one of these are there commonly some of the other is euer wanting as we 〈◊〉 daily in our experience and for as much as in the fruitfull and fertill soyles of this land of which wée estéeme the wealthie vales as that of Essam White horse Beluoire â— and many others the best there is euer great scarsitie of Wood the very wealthinesse of the soyle it selfe almost denying to beare such burden because for the most part the stifnesse of those clayes is contrary to their growth yet for as much as the necessitie and vse of Wood is so great and valuable I would perswade euery good and worthy Husbandman to endeauour himselfe with all his vtmost power and strength to plant wood in euery conuenient place round about him and not to take the rules of the ignorant for his lesson that sith neuer any did grow there therefore neuer any will grow there for it is absurd and foolish nor to say because my auncestors haue neuer done it why should I attempt it These arguments are made from a false â—â—gure and the Husbandman must remember that his dutie is industrie and encrease not altogether imitation and president and he must as seriously finde out new and néerer profits as hold those he hath learned and therefore â—e shall endeauour by all commendable labour to haue euer about him whatsoeuer is necessarie for his vse but you will peraduenture aunswere me that to plant Woods in these rich soyles were very much losse because the fertilitie thereof will yéeld a much better profit To this I reply that I would not haue you plant any spacious piece of ground with wood but onely your ditches hedges and such wast earthes as almost denie any other profit and that the want of wood in those places may not discourage you to imagine that wood will not grow there Doe but view the cytes of euery Towne in those rich Countries the seates of Noblemen Gentlemens houses and the Parks which commonly are adioyning there-vnto and you shall hardly sée any of them without the fellowship acquaintance of some wood which in times past hath béene planted either for defence or pleasure and from thence collect that if wood will grow with my next neighbour then why not with me so long as the soyle doth not alter But Labor vincit omnia improbus True industrie was neuer fruitlesse Then for the generall good both of your selfe your neighbours looke that you replenish all your ditches ring fences with good store of Quick-set that is to say all that lye high out of the danger of water with White-thorne Black-thorne and Bryer and those which are low subiect to washing with Willowes Sallowes and Ozyers Now for as much as it is not enough to say vnto the Husbandman do this but that I must also shew the manner of doing thereof I will shew you briefly how to set all manner of Quick-sets and first for the white-thorne black-thorne bryeâ— or such like which must stand frée from inundation you shal when you enclose any piece of ground after you haue markt out the true breadth of your dyke vpon the in-side thereof and close by the verdge of the dyke cut with your spade a little trough halfe a foote or there-abouts in breadth depth in which trough or small gutter you shall lay the rootes of the first rowe of your Quick-sets so as the top ends may looke vpward a little bend in towards the ditch these quick-sets you shall place within lesse then a foot one of another then with your spade beginning to make your ditch you shall with the 〈◊〉 cleane mould couer all the rootes close and fast so as they will not shake nor stirre with your hand then hauing râ—â—sed the banke of your Dyke and couered the lowest 〈◊〉 of Quick-set more then halfe a foote and broken the earth so as it may lye close and handsome together you shall then after the same manner lay another rowe of Quick-set ouer the first I meane not one Quick-set directly ouer another but the second rowe placed as it were in the midâ—â— betwéene two of the first though at least halfe a fâ—â—te higher then you shall couer that rowe like the former and ouer it place a third which shall stand directly opposite and ouer the first so that in their growth the middle rowe shall as it were grow betwéene two of the lowest and two of the highest and then vpon this vppermost rowe lay the remainder of your earth and make your barke perfect and in this sort finishing one yard of the Ditch after another you shall at length bring your labour to the end of your desire Now in this labour you are to obserue somâ— speciall things as first to looke well vpon your Sets before you put them into the ground and be sure that they be gréene young and vntainted then that the rootes 〈◊〉 cleane and no small thréeds or iagges hanging about them And lastly that they stand vpright and not aboue foure or fiue inches without the earth at the most then shall you looke well to the making of your banke and lay the earth so as it may not flip or fall backe into the Dyke so as the raine may wash away the mould and leaue the rootes bare but let all things be done strongly and artificially The best seasons for this worke is the moneths of February March and Aprill or September October and some part of Nouember if the weather be dry aboue head when you haue set your Quick-set you shall make a dead hedge vpon the top of the new banke to kéepe thâ—se Cattell which are within your ground from breaking forth or hurting the Quick-set and another small fence on the lowe verdge of the Dyke which is outward to kéepe those cattell which graze without from running into the dyke and hurting the quick-set Now after a spring and fall is past you shall suruay all your quick-set and wéede it cleane from all manner of filthinesse that doth choake or stifle it and scratching the fresh mould about it giue comfort to the roote then if yoâ— perceiue that any of your Sets be dead you shall plucke them vp and place new in the roome and if any be blasted in part and not cleane killed you shall cut away so much as is blasted and let the rest remaine you shall looke well to the Caterpiller and other wormes which mightily deuoure Quick-sets especially in these fat Countries and if you finde any taint of them destroy them as is shewed you in a former Chapter After your Quick-set is come to the age of thrée yéeres and that the banke is setled and swarth growne thereon you shall then within the body of your hedges plant all manner of great Trées as Ash Béech Maple and such like and also all manner of fruit Trées as Aples Peares Plums Wardens and such like and in the first thrée yéeres be very carefull to
well together then goe to the bedde where you meane to bestow them and hauing newly rackt it to stirre vp the fresh mould with your hand sprinkle and sowe them all ouer the bed so thicke as may be which done with a fine Rake rake the bed gently ouer then taking spare fine mould put it into a ridling Siue and sift it ouer the bed better then two fingers thickenesse and so let it rest thus you shall doe seuerally with euery séede one after another bestowing euery one vpon a seuerall bed Now for your Pot-hearbs which are most generally in vse they be these Endiue and Succorie which delight in moyst ground and will endure the winter Bleete of which there be two kindes Red and White this Hearbe neuer néedeth wéeding and if he be suffered to shed his séed it will hardly euer to be got out of a Garden Then Beets which must be much wéeded for they loâ—â— to liue by themselues and if they grow too thickâ— you may take them vp when they are a finger long in their 〈◊〉 earth and set them in another bed and they will prosper much better Then land Cresses which is both a good Pot-hearbâ— and a good Sallet-Hearbe it loueth shadowie places where the Sunne shineth least and standeth in néed of little dung Then Parcely which of all Hearbs is of most vse it is longest in appearing aboue ground and the elder sâ—â—d is the quicker in growth but not the surer but eyther being once come vp increase naturally and doe hardly euer decay it cannot grow too thicke but as you vse it you must cut off the toppes with your knife and by no meanes pull vp the rootes if it be put into a little pursse and beaten against the ground to bruise it a little before it be sowne it will make it haue a large crisped leafe Then Sauory of which are two kindes the Winter Sauory and Summer both delight in leane ground and are quicke of growth and long lasting Then Time of which are also two kindes the running Time and the Garden Time they delight in fertile ground and from the séede are very slow of growth therefore it is best euer to set them from the â—lip The running Time doth delight in the shadow but the Garden Time in the Sunne Then French Mallowes which will ioy in any ground and are quicke of growth Then Cheruill which will not by any meanes grow with any other Hearbe Then Dill which may be sowne almost in any moneth of the yéere as well as March it endureth all weathers but loueth the warmth best Then Isop â— which in like manner as Time is slow of growth from the séed and therefore â—itter to be set from the slips after it hath once taken roote it encreaseth wonderfully and will hardly be destroyed Then Mints which flourish onely in the Summer time but dye in the Winter it delighteth most in the moyst ground Then Violets the leaues whereof are a good Pot-hearb and the Flowers preserued in close glasse pots with strong Wine-vinegar and Sugar a most excellent Sallet it doth delight to grow high and will grow spéedely eyther from the plant or from the séed Then Basill which would be sowne in the warme weather as at the beginning of May for the séed is tender and when you haue sowne it you shall presse the earth downe vpon it with your féet for the seede can endure no hollownesse if you sowe it at the fall of the Leafe you shall sprinkle the séede with Uinegar and when you water it let the Sunne be at his height Then swéet Marioram which would be sowne on rich ground and farre from Sunneshine for it taketh no delight in his beames Then Marigolds which renew euery moneth and endure the Winter as well as the Summer this Hearbe the oftner you remoue it the bigger it groweth Then Strawberries whose leaues are a good Pot-hearâ—e and the fruit the wholesommeâ—t berry this Hearbe of all other would be set of the plant and not sowne from the séed for the oft changing and remouing of it causeth it to grow bigger and bigger it groweth best vnder the shadowes of other Hearbes but very sufficiently in beds or else where Then Borage and Buglosse both which are of one nature they would be sowne in small quantity for where they take they will runne ouer a whole Garden the séed must be gathered when it is halfe ripe it is so apt to shed and when you gather it you must plucke vp the stalkes leaues all and so laying them one vpon another thrée or foure dayes their own heat will bring the séed to ripenes Then Rosemary which is an Hearbe tender and â—â—â—rious yet of singular vertue it is soone slaine with frost or lightening it will grow plentifully from the séede but much better from the slip it delighteth to be planted against some Wall where it may haue the reâ—lection of the Sunne for to stand vnpropped of himselfe the very shaking of the winde will kill it Then Penyroyall which most properly is vsed to be mixt with Puddings made of the bloud of Beasts Oatmeale of it there be two kindes Male and Female the Male beareth a white flower and the Female a purple it must be sowne in small quantity for it will runne and spread ouer-much ground it delighteth most in moyst earth Then Leekes which would haue a fertile ground and as soone as they be shot vp a good length you shall cut the blades to the polt and then remoue the heads and set them borderwise about your other beds this remouing after the cutting off the blades wil make them grow bigger and prosper better as for thrusting Oyster-shels or Tyle-shreads vnder them to make the heads bigger it is a toy for if the mould be loose and good the Léeke will come to his perfect growth they may be sowne both in March Aprill May and Iune and they may be remoued all Iuly August September and October Then Onions which differ not much from the nature of Léekes they loue a fertile Soyle and would be sowne with the séeds of Sauory when they come vp if they grow too thicke as is often séene you shall plucke vp some and spend them in the Pot and in Sallets to giue the rest more roome and some you shall take vp and replant in other beds which you may preserue for séede those Onionâ— which you would not haue to séede you shall cut off the bâ—ades in the midst that the iuyce may descend downewâ—rd and when you sée the heads of the Onions appearing aboue the earth you shall with your féet tread them into the groundâ— there be some very well experienst Husbands which will take the fayrest goodliest and soundest Onions they can get and in this moneth of March set them thrée fingers déepe in the earth and these
know that Roses may as well be sowne from the séede as planted from the roote Syen or branch onely they are the slower in comming vp more tender to nourish and much longer in yéelding forth their flowers yet for satisfaction sake and where necessitie vrgeth if of force or pleasure you must sowe it from the séede you shall chuse a ruffish earth loose and well dunged and you shall cast vp your beds high and narrow the moneth which is fit for their sowing is September and they must be couered not aboue foure fingers déepe they must be defended well all the Winter from frosts and stormes and then they will beare their flowers plentifully all the next Spring following yet this is to be noted that all Roses which rise from the séede simply their flowers will be single like the Eglantine or Cyphanie therefore after your plants are two yéeres olde you must graft one into another as you doe other fruit and that will make them double and thicke also you must remember that those yellow small séedes which are in the midst of the Rose are not true Rose séedes but those which lye hid in the round peare knob vnder the Rose which as soone as the leaues are fallen away will open and shew the séede And thus much touching the sowing of all sorts of Roses which is for experience and knowledge sake onely for indéede the true vse and property of the Rose is to be planted in short slips about fourtéene inches long and the small tassels of the roote cut away they would be set halfe a foote into the ground in the same manner as you set ordinary Quick-set and of like thicknesse rather a little slope-wise then vpright and though some thinke March the best season yet doubtlesse September is much better for hauing the roote confirmed all the Winter they will beare the sooner and better all the Sommer following you must be carefull to plant them in faire weather and as néere as you can vnder shelter as by the sides of walls and such like couert where the Sunne may reflect against them and if they be planted on open beds or borders then you must with Poales and other necessaries support and hold them vp least the winde shake their rootes and hinder their growing The red Rose is not fully so tender as the Damaske neither is it so pleasant in smell nor doubleth his leaues so often yet it is much more Phisicall and oftner vsed in medicine it is likewise fitter to be planted then sowen and the earth in which it most ioyeth would be a little rough or grauelly and the best compasse you can lay vnto it is rubbish or the sweeping of houses the moneths to sowe or plant it in is March or September the time to prune and cut away the superfluous branches is euer the midst of October The white Rose is of lesse smell then the red and will grow in a harder ground his vse is altogether in Phisicke as for sore eyes and such like it will grow into a Trée of some bigge substance and is seldome hurt with frosts stormes or blastings it would likewise be planted from the roote against some high wall either in the moneth of February or March and the oftner you plant and replant it the doubler and larger the flower will be for the earth it much skilleth not because it will grow almost in euery ground onely it delights most in the shadow and would be seldome pruned except you finde many dead branches The Cinamon Rose is for the most part sowen and not planted whence it comes that you shall euer sée the leaues single and little the delicacie thereof being onely in the smell which that you may haue most fragrant and strong you shall take a vessell of earth being full of small holes in the bottome and sides and fill it with the richest earth you can get being made fine and loose then take Damaske Rose séedes which are hard and sound and steepe them foure and twenty houres in Cinamon water I doe not meane the distilled water but faire Conduit water in which good store of Cinamon hath bin stéeped or boyled or milk wherin good store of Cinamon hath bin dissolued and then sow those séedes into the Pot and couer them almost thrée fingers déepe then morning and euening till they appeare aboue the earth water them with that water or milke in which the séedes were stéeped then when they are sprung vp a handfull or more aboue the ground you shall take them vp mould and all and hauing drest a border or bed for the purpose plant them so as they may grow vp against some warme wall or pale and haue the Sunne most part of the day shining vpon them and you shall be sure to haue Roses growing on them whose smell will be wonderfull pleasant as if they had béene spiced with Cinamon and the best season of sowing these is euer in March at high noone day the weather shining faire and the winde most calme Now if you would haue these Roses to grow double which is an Act yet hid from most Gardners you shall 〈◊〉 Michaelmasse take the vppermost parts of the Plants from the first knot and as you graft either Plumme or Apple so graft one into another and couer the heads with earth or clay tempered with Cinamon-water and they will not onely grow double but the smell will be much swéeter and looke how oft you will graft and 〈◊〉 graft them so much more double and double they will proue The Prouince Rose is a delicate flower for the eye more then the nose for his oft grafting abateth his smell but doubleth his leafe so oft that it is wonderfull therefore if you will haue them large and faire you shall take the fairest Damaske Roses you can get and graft them into the red Rose and when they haue shot out many branches then you shall graft each seuerall branch againe with new grafts of another grafted Damaske Rose and thus by grafting graft vpon graft you shall haue as faire and well coloured Prouince Roses as you can wish or desire and thus you may doe either in the Spring or fall at your pleasure but the fall of the leafe is euer helde the best season Now if your Roses chaunce to loose their smels as it all happeneth through these double graftings you shall then plant Garlicke heads at the rootes of your Roses and that will bring the pleasantnesse of their sent vnto them againe Now for your generall obseruations you shall remember that it is good to water your Roses morning and euening till they be gathered you shall rather couet to plant your Roses in a dry ground then a wette you shall giue them much shelter strong support and fresh dung twise at the least euery yeare when the leafe is fallen you shall cutte and prune the branches and when the buds appeare you then begin your
delicatest and strangest it hath the true shape of an Emperiall Crowne and will be of diuers colours according to the Art of the â—arâ—ner In the middest of the flower you shall sée a 〈◊〉 Pearle stand in proportion colour and orientnesse liâ—â— a true naturall Pearle onely it is of a soft liquid substance This Pearle if you shake the flower neuer so violently will not fall off neither if you let it continue neuer so long will it either encrease or diminish in â—he bignesse but remayneth all one yet if with your finger you take and wipe it away in lesse then an hâ—â—re after you shall haue another arise in the same place and of the same bignesse This Pearle if you taste it vpon your tongue is pleasant and swéet like honey this flower when the Sunne ariseth you shall sée it looke directly to the East with the stalke bent lowe there-vnto and as the Sunne ariseth higher and higher so the flower will likewise ascend and when the Sunne is come into the Meridian or noone poynt which is directly ouer it then will it stand vpright vpon the stalke and looke directly vpward and as the Sunne declineth so will it likewise decline and at the Sunne setting looke directly to the West onely The séedes of this flower are very tender and therefore would be carefully sowen in a very rich and fertile earth well broken and manured The seasons most méete for the same is the latter end of March Aprill or May for the flowers flourish most in May Iune and Iuly As soone as it is sprung a handfull aboue the earth you shall remoue it into a frâ—sh mould and that will make it flourish the brauer the roote of this flower is like an Apple or great flat Onion and therefore in the replanting of it you must be carefull to make a hole large and fitte for the same and to fire the mould gently and close about the same In the Winter it shrinketh into the earth and is hardly or not at all discerned by meanes whereof I haue seene diuers supposing it to be dead to digge vp the earth and negligently spoyle the roote but be not you of that opinion and in the Spring you shall sée it arise and flourish brauely The Dulippo is but a little short of the Crowne Emperiall in pleasantnesse and rarenesse for you may haue them of all colours whatsoeuer in such sort as was shewed you for the Lillyes Gylliflowers and other rootes they are tender at their first springing from the séede and therefore must be sowen in a fine rich mould in the warmth of the Sunne either in March Aprill or May but after they are once sprung aboue the ground they are reasonable hard and will defend themselues against most weathers the roote of this flower is shaped like a Peare with the biggest end downeward and many small thréeds at the bottome therefore you must be sure when you remooue or replant it to couer all the roote in fresh mould and let not any part of the white thereof be vncouered this flower by monethly replanting you may haue to flourish in all the Summer moneths of the yeare for in the dead of Winter it shrinketh into the ground and is hardly or not at all perceiued the stalkes of these flowers are weake therefore to support them and defend them from the shakings of the windes with little square frames of stickes will be very good 〈◊〉 â—â—cessary it must be oft watred The Hyacinth is a flower more delicate to the eye then nose and is of a good strong nature for it will â—ndure any reasonable earth and may be sowne in any â—â—neth of the Spring from the beginning of February till midde Iune it onely hateth tempests and stormes and therefore is commonly sowen or planted néere vnto walls or other shelter You may haue them of any colour you please as is shewed before of other flowers and in this alteration or mixture of colours their greatest glorie appeareth they will flourish all the Summer long and if they stand warme appeare very early in the Spring The Narcissus is a very curious and dainty flower and through his much variety and alteration in growing they are supposed to be of diuers kindes but it is not so for in as much as they are séene to be of diuers colours that is but the Art of the Gardner as is before exprest in other flowers and whereas some of them grow single some double and some double vpon double you shall vnderstand that such as grow single grow simply from the seede onely those which are double and no more are such as haue béene planted and replanted the small thréeds of the rootes being clipt away and nothing left about it that is superfluous and those which are double vpon double are the double plants grafted one into another This Narcissus loueth a rich warme soyle the mould being easie and light it may be sowne in any moneth of the Spring and will flourish all the Summer after Before it appeare aboue ground it would be oft watred but after it saâ—â—s not how little for it will defend it selfe sufficiently Not vnlike vnto this is your Daffadill of all kindes and colours and in the same earths and seasons delighteth either to be sowen or planted and will in the same manner as your Narcissus double and redouble his leaues so will your Colombine your Chesbole and almost any hollow flower whatsoeuer Many other forraigne flowers there are which grow plentifully in our Kingdome but the order of their planting and sowing differeth nothing from these which I haue already declared being the most tender and curious of all other therefore I will end this Chapter with this one caution onely that when you shall receiue any séede from any forraine Nation you shall learne as néere as you can the nature of the soyle from whence it commeth as hot moyst colde or dry it is and then comparing it with ours sowe it as néere as you can in the earth and in the seasons that are néerest to the soyle from whence it came as thus for example if it came from a clime much hotter then ours then shall you sowe it in sandie mould or other mould made warme by strength of meanure in the warmest time of the day and in those moneths of the Spring which are warmest as Aprill or May you shall let it haue the Sunne fréely all the day and at night with Mats Penthouse or other defence shield it from sharpe windes frosts or colde dewes I haue séene diuers Noblemen and Gentlemen which haue béene very curious in these dainty flowers which haue made large frames of wood with boards of twenty inches déepe standing vpon little round whéeles of wood which being made square or round according to the Masters fancie they haue filled with choyse earth such as is most proper to the flower they would haue grow and then in them sowe their
great is the vse of Timber whose particulars I néede not rehearse and so insufferable is the want when we are any way pinched with the same And hence it springeth that our olde auncestors whose vertues would God we would in some small measure imitate when they found any hard and barraine earth such as was vnapt for grasse or at least such as barâ— but grasse that would kéepe life not comfort life they presently plowed it vp and sowed thereon Acornes Ash-keyes Maple knots Béech apples Hawes Slowes Nuts Bullis and all other séeds of trees in innumerable quantity as may appeare by the Forrests of Del la mere Sherwood Kings wood and many other within this kingdome of huge great spaciousnes and compasse from whom when the wood is spoiled the soyle serueth to little or no purpose except it be the kéeping aliue of a few poore shéepe which yéeld but little profit more then their carkasse Thus euen from the first age of the world hath our forefathers béene euer most carefull to preserue and encrease wood and for mine owne part I haue euer obserued in all those places where I haue séene Woods decayed and destroyed that the charge of stubbing and other necessaries allowed those lands haue neuer againe yéelded the former profit for the greatest exhaustment that euer I saw of wood ground was to bring it to tenne shillings an Arte when it was conuerted to pasture and being kept to wood it was worth euery seauentéenth yéere one and twenty pound A simple Auditor may cast the account of this profit but such is our gréedinesse that for our instant vse we little respect the good of ours or our neighbours But it is no part of my Bookes method to call offences to question but onely to right the Husbandman in his 〈◊〉 to ordinarie profit Know then that there is nothing more profitable to the Husbandman then the encreasing and nourishing of wood from whence as our common lawes termes it springs these thrée bootes or necessary commodities to wit House-boote Plowe-boote and Fire-boote without the first we haue neither health couert ease nor safety from sauage beasts without the second we cannot haue the fruits of the earth nor sustenance for our bodies nor without the last can we defend off the sharp Winters or maintaine life against the numbing colds which would confound vs. The consideration of these thrée things only might enduce vs to the preseruation of this most excellent commodity but the other infinite necessities vses which we make of wood as shipping by which we make our selues Lords of the Seas fencing which is the bond of concord amongst neighbours solution trial of Mines from whence springs both our glory in peace and our strength in warre with a world of others sutable vnto them should be motiues vnresistable to make vs with all diligence hast to the most praise-worthy labour of planting wood in euery place and corner where it may any way conueniently be receiued If then the Husbandman shall liue in a high barraine Countrey for low-valleyes marshes or such grounds as are subiect to inundations seldome nourish wood well or in a soyle though not vtterly barraine yet of so hard and sower encrease that the hearbage doth in the profit but in small quantity I would wish him after a generall triall of his earth to deuide it into thrée equall parts the first and the fruitfullest I would haue him preserue for pasture for his Cattell of all kindes the second and next in fertility for corne being no more then those cattell may till and the last most barraine to imploy for wood which though he stay long for the profit yet will pay the interest double And this ground thus chosen for wood I would haue him plowe vp from the swarth about the latter end of Februarie and if it be light earth as either sand grauell or a mixt hazel earth then immediatly to sow it with Acornes Ash-keyes Elme Maple knots Béech-apples Chesnuts Ceruisses Crabs Peares Nuts of all kindes Hawes Hips Bullice Slowes and all manner of other wood séeds whatsoeuer and as soone as they are sowne with strong Oxe harrowes of iron to harrow and breake the earth in such fort that they may be close and safely couered And in the plowing of this earth you must diligently obserue to turne vp your furrowes as déepe as is possible that the séede taking strong and déepe roote may the better and with more safety encrease and defend it selfe against stormes and tempests whereas if the roote be but weakely fixed the smallest blasts will shake the Trées and make them crooked wrythen and for small vse but fire onely After you haue harrowed your earth and laide your séede safe you shall fence your ground about with a strong and large fence as hedge ditch pale or such like which may kéepe out all manner of foure-footed bâ—asts for comming within the same for the space of tenne yéeres after for you shall vnderstand that if any cattell shall come where young wood is péeping aboue the earth or whilst it is young tender and soft they will naturally crop and brouse vpon the same and then be sure that the wood which is so bitten will neuer prosper or spring vp to any height but turne to bushie shrubs and ill-fauoured tufts pestring the ground without any hope of profit whereas if it be defended and kept safe the space of tenne yéeres at the least it will after defend it selfe and prosper in despight of any iniurie and then after that date you may safely turne your cattell into the same and let them graze at pleasure and surely you shall finde it a great reliefe for your young beast as your yearling Haiffers Bullocks Colts Fâ—â—lies and such like for I would not wish you to let any elder cattell come within the same because the grasse though it be long yet it is sower and scowring and by that meanes will make your cattell for labour weake and vnhealthie whether it be Oxe or Horse and for much-Kine it will instantly dry vp their milke but for idle heilding beasts whose profit is comming after it will serue sufficiently Now if the earth whereon you sowe your wood be a stiffe clay ground and onely barraine through the extreamitie of colde wet or such like as is séene in daily experience you shall then plowe vp the ground at the end of Ianuarie in déepe furrowes as is before rehearsed and then let it rest till it haue receiued two or thrée good Frosts then after those Frosts some wet as either snow or raine and then the next faire season after sowe it as afore-said and harrow it and you shall sée the mould breake and couer most kindely which without this baite and order it would not doe then fence it as afore-said and preserue it from cattell for tenne yéeres after And here is to be noted that one Oake growing vpon a clay ground is
of the soyle assures him so also he shall better confirme by these fewe signes and Charracters which I will deliuer as first if he sée grasse flow of growth and that no Spring will appeare before May. If in stead of Clouer grasse Dandylion and Honisuckle you sée your ground furnished with Penigrasse Bents and Burnet If you sée much Knot-grasse or Speare-grasse or if you perceiue the scorching of the Sunne burne away the grasse as fast as the raine had brought it forth or if you finde quarries of stone néere vnto the vpper swarth of grasse or if your ground bring forth Lyng Bracken Gorse Whynnes Broome Bilburie or Strawburie or if your ground be morish full of quick-myers mossie or full of blacke Flint any of these signes make it to be most apparant that the soyle is barraine and of hard encrease And then as before I said it is the Husbandmans first office to prouide for the bettering and perfecting of his earth which he shall doe in this sort First if he perceiue that the barrainnesse of his ground procéedes from want of good Plants as from want of Clouer-grasse Dandylion Honisuckle Cowslop and other swéet flowers then he shall repaire into the fruitfull Countries and there buy the hay séedes and swéepings of hay-barne-flowers which he shall euery Spring and fall of the leafe sowe as thin as may be vpon such Pastures as he shall either lay for meddow or preserue for the latter Spring after Michaelmas But if he respect not the goodnesse of grasse but the abundance of grasse as those husbands doe which liue in or about great Cities then he shall dung those grounds which he will lay for meddow at Candlemasse or those which he will graze or eate in the first beginning of the Spring at Michaelmasse before with the oldest and rottennest meanure he can get of which the best is the rotten staddell or bottomes of Hay-stackes or for want of it the meanure of horse-stables swéepings and scowrings of yards and barnes the mudde of olde ditches or else good Oxe or Cow meanure any of which will bring forth abundance of grasse Yet thus much I must aduertise the Husbandman that this meanuring of Pasture grounds carries with it diuers imperfections for though it occasion abundance of grasse to growe yet the meddow or hay which comes thereof is so ranke loggie and fulsome in tast that a beast taketh no ioy to eate thereof more then to holde very life and soule together Also the grasse thus meanure which you intend to graze or eate with your Cattell is by meanes of the meanure so loose at the roote that Cattell as they bite plucke vp both the grasse roote and all which being of strong ranke sent in the mouth of a beast maketh him loathe and cast it out againe and so not striue to eate to be fat but onely to maintaine life Now if your Spring be slow and late in the yéere before your grasse will appeare aboue ground it is méete then that you enclose your ground and not only maintaine the fences with high and thicke Quick-sets but also with tall Timber-trées whose shade and strength may defend many colde blasts from the earth and adde vnto it a more naturall warmenesse then it had before for it is onely the coldnesse of the soyle which makes the grasse long before it grow Also in this case it is méete that you lay as the husbandman tearmes it all such Pasture as you intend to graze at the spring following in Nouember before so not being bitten from that time till Aprill following no doubt but your spring will be both good and forward There be others which helpe their slow springing grounds by stocking them in the latter end of the yéere with great abundance of shéepe who although they bite néere to the ground and leaue little grasse behinde them yet they so tread and meanure it with their hot meanure that it will spring after it commeth to rest much more early and faster then it was wont So that to conclude in a word to make a barren ground spring earely is to kéepe it warme let it 〈◊〉 long rest and meanure it well with Shéepe If your ground be troubled with Knot-grasse or Speare-grasse it is a signe of too much colde moysture in the earth and in this case you shall with a great common Plough made for such a purpose turne vp great furrowes through your ground and make them so descend and fall one into another that not onely the moysture bred in the earth but that which falls vpon the earth may haue a swift passage from the same and so your soyle being drayned and kept dry all those wéedy kindes of grasse will soone perish If your ground be subiect to the scorching or burning of the Sunne then you shall vnderstand that it is directly contrary to the last soyle we spake of for as that by too much moysture is made barraine by colde so this by too much want of moysture is made barraine with heate wherefore the Husbandman shall in this case draw all his draynes to bring moysture into his ground which sometimes watring and sometimes ouer-flowing the same will in the end bring it to a reasonable fertility for it is a rule that where there may be ouerflowes there can seldome be any hurt by Sunne-burning vnlesse that such soyles be vpon Limestone ground or néere vnto other quarries of hard stone which lying néere vnto the vpper swarth of the grasse doth so burne the roote that the vpper branches cannot prosper In this case the bringing in of water doth rather hurt then good wherefore your best course is partly by your owne industry and partly by the labours of others who are traded in such commodities to let forth your ground to Stone-diggers or Lime-makers who digging the quarries out of the earth and then filling vp the emptie places with rubbish and other earth the soyle will in short space become as fruitfull as any other for it is onely the want of taking roote or the burning vp of the roote which makes this kinde of earth barraine Now if your ground bring forth Ling Braken Gorse Whinnes or such like you shall pare off the vpper swarth of the earth and lay it in the Sunne to dry in the height or heate of Sommer and being throughly dried you shall lay them in round hollow heapes one sod ouer another then putting fire vnto them burne them into ashes which done spread the ashes like a meanure ouer all the ground and you shall sée those wéedes will no more spring or grow in that ground If your ground be morish or full of quicke myers you shall then by small draynes or trenches draw 〈◊〉 the water and turne it into some lower ditch or 〈◊〉 and so bringing the ground to a stability or firmenesse there is no doubt but fruitfulnesse will presently follow after
shall be generally very temperate and wholesome onely the Sommer subiect to moistnesse much deuision is like to fall amongst the Clergie and women shall be giuen to more laciuiousnesse then at other seasons if it fall on the Friday the yéere shall be barraine and vnwholesome for sickenesse shall rage with great violence much mortallitie shall fall amongst yong Children and both Corne and Cattell shall be scarce and of a déere reckoning if it fall on the Saturday the yéere shall be reasonably good and plentifull onely the people of the world shall be excéeding peruerse much giuen to mutinie dissention one against another Againe if the Sunne rise without impediment and shine bright and cléere vpon Christmas day the yéere will be very plentifull if it rise likewise cléere the second day in Christmas then Corne will fall in price if it rise cléere the third day in Christmas there will onely be dissention in the Church if on the fourth day it foreshewes trouble vnto yong persons if on the fift day it shewes that many good things will increase if on the sixt doubtlesse euery Garden will bring forth great plenty if on the seauenth then is much dearth and scarcitie to be feared if it shine cléere on the eyght day in Christmas then there is likely to be great store of Fish if on the ninch it will doubtles proue a good yéere for all manner of Cattell if on the tenth the yéere is likely to yéeld much cause of mourning if on the eleauenth there will fall much fogges thicke mistes and great infection will follow after Lastly if the Sunne shine cléere the twelfth day after Christmas it fore-shewes much warre and troubles with great losse and bloudshed Againe according to these former obseruations you shall vnderstand that what weather shall fall or be on the sixe and twentieth day of December the like weather shall be all the moneth of Ianuary after what shall be on the seauen and twentieth of December the like shall be all the moneth of February following what weather shall be on the eight and twentieth day of December the like weather shall be all March following what weather shall be the nine and twentieth day of December the same shall be all Aprill after what on the thirtieth the same all May what on the one and thirtieth the like all Iune following what weather shall fall on the first of Ianuary the same shall be all Iuly after what on the second of Ianuary the same all August after what on the third the same all September after what on the fourth the same all October following what on the fift the same all Nouember after and what weather shall fall on the sixt of Ianuary which is Twelft-day the same weather shall fall all December following Againe if Saint Pauls day proue fayre dry and bright it foresheweth plenty of all things the yéere following but if it be misty then it shewes great dearth of Cattell If there fall vpon that day Snow or Raine then it shewes Famine and Want of Corne but if it be windy tempestuous or if it thunder then it sheweth that great warres will follow Againe looke what quantitie of raine falleth eyther on Mary Maudlins day or on Saint Swithens day be it more or lesse the same proportion will fall for the space of forty dayes after but if these two dayes be fayre and dry all the time of Haruest will be so also Now if you will know whether Corne shall be cheape or déere take twelue principall graynes of Wheate out of the strength of the eare vpon the first day of Ianuary and when the harth of your Chimney is most hot swéepe it cleane then make a stranger lay one of those Graynes on the hot hearth then marke it well and if it leape a little Corne shall be reasonably cheape but if it leape much then Corne shall be excéeding cheape but if it lye still and moâ—e not then the price of Corne shall stand and continue still for that Moneth and thus you shall vse your twelue Graines the first day of euery Moneth one after another that is to say euery Moneth one Graine and you shall know the rising and falling of Corne in euery Moneth all the yéere following If it shall thunder much the first Sunday of the New-yéere it shewes great death and mortallitie amongst learned men if it thunder the first Munday it shewes great death of women and many Eclipses of the Sunne if it thunder on the first Tuesday it shewes plenty of Corne but much Warre and dissention if it thunder on the first Wednesday it shewes mortallitie and death amongst the worst sort of people both Male and Female besides much Warre and bloudshed if it thunder on the first Thursday in the New-yéere it sheweth much plenty of Corne that will follow if it thunder on the first Friday it betokeneth the losse of great personages and men of authoritie many affrayes and murthers with much perill and danger Lastly if it thunder vpon the first Saturday in the New-yéere it foresheweth onely a generall plague and infection which shall raigne with strong violence If you shall perceiue the Summer and Spring time to fall out very moyst and rainy without winde yet in their owne natures very hot scortching or if the Southerne or Southwest-winde blow much without raine if many fogs and mists fall in the Morning and ouercome the Sunnes beames at noone also if the Sunne suffer any large Eclipse if Autumne and Winter be more foggy then moyst or cold if the Dowe or Leauen of which you mould your bread doe quickely mould and cleaue together without labour if Dogs runne madde if Birds forsake their nests if Shéepe râ—t if Fennes 〈◊〉 grounds and muddy places abound with Frogges if Mud-wals bréede Swine lice or Sowes if Moales forsake the earth if the small Pocks or Meazels be riâ—e and abound in the Spring time or if women generally 〈◊〉 miscarry in childe-bedde any of these are most certaine signes of much sickenesse and mortallitie that will follow the yéere after and all such signes as are directly contrarie to any of these as if the Summer and Spring doe fall out drye and windy if the South or Southwest winde bring with it euer rayne if no fogs or mists oppresse the ayre and so forth of all the rest which are before shewed are most certaine and infallible tokens of a very wholesome and healthfull yéere which will euer follow after Now for the preseruation of your health and to preuent all such sickenesses as are incident to follow in these casuall and daungerous yéeres through euery seuerall moneth in the yéere you shall obserue these few precepts First in the month of Ianuary you shall forbeare to let bloud vnlesse vpon violent extreamitie that the sigâ—â— be excéeding good for the same you shall drinke white wine in the morning fasting rub your head with a
of all other bring forth the purest and best séede for which purpose onely they are preserued as soone as your séed-Onions are knotted you shall vnderproppe them with square cradles made of stickes least the waight of the boules which carry the séede should breake the blades The time of gathering your séede is when it is all turned purely blacke and the time of gathering the Onions is when the heads doe forsake the earth after they be gathered you shall lay them on a dry floore for a fortnight or more and then binde them vp in ropes and hang them where they may haue the ayre of the fire onely note that shall gather your Onions in the increase of the Moone as they were sowne and not otherwise Many other Pot-hearbs there be which for as much as they differ nothing eyther in sowing planting or ordering from these which I haue rehearsed I will héere omit them and thinke this sufficient touching the sowing and ordering of all manner of Pot-hearbs CHAP. IIII. Of the sowing of certaine Hearbs which are to be eaten but especially are medicinall yet euer in the Husbandmans Garden OF Hearbes which are medicinall I will begin with Arage â— or Orache which being colde and moyst is very excellent against the hot Goâ—t it is to be sowne in any moneth from February till December it loueth much moisture and therefore must be oft watered it must be sowne excéeding thinne and quickly couered for the ayre is offensiue Next it is Lumbardy Loueage which being 〈…〉 dry is very purgatiue it desireth a very fruitfull 〈◊〉 but if it be sowne where it may haue much 〈…〉 some shelter accompanied with moysture it will 〈…〉 any ground the moneths for sowing thereof is 〈◊〉 the midst of February till Haruest Fennell is also hot and dry and it comforteth the stomacke openeth the inward vessels and helpeth disgestion it may be sowne in any moneth and vpon any indifferent ground especially if it be a little stony the séede would not be very old though of all other it be the longest laâ—ter Anise is hot and dry it dissolueth humors and obstructions and is very comfortable to weake stomacks it delighteth in a good and loose mould and is to be sowne in the height of the Spring onely Comin is of the nature of Anise and Fennell and mixt with either is very soueraine against all inward sicknesses procéeding from cold it loueth a fruitfull rich earth much warmth and therfore the later it is sowne in the Spring it is so much the better and aboue all things it would be sowne in the hottest time of the day if it be mixed with other séeds it is so much the better and appeareth the sooner Coliander is of the nature of the earth cold dry it helps disgestion suppresseth vapours which offend the braine it may be sowne vpon any indifferent ground in any month except December and Ianuary the elder the séedes are the better so they be sound and they desire much watering Rue or Hearb-grace is hot and dry is very soueraigne against all inward infection putrifactions and impostumations it ioyeth in any reasonable ground so it grow warme and dry the moneths fittest for the sowing thereof is March Aprill or May and the mould would be firme and not subiect to ryuing whence it procéedes that no meanure is so good for the encrease thereof as horse-dung and ashes mixt together the beds would be made high discending that no moysture may stay thereon they must be carefully wéeded for in their first growth otherwise they are soone choaked Organie is hot and dry and excellent against any sicknesse of the liuer the ground in which it most ioyeth would be a little stonie and full of rubbish yet by no meanes vndunged the moneth fittest for the sowing thereof is March and September the Moone being in Libra or any other moist signe it must be continually watred till it appearâ— aboue the earth but after forborne for being once well fixed it is euer certaine White Poppy is cold and moyst and much prouoketh sléepe it delights to be sowne in a rich warme dry ground in the moneths of March September or Nouember Germander is hot and dry and excellent against the Kings euill obstructions of the Spléene and hardnesse of Urine it is a hard hearbe and will prosper in any ground it is to be sowne either in the spring or fall of the leafe and is most comly for the setting forth of knots in Gardens Cardus Benedictus or the blessed Thistell is hot and dry it is very soueraine against most inward sicknesses stancheth blood and is a great comforter of the braine it delighteth in a rich ground and a loose well tempered mould it must be sowne very shallow and not couered aboue two inches déepe the first quarter of the Moone is best to sowe it in and in the moneths of March May or September if you sowe a little fine flaxen Wheat with it no doubt but it will prosper the better Angellica is hot and dry it openeth and dissolueth obstructions is an excellent cordiall against poyson and all infections it helpeth the collicke and cureth the biting of madde dogges or venemous beasts it loueth a fruitfull dry mould but may not indure the trouble of wéedes it is to be sowne in March or Aprill it flourisheth in Iuly August it hath a swéet odour and helpeth all euill infected ayres Valerian is hot dry and preuenteth infection it helpeth stitches and other griefes procéeding from windy causes it loueth to grow in moist and low places the ground being well meanured and fill it be shot at least a handfull high it must be kept with continuall watring the 〈…〉 of the yéere is the best to sowe it in Elecampana is hot and moyst and good for offences in the lungs or any outward ioynt being troubled with paine procéeding from colde it is better much to be set thâ—â— sowne yet notwithstanding it may safely enough be sowne at any time after mid-March the ground being richâ— soft and loose and the séede strowed very thinne and â—t least two fingers distance one from another Pepperwort is hot and drye yet of the two much more hot it is good against all kinde of aches and other paine in the ioynts or sinewes it delighteth in a rich blacke Soyle fat and loose it would be sowne in February and remoued in September Philipendula is very hot and dry and is good against abortiue births Stone Strangury or any griefe procéeding from colde causes it may be sowne in any barraine stony or grauelly Soyle in the months of May Aprill or September it neither desireth much wéeding nor much watering but being once committed to the ground appeareth sodainely and thus much of those Hearbes which are fit for Medicine of which though there be many others yet they
séedes or fixe their Plants in such sort as hath béene before described and so placing them in such open places of the Garden where they may haue the strength and violence of the Sunnes heate all the day and the comfort of such moderate showers as fall without violence or extraordinarie beating and at night draw them by mans strength into some low vaulted gallery ioyning vpon the Garden where they may stand warme and safe from stormes windes frosts dewes blastings and other mischiefes which euer happen in the Sunnes absence and in this manner you may not onely haue all manner of dainty outlandish flowers but also all sorts of the most delicatest fruits that may be as the Orenge Limond Pomgranate Poncythron Cynamon-tree Oliue Almond or any other from what clime so euer it be deriued obseruing onely but to make your frames of wood which containes your earth but déeper and larger according to the fruit you plant in it and that your Alleys through which you draw your Trées when you house them be smooth and leuell least being rough and vneuen you iogge and shake the rootes with the waight of the Trées which is dangerous And least any man may imagine this but an imaginary supposition I can assure him that within seauen miles of London the experiment is to be séene where all these fruits and flowers with a world of others grow in two Gardens most abundantly Now for such flowers or fruits as shall be brought from a colder or more barraine ground then our owne there néedeth not much curiosity in the plantation of them because a better euer bringeth forth a better encrease onely I would wish you to obserue to giue all such fruits or flowers the vttermost liberty of the weather rather to adde coolenes by shaddow then encrease any warmth by reflection as also to augment showers by artificiall watrings rather then to let the roote dry for want of continuall moysture many other notes and obseruations there are which to discouer would aske a volume larger then I intend and yet not be more in true substance then this which is already writ if the Reader haue but so much mother-wit as by comparing things together to draw the vses from the true reasons and to shunne contrary by contraries which what Husbandman is so simple but he can easily performe and hauing the true grounds of experience frame his descant according to his owne fancie which is a Musicke best pleasing to all men since it is not in any one mans power to giue a generall contentment And thus much for flowers and their generall and particular ordering CHAP. VII How to preserue all manner of seedes hearbs flowers and fruits from all manner of noysome and pestilent things which deuoure and hurt them IT is not enough to bequeath and giue your séedes vnto the ground and then immediatly to expect without any further industrie the fruit of your labours no goodnesse seldome commeth with such ease you must therefore know that when you lay your séedes in the ground they are like so many good men amongst a world of wicked ones and as it were inuironed and begirt with maine Armies of enemies from which if your care and diligence doe not defend them the most if not all will doubtlesse perish and of these enemies the worst and most violentest is Thunder and Lightning which in a moment killeth all sorts of flowers plants and trées euen in the height and pride of their flourishing which to preuent it hath béene the practise of all the auncient Gardners to plant against the walles of their Gardens or in the middest of their quarters where their choysest flowers grow the Lawrell or Bay Trée which is euer helde a defence against those strikings Next vnto Thunder and Lightning are Caterpillers which are a kinde of filthy little wormes which lye in Cobwebs about the leaues deuouring them and poysoning the sap in such sort that the Plant dieth spéedily after the way to kill these is to take strong Urine and Ashes mixt together and with it to dash and sprinkle all the Plants cleane ouer and it will both preuent their bréeding or being bred will kill them the smoake of Brimstone will doe the like yet if they be excéeding much abundant the surest way to destroy them is to take olde rotten mouldy Hay and setting it on fire with the blaze thereof burne the Cob-webs and then with the smoake smother and kill the wormes and they will hardly euer bréede in that place againe Next these are Toades and Frogges which are very poysonous and great destroyers of young Plants chiefly in their first appearing aboue the ground and the auncient Gardners haue vsed to destroy them by burning the fat of a Stagge in some part of the Garden beds from which earth all creatures that haue poyson in them will flye with all violence other Gardners will watch where the Kite pearcheth on nights and gathering vp her dung scatter it vpon the beds either simply or mixt with the shauings of an olde Harts horne and no venemous thing will come néere it Next these are field Myce which will roote séedes out of the earth and deuoure them aboundantly which to kill you shall take Henbane seede and beate it to pouder and then mixing it with swéet Oyle fresh Butter or Grease make thereof a bayte and when you finde where they scratch or roote lay some part of the bayte in that place and they will gréedily eate it and it will kill them there be other Gardners which will take a Wéesell and burning it to ashes scatter the ashes on the beds and then no field Mouse will come néere them Next these are Flyes as flesh Flyes Scarabs Hornets Dores and such like which are great destroyers of Séeds and Plants when they appeare in their first leafe and are soft and tender which to destroy you shall either take Orpment mixt with milke or the pouder of Allome or the ashes of any of these Flyes burnt and with it sprinkle your beds and young plants all ouer and it will kéepe Flyes that they will not dare to come néere them If the gréene Fly which of all other Flyes is most gréedie to hurt Séedes and Plants doe offend your Garden you shall take Henbane leaues Houseleeke and Mints and beat them in a Morter then straine forth the iuyce and then adde thereto as much Uinegar as was of all the rest and thereâ—with sprinkle your beds all ouer and the gréene Fly will neuer come néere them Some hold opinion that if you plant the hearbe Rocket in your Garden that it is a safe preseruatiue against these grâ—eacute ene Flyes for it is most certaine that the very smell thereof will kill these and most sorts of all other Flyes whatsoeuer as hath béene found by approued experience and the sylts of olde auncient Abby Gardens which a man shall seldome finde without this hearbe planted in them Next
worth any fiue which growes vpon the sand for it is more hard more tough and of much longer indurance not so apt to teare ryue or consume either with Lyme Rubbish or any casuall moysture whence it comes that euer your Ship-wrights or Mill-wrights desire the clay Oake for their vse and the Ioyner the sand Oake for smoothnesse and waynscote And thus much for the sowing of Wood and his generall vses CHAP. II. The deuision of vnder-Woods their sale and profit WHosoeuer be a Lord or Master of much vnder-wood which is indéede young spring-wood of all kindes growing thicke and close together either from the séede as is declared in the former Chapter or from the rootes of former salles the first being a profit begotten by him selfe the other a right left by purchase or inheritance and desire as it is the dutie of euery vertuous husband to make his best and most lawfullest profit thereof hauing not left vnto him any president of former commodity In this case you shall suruay the whole circuit of your wood with euery corner and angle there vnto belonging and then as your abilitie and the quantity of your ground shall afford you shall deuide your whole wood either into twelue seauentéene or one and twenty parts of equall Acres Roodes or Rods and euery yeare you shall sell or take to your owne vse one of those parts so that one following yearely after another our sales may continue time out of minde and you shall imploy as you please so much wood euery yeare of either twelue seauentéene or one and twenty yeares growth And in this you shal note that the sale of one and twenty doth farre excéede that of seauentéene and that of seauentéene as farre that of twelue but in this it is quantity and your necessity that must direct you and not my demonstration for there be fewe Husbands but know that an Acre of one and twenty yéeres growth may be worth twenty nay thirty pounds that of seauentéene worth eight or ten pounds and that of twelue fiue and sixe pounds according to the goodnesse of the wood insomuch that the longer a man is able to stay the greater sure is his profit but fewell and fence must of necessity be had and if a man haue but twelue acres of wood I sée not but he must be forced to take euery yéere one acre for his owne reliefe and if hée take more hée must either necessarily spoyle all or driue himselfe into extreame want in fewe yeares following and therefore it is méete that euery good husband shape his garment according to his cloath and onely take plenty where plenty is yet with this husbandly caution that euer the elder your sale is the richer it is as you may perceiue by the well husbanded Woods of many Bishoprickes in this land which are not cut but at thirtie yeares growth When you haue made your deuisions according to your quantity you shall begin your sale at an out-side where cariages may enter without impeachment to the springs you intend not to cut and a pole or halfe pole according to the quantity of ground you shall preserue being next of all to the outmost fence to repaire the ring fences of your Wood and to seperate the new sale from the standing Wood and this amongst Woodwards is called Plash-pole Then at the latterend of Ianuarie you may begin to cut downe your vnder-wood and sell it either by acres roodes perches poles roddes or dozens according to the quantitie of your earth or the abilitie of your buyers And in this sale I cannot set you downe any certaine price because true iudgement and the goodnesse of your wood must onely giue you direction things being euer valewed according to their worth and substance and this sale or the cutting downe of vnder-wood you may continue from the latter end of Ianuarie till midde Aprill at which time the leafe begins to bud forth or somewhat longer if necessitie vrge you the like you may also doe from the beginning of September at which time the leafe beginnes to shed till the middest of Nouember Now for the manner of cutting downe your vnderwoods although the lawes of the Kingdome shew you what dutie you shall performe therein what Timber you shall preserue and how néere each Weauer shall stand one to another yet I would wish you both for your owne and the Common-wealths sake to performe somewhat more then that to which you are by law compelled therefore you shall giue direction to your wood fallers that when they shall méete with any faire and straight well growne sapling Oake Elme Ash or such like to preserue them and let them stand still being of such fit distance one from another that they may not hinder or trouble each other in their growing and when you shall finde vpon a cluster many faire Plants or Saplings you shall view which is the fairest of them all and it preserue onely and the rest cut away that it may prosper the better also if you finde any faire and well growne fruit Trées as Peares Chesnuts Seruisses and such like you shall let them stand and cleare them from the droppings of the taller trées and you shall finde the profit make you recompence Now for the generall cutting vp of the wood you shall cut it about sixe inches aboue the ground and drawing your strokes vpward cut the wood slope-wise for that is best to hasten on the new Spring and those Weauers or young which you preserue and suffer to growe still you shall prune and trimme as you passe by them cutting away all â—â—perfluous branches twigges and young spyers which shall grow either néere vnto the roote or vpon any part of the boale which is fit to be preserued for Timber and if you shall finde that the earth haue by any casualty forsaken the root and left it bare which is hurtfull to the growth of the Trée you shall lay fresh earth vnto it and ram the same hard and fast about it Thus when you haue made an end of cutting downe your sale and that the wood is cleansed and carried away and all the loose and scattered stickes raked vp into seuerall heapes and caried away also for it is the part of euerie good husband and Woodward not to sée any wood lye and rot vpon the ground you shall then with the vnder-wood preserued in the Plash-pole deuide by a strong hedge this new cut downe sale from the other elder growne wood and for tenne yéeres as before is spoken not suffer any foure-footed beast to come within the same from which rule you shall learne this lesson that it is the Woodwards duty euery day to looke ouer all his young Springs and if by any mischance or negligence cattell shall happen to breake into them as many times they doe then shall he not onely driue forth or impound such Cattell but also suruay how farre and which
Plants they haue cropt and hauing spied them with his wood Bill presently cut the Plants so brouzed close by the bottomes of the last shuts and then they will newly put forth againe as well as if they had neuer béene hindred which done he shall finde out where the cattell brake in and then mend the same so well and sufficiently that it may preuent the like mischiefe Also if these young springs shall stand néere vnto Forrests or elder Woods which are full of wilde Deare and be no purfewes belonging vnto the same the Woodward then shall neuer walke without a little dogge following him with which he shall chase such Deare out of his young springs because it is to be vnderstood that the brouzing of Deare is as hurtfull to young wood as that of any other cattell whatsoeuer And thus much touching the ordering and gouernment of vnder-woods with their sales and the nourishing vp of greater Timber CHAP. III. Of High-Woods and their Plantation HIgh Woods are those which containe onely Trées for Timber and are not pestred or imbraced with the vnder growth of small brush wood such as Hazels White-thorne Sallowes and Poplar are these for the most part consist of Oakes Ash Elme Béech Maple and such like growing so remote and seperate one from another that although their tops and branches méete and as it were infolde one within another yet at the rootes a man may walke or ride about them without trouble These high Woods had their first beginnings from the séede as was before declared and nourisht from age to age amongst the vnder-woods which when men began to want foode for their bréede-Cattell and that from the super-abundance of young Woods they found some might conueniently be spared they forth-with in stead of cutting downe their young wood aboue the earth began to digge it vp by the rootes and with stubbe Axes to teare the meane sinewes from the ground so that it might not renew or encrease againe and then leuelling the earth and laying it smooth and plaine to leaue nothing standing but the tall Timber trées betwéene which the grasse had more libertie to growe and Cattell more abundance to féede on and all be not so long and well able to fill the mouth as that which growes in the thicke springs yet much more swéet and better able to nourish any thing that shall graze vpon the same by reason that the Sunne and Frosts hauing more frée power to enter into the ground the earth is so much the better seasoned and bringeth forth her encrease with more swéetnesse Some are of opinion that these high Woods may as well be planted as sowne and that many of them from the first beginning haue béene so to which opinion I consent in part for doubtlesse I am perswaded that many small Groues of Ash Elme Béech and Poplar haue béene planted for we sée in our daily experience and the new walkes in More-fields by London are a perfect testimonie that such Plantations may be without trouble or danger but for the Oake to be taken vp and replanted is very hard and very seldome in vse neither shall a man in an whole Age sée any Oake remoued come to perfecâ—â—on or goodnesse but growe crooked knottie and at the best but for the vse of fewell onely but for the other before rehearsed you may remoue them when they are a dozen yeares of age and plant them where you please and if the earth haue in it any goodnesse at all they will take rest and grow both spéedily and plentifully And since I am thus farre entred into the plantation of Woods I will shew you how you shall plant and remoue euery Trée in his due manner and season And first for the planting of the Elme which is an excellent Trée for shadow and the adorning of walkes or dwelling houses you shall make choise of those Plants which are straightest soundest the barke euen and vâ—twound and at least eightéene or twenty inches in compasse these you shall digge out of the ground roote and all then at the top of the head about thrée fingers vnder the knot where the maine armes seuerally issue forth you shall a little slope-wise cut the head cleane off them and mixing clay and a little horse-dung or fine ashes together couer the head round about there-with then ouer the same wrap Moâ—se or fine Hay and binde it about with faâ—t clouen Oziers or some such like bands then with a sharpe pruning Bill cut euery seuerall branch of the roote withâ—â— a finger or two of the stocke which done and the roote pickt cleane you shall make a hole to be digged in the place where you meane to plant the Elme iust of that depth the hole was from whence you digged out the Elme that so much and no more of the Elme may be hidden in the earth then was formerly at his remouing and this hole you shall make spacious and easie and that the mould be soft and loose both vnderneath and round about the roote of the Elme which done you shall place your Elme in the same straight and vpright without either swaruing one way or other which for your better certaintie you may proue either with plumbe leuell or other instrument which being perfected you shall with rich fresh mould well mixt with olde meanure couer and ram the same fast in the earth in such sort that no reasonable strength may moue or shake it and all this worke must be done in the encrease of the Moone either in the moneth of October or at the latter end of Ianuary but the latter end of Ianuarie is euer helde the best and safest for there is no question but you shall sée flourishing Trées the next Summer after and in this sort you may likewise remoue either Béech Witcher or Popler bestowing them either in Groues Walkes Hedge-rowes or other places of shadow as shall séeme best to your contentment for their natures being alike their growthes and flourishings haue little difference Now for the replanting or remouing the Ash though not much yet there is some difference for it is not at the first so spéedie a putter forth and flourisher as the others be but for the first yeare laboureth more to bestow and fixe his roote in the earth then to spread forth his vpper branches and although some Woodwards are of opinion that so much as the Ash is aboue the ground so much hée will be vnder before he begin to flourish outwardly yet experience doth find it erronious for though it be for the first yéere a little flower then other Trées yet when it beginneth to flourish it will ouer-take the spéediest grower Therefore when you do intend to plant Ashes for a spéedy profit you shall not according to the olde custome chuse the smooth small long Plants which are hardly thrée inches in compasse and haue put out hardly any branches and are such as grow from the rootes of elder
preserue each in his true proper nature and doe to them all the rights which is due to their growth and in that time obserue which kinde of Trées in the generality prospereth best and agréeth most naturally with the soyle And of those Trées sâ—e that you flourish your grounds most plentifully the particular manner of planting whereof is already formerly declared And hence doth Kent and Worcester shire boast of their fruit Windsor Sherwood and Hollam shire their Oakes and other particular Countries their particular commodities Now for the setting of Willow Sallow and Oziers it is a thing so vsuall and common that it néedeth no great Art in the relation yet because I would be loath that any omission should be taken for negligence you shall vnderstand that in setting them you must first respect the place which would euer be lowe and moyst the water sometimes washing them sometimes cooling them and euer giuing them comfort Now to speake firâ—◠〈…〉 low it would be euer planted vpon bankes wher◠〈…〉 stand more dry then wet for such prosper beâ—t and â—â—dure longest as for proofe some will continue twelue â—â—â—â—teene nay one and twentie yéeres where as those which are set close by the water will hardly endure 〈…〉 not aboue nine yéeres at the most Touching their plaâ—â—ing they be set two manner of wayes but which is the best is not yet agréed on amongst Husbandmen The first is to take an Aâ—gure full as large in compasse 〈◊〉 much shorter as that where-with you boare Pumpâ— and with it boare a hole in the earth two-foote and a 〈◊〉 déepe then hauing headed some of the choysest Wâ—â—â—lowes you haue take the fairest and straightest of thâ—se lops and then cutting them sloape-wise at both ends and leauing no superfluous twigs cleauing there-vnto put the bigger end downe very hard into the earth and then with the mould which came forth with the Augure 〈◊〉 the earth close and hard about the Set so as no reasonâ—â—ble strength may shake it Now there be other Husbandâ—men which in stéed of the Augure take onely an Oaken 〈◊〉 Ash stake of the bignesse of an vsuall set and with a Bâ—â—â—tell driue it into the ground two foote and a halfe and theâ— by shaking and opening the earth pull it out againe then put in the Set as is before shewed and beate 〈◊〉 tread the earth close there-vnto and there is no 〈…〉 the well prospering thereof Now for the defects which Husbandmen finde in these two seuerall plantings Some say that the Augure taketh out so much earth that the Set cannot but stand loose at the roote and so wanting full hold of the earth either takes not at all or continues but a little space Others say that the driuing in of the 〈◊〉 beates the earth so hard together that it withstandeth the passage of the tender sprouts so killeth the set but 〈◊〉 are deceiued for these are but suppositions and expeâ—â—â—ence daily shewes vs that these are the best and 〈◊〉 wayes of setting of all sorts of Willowes that euer 〈◊〉 time brought forth and I haue knowne one man set this way two hundreth Sets in a day of which not one hath failed but all prospered Now for your Sallowes you shall set them and chuse the Sets in all poynts as you doe the Willow onely they would be placed a little néerer the water for they delight some-what more in moysture as for the Ozier it would be set like other Quick-set in the side of bankes so as it may almost touch the water and as your Willowes or Sallowes would be set a little remote one from another as namely tenne foote asunder so these must be set close together and in thicke rowes one against another and these Ozier Plants you must cut from their head being the principall spiers which grow thereon and then cut off their tops leauing them not aboue two foote long at the most and of all other they are the quickest in growing And although Willow Sallow and Ozyer are in our lawes estéemed but as wéedes and no Woods yet they be so profitable that the Husbandman can hardly misse them the Willow and Sallow seruing for fence and fewell to make Harrowes Cart-saddles horse Hames and the Ozyers for fish Leapes or Wéeles for Baskets Scuttels Fans to winnow with and many other things full as necessary therefore if you haue any marish grounds that are vselesse bogge-myers or Ilands in great riuers let them be imployed to the nourishing of these profitable wéedes and by making draynes through them to giue the water passage you shall in small time bring them to earthes of great profit which consideration were it rightly wayed there would not be halfe so much wast ground as is in this Kingdome But to my purpose when you haue planted these Willowes you shall after euery floud sée if the water haue driuen any of them awry or displease them and immediately mend them and set them vp straight againe It any Cattell shall pyll or barke them you shall pull vp such Settes and place new in their roome Your Willow set would by no meanes be to long 〈…〉 first setting for then it will neuer beare a good 〈…〉 too short is likewise as vnprofitable therefore it is hold to be fiue foote aboue the earth is a length sufficientâ— you may head your Willowes once in thrée yéeres or 〈◊〉 at the furthest and when you sée the bodies waxe hollowâ— you may cut them downe for the fire and fixe new Sets in their places The Ozier to come to his true profit and season asketh much pruning and trimming as namely you must kéepe the stocke lowe and neuer aboue halfe a foote aboue the earth you must picke them cleane from Mosse and from the slime and filth which the euer-flow of the water will leaue vpon them you shall prune the small spiers and make them grow single one by another and if any shoote out a double stalke you shall cut it away you may head them euery second yéere at the fall onely and though some head them once a yéere yet it is not so good husbandry nor will the Ozier be so tough or long lasting The best seasons for the setting of the Willow Sallow or Ozier is either any part of the Spring or Fall and the best time to loppe the Willow or Sallow is in the Spring for fence and in the Fall for timber or fewell but the Ozier would be cut at the fall of the leafe onely And thus much for the bréeding of Wood in the rich champaine Countries CHAP. VI. Of Plashing of Hedges and Lopping of Timber HAuing alreadie sufficiently in the former Chapter spoken of the planting of all sorts of quick-sets it is méete now that I shew you how to order the hedges being growne and come to perfection Know then that if after your hedge is come to sixe or seauen yéeres of age you shall let it grew on without cutting or
Lastly if your ground be mossie and bring forth in stead of grasse onely a soft fussie and vnwholsome mosse your onely best way to cure the fault is in the Winter time to tread it much with the féete of Cattell as by making of Hay-stacks in diuers parts of such ground and so fodring your Cattell about the same and so yéerely altering the places of your Stackes or Réekes to goe ouerall your ground without doubt the treading of the ground will kill the mosse and the meanuring of the Cattell and the expence of Hay-séeds vpon the ground will soone bring the earth to much fruitfulnesse and goodnesse Now for the generall vse of these barraine grounds it is to be vnderstood that albe by the meanes before shewed they may be helpt or bettered yet they are but onely for bréede or encrease of Cattell Whether the grounds be seuerall and enclosed or vniuersall and common whether they be Woods Parkes or Pastures or Heathes Mores Downes or other wilde and vnlimitted places and these grounds shall be deuided into thrée parts the first and most fruitfullest lying lowest lying néerest to the riuer or some running streame you shall preserue for meddow and not suffer any beast to bite vpon the same from Candlemasse vntill the hay be taken from the ground The second part you shall graze or eate from Candlemasse till Lammas which would be that which lieth most plaine and bleake and most subiect to all weathers And the third part which is the warmest and safest you shall graze from all-Hollantide till Candlemasse and betwixt Lammas and all-Hollantide you shall eate vp your eddish or after crop of your meddowes Now whereas I speake generally that these barraine grounds are for the bréede of Cattell yet you shall vnderstand me particularly as namely what Cattell for what soyle for euery barraine earth will not bring forth Cattell alike as some will beare a faire Cowe or Oxe yet but a little Horse and some will bring forth a very goodly Horse yet but a very little horned beast therefore you shall obserue that if your ground lye any thing lowe or be subiect to much moysture and so not extreamely barraine but although the Spring be late yet after it springeth it yéeldeth a reasonable bit this ground is fittest to bréede Cattell vpon as Cowe Oxe and such like but if it lye high and dry if it be stonie or mountainous haue much reflection of the Sunne or though it be some-what more barraine then the former earth and in the best part of the Spring yéeld but a short yet swéet bit this ground is fittest to bréede a faire and large horse vpon but if it be extreamely barraine colde and moyst stonie or mossie so it be replenished with any good store of Underwoodâ— then it is fit to bréede small hard Nags vpon or Geldings of a meaner size Goates wilde-Swine or such like And lastly if it be extreame barraine colde and dry and altogether without any kinde of shelter but subiect to euery blast whatsoeuer this ground is fit onely to bréede Shéepe vpon as we sée by daily experience in the seuerall parts of this Kingdome so that to conclude you shall beare in your memorie that where you bréede your beast would be reasonable bit where you bréede your Horse good ayre and warmth and where you bréede your Shéepe there much spatiousnesse of ground And thus much briefly for the nature and vse of your barraine grounds Now to procéede to your fruitfull and rich grounds whose very encrease and abundance of grasse without any other curious relation shewes their fertility there is little obseruation to be held in the ordering disposing of them for being naturally good of themselues there néedeth little Art to the maintainance of the same onely to haue an especiall care to the fencing and safe kéeping of them to the due time of eating them with your Cattell and to obserue a fit proportion of rest for them in which they may 〈◊〉 and gather head for the maintainance of such 〈…〉 shall féede vpon them And to these as an especiall 〈◊〉 aboue the rest must be added a carefull diligence not to ouer stocke or leade your ground with more Cattell then it may conueniently beare for if your ground be neuer so fruitfull if it be ouer-prest with multitudes of Cattell it cannot by any meanes yéeld you the profit of your expectation but returne you losse and dammage These fruitfull and rich grounds would be deuided into two parts the one pastures or grounds for continuall féeding or nourishing of Cattell all the yéere the other meddowes from whence you shall gather your Winters prouision of Hay for the preseruation of your Cattell which are either for labour or sale in the Market and of these two parts I will speake seuerally Yet before I begin to speake largely of them it is méete you know the generall vse of these rich and fruitfull grounds which is indéede the féeding or faâ—ting vp of Cattell either for foode in your owne house or for sale in the Market to the Butcher Droner or men of such like place or profession For indéede to bréede much vpon these rich grounds is neither profitable to the Husbandman nor is the beasts so bred either so comely or Market-able as those bred in the harder soyles as wée may note in our experience if we will suruay the bréedes of Cattell in Gloster-shire Sommerset-shire and Lincoln-shire which for the most part are bred vpon excéeding rich and fertile ground yet if we take view of them we shall finde that albe they are tall and large yet they are of slender shape leane-thighed crumple-horned and oft tender and dry skinned which is a fault very note-worthie amongst Graziers and indéede are nothing so eyely and Market-able as those beasts are which are bred in Yorke-shire Darby-shire Lancashire and such like all which are bred vpon hard and barraine grounds yet haue goodly large and round bodies close trust thicke and well coupled together faire headsâ— veluet skinnes and as the Prouerbe is are so beautifull in horne and haire that they are euery mans money in â—uery Market So that I conclude that albe vpon the rich ground you may bréede good Cattell and it is necessary also so to doe for the maintaynance of stocke yet the generall vse and that which is the greatest profit to the English husbandman is to graze féede the same Now to procéede to my former purpose touching that part of rich ground which I call Pasture because it is onely for féeding you shall first prouide that they be very well fenced according to the nature of the Country either with ditch pale rayle dead hedge or quicke-growth â—pon shall also sée that they be well stored with water that is swéet and wholesome for putrified water bréedeth many mortall and infectious diseases amongst Cattell These Pastures must euer be your highest ground and such as lye safest
kéeping Cattell from eating them in the night or other times which is a great depriuation and losse of the profit you expect to come from them for you shall vnderstand that if any ouerflow shall come vnto your meddowes after May it will leaue such a sandy filthinesse in the grasse that except very moderate showers fall swiftly and sodainly to wash it out againe the Hay which shall be got of that crop will both be vnsauorie and vnwholsome and bréed in your Cattell many dangerous and mortall sicknesses The best times for laying of meddowes to rest is if the meddow lye high as in vp-land Countries or if the soyle be cold or the springing thereof slow at Candlemasse but if the ground be more warme temperate of some more fertility then you may lay it at our Ladies day in March but if the ground be most fruitfull then if you lay it at May day it will be early enough Also in the laying of your meddowes to rest you shall consider the state of the ground as whether it be eaten néere and bare and with what Cattell as Horse Oxen or Shéepe if it haue béene eaten bare with Oxen or Horse then you shall lay it earlier in the yéere for it will aske a longer time to grow againe but if it haue béene eaten with Shéepe although they bite néerest to the ground yet you may lay it so much later because the meanure which they bestow vpon such good ground will quickly hasten on the Spring but if your meddowes haue not béene eaten bare but haue a good déepe fogge vpon them still then you may lay them the latest Also in the laying of meddowes you shall consider whether they be common or priuate if they be common meddowes and that no olde custome binde you to the contrary you shall lay them to rest earely in the yéere that recouering a forward Spring you may cut them so much the sooner and so haue the better after-crop and the longer time to eate it but if your meddow be priuate and at your owne particular disposing then you shall lay it according to your owne necessitie and the goodnes of the soyle obseruing euer to giue it full time of growth and not to cut it till the grasse be full ripe for it is better to let it grow a wéeke too long so the weather be seasonable for the withering of it then to cut it two dayes too soone because when it is too earely cut it not onely looseth the strength and goodnesse but also the substance and waight and in the drying shrinketh and wasteth to nothing Touching the fittest time to cut or mowe your meddowes If they be laid in a due season it is held of all the best English husbandmen generally to be a wéeke or a fortnight after Midsommer day as namely about the translation of Thomas which is euer the seauentéenth day of Iuly and without question it is a very good time for all men to begin that labour if their grounds be fruitfull and of earely growth but in as much as diuers grounds are diuers in their growth some being much more hastie then other some and for as much as some meddow may as well grow too long as too little a time as in high land Countries where the heate and reflection of the Sunne will burne and consume away the grasse if it be not gathered in a due season I would therefore wish euery good Husbandman about a wéeke before Midsommer and a wéeke after to view his meddowes well and if he sée them turne browne if the Cock heads turne downeward and stand not vpright if the Bels and other vessels of séede open and shed their séedes if your Honisuckles haue lost their flowers and the Penigrasse be hard dry and withered then you shall truly vnderstand that your meddow is ripe and ready to be mowne and the longer it standeth the more it will loose of the substance and when any of the contrary signes appeare as when the meddow lookes gréene and fresh the Cock-heads looke vpright the Bels are close and hard the Honisuckles flowring and purple and the Penigrasse soft and moyst then is your meddow not readie to cut nor will the Hay that is so gotten be other then soft fuzzie and most vnwholsome no beast taking delight to eate of the same Now to these considerations you shall adde a carefull obseruation of the state and inclination of the weather and if you finde that the weather is disposed to much wet or incertaintie then you shall forbeare to mowe because that moysture will still maintaine and hold the graffe in his perfect strength so long as it groweth but if it be once cut downe then the wet will soone rot and spoile it but if you finde the weather enclined to drought and fairenesse then you shall with all spéede cut downe your Hay for one loade got and brought into the barne without raine is worth two that hath béene washt though but with the smallest shower There be some Husbandmen that in the mowing of their meddowes will obserue the state of the Moone and other planetarie coniectures but they are fitter for those which séeke curiositie more then profit for mine owne part I would wish euery good husband but to know truly when his crop is ripe and then to gather it in the most constant and fairest seasons which the rules already set downe will most amply shew him Now for the manner of mowing your meddowes although the generall act resteth in the hands of the mower and that it is hard and impossible in words to expresse the Art of the aâ—tion nor is it néedfull that euery Husbandman be a mower yet for those rules which the English Husbandman should know and obserue I will in no sort omit them You shall then know that in the mowing of your meddowes you shall mowe them smooth plaine and leuell and as the Husbandman tearmes it with such an euen board that a man may no more but discerne the going in and comming forth of the Sythe and this shall be done so close and neere vnto the ground as is possible for the worke-man to get especially if it be in publique and common meddowes because the swap and first crop is all the maine profit you can challenge your owne nay you shall doe it also in your owne priuate and seuerall meddowes for although an ignorant custome haue drawne some of our Husbandmen to say and beléeue that there is no loose in the fleight and insufficient mowing of priuate meddowes because say they what I loose in the Barne my Cattell findes on the ground yet they are much deceiued in that opinion for what they so leaue on the ground halfe cut halfe vncut is no good foode neither pleasant nor sauourie but dry hard and bitter and indéede no better then sower fogge which may fill but cannot nourish and who then will be so simple as not to preferre swéet
Hay before such vnsauourie grasse therefore be carefull to mowe your grasse euen and close by the ground for it will make the fresh grasse spring vp with more ease and be much pleasanter in taste Next after the mowing of your meddowes followeth the making of your Hay which is a labour that must be followed with great care and diligence for it is an old saying that dearth beginneth at the Hay-barne dore and â—e that is negligent in that can hardly be good husband 〈◊〉 any thing else then to shew you how you shall make your hay you shall first vnderstand that no one particular forme can stand for a generall rule because Hay must be made according to the nature of the grasse and the soyle where it groweth some being apt to wither and make soone as that grasse which is finest and hath in it least weédes â—thers will be long in making as that which is full of thicke strong and sower grasse many wéedes bunnes and such like hard stalkes which are not easily dried therefore it is the part of euery good Husbandman either by his eye and knowledge to iudge of the nature of his grasse or else to follow the customes of the Country and soyle wherein he liueth but the first Knowledge is the better Science But to procéede to my purpose I will in the natures of two sorts of grasse the one fine the other course shew you the generall making of all sorts of Hay First then for the making of your fine rich grasse into Hay if it grow in great abundance thicke and close and so lieth in the swathe you shall haue one with a Pitch forke to follow the Mowers and to spread and throw the grasse thinne abroad that the ayre and sunne-beames may passe through it and this is called in most Countries â—edding of Hay The next day after the Sunne hath taken the dewe from the ground you shall turne that which the day before you tedded and then if you haue any more new mowen you shall ted it also The next day following as before when the dewe is from the earth you shall turne your Hay againe and so letting it lye till the Sunne be at his height begin to stir it againe at which time if you finde it is reasonably well withered you shal then draw it into windrowes that is you shall marke which way the winde standeth and the same way that it bloweth the same way with Forks Rakes one after another gather in the Hay into long great thicke rowes then you shall make those windrowes into large Cockes of which the biggest is euer the best for they will defend themselues from raine if happily any shall fall whereas the little small Cocke lying light together taketh in the raine like a spunge and so makes the Hay a great deale much worse then otherwise it would be when your Hay is thus set in safe Cocke you shall let it rest a day or two that it may take a little sweat therein which will make the Hay wondrous pleasant and swéet then when the Sunne is got vp to a pretie height you shall open those Cockes and after the sunne and winde hath passed through them you may if the grasse be cleane fine of it selfe without ranke grasse load it and carrie it either into the Barne or such other place as you haue appointed for the receit thereof but if it haue any ranke grasse which you sée vnwithered amongst it then you shall make it vp againe into safe cockes and so let it rest a day or two more before you leade it away And thus much for the making vp of fine Hay Now for the making of course grasse into Hay which you must suppose to be grasse growing in colde moyst woodie and barraine grounds full of wéedie rough and stumpie hearbage long in growing late ere it can be gathered and therefore depriued of much of the Sunnes strength to swéeten and wither it This grasse as soone as it hath béene mowne and tedded as it before said the next day you shall make it into little grasse Cockes as bigge as little Moale-hilles and so hauing layne a day or better then breake them open and let them receiue the sunne and winde for they will heat and siâ—eat a little in the grasse which makes it Hay the sooner better then after the Sunne hath spent all his power vpon it you shall make it vp into little Cockes againe putting two of the first Cockes into one then hauing so layne another day breake them open againe and giue them the Sunne then make them vp againe and put thrée or foure of those Cockes into one and so let them lye another day thâ—â— breake them open as before if the Sunne shine faire and at euening make them vp againe putting thrée or foure of those Cockes into one and so euery morning after the Sunne is vp breake them open aâ—d at euening â—ake them vp againe till you finde that the Hay is sufficiently well dried and sweateth no more in the Cocke but in the morning when you breake it open it is dry without stemme smoake or vapour arising from it which both your hand and eye may perceiue in the first stirring or mouing and then you may at your pleasure leade it home and house or stacke it as you shall haue occasion Now for the vse of Hay it is two-folde that is either for the maintainance of bréeding Cattell or Cattell for labour or else for the féeding of Cattell for the Market or for slaughter for the maintainance of bréeding Cattell or the Cattell which are imployed in your Plough or other labours whether it be draught or trauell you shall make choise of the swéet and well-dried Hay which is of fresh and gréene colour well withered sound and perfect Hay though it be long loggie and not excéeding much swéet it matters not for being well Inned and dried it will serue sufficiently for those purposes and with this Hay to mingle sometimes Wheat-straw Rye-straw Barly or Oate-straw will not be amisse for heilding or bréede Cattell but for worke-beasts except necessitie constraine let them haue Hay simple of it selfe during the busie time of their worke but when they rest you may vse your discretion For the times of giuing Hay or foddâ—ring to such Cattell as are in the house the best is in the morning before they goe to labour in the euening when they come from labour presently after their drinke and at night when you goe to bed But for those Cattell which goe abroad as Shéepe heilding Beasts and such like to fodder them morning and euening is out and out fully sufficient Now for the vse of Hay for fat cattell you shall make choyse of the fruitfullest swéetest finest and shortest Hay you haue being full of flowers pleasant and odoriferous to smell on and although this Hay be mixt with some roughnesse yet it is not the worse for though your fat