the plow castsvp and this is sure a very good husbandly practise but not sufficient for the destroying of such a secret hurtfull vermine which is so innumerable and lies so much concealed therefore more curious husbands vse besides this helpe of the plow to take oxe dung and mixe it with straw then to burne it vpon the land making a great smoke ouer all the land immediately before you plow it for seed and it is thought that this will kil all the worms which lie so hie in the earth as to hurt the Corne Others vse before they make either the mixture or the smoak to wet the straw in strong lie and then adding it to the dung the smoake will be so much the stronger and the worms killed the sooner or if you Sprinkle strong lie vp on your seed before you sow it there is not any worm that will touch the graine after Also if you take hemp and boyle it in water with that water sprinkle your seed before you sow it not any worme will come near to touch it Yet it is to be obserued in this rule of wetting your seed Corne that by no means you must wet your seed Rye for it is a graine so warme and tender that it will neither endure cold wet nor stiffe ground insomuch that the plowman hath a prouerbe that Rie wil drownd in the hopper that is to say it must neither be sown on wet ground nor in a wet day since present shewers are apt to destroy it lastly it is thoght that oft plowing of your ground in the wane of the mooneis a very good meanes to destroy wormes touching that practise which many vse to gather the wormes from their lands at Sun-rise sun-set in bright dewy mornings when the worms coople aboue the earth I hold it more fit for small gardens then large Corne-fields The next great destroyers of Corne are Snailes and they destroy it after it is sprouted seeding vpon therender white threds and rions which start from the seed woldrise aboue the earth being the stem or stalk on which the eares should
in the middest of the wall to make both the inside and the outside of the Garner of smooth plaster no stone being seen but hidden at least two fingers thicke on each side and all the bottome also must be made of plaster for no floore keepeth corne so well of what kind soeuer it be and these Garners would be placed as neare as you can to the backs or sides of chimneys or as neare the ayre of the fire as you can conueniently for as there is nothing more cold then plaster yet is it euer so dry and free from moysture that with no change of the ayre or weather it relenteth but keepeth the corne euer in one state of goodnesse whilst the warme standing thereof is such a comfort in the Winter and the naturall coolnesse of the thing so soueraigne in Sommer that the graine euer abideth in one state without alteration Now for hutches or great chests byngs dry-fats and such like they are made of old dry and well seasoned oake-bords plained smooth and close ioyned and glewed together with couers and lids made also very close whereby little or no ayre can come in Some of these great byngs or hutches made of dry boards are made open and without couers but they are not so good for the ayre cooling the vpper part of the corne and the middle part sweating breedeth corruption or mustinesse which hurteth and spoileth the corne besides they are somewhat too warme and thereby make any greene corne apt to corrupt and smell Touching the vse of Garners and Hutches they are principally to keepe malt after it is dryed or Barley which is for the vse of bread or meale here is to be noted that the best maner of keeping malt is to keepe it in the come that is to say in the dust and other filth which commeth with it from the kilne as thus when first you lay your malt on the kilne to be dryed you know there is at one end a certaine sprout or small trids which growes from the corne and is called the come which by the rubbing and drying of the malt falles away and leaues the corne cleane and snugge of it selfe and when you trim and dresse vp your malt for the mill is windowed and cleansed away this you shall preserue and put altogether into your garner or hutch which will so mellow and ripen your malt that in the spending thereof a pecke will goe further then a pecke and a halfe kept of a contrary fashion and although some are perswaded that this come or malt dust is a great breeder of the worme or weeuell by reason of the much heate thereof being indeed of the purest of the hart of the corne yet it is not so vnlesse some danknesse or moysture do get to the corne and then it breeds weeuels in infinite abundance and therfore by all meanes be sure that your garners and hutches do stand exceeding dry and then there is no feare of the losse of corne nor shall you need to dresse or window your malt but as you spend it Lastly here is to be noted that although I heare ioyne garners hutches chests and byngs together yet I make them not all of equall goodnes for the plastergarner is absolutely the best of all the close hutch or chest next and the open bing last yet any or all sufficient enough to keepe malt barley or small seeds diuers yeares without imperfection It is written by some of the ancientest Authors that wheat hath been kept in these close hutches or chests sweet the space of fifty yeres yet I hold the rule somewhat doubtfull both because wheat of it selfe lying so close packt together is apt to heat and sweat and that heat commonly turneth to faughtinesse and the sweat to corruption but that it may thus be preserued from wormes weauels mytes and other vermine breeding in corne it is doubtlesse and infallible there be other husbandmen which for the preseruation of their corne take a land Toade and tye it fast by the hinder leg and hang it before the dore or entrance of the garner and by the vertue thereof suppose that no hurt can come to their corne tye venome of the best as it were drawing away all other venome or euill that may come to the corne many other experiments there are but none so certaine as these and therefore these for malt or barley shall suffice in this place Now for the preseruation of wheat which is the most principall graine of greatest vse and greatest price and therewithall most tender and aptest to take hurt the experiments are diuers as mens fancies and practises haue found out for some husbandmen hold opinion especially the French and Spanish that if you take the lees of common oyle so it be sweet and sprinkle it vpon your wheate as it lyes either in the garner or vpon the floore that it will preserue it from all corruption and annoyance whatsoeuer not doth it saue wheat only but all other manner of graine whatsoeuer nor doth preserue corne alone from mischiefe but if corne by casualty be tainted or hurt it doth recouer it againe and brings it to the first sweetnesse and if either wormes or weauels be bred in it the oyle presently kils them and makes the corne free from that mischiefe as for smaller feeds as hemp lyne and rape this oyle doth not onely keepe them long and sound but also feeds nourishes them and makes them better either for the ground or for vse either in the mill or in medecine there be others that vse to take chalke and beat it to pouder and then scatter it amongst their wheat when they put it into the garner and haue found that thereby their graine hath been wonderfully preserued from all imperfection and surely there is great reason for the same because the drynesse of the chalke drinketh vp the moisture which sweateth from the graine and is the first breeder of all putrifaction also it cooleth and asswageth the immoderate heate which is ingendred in the Corne by reason of the packe and close lying together Againe there be others which vse to lay great store of wormwood amongst their wheat which likewise preserueth it from all anoyances especially from wormes and weauels as also from Mice Rats and such deuouring vermine neither will the Corne corrupt or grow faugthty as long as the wormewood remaines amongst it In Italy the carefull Husbands vse to take a certaine dry earth or clay called earth of Olnithus or Cernithus and this earth they beat amongst their wheat and then put it into the garner or hutch and it will keepe it sound and sweet diuers yeares together then when they haue occasion to vse it with small reding siues to dresse it from the Corne and so preserue the dust which will last and serue you many yeares together euen almost an age as some haue reported and is at this day to be seene in many parts of Italy and
other places Againe I haue for mine owne part seene in the Ilands of the Axores which lie lowest from Spain and it is a great practisealso in Spaine certaine very great and large caues or pits made vnder the earth of the fashion of a Spanish earthen Iarre that is to say great and spacious in the midst and narrow both at the top and bottome like a brasse pot or great glasse viall and made as smooth within as may be in these caues or pits they first lay chasse and then their thrasht wheat filling it vp full to the top or within a handfull thereof which they fill againe with chaffe and then closing the top with a broad stone they couer it ouer with earth so close and vnperceiueable that you may walke or trauell ouer it without any suspition and for mine owne part I haue my selfe digged vp many of these pits and found great store of wheate both in the high wayes and other most in suspicious places and surely it is thought and experience in those places makes it good that in these caues or pits you may keep wheat as long if you please as Plinie speaketh of which is an hundred or an hundred and twenty yeares without hurt or putrefaction either of heate moysture wormes weauels or any other vermine whatsoeuer which consumeth or deuoureth Corne yet how I may recommend this experiment to our nation I am vncertaine because the much moysture of our climat and the cold rawnesse thereof promisseth a contrary effect for the great enemies vnto graine are violent cold and moysture and with vs it is very difficult to make any cauerns vnder the earth but they must bee subiect vnto both therefore onely to those which liue in hot sandy countreys high and free from springs or waters or in dry and rocky grounds where these mines or hollow places may be hewed out as in a maine and firme quarry I recommend the tryall of this practise with this assurance that where the ground is fit for this purpose as in any of your sand grounds or grauelly earthes as in Norfolke Middlesexe Kent and many other sandy climats or in rocky situations as in Nottingham Bathe Bristol and such like you may keep your wheat good sound firme and free from all annoyances euen as long as you shall please to keep it both without putrifaction in it self or waste made by other deuoring worms vermin but if in a more moyst place as in a clay or other mixt earth which euer is vomiting wet and dewish humours you are forced to approue this experiment then you must necessarily lime all your caue or hallow mine within at least halfe a foot thicke with tyle shred and plaster laid wall-like together and then the plaster dawbde at least three fingers thicke aboue all and so you may keepe your corne as safe and as sound as in any hot soile whatsoeuer but without it your corne will not indure a weeke without rottennesse faughtinesse mouldinesse and stinking To conclude hauing shewed you all the most approued best experiments for the keeping and preferuing of wheat there is not any better or so good as this last poore silly plaine one which I will heare deliuer that is first as neere as you can reape your wheat at the change of the Moone for wheat which is so reaped is sedome or neuer subiect to losse or putrifaction being gotten dry and in husbandly maner ordred handled because that celestial body hath such a power and influence in the growth of corne and seeds that as she groweth so they grow and as she waneth so they abate and wither and truely for mine owne part in my poore husbandry I haue made this obseruation that I haue reaped corne at the beginning of the wane to mine eye and iudgement great full and bold as the Plowman cals it and within few dayes after when it came to thrashing I haue found it most poore hungry and small Corne noâ—… could giue or find any other reason for the sam but that it was reaped in an ill and most vnseasonable time for on the contrary part I haue euer found tha Corne reaped vpon the change being ripe full and euery way fit for the barne and the weather faire and dry aboue head it hath neuer altered but kept his first and perfit goodnes so that I cannot chuse but in this case thinke the obseruation of the Moone to be a thing of great effect and validity appointed by God as a secondary meanes for our helpe and profit when therefore your Corne is thus seasonably and well got you shall thrash it window it and dresse it so cleane as you can then carry it vp into your chambers or lofts appointed for that purpose and whose floores by all meanes I would wish to be cast of the best plaster for boards are too hot and clay is to apt to breed vermine On this plaster floore you shall spread your wheat not aboue a foot dâ—…pe at the vttermost and so let it lie obseruing once in foure or fiue dayes at the most with a large wooden shouell to turne the wheat quite ouer and ouer and thus doing you shall be sure to keepe it as sweet found and good as when it came first into the barne for neither can the heat sweat nor coldnesse offend it the first being cooled and tempered by the opening and dipersing the second dryed vp by the ayre which hath free recourse into it and the last comforted by the labour and tossing of the shouell casting it vp and downe from one place to another and though some curious husbands may obiect that this maner of keeping Corn dryeth it somwhat too much and thereby disableth it for some particular purposes as for seed and such like yet in that they are much mistaken for this stirring and moouing of graine is not a drying of it but rather a great comforter and strengthener of it dispersing backe into the Corne those wholesome vapours which should doe it good by way of communication and fellowship with the Graine and expelling those ill humours which sweating out of it would otherwise confound and hurt it so that in conclusion for the true and long keeping of wheat sweet sound and perfit without losse or corruption there is no way more safe or easie then this last expressed being of all other the best although in shew it appeare sleight and triuiall as for the most part things of greatest moment in this nature doe but to the iudiciall Husbandman I referrc it whose ayme is at the worth and substance not at the words and curious glosse set foorth in strange ingredians Touching the keeping of Rye or Massine or as some call it Munck-corne or Blend-corne being part Rye and part Wheate mixed together that which preserueth Wheat will also preserue it for they are Graine of like nature onely the Rye is somewhat hotter and dryer and therefore will endure somewhat more moysture
on the kilne especially those which you vse for bread prouender or feeding of Swine and although some Husbands vse to feed their Swine with vndryed pease nay many times both vndryed and vndrest that is to say the pulse or chaffe not taken away and are of opinion that the Graine so giuen sooner feedeth and puffeth vp Swine then the other yet they are deceiued for albeit it swel and puffe vp a beast yet is the flesh and fatte neither so good sound and long lasting as that which is gotten with dry foode nor doth it make a Swine so thirsty and the Husbandman is euer assured that when his Swine drinks not well he feeds not well therefore what Pease you keepe for bread or feeding of Cattle by all meanes dry them well and lay them either in Garners or Floores and they wil last sound and good without breeding worms or weauils as long time as you please But those which you keepe for foode at your owne table as in pottage or other vses which must by no means be two much dryed because then they aske a double time in boyling and spend a double quantity of fuell in their preparing Some vse after they be cleane thrasht and drest to lay them in a coole close Garnor either of Plaster earth or boards of which Plaster is the best as for any thing that relenteth or yeeldeth moysture as Lime stone walles or such like it is most hurtful and immediatly maketh pease mould and rot also it is good to lay your pease in thicke heapes in you garner for that will preserue them moyst the longest time but to spread them thin vpon the floore by which meanes the Sunne Ayre and Winde may passe thorow them is not so good for it drieth them too so are and taketh from them much of their sweetnesse and goodnesse which ought most carefully to be preserued There be others which preserue these tender meat Pease by thrashing them vp and then letting them lye in their owne pulsse or chaffe and not dressing them but as they haue occasion to vse them and questionlesse this is a very good laudable way for the pulsse or chaffe doth mainetaine thâ—…m sweet moyst and yet keepeth them withall so warme and comfortable that they last much longer then any other way whaâ—…soeuer and in this manner of preseruing Pease is to be noted that by all meanes you must let them lie vpon a dry earth floare so long as they are in the chaffe rather then on the boards or on plaster and yet in this case the boards are better then plaster Lastly and which indeed is the best experiment of all other if you intend to keepe Pease any extraordinary long time you shall take Barrels or dry Caske wel and strongly bound and pitch them within exceeding well with the best pitch or bytumen that you can get and then sprinkle the pitch al ouer with strong vinegar then take your Pease being cleane and well drest and put them into the Barrels pressing them downe closse and hard then head vp the Barrels and let them stand dry and coole and they will preserue your Pease sonnd sweet and good for any vse whatsoeuer as long as you please be it for ten twenty or thirty yeares according to the opinions of ancient Husbandmen and other prouant masters that haue liued and commanded in townes besieged and townes of Garrison neither shall any worme mite or weauell euer breed in it or offend it nay if any haue in former time been bred in them this manner of keeping the Graine killeth them and destroyeth them for euer Now there is another sort of Pulse which are called Lentils or Lupins which albeit they are not so generally vsed for the food or sustenance of man yet they are for horse swine and other cattell as much in request as any Graine whatsoeuer and indeed doe feed fatter and sooner then other ordinary Pulse and the flesh so fed is sweeter and pleasanter both to the eye and to the taste then that which is fed with Beanes or Pease also they are a Pulse very Physical and good for many medicines as may appeare by the workes of many learned Phisitians these the longer they are kept the better they are and fuller of profit To preserue them then in good and sound estate it is meet to reape them in very faire weather and to Stacke them vp exceeding dry if they be laid in the Barne or any close house it is not amisse for they wil endure houssing better then any other pulse yet the sooner you beat them out of the straw or thrash them vp the better it is for husbandmen suppose there is no greater hurt to this kind of Graine then the long keeping it in the straw for it is of such ranknesse that the very straw and cods breed in it much putrifaction and I my selse obserued both in Spaine and in the neighbor Islands where is great abundance of this kind of graine that they do no sooner gather it and bring it home but immediatly they thrash it nay some thrash it in the fields vpon the lands where it growes and so bring it home then spread it on faire boarded floores in very great heapes or else lay it vp in close hutches or bings such as wheate and other white graine is to be kept in If you dry this kind of Pulse in the Sun or vpon a kilne with a very moderate and soft fire and then lay it vp either in close garner or close hutch it will last many yeare sound good and without corruption there be other husbandmen which mixe with this graine when it is thrasht a halfe part of hot dry white sand or at least couer the whole heape of Pulse with the sand and do find that it keepes the graine very sound good many yeres together But to conclude if you take strong vinegar a good quantity of Lâ—…cerpitium and dissolue and mixe them very wel together and then hauing laid your lentils or lupins together on a faire boarded floore in large broad and flat heapes about two foot or two foot and a halfe thicke with the vinegar and Lacerpitium sprinkle ouer all the heape and not any change of weather frosts wormes or other vermine shall doe them hurt but they shall remaine sound and good as many yeares as you please to keepe them There are other husbandmen that instead of this before rehearsed take only sweet oyle sprinkle it all ouer the grain and find the same vertue and effect for neither wormes nor other vermine will touch it nor will the radicall humour thereof at any time waste or decay but remaine strong full found without any kind of diminishing nor shal you find any abatement of it shrinking in the measure but that which was a bushell this yeare will be also a bushell the next yeare and as many yeres after as you please which is no small profit to the