Certaine plaine and easie DEMONSTRATIONS Of divers Easie wayes and meanes for the Improving of any manner of barren Land although the same bee not worth xij d the Acre And shewing how to make the same become worth XX. s XXX s or XL. s the Acre yearely Published for the Increasing of the Wealth and Prosperitie of the Nation and the benefit of the Poore and of all those as are Owners of any barren Land LONDON Printed by T. F. and are to be sold by William Ley at his Shop at Pauls Chaine neare Pauls Church-yard 1657. Briefe Demonstrations of Certaine Plaine and Easie wayes and meanes for the Improving of any manner of Barren-Land although not worth xij d the Acre and shewing how to make the same become worth xx s xxx.s. or xl.s. the Acre yearely Published for the benefit of the Nation and for the Increasing of the wealth and Prosperity of all Nations that shall in time Practice the same By J. S. One that it defirous of the Publicke good TO THE READER GEntle Reader having many things to make publick for the good of the Nation I shall onely at the present briefly Demonstrate some few things that may make much for the Publicke good and the Prosperity thereof In this small and ensuing Treatise it is intended for the good of the Poore aswell as of the rich and therefore I shall in briefe publish no more at one time then what the poore man may be able to purchase and attaine to aswell as the rich and so shall proceed in the succeeding times Every one is bound in duty to imploy and improve those Talents that God hath endowed them with to his glory and the publick good and I hope no man can be offended thereat if any such there bee they ought to know their Errour is great and their judgement will be great at the great judgement day of the Lord I shall Conclude only desiring the Lord to blesse and prosper all honest and lawfull Endeavours and rest alwayes desirous of the Publick good J SHA CHAP. I. Concerning the use of the Manuring Rowler OF all Inventions for the easie and speedy Manuring of all sorts of Ground there is none better or more usefull then the Manuring Rowler being rightly and seasonably used The best season for using thereof is in the Autumne and Winter when the ground is wet and not dry or hard frozen Also when the Snow beginneth to melt and the frost to thaw the manner how to use it is to fill it with Dung and other soyle or with good and fertile Earth and then to draw it up and down in your field from one end to the other untill all the manure be vented out of the same and then againe to fill it and use it after the same manner untill you have used and spent all your dung hereby one load of Dung will do more good and improve your Land more then 3 or 4. Load laid on the ground and spread after the accustomed manner Also ground that is not worth xij d the Acre may in few yeares be made to become worth xx s or xxx.s. the Acre These manuring Rowlers may be made of what bigness you please for they may be made no bigger then for a man to drive or thrust afore him and also they may bee made so bigge as they may require one or two Horses to draw the same Now if the later end of the Autumne or Winter season prove dry and the ground be too dry to Manure and improve the same then you may moysten and water the same as is declared in the Chapter Shewing how to water Ground in dry seasons where water is plentifull And in moistening or watering the same be sure to moisten and water no more then you shall at that present manure well with your manuring Rowler and water that well and throughly that you would Manure Also if you would Improve any barren Land speedily then you must bring in the best mould you can get and spread the same all over so much of your barren Land as you desire to Improve and after you have spread the same then to fill your manuring Rowlers with Dung or other good soyle and manure the same when the ground is Wet as is before prescribed Also it is very expedient to Plow up your barren ground if you have not plenty of good Earth to lay upon it and to manure it withall and assoone as it is Plowed up then to manure it with your manuring Rowler And what you Plow up one day you should Manure the day following CHAP. II. How to improve Barren Land not worth yearely xij d the Acre and io make it become worth yearely xx s or xxx.s. the Acre ONe of the best and surest wayes to Improve any manner of barren Land both speedily and effectually is by making long Furrowes or Trenches eyther with the Plow or Spade 12. or 18. Inches deepe and 12. or 18. Inches wide these furrows and trenches should be made along frō the South to the North distant some 14 15 or 16. foot each furrow or trench from the other these furrowes being thus made should be filled up with the best and richest Earth or soyle that may be got neare to the said barren land and after they are thus filled then at the season of the yeare for Planting then to plant Quicksets and all other small Plants of divers kinds all along in the said Trenches and furrowes or otherwise to set or sow Acornes Nuts Hawes and the seeds of other Trees in the said Trenches and furrowes that it may grow up to a Hedge-row or hedge and so to preserve them and let them grow Now in the Spaces between the said furrowes you may practise severall points of Husbandry in manner following as in one or 2 or 3. of the said Spaces between the said trenches or furrowes if you would have Medow ground or Pasture then when the ground is wet eyther with Raine or with Snow you must manure the same with the manuring Barrow or manuring Rowler they being filled with the richest or fattest Earth you can get untill the said Spaces become all mire and dirt and after that bring the best greene Turffe you can get in Lanes or along by Hedge-sides from whence the fame may be best spared into your said Barren ground and spread the same all over the said spaces between the trenches covering the said barren ground therewith that you would have to be good Medow or Pasture ground and after that fill your manuring Rowler with good mellow Dung and manure the said spaces therewith In the Winter seasons and a little before the Spring and so every Winter season when the said ground is moyst and it will become good Medow or Pasture ground worth xx s or xxx.s. the Acre or more and continue so for ever Also you should have a great care that no Cattle that will Crop come into the said ground before your
in wet or Moorish grounds then to fill both the trenches and pits with the fattest Sand or dryest rich mould well Chaulked or you may put some Chalke into the said trenches or pits before the said Sand or Rich dry earth be layd in the same and to manure the said wet ground with the like spreading much Chalke or sand upon the said Moorish o◠wet grounds Now by this kind of Husbandry great profit will arise to the Owners of the said barren Land and also to the Common-wealth and Nation for hereby all sorts of Timber will become plentifull for all uses These holes and Pits may be made as neere together as the Planters shall please for as the said Trees grow up and spread some may be Cut downe and taken away to the owners profit and others left to grow and spread and alwaies when they shall want space to spread and grow then to fell and take away some more leaving others to continue growing untill they shall be come to their full growth Thus may barren ground that is not worth xij d the Acre be made to bring in great profit and be Improved from generation to generation and in the end when all or most of the Trees be felled or taken away it will become and continue good Arable or Pasture ground for ever if it 〈◊〉 yearly Manured in its season as it ought and may easily be done FINIS AT the House of _____ There you may see the Exact modell and manner of the improving Inventions and receive further Instructions for the Improving 〈◊〉 any manner of Barren Land if you please and also be directed 〈◊〉 such Persons as will eyther buy or farme any Barren Lands that you shall be desirous to Sell or Let. HOW TO ORDER ANY LAND SO as it may reteyne all the moysture that falleth thereon And to Improve it thereby FOr asmuch as the fatnesse of the soile is washed away when in the winter season the ground is so wet that every showre is not received and drunke in by the earth where upon it falleth but passeth away and carieth with it the Fatnesse and Richnesse of the soyle that should remayne vpon the superficies of the earth whereby barrennesse doeth ensue daily although daily the Husbandman doe manure and dung the same Therefore every one that would reteyne the Fatnesse and Richnesse of their owne soyle for their own Land must use meanes to reteine that that would and doth carry away the Richnesse and Fatnes of their soyle from the same And that every man may reserve the Fatnesse of his owne soyle for his owne Land it is accessary to use and practise these points of Husbandrie hereafter declared As first to mound his Land with bankes in every place where the water may have vent and Current from of the same secondly to turne the vent and Current of all Land-waters into his owne ground out from the high wayes wast-grounds and Commons belonging to or lying neere his owne Land and if these two shall not be found Remedies sufficient I shall hereafter declare some other I know the latter is practised a little by some but it is so little that it is to little purpose For what availeth it for a man to let the water in at one place and to let it goe out at a thousand but every man reteyning all the water that falleth upon his owne ground shall in short time finde it very availeable for if this kinde of husbandrie onely were but used halfe the time that it hath beene neglected men should finde their Lands to bee greatly Improoved by the same the which every one may easily doe and that to their owne great profit and advantage and to the profit and advantage also of their farre Remote neighbours For if every one doe but consider how divers grounds hath beene much Improoved by watering and overflowing the same neere unto Rivers that in former times have beene but little worth then they cannot deny but that they also in high grounds may improove their Land by watering and overflowing the same and that they may overflow it by stopping the vents and Currents of the water that shall fall upon the same or when they shall bring the land-water vpon the same from their owne Corre Feilds high-wayes and other wast grounds and Commons Also then will not their farre Remote neighbors that use to bee annoyed with floods and others that liue in Fenne Countries bee so much annoyed with water as commonly they are nay if every one did but truely and duely observe and practise this kind of Husbandry they would not be annoyed at all and therefore it must needs bee advantagious and profitable for those that live in Fenny Countryes and others in the vale Countryes that are annoyed with Floods as well as for those that live upon hilles and high grounds Now how easily it may bee effected may any one soone understand that can but understand how easily mischeifes may bee prevented when they are prevented at the first arising and beginning before they come to a head and how easily an Inconvenience may bee helped when every man shall put to their helping hands any one may judge Wee know that the many sparkes of fire in Towne and Citty so long as they are kept within bounds are service able and there is no dammage or danger susteyned by them but if by misfortune or negligence they get out of their bounds what disasters doe they cause Even so the many drops that doe fall in a Countrey if they should bee kept within bounds in the severall Closes and Lordships wherein they fall they would be serviceable and advantagious which other wayes destroy whole Feilds of Corne breake downe Bridges drowne Cattle and sometime overturne houses and worke much other mischeifes also for we may all very well know it is never well with England when the Corne in the golden vales of England is destroyed through floods now as the Husbandman may easily reteyne all the water that falleth upon his owne ground for his owne profit and advantage in his severall enclosures so may he as easily open a vent for his water at any time if there be cause and let it out from one Close wherein there is no need or where it may be harmeful and bring it into another wherein it may doe good and where there may bee great need thereof now if there be any that cannot conceyue how or which way this point of husbandry may be effected with great facility and ease let them but repaire unto the Author or unto his Assignes and they will after taking view of their land show how easily it may be done How to prepare barraine Land that yeeldeth no profit for the Improoving of it and how to make it Fertill THe first thing to be done when you would improove your barrain dry ground is where it is levell or where it can be easily brought to a levell to mound it about in square plots
reteyne the water that shall fall within his awne ground And therefore not Impossible A breife Answere vnto what may be objected or hath beene objected I Know many there bee that will say they know many more excellent points of his bandry then yet hath beene discovered by mee and I must confesse I know many particular Husbandmen that doe conceive and understand those secrets in husbandry that generally is not conceived nor understood by many that use husbandry the which I have forborne to treat of because I would not seeme to discover what I know to bee understood and practized by any one already although I am not ignorant of the same and that divers husbandmen and others doe know divers more excellent poynts then hath been discovered I will beleeve For I my selfe know many more excellent poytits then I have yet discovered and yet I know and beleeve that divers that shalfucceed unto this generation shall know understand and discover more then shal be vnderstood and discovered by any one in this generation Now to avoid further Controversies If there be any that shall thinke or object that any one point herein discovered is vnpossible unprofitable or not worth the practizing let them but help the Author vnto any barraine Land and they shall soone see the contrary prooved for their satisfaction And whereas some I know will be apt to object That the water lying upon the ground in the winter season will breed Rushes and Sedges I answer the Manuring barrow if it be trimmed and used as it may bee will keepe the ground from bearing of Rushes and Sedges and also it will kill both Rushes and Sedges in any ground that is naturally inclined thereunto AN EASIE AND PROFITABLE ORDER IN TILling of Ground to improve it and make it Fertile BEcause all things in this World are subject to casualtie and Husbandry and Tillage although it be a principall stay and supporter both in the Church and Common-wealth yet doth it not alwayes hit according to the Husbandmans expectation but oftentimes doth faile unto his great losse and the miseries of others I shall here discover some certaine points in Husbandrie whereby the Husbandman may easily succour his Corn after it is sown and use such meanes and wayes that he may preserve and foster it if need so require Now the most certaine way in Tillage not to loose both your seed and labor as many often have done in dry seasons and are still like to doe if they hold on in their accustomed Tillage whe the season is like to be dry is to Till your Ground by Lands leaving alwayes a space untilled betweene every Land that so you may have places whereby you may come to moysten and succour your Seed untill it be well come forth and growne if the season be dry and you perceive it doth not come forth kindely as you would have it this is a point of Husbandrie that will be extraordinarie usefull where any Barraine ground lyeth neare unto any Rivers where water may plentifully be had and it will not be unusefull where good ground is although there be not such plentie of water but some Husbandmen it may be will be apt to thinke that so much ground that yeare is lost that is left untill'd in a Field that is tilled but it is easily answered that better a little ground be lost then a greater quantitie of ground and your cost and Seed also be lost as it may be sayd well to be if it doth not bring forth a crop propertionable unto the place and charge bestowed thereon but to speake the truth the ground is not lost that is left untilled because of it selfe it will bring forth some benefit although it be not sowne and that that is not sowne the one yeare doth gather heart and will be improved against the next yeare for if you diligently succour your seed-plots with water and some such other means as you shall see needfull the Invention that you may water your tilled ground with will also at the same time water your untilled spaces so as that what with the watering and with the trampling your untilled spaces will be well improved thereby For watering and trampling of ground when it is moist will improve any ground without any other meanes neyther may any Husbandman sow one jot the lesse for what quantitie of ground he leaveth unsownein one Field he may sow for it the same quantity in another place and in the same manner if he thinke well and in thus ordering and sowing of his ground he shall finde more certaine profit then any other way The breadth of the Lands that in this manner are to be tilled may be 6 7 or 8 foot in breadth and the space betweene each land that you are to leave untilled may be a foot and a halfe or more in breadth if you see cause thus may you without doing harme to your Corne at any time as you see cause both nourish and cherish it up from the first sowing thereof untill it be past all danger that may befall it through drought for when it is sprung up to some prettie growth the blades will defend the rootes thereof so from the heat of the Sunne in dry seasons that it will not take any extraordinarie harme thereby Also this is to be noted that those spaces that you leave unplowed one yeare if you sow the same Field the next yeare you are to plow up leave now some part of the lands that the last yere were tilled and sown for to be the spaces between the Lands that you mean now to till sow and so every yeare you may rest some part of your Field although every yeare you sow the greater part and reape good crops of Corne from the same Now to give you some taste whether this point of Husbandrie will be advantagious or no let every Husbandman first cast what an Acre of Corne is worth standing upon the Ground and then how many Acres thereof may be watered in a day unto the first question I can answere I have knowne an Acre of Wheat to have been worth ten pounds upon the ground when Corne hath been at an high price but I will suppose it to bee worth now but 40 shillings or 3 poūd the Acre Vnto the second I will answere where water may easily be had a couple of men may well and easily water about some 30 Acres a day when the dayes be long and if it be watered well but every other day and the ground be any thing good or well manured it will come forward and by this account two men may cherish 60 Acres and bring it forward watering the one halfe well one day and the other halfe another day and 60 Acres according unto the lowest rate amounteth unto 120 pound at 3 pound the Acre it will amount unto 180 pound and how much soever an Acre of any Corne can be worth an Acre of Corne well