they wyll amende the grasse and to take good hede that ye suffre nouther breres nor blacke thornes nor none other maner of busshes to growe in your pastures and specially by the hedges c. ¶ Howe to amende busshy grounde mossy that hath ben errable lande of olde tyme. Cap. xxviii THere is none other remedy but to stocke and gette vp the busshes by the rotes and the landes plowed and sowen as I haue sayd before the reyst grounde if it be drie wyll bringe moche corne for the mosse wyll rote and the moole hyllockes wyll amende the grounde well And yf there be any marle pyttes that haue be made of olde tyme within the same cloyse thanÌ„e whan the landes begynne to weare if he haue nat sufficieÌ„t of suche busshye and mossye grouÌ„de to breke vp and sowe than there wolde be newe marle pyttes made the landes newe marled the whiche is moche better than outher donge mucke or lyme for it wyll laste twentie yeres togyder if it be well done and shall be the better whyle it is lande And I marueyle greatly that in the coÌ„men feldes where of olde tyme hath ben made many great marlepytes the whiche hath done moche good to the laÌ„des that nowe a dayes no man dothe occupy theÌ„ne make none other they nede nat to doute but ther is marle nowe aswell as was than but as me semeth ther be two causes why â–ª one is the tenauntes be so doutefull of their lande lordes that if they shulde marle and make their holdynges moche better they feare leest they shulde be putte out or make a great fyne or els to paye more rent And if a lorde so do me semeth he is vnresonable seyng that it was done all at the costes of his tenaunte and nat at his The seconde cause is that men be disposed to ydelnesse and wyll nat laboure as they haue done in tymes paste but passe forthe the tyme as his father dyd before hym but yet me semeth a freholder shuld nat be of that coÌ„dycion for he is in a suretie his chefe lorde can nat put hym out doyng his duetie And he knoweth well he shall take the profite whyle he lyueth and his heyres after hym and thus shulde gyue him a corage to improwe his owne the which is as good as he had purchased as moche as the improwment cometh to And one man this doyng wolde gyue other men a corage and a good example to folowe the same And all other countreis may take ensample at Chestershyre and Lancastershyre for many of them that haue so doone haue made the improwmente as good as the lande was before c. ¶ Howe a man shulde amende bâ—â—â—hye grounde that was neuer errable lande Cap. xxix YE must consyder what the grouÌ„de is disposed vnto wheder it be drie or wete or be disposed to beare woode grasse or corne If it be drie and full of grauell it is better to bere wode than outher corne or grasse If it be weate grounde it is nat good for corne but it wyll beare bothe wode and grasse But and it be a blacke erthe and drie it is good for corne and it wyll quyte the cost to stocke it vp by the rotes and to sowe it with corne And yf it be whyte cley it is moost commenly a weate grounde and than it is nat good for corne but it wyll beare bothe wode and grasse and an acre of wode is as good as an acre of corne grouÌ„de or of grasse and in some places moche better And if ye wyll encrease the sayd busshy grouÌ„de and to make more wode than bytwene Myghelmas and Martylmas ye must gader many akehornes and put them in erthen pottes for those will kepe them moyst and in February and Marche sette the sayd akehornes in the sayde busshes as thycke as ye wyll vndouted they wyll growe And also ye may gette the keys of asshes nuttes and suche other and set them in lyke maner and to kepe all maner of catell that wyll eate any wode out of the same grounde tyll it be past dauÌ„ger of catell c. ¶ Howe to amende wode grounde that lyeth in seuerall pasture Cap. xxx IF they be great olde trees if ye felle theÌ„ by the erthe there wyll neuer come any springe of them vp agayne except they haue many smalle pumples and springes about the rotes And therfore suche olde trees wolde be but lopped and cropped to beare more wode styll and if it be a good grounde to beare corne be but a fewe trees than it were best to stocke theÌ„ vp by the rotes and to plowe it and sowe it And if it be but yong wode ye may chose wheder ye wyll shrede it loppe it or croppe it or felle it by the erthe And if ye fell it by the erthe and kepe the springe well ye shall haue for euery tree two or thre trees so that it be felde at a due season of the yere and that is bytwene Candelmas and Maye wherof I haue spoken sufficiently ynoughe in the boke of husbandrie ¶ Howe to amende gorsty grounde that hath been errable lande Cap. xxxi yE shall vnderstande that there be two maner of gorse and some men calle them fyrse One maner wyll growe on drie grounde that maner wyll growe as hyghe as a man and haue a great stalke as moche as a walkyng staffe and if ye wyll suffre them to growe and fell them nat by processe of tyme whan beestes go amonge them and specially in wynter tyme for colde and in somer for shade that wyll cause them to dye And many tymes and longe contynuall frost in wynter wyll kyll these maner of gorse and whan they be deed if ye plowe the laÌ„de agayne and sowe it with corne whan it lyeth ley agayne the gorse wyll growe agayne And the best remedy for growynge agayne is to putte vpon suche maner of pasture many shepe to eate it bare but in many places they sette great store by those maner of gorse and speciallye for their fewell wolde nat gyue an acre of gorsty lande for two acres of errable lande And on that maner of gorsty lande wolde growe good corne with lytell donge it is more profyte to plowe it and sowe it than to lye ley except he kepe it for his fewell â–ª and they growe moost commenly vpon drie grounde somwhat sandye or grauell and Shepe is the moost conuenyent catell that maye go vpon suche pasture ¶ Howe to amende gorstye lande that was neuer errable lande Cap. xxxii IF the grounde be drie and growe full of suche maner of gorse with the great stalkes ye be at your lybertie to do as I haue sayde and yf it be of the other maner of gorse or fyrse the whiche growe lowe by the erthe and haue but lytell small stalkes that maner of gorse groweth alwaye on welspring grounde somwhat moyst and weate and it wyll neuer beare good corne but
hewe it vp to bake and brewe withall for it wyll nat lightlye be distroyed for yf it be breÌ„de it wyll growe agayne But and there be marle vnderneth in the grounde within the same close if ye make cost than bren the gorse at Marche and with a bygge and many oxen plowe it and make small laÌ„des and than marle them and sowe them with otes for that corne wyll growe best on suche grouÌ„de And if this wyll nat serue it is past remedy for marle meÌ„deth all maner of grounde but it is costely c. ¶ Howe to amende bromy grounde Cap. xxxiii BRome groweth alwaye vpon drie and sandy grounde and it wyll beare good rye and otes but it wyll nat endure to beare corne longe without it be donged with the carte or with the shepe folde or bothe And if ye let it lye ley plowe it nat the brome wyll come agayn and shepe is the best catell to holde it vnder but neuerthelesse it wyll growe Whan it is growen of a yarde of heyght or more than it is good to bake and brewe with and specially whan a house is thacked to take the brome and make it iÌ„ quarters of a yarde long or there about and to pricke them in to the thacke by and by and couer the thacke clene ouer and it shall bothe kepe out weate and also saue it from pullynge downe with crowes pyes dawes or choughes And if ye wolde distroy it whan it is growen thre or four fote of height than about saynt Iames day fell it a fote aboue therthe or more and than the stalke wyll dye for a good season but yf it be plowed agayne it wyll growe as faste as euer it dyde whan he leaueth plowyng ¶ Howe to amende heythy grouÌ„de Cap. xxxiiii ye shall vnderstande that there be four maners of heyth grouÌ„de s heyth growyng vpon grauell and heyth growyng vpon sande these two maner of heth groundes wyll beare no corne without moche donge or mucke for seldome is there any marle vnder that maner of heyth And in many countreis where plentie of lyme stonne is the husbandes do bren the lyme stonne with wode and secole and make lyme therof and do set it vpon their landes as they do their dong and do sprede it in lyke maner the whiche they calle moche better than dong for lyme is hote of hym selfe The other two maners of heyth is heyth growyng vpon white cley grounde and heyth growyng vpon blacke erthe that lyeth lowe lyke marrys grounde vnderneth these two maner of heyth groundes ther lyeth moost coÌ„menly marle Than brenne the heyth and serche for the marle and dygge it vp and ley it thycke vpon the grounde sprede it and than plowe it and sowe it and it is moche better thaÌ„ outher lyme mucke or any maner of dong and lengar it wyll last and se that there be no water standyng vpon the said grounde c. ¶ Howe to amende marres grounde Cap. xxxv THere is none other remedy but firste to dreyne the water clene awaye And this is a good meyne to dreyne the water clene away First in the lowest close wher the water maye be beste auoyded Make a great dyche and a depe that the water may auoyde And if all the water wyll nat come to that great diche but stande styll in dyuers places thauÌ„e make many smalle dyches one in to another from the sayd standyng waters so that all these standyng waters may come in to the great dyche and that by reason shulde dreyne the water clene And in a drie somer ye maye make many brode and depe diches and seuer the marres in dyuers pastures and make bridges ouer the dyches in to euery close and dyuers lanes made lyke a causey to conuey the catell in to the pastures so that one causey or lane maye serue the closes or pastures on bothe sydes And in the lowest place of euery close or pasture make a trenche or a lytell dyche in to the great dyche that gothe about And this shall ye make by processe good pastures of marres grouÌ„de and euer the lengar the better pastures and specially if ye put in moche catell it shall make the better grasse and the fyner And melche kye draught oxen and labourynge horses is the best catell to make good pasture on marres grounde and shepe on drie grouÌ„de for they wyll eate the grounde moost barest and that causeth the grasse to be good fyne And if this maner of dichynge wyll nat make the marres grounde drie than must you make a sough vnderneth therthe as men do to gette cole yron stonne leed ore or tyn And if that wyll nat serue than kepe out your catell for feare of drownyng c. ¶ Howe to amende bromy grounde and ferny grounde Cap. xxxvi BRomye grounde and fernye grounde be moch of one nature for they growe on saÌ„dye and drie grouÌ„de And they wyll bere good rye barley bygge or beyre and otes if they be donged with shepe carte or wayne For suche lyght grounde wyll soone weare and wasshe with water yf it be nat donged And yf they lye vnplowed they wyll growe full of broÌ„e and ferne and if ye wyll distroy the brome whan it is growen thre or foure fote hye In Mydsomer moâ—ne or soone after whan it is full blomed with a hedgynge byll cutte the stalkes halfe a yarde aboue the erthe so that ye leaue no grene stalke growyng vpon the rote and that wyll cause it to dye But and ye plowe it agayne and after let it lye it wyll growe agayne and if ye mowe ferne whan it is yonge so that it be mowen before Mydsomer by vse of suche mowynge it wyll weare away ¶ Of chylturne grounde flyntie grounde and chalke grounde Cap. xxxvii CHylturne grounde and flyntie grouÌ„de be lyght groundes and drie and full of small stones and chalke grouÌ„de is moche of the same nature and they wyll weare wasshe awaye with water And therfore they wolde be donged as the bromye and fernye groundes be for marle is seldome founde in these maner of groundes And therfore if ye want shepe and dong they wolde lye ley and rest theÌ„ that they maye mende with lyeng ¶ Of lyme stonne grounde Cap. xxxviii LIme stonne grounde is very good bothe for corne and grasse and yet in some places there wyll moche heyth growe vpon lyme stone grounde and that is longe of yll husbandrie For that heyth were breÌ„ned plowed sowed the first yere with otes and than falowed and sowed with whete rye barley and after with beanes or pees it wyll beare moche corne with lytell donge and shall beare alway after the better grasse And shepe is the best catell that can go vpon any of these sixe maner of grouÌ„des and best they wyll amende the grasse and kepe them selfe from rotyng And he that hath lymestone maye bren it with coole and wode and make lyme wherwith he may lyme his grounde
contayned in this present chapiter the letter therof is playne ynoughe and also touched before ¶ Whether the lorde may gyue or selle the resydue of his forren woodes and what suche gyfte or sale is worthe by the yere c. Cap. vii ITem inquirendum est vtrum dominus de residuo boscorum predictorum forinsicoruÌ„ dare possit et quantum valet huius donationis et venditionis per annum It is also to be enquered wheder the lorde maye gyue or sell the resydue of his forren woodes aforesayd and what suche gyfte or sale is worthe by the yere This letter is playne ynoughe and as me semethe no doubte but that the Lorde maye gyue or selle the resydewe of the sayde woodes or wastes Excepte that a manne haue commen of Estouers But what that gyft or sale is worthe it is to be vnderstaÌ„de and knowen and as me semeth the donee or the byoure shal be in lyke cause as the lorde shulde haue ben if he had nat gyuen it nor solde it Than the lorde hath iÌ„proued hym selfe of as moche wodes and wastes as he can laufully and whan he hath gyuen or solde the resydue of that he canne nat improue hym selfe of in lyke maner the donee nor the byour can nat improue them selfe of any parte therof For they canne nat be in no better case than he of whome they had it howe be it that they that of right ought to haue their commens be nat their tenauntes but their tytell and interest grewe by enherytaunce longe tyme before the gyfte or sale made by the lorde And it foloweth by reson that the gyfte or sale of a straunger shall nat hurt another mannes enherytaunce But this donee or this purchasoure shall take to their profyte all the vesture standyng vpon or beyng with in the sayd grouÌ„de as woodes and suche other as is sayde before in the next chapiter ¶ Of panage and herbage of the towne and of all other profytes of pooles meyres and rynnynge waters of moores heythes and wastes what they be worthe by the yere c. Cap. viii ITem inquirenduÌ„ est de panagio herbagio ville et omnibus aliis exitibus viuarioruÌ„ morarum bruerum et vastorum quantum valent per annum Also it is to be inquered of panage herbage of the same towne and of all other profytes of polles meyres and rynnyng waters of more 's hethe and wastes what they be worthe by the yere And where this Statute speketh de panagio that is to be vnderstande WhanÌ„e there is any mast growyng in the lordes wodes wherby meÌ„nes swyne may be fedde and releued what profyte that may be to the lorde For ther is no man that can clayme of right to haue the mast the whiche is a frute but the lorde except his free tenaunt haue it by speciall wordes in his dede Quod sit quietus de panagio And the lorde shall haue it in his forren out wodes as well as in his parkes or seuerall wodes as the quantite of the mast is so the lordes baylye of right ought to ley meÌ„nes swyne thervnto from Myhelmas to Martylmas and to make a true accompt therof at the lordes audyte what he taketh for euery swyne And in many places the tenauntes go fro panage in the forren wodes by custome that is moost commenly where as the tenauntes pay tacke swyne by custome if he haue to a certayne nombre or els to pay yerely at Myghelmas .i. d. or an halfpeny for euery swyne as the custome is vsed The statute speketh De herbagio ville That is to be vnderstande of the commen pasture that belongeth to the towne whervpon the herdman kepeth the tenauntes catell It may be so good that the tenauntes nede nat to haue any seuerall pasture but that their coÌ„men pasture shulde be able to fynde all their catell bothe horses mares beestes and shepe and so it was of olde tyme that all the landes medowes and pastures lay open and vnclosed And than was their tenemeÌ„tes moche better chepe than they be nowe for the moost parte of the lordes haue enclosed their demeyne landes medowes and kepe them in seueraltie so that their tenauntes haue no coÌ„myn with them therin And also the lordes haue enclosed a great parte of their waste groundes and streytened their tenauntes of their coÌ„myns therin and also haue gyuen lycence to dyuers of their tenauntes to enclose parte of their errable laÌ„des and to take in newe intackes or closes out of the coÌ„mens payeng to their lordes more rent therfore so that the coÌ„men pastures waxen lasse and the rentes of the tenauntes waxen more and more And that is bycause the tenauntes waxen more polytike in wysedome to improue their tenementes holdynges and fermes and at th ende of the ferme another man that made no cost of the sayd improuement offereth the lorde certayne money for a fyne to haue it or to heghten the rent of the same so that he that made the coste or his children shall nat haue the sayd ferme without he wyll gyue asmoche or more as is offred to the lorde and so thorowe the enuy of his neighbour the couytousnesse of the lorde and his offycers the pore tenaÌ„t hath a great losse or els vtterly vndone god amende it And the lordes haue a gretter losse than they wene for their tenaÌ„tes se howe their neyghburs that haue bylded their houses improued their landes be put out except he make a fyne or pay more rent Causeth theÌ„ nother to bylde nor otherwyse to improue their holdiÌ„ges to the lordes great losse at length And where the statute sayth de oiÌ„bus aliis exitibus viuarioruÌ„ moraruÌ„ brueruÌ„ et vastorum of all profytes that shall coÌ„e of the lordes staÌ„dyng waters more 's hethe wastes viuariuÌ„ is a pole or a meyre that fisshe encreaseth lyueth in Some rynniÌ„g waters be as fre seuerall to the lordes as their pooles meyres or standyng waters And as they be stored with fysshe so dothe the profyte ryse to the lordes wheder they go by way of improuement or set to ferme wherof the bayly shall make accompte Moores hethe and wastes go in lyke maner as the herbage of the townes for the lordes tenauntes haue commen in all suche out grouÌ„des with their catell but they shall haue no wode thornes turues gorse ferne and suche other but by custome or els speciall wordes in his chartour c. ¶ Of mylnes seuerall fysshinges and commen fysshyng what they be â—orthe in the yere Cap. ix I Item de moleÌ„dinis piscariis seperalibus et coÌ„ibus quantuÌ„ valent Also of mylnes seuerall fysshinges coÌ„men fysshingê what they be worthe In this short artycle many thingê ar to be remeÌ„bred for wher he sayth de moleÌ„dinis the whiche is in the plurell noÌ„bre it is to be vnderstande that ther be many maner of mylnes as cornemylnes wyndmylnes horsemylnes quernes that go with hande Fullyngmylnes sythe
that wyll bring good corne or he maye sell his lyme at his pleasure ¶ What profytes maye come or growe to the lorde by reason of his waters Cap. xxxix FIrst ye shall vnderstande that there be dyuers maners of waters that is to say staÌ„dyng waters as poles meyres mottes and stewes And also ronnyng waters as great ryuers smale ryuers brokes sucches welspringes and pyttes than what ê“fyte may come to the lorde of them The lorde maye sette the fysshinges of all these sayd waters to his tenauÌ„tes for certayne rent and he maye reserue to him selfe certayne fysshe or to fysshe certayne tymes or at any tyme at his pleasure ¶ The maner to make dyuers maner of mylnes Cap. xl ALso vpon these waters the lorde maye sette dyuers maner of mylnes the whiche maye be to the lordes great ease and profite As vpon the great riuers corne mylnes that be called grounde mylnes and they be called grouÌ„de mylnes bycause the ouersyde of the heed sylle lyeth euyn leuell with the ouersyde of the grounde in the bottom of the water And also fullyng mylnes otherwyse called walk mylnes may be made in like maner and stande also vpon the great ryuers And thaÌ„ one whele is able to driue two stockes that is to say bothe a potyer and a faller the faller bothe to scoure and herely and the potyere to thicke the clothe And commenly these mylnes be nat set vpon the great stremes of these great ryuers but a great parte of the water is coÌ„ueyed out of the great streme by a mylne fleme made with maÌ„nes hande to a certayne place where wysemen thynke the mylne moost coÌ„uenyent to be set the sayd water to be holden vp and brought to the said mylne by reason and settyng of a weyre ouerthwart the sayd streme made of trouse tymbre or stonne or of bothe And whan it is palte the mylne with a suffycient fall of the water that the mylne stande nat in backe water to retourne in to the ryuer agayne and in many places the said mylnes be set on the one syde of the great ryuer and a weyre made of tymbre and stone to holde vp the water to the mylne the whiche is a great cost and many tymes it wyll stande in lacke of water that it may nat well go at a great stode except the grouÌ„de warke be made very hie But they be ê“fitable bothe in grin dynge of corne and fullyng of clothe and in takynge of moche fysshe And in lyke maner these sayde two maner of mylnes maye be sette vpon smale ryuers without any fleme castyng but all onely his weyre to holde vp the water and his flode gates to let it go at a flode whan nede shall requyre Also there be other two maner of corne mylnes that is to saye a breste mylne and an ouershotte mylne and those two maner of mylnes be sette and go moost commenly vpon smale brokes and vpon great poles meyres And they haue alway abrode bowe a fote brode and more and the ladelles be alwaye shrowded with compast bordes on bothe sides to holde in the water and than they be called bokettes And they muste be set moche nerer toguyder than the ladelles be and moche more a sloope downewarde to holde moche water that it fall nat out for it driueth the whele as well with the weyght of the water as with the strength And the mylner must drawe his water acordyng to his bokettes that they maye be alway full and no more for the lenger that they holde the water the better they be Also another maner of fullyng mylnes maye be sette and go vpon the sayde smale brokes pooles or meyres and those be called fallers for a faller by hymselfe requyreth nat so great strength of water as the potyer dothe bycause the water cometh most coÌ„menly ouer the whele and the braces do butte heue vp the two fete that fall in to the stocke vpon the clothe the whiche causeth the clothe to thicke and tourne Also these mylnes that be sette and go on small waters may go and ron with a gogyn of yron vpon bulder stones or vpon brasse as a bell dothe for that wyll go moost lightest But these mylnes that go vpon these great ryuers that be brode heuy and weighty must nedes haue two great thycke hoopes of yron foure inches brode and an inche thycke and eight or nyne inches bytwene the sydes sette on bothe endes of the shafte for the gogyn of yron wyll nat beare them and specially the fullynge mylne And that mylne that gothe with a gogyn yet must it haue on eyther ende of the shafte a hoope of yron and bulders vnder and if the gogyn feyle or waxe lose but it shall nat touche them bothe attones And lette the mylner take good hede bothe to the gogyns and hoopes that they be nat lose for than wyll the shafte endes brenne of For than he hurteth his lorde his mayster or hymselfe for mylne shaftes be costely But in so moche as there is great profyte to the lordes in makyng of these mylnes and the moost rente is reysed vpon so lytell grounde and ofte tymes for want of the sede of discrecyon and experyence of good makynge there be many defautes made in them and specially in makyng of the mylne troughe wher the mylne whele gothe for ofte tymes they make it to holowe and depe vnder the whele that the water standeth therin whan the mylne gothe nat for the tayle syll wolde lye bare drie whan the myln gothe nat And the tayle sylle wolde lye tweÌ„tie inches or .xxiiii. vnder the heed sylle and the troughe wolde nat passe thre inches holowe at the moost and as longe as it maye receyue thre ladelles the fourthe ladell entrynge the water and the fyfte ladell leauynge the water And the strake sylles bothe aboue and vnder wolde be of a good length so that the whele come nat nighe vnto the draught gate be two fote or more for the further fro the gate the bygger and the swyfter is the streme And the lengar that the ladell is the better it is so that it haue sufficyent water And than the mylner nedeth nat to drawe vp his gate so highe as and the ladell be shorte for the ebber the water is the swifter it is And a double bowed whele is moche better than a syngle bowed whele for many causes if there be sufficient water and better it wyll kepe the ladels from losynge The ladell moost commenly of a double bowed whele wolde be thre fote longe and a fote brode and to drawe vp his draught gate nyne or ten inches is suffycient And than shall nat the bowe of the whele be hydde nor couered in the water and than it gothe swyftly And vpon the great ryuers the ladelles maye be an elne longe but for the weyght and drawynge vp of the draught gate c. The greatter compasse the whele is the lasse water wyll driue it but it wyll nat