7907. As for any other Literal Errors incident to creep into all Books throw mistake be pleased to correct them your selves And if it were proper here to make an Appologie for my self I might plead the more to be excused in respect I have been so hastened to have this finished before the Session sate down and other Reasons needless here to repeat that before I wrote the second Sheet the first was at the Press and never after had I one Sheet of Coppy ready at once the whole time it was a printing THE PREFACE to the READER NEighbours and Country men this small Treatise may seem to bear a Title which in the following Sheets cannot be made good I confess before I took a particular look into every Circumstance of this Project I could scarce beleive such a thing could be But after peruseâ— let the Iudicious Reader Iudge how far I have accomplished my Undertaking I know it is seldom that any new Project is much encouraged by most of you and he that proposeth it reputed a Wise Man However I have rather chosen to hazard upon the Censure of all than conceal that which may be profitable to any And seing the chief mistery of this Project consists in your Prudent and Exact Calculation as I remarked in my Answer to the 2 d. Objection wherefore I yet once more Recomend it in this and all other Cases I doubt not but some may cast it in my Teeth since I am so good at Teaching others how to improve their Stocks How cometh it to pass that I have been so far mistaken in forecasting of my own Affairs To which I Answer Perhaps I may now be a better Gamester than formerly while my Carts were a playing Moreover it was not altogether my want of Skill in Calculating that made my Projects to misgive But grant it to be as ye suppose it doth not follow but my Advice may be both Profitable and Reasonable A Mariner that hath suffered Ship-wrack may be as good a Pilote in that same Channel where he lost his Ship as another that has come that same Way with a Prosperous Gale and Full-Sea sailing over the hide Rocks and dangerous Banks If you think my Advice Reasonable take it Gratis and welcome If not buy Experience at th Rate I have done HUSBANDRY Anatomized OR An Enquiry into the present manner of Manuring the Ground in Scotland for most part and several Rules and Measures laid down for the better Improvement thereof c. WHEN Almighty GOD Created the World by the Word of his Power He could have made Men to live without Food as well as Angels Or yet have made the Earth to bring forth all manner of Food for him without Labour or Industry as it doth for Caâ—â—le and creeping things But so it was that He that is Infinit in Wisdom saw it meet to assign Man a dayly exercise in earning his Food and Rayment whereby he is not only diverted from following some bad Practice But also that thereby he may see his great frailty in that he is not able to live without dayly Subsistance and Refreshment from Creatures inferiour to himself As also he thereby may learn to know his great need of Spiritual Nourishment to his Soul in as much as it is more precious than the Body together with many other profitable Lessons No doubt if Man had continued in the Estate of Innocencie his Labour had been rather a Pleasure than a Toyle as may be gathered from the Sentence pronounced against Adam where it 's said From thenceforth by the Sweat of his Brows he should Earn his Bread untill he should return unto the Dust 'T is plain enough it had not fated so with him were not for his Transgression And upon Cain's Transgression the Earth is again Cursed that thenceforth it should not yeeld its strength What wonder thô before this time it had become a barren Wilderness considering the dayly multiplyed Transgressions of the Children of Men But this being extraneous to my purpose and that which I am not capable to decipher I shall remit it to the Contemplation of Divines But that I may come to the purpose I shall first take some general Observations concerning the present Constitution of the Earth 2. Lay down certain Rules for bringing every kind of Ground to a right Temperature so far as may be 3 An Enquirie into the present manner of manuring the Ground through most part of this Kingdom 4 Lay down several Rules for manuring it to greater advantadge tho not inclosed 5 How much more by Parking and Inclosures 6. Concerning Stock-keeping 7. Something concerning Planting 8. Some directions how to sow several Garden Seeds and Roots And lastly I shall enervat what Objections I conceive may be framed against any of my propositions CHAP. I. Of the Earth's Constitution in general ANd first I say notwithstanding that Proverb is of verity There is never a Tale without a Reason That is there is no Effect but from some certain Cause yet 't is as true there may be many things really true in Effect that we do not well know from what Cause And seing I am neither Philosopher nor Alchymist I hope the moderat Reader will not altogether disprove or misregard my propositions where the matter of fact is evident altho I cannot give a Philosophical definition of the Cause Nevertheless that I may not desire the Reader to credit my bare Assertion without any ground I shall in some measure endeavour according to my weak capacity to give him satisfaction in this point And first I say it cannot be denyed but some places of the Earth are Moist and Cold and other places Hot and dry The cause of which differences some aleadge to be by the influence of the Planets and other Coelestial Bodys by which also they make all Minerals to be Engendered I shall not say but there maybe much truth in this for in these Climates lying nearest the Equinoctial geting a larger share of the Sun's heat are generally more fertile providing it be not scorching than other places more remote as I shall afterward show Neither shall I altogether deny but other Planets may also have some influence Notwithstanding of all which I cannot be perswaded through influence of the Planets there can be with in the bounds of a mile of ground or perhaps less one field hot and sandy Another cold clay ground A third Marish and Boggie A fourth dry Heath ground A fifth a tollerable mixture of all these c. Now seing these differences cannot be from the forementioned Cause it must be from its primitive Constitution or I shall not dive any farther into it To enquire any more after the Cause of this is like a person coming where there is a house on fire and in stead of endeavouring to quench the Flame calleth out How did the Fire break out How was the House kendled The thing required in this case seing the Effect is unqustionable
is rather to remove the Maladie than enquire any farther after the Cause I shall therefore proceed to lay down several Rules whereby to bring each of these different kinds of Ground to such a temperature as it may be in a condition to nourish any Plant or Seed therein sowen or planted which is done by removing the superfluity of that quality that prevaileth and strengthening of that which is weak For as in humane bodys there are a Composition of the four Elements and through the superfluity or deficiency of any one or more of them Diseases are contracted and fomented so in the Earth there is the like Composition of qualities and so far as heat Moister cold or dryness exceedeth the bounds of a moderat temperatur so far is she Diseased and rendred unfruitful I know some assert the Salt or hot quality that is in the Earth is the only cause of growth of Vigitables And consequently barreness to be only for want of this quality I confess where this quality is wanting altogether Barrenness cannot but ensue And also that this quality is that which is most frequently deficient in our cold Climate And moreover thô it be strengthned or assisted yet by teiling and Manuring of the Earth it s extracted forth into the substance of grain and other vigitables and so needeth frequently to be renewed Notwithstanding of all which with submission to men of greater Judgement I am of opinion there may be abundance of this Hot or Salt quality where there is as much barrenness as any where else But that I may confirm this assertion I say I have seen a field fatned sufficiently with Dung yet by reason of great drowght it has yielded small increase yea scarce one third of what it has done at other times The cause surely was not for want of this Hot or Salt Quality but allanerly for want of Moister Again I have seen a field that wanted not â—nough of this Hot quality by excessive Rains after it has been tiled and sown with Good Grain has produced little else but weeds and Thristles for that season also I have seen strong Clay ground where the clods remained firm and unbroken did not produce so much by far for that Season as at other times when by reason of the Frost in the Winter the clods have easily Mouldred to pieces Notwithstanding it was otherwayes in no better Condition which makes me believe the want of Air tho there be a moderat temperature of the other qualities hinders the growth of Vigitables for tho it want not Air in the stalk which is above ground yet in this confirmed Earth the Air cannot have free access to thâ— Root Another thing which confirms me in this opinion is where Trees grow closs or near the Bottom of hedges little or nothing doth grow Morover I have seen in the Bottom of a dung hill Plewed and sown tho round about the borders thereof the corn has been extraordiner strong and good yet where most of the strength of dung did remain little or nothing did grow which says the excesse of this hot quality tho there be a moderat temperature of all the rest doth hinder fruitfulness I observed formerly that within the bounds of a mile of ground in some places there may be seen fields in equal circumstances as to the manner of Situation and yet differing in other circumstances very much for which I can understand no cause save the primative constitution but for Valys being generally more fertile then hills I humbly conceive one or all of these reasons may be given First The internal heat of the earth warming the Air next unto it and in respect the hills are farder extended from the center than the Valys and bâ—ing so much higher where the Air is more pure and less warmed by this internal heat they are so much colder and consequently more unfruitfull Or secondly If it be said it is not the internal heat of the Earth that warmeth the Air but rather the reflex heat of the Sun Beams it is the same thing upon the Matter for whither the heat be from the Earth it self or the Sun's heat reâ—â—yling still the Valys have the advantage of the Mountains in respect the Air that is lowest receiveth the greatest share thereof 3. So much as the hills are higher than the Valys they ly the more open to the Air which has a quicker motion the higher it is and Air moved is much colder than when it is not moved whither it be in that it is warmed by things nixt to it when it standeth still and when it is moved fresh Air still approaching which has not been warmed be the cause why the one is warmer then the other I shall not determin But the matter of Fact is beyond contraversy that the Air moved is much colder than when it is not moved and Valys being much sheltered from the violence of Storms are keep'd so much the warmer and consequently are the more Fertile Moreover hills being steep the Rain runneth presently off so soon as it falleth and doth not only carry that salt or hot Quality that is in it self away But if the Ground be not well Soarded carryeth part of the Earth also away with it self And on the contraâ—e Valys lying near level Rain cannot run suddenly off but getting time to soak or sink in the Ground the salt Quality remaineth still whereby the Earth is much Inriched By the above mentioned Observations you may see it is Heat principally that makes the Valys more fertile than the Hills It follows â—hat if other Ground can be warmed to the like degree it may thereby be made as fertile I shall therefore in the following Chapters give some Directions how this may be performed which may be done two wayes First By assisting the Internal Hâ—at Next By restraining the External Cold of each in their places CHAP. II. How to bring every kind of Ground to a right Temperature so far as may be NOw to follow the Example of a skilfull Physitian after finding out the Disease he prescriveth Medicines sutable to be applyed to each various Distemper so shall we after this search and enquirie into the Nature and constitution of these different kinds of ground above mentioned See next what measures are to be taken to bring the same to a moderat temperature And as the Apostle says in another case Paul may Plant and Apollo may Water But 't is GOD that giveth the Increase So let men be never so industrious or carefull about their worldly Affairs yet if GOD give not a blessing to the means their labour is in vain For how often is it seen that after a hopeful Spring an unseasonable Summer maketh a scarce Harvest and after a seasonable Summer good appearence of a plentiful harvest by intemperat weather a few weeks much of the fruits of the Earth have been consumâ—d I am not so much an Astrologer as to impute the cause of this to
be from the influence of Coelestial Bodys and by the Regency or Planets of this and the other disposition together with their Conjunctions Squares Angles Opositions and so forth Such various effects are produced and that not only in the Elements But also the like influence have they on humane bodys both in their Dispositions and Actions is the Doctrine of most Astrologers What ever be the Opinion of such Men yet 't is beyond contraversie they go about to seek the nearest that go to the Stars to seek knowledge in futer Events I know so much of Astrologie that I know Mathematicians may calculat the course of the Planets and know in what Schem or Form the Coelestial Bodys shall be for a great many years to come And also they may be informed by those of their own profession that have lived many hundered years agoe what was the Schem of the Heavens when such such Events fell out and from this they conjecture when the Coelestial Bodys come again to be in the like Posture or Frame the like Events they shall befal I say notwithstanding of what Knowledge the best Mathematicians may have in future things by these Conjectures there can be nothing certain from these Causes For I hope none of them will deny but he that gave these Creatures a Being and appointed them their Uses and Offices can work whatsoever he pleaseth without their concurrance or assistance But so it is he hath forewarned us to be assured if we persist in sin we may expect to be punished as other people who have committed the like sins in times past And we have frequent instances in the History of the Iewish Church what was the causes of the Judgements inflicted on them I know not how the Planets were disposed in all the Revolutions of that people But the Pen-man of that Sacred Storie attributes all the Mutations of these times to other Causes I am of Opinion that such as are well versed in Sacred Writ and acquainted with the Life and Conversation of a People may read their Destiny better than all the Astrologers in Europe can do by their Mathematical Calculations None I confess can be positive as to the Time or Manner GOD sometimes giving a longer or shorter space of Repentance as he pleaseth And because He doth not alwayes punish sinners in the very act therefore many mistake the cause of their punishment as the Israelites in Ieremiah's time being by him reproved for their idolatrie assuring them that the afflictions they were then under proceeded from that cause They absolutely defend themselves alleadging he went about to deceive them Ier 44.17 But we will certainly do whatsoever thing goeth forth of our own mouth to burn Incense to the Queen of Heaven and to powr out Drink-offerings unto her as we have done we and our Fathers Our King and our Princes in the Citys of Judah and Streets of Jerusalem for then had we plenty of Victuals and were welâ— and saw no evil But since we left off to burn Incense to the Queen of Heaven and to pour out Drink-offerings unto her we hâ—â—e wanted all things and have been consumed by the Sword and by the Famine We want not abundance in our times that mistake the Language of Providence not one white less than thir Israelites did But meddling with them not being to our purpose I shall let them stand and fall to their own Master What I designe at presâ—nt is to have my Reader perswaded to a dutâ—â—ul Obedience unto the Law of GOD and to depend on Providence for good Success in his Lawful Affairs and for a Blessing on the Fruits of the Ground rather than believe Good or bad weather or any other Events cometh by guess or by the common course of the Starrs Now To return to our purpose let us see what kind of Nourishment or Medicine is required to refresh the Ground withal or to bring it to a temperat Constitution And that is First Dung of all sorts Vigitables of all kinds providing they be first putrified or rotten Yea all kind of Animals and Lime Ashes c. Tho some curious persons recommend Horn and Hove Blood and Gutts of Cattle and Shells of Fishes and Salt-Peter c. as very strong and dureable Nourishments for the Ground Yet seing these things cannot be had by every one I shall only speak of these which may be had every where Viz Dung of Cattle Ashes Lyme Marle and Sea-ware any of which will strengthen any kind of Ground Yet some of them are stronger than other and each of them proper to be applyed to different kinds of Ground as I shall immediatly remark And first I shall begin with Marish Ground if it be ploughable then let it be made in high Riggs Sheep or Horse Dung is fittest for this kind of Earth if it be so moist that it cannot be plewed draining the Water from it by Trinches or Ditches and strawing it with Lime or Ashes of Wood or Coals will much help the growth of Grass and prevent the growth of Rushes or any other hurtful weed 2 ly Where the Earth is sandy and hot let it be fatned with Cow-dung or Marish-earth because the Constitution thereof is too hot already Dung of a contrary Quality must be applyed But if it be excessive hot it can hardly be made Fertile unless a great quantity of Clay or Marish Ground be laid upon it which will be more expensive than all the Profit coming thereby can repay In that case I know nothing better than take what Grass it produceth of its self and not spend Seed and Labour in vain For tho in a wet Season it may bear a pretty good Crop yet seeing a drowght may as readily happen it is saffer to bestow Expence on other Ground where more certain Profit may be expected 3 ly Strong Clay Ground is that we shall speak of next the Nourishment most proper for it is Horse or Sheep dung This kind of Earth is capable of as much Improvement as any kind of Ground whatsomever Yet seeing there is two Maladies in it to be removed which is Cold and Astringedness or Hardness especially when a very dry Summer follows a wet Spring Beside the dung above mentioned take Sea sand or other sandy Earth and spread upon it as you do dung This both helps to keep the Ground open and also mitigats the Cold. Another thing that makes this kind of Ground open and tender is fallowing And also sowing it with Pease or Beans which at least ought to be sowen on this kind of Ground every third or fourth Year 4 ly The next kind of Earth we shall speak of is Mountainous wild and over-growen with Heath or Heather This Shurb only groweth on cold dry Ground where scarce any thing else can grow Nevertheless by removing that cold dead kind of light Ground that is upon the surface of the Earth where this Heather groweth The soil may be made pretty
Air or cannot get sprung up thorrow so much Earth Moreover even tho it be not so deep in the Earth yet when the Seed is sowen dry and falling into such places of the Ground as are also dry it cannot suddenly chip or spring and continuing partly moist and partly dry a great dale of it consumeth before it doth sprout That which confirms me in this Opinion Is when I have taken notice to Malt upon the Floor scarce one Grain of ten yea in good Grain scarce one of twenty but what did fairly chip or begin to shot forth from which I conjecture if that which is sowen on the Earth were as much moistenâ—`d it would as universally chip And I believe very little Grain that once springeth above Ground doth afterward â—ail except the Season be very intemperat The way then to Remeed these Maladies are to steep the Seed before it be sowen twenty four hours at least some prescrive steeping in Aquavitae and Lyme Water but I am for no such Curiosity fearing the Benefit will not repay the Charges But let it only be steeped in Water twenty four hours as is said and let it ly upon the floor till the watter dry from it and if ye cannot conveniently have it instantly sowen it will be nothing the worse to ly three or four days providing ye let it not heat it cometh as fast forward on the Barn Floor as if it were sowen For the Sape or Moisture that remaineth in it after steeping is sufficient to make it once sprout I suppose after it doth once chip or shut forth it doth not radily afterward fail And then to prevent its falling into hols give the Ground a course of Harrowing before the Seed be thereon sowen and thaâ— harrow it till it be enough Taking thir Measures I dar adventur to sow an Aiker of Land with two or three Pecks less Seed than in following the common Manner which is more than seven Bols saved of fourty Aikers if three Pecks per aiker be rebet But I shall only reckon six saved this way Before I close this Chapter I shall answer one Objection which some perhaps may frame against my steeping of Seed-Corn in that I 'm of Opinion dry Seed sowen upon dry Ground is not sudenly moistened and lying some considerable time half wet half dry is consumed before it receive Life Whereas on the contrare it 's the universal Opinion of all that have any Knowledge or Experience of Husbandrie that a dry Seed time is the most seasonable of any in so much that it 's a Vulgar Proverb A Boll of March Dust is worth a Boll of Gold but steeping of Seed seems to inferr the contrair To which I answer this makes nothing against my assertion for as I shewed above there is a moderat temperature of diverse Qualitys required in the Earth to fit it for bringing furth Grain it is not so much the excess of Moister in Seed-time that hindereth a plentyful Cropt as it is the excess of Cold and tho the Earth of it self be Cold and Dry yet Water is Colder and when the ground is wet with Rain in Seed-time it cooleth it so much that much of the Seed consumeth before it Chip Another bad consequence that followeth a wet Seed-time is the ground being Ploughed and Harrowed wet is in a manner knedded together like Levan and drying afterwards hardneth together as if it were a Cake so that Air hath not free access to the Seed or Root of the stalk and therefore cannot be so fruitful as otherwayes it would be Besides all this a great dale of hurtfull Weeds spring up which are incouraged by a Cold wet Season and geting once above the Corn before it rise keep what advantage they get CHAP. IV. The great Profit of Hedging and Inclosures THE preceeding Chapter having already run beyond the bounds I thought to have contained all I had to say on this Subject in I shall endeavour all possible Brevity in speaking to these Heads I have nor yet spoken to You may remember at our entry it was observed That where the Earth is Fertile there is a moderat Temperature of Heat Cold Moisture and Dryness and when any one or more of these Qualitys prevail or are desicient it is so farr diseased and rendered unfruitful And also That the Hot or Salt Quality is that which is most frequently defective in our cold Climate and tho it be strengthened yet by Tielling and Dressing of the Ground it is extracted forth into the Substance of Grain c. That which is principally required then to bring the Ground to a Fruitful Condition is to assist this Hot or Salt Quality and seeing by GOD's Providence we Inhabit this place of the Earth which is naturally more cold than many other places thereof in respect it lyeth more remore from the Sun's Heat let us therefore endeavour to help by Art that wherein Nature is defective And before we go any fatther it may be no unseasonable Meditation to Contemplate upon the Wisdom and Goodness of that Infiniâ— Being who has fixed the Sun that most glorious Creature in such a Sphere that by this one body of Light the whole Universe is Illuminated warmed and Quickened For what Creature Animate or Inanimate can subsist without constant Refreshment from his Grateful Comforting Rayes Yea doth not all the other Luminaries borrow their Light Glory off him What Finit Capacity could ever have contrived where to place one single body that might give light and moderat heat to the whole Universe Had the Sun been fixed in a lower Sphere than now he is the Earth had been scorched or burned up Had he been placed in a higher Sphere than the Earth had not been warmed to such a degtee that it had been possible for Men thereon to live or any thing therein to grow Should the Sun remain but a year or two at that distance he is from us in Winter no living Creature could subsist But the placeing of this Glorious Body at such a convenient distance is but one part of the wonderfulness of the incomprehensible Wisdom of GOD in relation to that Creature For had not the Sun moved let him be fixed in what place soever one third part of the Earth had not received the Benefit of his warm Beams Had his Annual motion that is his Revolution thorow the Signs been also quick as that of the Moon then Corn Herbs Flowers c that had begun to sprut and grow during the time of his welcome Visit should have weathered and decayed upon his sudden abandoning of them before they came to perfection And here if it were not beside our purpose I might ask such as make the Moon to be another inhabited Terestial Glob what time Corn takes to grow up and ripen there For more space than a moneth can they not have for Summer Winter Autumn and Spring Or else they must call every moneth but one day And so