Selected quad for the lemma: ground_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
ground_n	grow_v	root_n	small_a	3,915	5	5.8532	4	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A06937	The inrichment of the vveald of Kent: or, A direction to the husbandman, for the true ordering, manuring, and inriching of all the grounds within the wealds of Kent and Sussex and may generally serue for all the grounds in England, of that nature: as, 1. Shewing the nature of all wealdish grounds, comparing it with the soyle of the shires at large. 2. Declaring what the marle is, and the seuerall sorts thereof, and where it is vsually found. 3. The profitable vse of marle, and other rich manurings, as well in each sort of arable land, as also for the encrease of corne and pasture through the kingdome. Painfully gathered for the good of this iland, by a man of great eminence and worth.	Markham, Gervase, 1568?-1637.	1625 (1625)	STC 17363; ESTC S112106	16,514	29

Medicine and for clearing of small grounds now for the annoyances which happen to great large and spacious Fields through the multitude of Moales there are only three absolute wayes for the curing of the same The first is in the moneths of March and Aprill to view where they cast and goe about to make an extraordinary great Hill in which they build them Nests which is knowne by the newnesse of the Mould then looke for the new trench which leadeth to the same for as shee goeth she returneth then with your Moale-spade open the trench in diuers places and then very still and silently and obseruing to take the winde to preuent both hearing and smelling watch the Moale as shee goeth or returneth which is Morning Noone and Euening and as soone as you see her cast strike her with your Moale-speare made of many sharpe pikes and so cast her vp and kill her Thus haue I seene by one man an hundred destroyed in one day The next infallible way for the destruction of Moales is If you can by any possible meanes bring in water to ouerflow and wash your ground and as soone as the earth is wet ouer the Moales will come forth of themselues and you may gather them vp with your hands at pleasure The last indeed as much approued as any is to take a liue Moale in the moneth of March which is their bucking or ingendring time and put it into a deepe brasse Bason or other deepe smooth Vessell out of which the Moale cannot creepe and then at euening bury it in the earth vp to the brimme and so leaue it and the imprisoned Moale will presently beginne to shrike or complaine or call so that all the Moales in the ground will come to it and tumbling into the Vessell they are prisoners also and the more prisoners the greater will bee the noise and the more noise the more Moales will come to the rescue so that I haue seene 50. or 60. taken in one night and in one Vessell or brasse Kettle Now hauing thus learned how to destroy the Moales it is meet you also know how to preuent the comming in of forraigne Moales because though you keepe your ground neuer so cleane yet if your next neighbour be an ill Husband his field may soone impoyson yours againe therefore to preuent the comming in of any forraigne Moale make but little Furrowes or Trenches about your ground and scatter in them small round Balls made of Hempseede or Hempseede and Palmae Christi beaten together and you shall not neede to feare the comming in of any neighbour-Moales how many soeuer there be about you Lastly for the reducing or bringing the ground to the first perfection againe for howsoeuer some Husbandmen say Moe Moale-hills more ground yet t is certaine that moe Moale hils lesse good ground for neuer yet was sweet grasse seene on a Moale-hill therefore to bring it to perfection which I meane to be meadow-Meadow-ground or ground to be mowne which Moale-hills cannot be you shall first with a sharpe Paring-shouell pare off the swarth about three fingers deepe for feare of hurting the roots of the grasse and then the swarth taken off dig away the rest of the Mould and scatter it as small as you can round about the Hill then take the greene swarth and cutting it artitifically lay it close and fast and leuell where you tooke away the Mould as if there had neuer beene Hill there and thus doe to all your Hills though they be neuer so innumerable and after all your ground is leuelled as soone as the first shewre falleth run all your ground ouer with a paire of backe-harrowes or an Harrow made of a Thorne bush and it will breake the Mould as small as ashes which will so comfort and refresh the root of the grasse that it will grow in infinite abundance and the sowrenesse which was caused by reason of the Hills will come againe to a perfect sweetnesse and the Meadow will be more fruitfull then before by many degrees And thus much for the destruction of Moales and reducing of the earth to his first goodnesse FINIS Further additions ●he vse of ●arle is an●●ent ●●rling was 〈◊〉 continued 〈◊〉 is now ●●●iued 〈◊〉 sorts 〈◊〉 Marle 1 2 3 4. Foure sort● grounds 1. 2. 3 4. The orde● of the Ha● mould Note The ord●● of the Ma●●● Cope gro●●● weed The order of the san●● Moulds

almost in euery part of the Weald of Kent which hee likewise called Dennes as the Denne of Cranbrooke in Cranebrooke the Denne of Hawkehurst in Hawkehurst and such others the which as it seemeth were at the first vndertaken to bee manured by sundry particular persons whose names were then taken from those very Dennes and continued many yeeres together as by ancient euidences it doth yet appeare howsoeuer the age of long time hath now almost worne and consumed them all out of knowledge Neither doth the Weald of Kent containe so many great Mannors or Courts for the proportion of the largenesse as the rest of the Shire doth but was appertaining for a great part thereof to sundry of those Mannors which doe lye at large dispersed thorow the Shire whereof each one had a great portion in the Weald which both in the book of Doomes-day and in sundry the Court Rolls and Rentals passeth by the name of Weald and Silua Porcorum or Swine gatts which were granted to diuers of the Farmers and owners of sundry Tenancies which did belong vnto those Dennes and other Lands within the Weald And albeit these Dens be for the most part good large portions of Land that be now broken into many seuerall possessions so as the same one Denne sufficeth 20. housholders at this day yet it is very likely that each man at the first had his seuerall Den wholly and vnbroken wherof he and his posterity beareth name vntill that the same was by the custome of Gauilkinde by sale or by exchange diuided and distributed amongst others into parts as wee doe now see them But howsoeuer this Weald be of it selfe vnfruitfull as I said and of a barren nature yet so it hath pleased the prouidence of the Almighty to temper the same that by the benefit of Margle or Marle as it is commonly called it may be made not onely equall in fertility with the other grounds of the Shire as well for Corne as Grasse but also superiour to the more and greater part of the same The which manner of bettering the ground is not now newly discouered but was the ancient practize of our Fore-fathers many a yeere agoe as by the innumerable Marle-pits digged and spent so many yeeres past that trees of 200. or 300. yeeres old doe now grow vpon them it may most euidently appeare besides the which we haue mention of Marle in bookes of gainage or husbandry that were written in the dayes of King Edward the 2. or before howbeit the same manner of tillage by meanes of the ciuill warres maintained many yeeres as well in the time of the Barons warres as of the warres betweene the house of Yorke and the Family of Lancaster was so giuen ouer and gone out of vse vntill these 30. or 40. yeeres that it may be said to haue beene then newly borne and reuiued rather then restored because the very true art of inriching the ground by Marle seemeth to lye hidden in part as yet not to be discouered to the full for in this short time we haue seene many arable grounds which for sundry yeeres after the marling of them haue plentifully borne Wheat and other Graine to be now become vnfruitfull and so will they continue albeit they should be now marled againe And this commeth to passe by the ignorance of the right manner of ordering the Marle which is as strong and chearefull as euer it was before howsoeuer it worketh not his naturall effect through the vnskilfulnesse of the Husbandman that both wasteth the Marle and loseth withall his time his labour his cost and the profit of his ground I cannot deny but a man shall see some grounds of nature fit to take Marle and of situation so neere to Marle-pits long time opened that they might be marled plentifully with little charge and haue beene heretofore marled indeed and yet the sameto lye now vnploughed and not onely barren of themselues but also vnapt for Marle and vncapable of amendment by Tillage but I must say withall that albeit the men in those former Ages had the right ordering of Marle yet were they not all good Husbands alike neyther doth the Field ioy alike vnder the Farmer and vnder the very Owner of the same the one seeking the very vttermost gaine that may be made during his short interest and the other indeuouring to perpetuate his commodity euen to the end of his estate which hath no end at all so that through vnskilfulnes of the one and greedinesse in others the ground may sooner be crāmed to death with Marle then it shall be made the better or fatter by it The reason whereof I will reserue vntill that I shall haue cause to teach in particular after what manner and measure the ground is to be marled In the meane-while I will open the nature and conditions of this wealdish ground comparing it with the Soyle of the Shire at large and afterward declare vnto you what the Marle is and what sorts thereof there be vsually found in the Weald of Kent and lastly enter into the true and profitable vse thereof as well in each sort of arable Land as also for the increase of Corne and Pasture thorow the Kingdome The arable ground of this Weald hath commonly a fleet and shallow Mould to be turned vp by the Plough so as in many places the dead Earth or Mould is within three inches of the face of the ground and in the best places the good Mould exceedeth not six inches in depth at the most and therefore it wanteth conuenient substance to nourish Corne any long time but will faint and giue ouer after a Crop or two for the which reason also it cannot yeeld any sweet or deepe Grasse Besides this the Weald hath many copped or hillish grounds out of which there doe many Quits or Springs of water issue that make it cold and barren and from these Hillocks the best part of the good Mould is washed downe into the Water-courses and Dikes that bee made to diuide and draine the Land Furthermore the Weald is diuided into many small inclosures the biggest sort for the most part of which are betweene sixteene Acres and twelue in quantity and thereby hath it many Hedges and Trees which in vnseasonable weather do keepe both the Sunne and Winde from the Corne so as for want of that succour and comfort it groweth and many times rotteth in the Earth so that it carneth not nor eareth nor prospereth not kindely many times And these small Closes are caused by this that men are not able to marle any great part or quantity of ground at once and hauing marled a little they are desirous to sow it with Corne for the preseruation whereof as also for draining it they are inforced to make so many and small seuerals for all which reasons it is plaine that there is little good arable Land there and rarely any good Pasture those onely places excepted which are amended by

out the weather in the Wheat season ensuing If you like to sow it as I said with Pease sow them as early and timely as you may for they will be so much the sooner haruested and then also you may plough or stir your Gratten the sooner wherby it will bee the better hardened to beare out the weather in the time of sowing of your Wheat but I doubt Pease doth somewhat stiffen it Two bushels of Wheat doe suffice for the sowing of an Acre hereof except it be for the first Crop after the new breaking vp of the ground during which time there is found a Worme called an Emble which in French signifieth Corne in the ground being of colour yellow and of an inch in length that will eat some part of the Corne but if you sow it thicke it will bee both small-eared and thicke and slender of straw which the Raine and Winde will beat and hurlee downe and then it will scarcely rise againe or if it doe yet through the neerenesse of the shadow of the Trees and Hedges that in so small Closes be many it will rather rot for want of drying then come to maturity that is to perfect hard and full growne Corne. After your first marling you must carefully foresee that you plough not this ground either with deepe or broad Furrowes but fleet and narrow lest you cast your Marle into the dead mould for Marle differeth much from Dongue in this behalfe Dongue spendeth it selfe vpward and howsoeuer deepe it lye the vertue thereof will ascend but Marle as saith Sir Walter Henly in his Husbandry sendeth his vertue downeward and must therefore bee kept aloft and may not bee buried in any wise Furthermore if your ground be hillish or coppied it shall be fit that you make your Ridges 7. or 8. foot broad at the least for in such falling lands the more broad Furrowes you make as you must make many where you make small Ridges the more of your Marle shall be washed and carried into the bottomes It is good also to draw a crosse or quarter Furrow and opening the ends of all your land Furrowes into it to leaue the other ends of your Furrowes stopped that the water-shoot runne not all the length of the field Againe this ground would alwaies bee sowne vnder furrow and that also before Michaelmas if the season will so permit for this ground if it be well husbanded will bee mellow and hollow or loose whereby through Raine and Frost it would sinke downe from the root of the Wheat if it should bee sowne aboue Furrow the which being vncouered must needs bee bitten and killed with the cold It is also very fit that you harrow not this sort of ground too small but that you leaue the clods as big as a Bowle the which being mouldred with the frost will both couer and keepe warme what is vnderneath it Moreouer it shall be good that vpon some faire and dry day in the beginning of March you put your flocke of Sheepe into your Wheat that with their trampling vpon it the Corne may be well and fast closed with the earth yea presently after if it wil beare foot you may roll it as you doe Barley whereby both the Clods shall be broken and the Gratten or stubble shall be more euen and ready for the Mower Generally you must vnderstand that after you haue bestowed your Marle in the field you ought to let it lie vnspred abroad vntill you be ready to plough and then immediatly after the spreading of it turne it into the ground with the Plough for otherwise if it should lie long spred in the field the Sunne will spend no small part of the fatnesse thereof although I know many desire it because it will be the smaller being burned with the Sunne which I like not And therefore also no good Husband will carry and spend his dongue in the time of Summer except he doe presently withall plough it into the ground for although the Mould of the arable Land it selfe will take good if it be turned to the Sunne which will both dry and fasten it yet the matter fareth farre otherwise with the Marle from which if the Sunne shall draw and sucke the fat moisture that maketh the Land fertile then becōmeth it as Columella speaketh of the worst sort of ground Solum siccum pariter densum macrum quod siue exerceatur siue cessat colono refugiendum est It becommeth saith he a dry thicke and leane Clod which whether it be tilled or laid to rest must be forsaken of the Husbandman as vnprofitable And now your Haisell mould being thus marled ploughed sowne and manured you may not charge with Wheat aboue twice and then must it rest 5. or 6. yeeres together all which time it will beare a very good and sweet Pasture well set with a white Clouer or three-leaued grasse most batning and profitable both for Sheepe and Bullocks After those yeeres ended it will grow to some Mosse or wil peraduenture cast vp Broome and then it is time to breake it vp and sow and handle it as before for two other Wheat seasons or Crops leauing it a Wheat-Gratten or stubble rather then with an Oat-Gratten or stubble which burneth the Land being marled Being thus interchangeably sowed and rested your Haisell Mould will continue good arable and Pasture by the space of 30. yeeres together whereas if it should be continually sowed 6.7 or more yeeres together without rest it will become vtterly vnfruitfull both for Corne and Cattell also Neither will it any thing auaile to marle it ouer againe when it is so decayed because the former Marle hauing his iuice exhausted by continuall Tillage whereof the Corne sucketh one part and the Sunne Winde and Weather dryeth and wasteth the rest is but a dead Clod as I said that is not capable of new Marle to amend it nor casteth any profitable grasse at all for proofe hereof I my selfe seeing that the common earth of High-waies were by treading of Cattell washing of Raine and the drying of the Sunne and weather it lay separated from that naturall iuice which it hath in the pit and spreading it vpon the grounnd I saw that the land was not onely not amended but much the worse by it And now for an end of handling this sort of Haisell ground if it shall appeare vnto you that 500. loads of Marle vpon the Acre haue clanged stiffened and too fast bound your land as indeede the nature of Marle is to binde and to stiffen then take you some of these waies to helpe it either rest 4. or 5. yeeres or fodder vpon it before you breake it vp with so many Cattell as you may or take the vppermost part of your Ditches or Forelands or waste places of your fields which you may mingle with Dongue and which before you sow your Wheat you may lay vpon your fallow and stir it in with your Plough and by this you

least Sow alwaies vnder-furrow about Michaelmas with two Bushels and a halfe vpon the Acre which it will better carry then the Haisell ground for although the Straw be small yet will it bee harder and stand better then that of the other The worme whereof I spake will bee busie with that that groweth on this sort of ground vntill that the heat thereof be somewhat asswaged by the Marle If your ground be hilly make your Water-furrowes in such sort as I haue said before for the sauing both of your Marle Mould harrow it very little leaue it as cloddy as you may After that you haue taken a Crop from it fallow that Wheat Gratten or Stubble in May after that stirre it also and then about Michaelmas sow it with Wheat againe for it is not yet rich enough to beare you good Pease This done let it rest foure or fiue yeeres and if it send vp any plenty of Broome cut or pull them when they bee of some meane bignesse but plough not the ground vntill it haue taken such rest and after it you may well breake it vp of new and sow it with Oates which Oate Gratten or Stubble you must Summer-fallow when it is at the Haruest and then if you desire to haue it in good heart you must marle it with three hundred or foure hundred loads vpon the Acre againe After this Crop thus taken rest it fiue or sixe yeeres and then take one Crop more of Oates from it and after a Summer-fallow sow it with Wheat and suffer it to ly a Wheat Gratten or Stubble till it shall haue rested as before is appoynted for the Haisell ground and so will it be the better thirty or forty yeeres after the marling Wee haue in this Weald a sandy and grauelly ground that is wet and weeping the which is scarcely worth the marling except the neerenesse of the Marle and thereby the small cost and charge thereof may intice a man to bestow the cost vpon it with Marle and then the best way is to marle vpon the greene Land or vpon a fallow with fiue hundred loads or more vpon the Acre or rather to take the profit thereof by Pasture then by Tillage for it will hardly beare good Corne which is soone killed with the wet vapour that is continually sent vp from the wet Springs that lye vnder it This sort of ground is to bee fallowed when it is both hard and dry because it swelleth not as doth the Haisell Mould and may therefore be taken in Iune if former faire weather bring it not to a dry season and it is to bee stirred also after a showre in the like plight as the Haisell mould before Your marleable grounds being ordered in this wise seuerally set downe for each kinde of them will continually stand fruitfull eyther for Corne or Pasture and albeit the high prices which Corne hath of late yeeres carryed may allure some men to sow Corne incessantly and thereby to spend their Marle and to choke their arable in the end yet I doubt not but the wiser sort can see that it is much better to maintaine their grounds hearty and in good plight for euer then to rayse a short gaine that wil bring a long perpetual losse vpon them the rather also because that Butter Cheese and the flesh of Beefe and Mutton be aduanced in price equally if not beyond Wheat Rie Barley and the other Graines Howbeit a good Husbandman will make his profit of them both for if hee haue one hundred or one hundred twenty Acres of this Wealdish arable he will so marle and manure them that diuiding his Land into fiue or sixe equall parts he may continually plough twenty or fiue and twenty Acres for Corne and yet lay to Pasture the rest by turnes so that by the help of his Marle his Land shall be continually rich and profitable both in the one and other of them And as thus I haue spoken of the Weald describing the nature and property thereof so may euery man of discretion and iudgement which shall meet with earth of the same quality and condition in what part of this Kingdome soeuer make application of these Rules before rehearsed and no doubt but the profit will make both the labour and cost profitable and pleasant The seuerall wayes according to the opinions of Writers and the certaine waies according to the experience of Husbandmen for the destruction of Moles or Moales which digge and root vp the Earth and how to reduce and bring the ground to the first goodnesse hauing been spoyled by them IT is needlesse eyther to describe the nature and quality of this Vermine or the iniury and hurt which they doe to the Husbandman Gardner and Planter since no Countrey is exempt from their annoyance but touching the remedies they are of greater secresie and therfore I thought good in this place to insert them The ancient Writers are of diuers opinions touching the manner of destroying this creature and therefore haue left vnto vs sundry Medicines how to worke the same amongst the which one writeth as an approued experiment that if you take Walnut-shells and fill them with Brimstone Chaffe and Perrofin and then setting them on fire put them into holes or trenches thorow which the Moale passeth and the very smell or stinke thereof will poyson them so that if you digge you shall finde them dead in their holes Another affirmeth That if you take Brimstone and danke stinking Litter of Horses and burne it in the holes or haunts of the Moales it also will impoyson them so as you shall finde they wil come out of their Caues and lye dead vpon the greene Grasse A third affirmes That if you take greene Leekes Garlicke or Onyons and chopping them grossely thrust it into the hoales and the very fume or sauour thereof will so astonish and amaze the Moales that they will presently forsake the Earth and falling into a trance you may take them vp with your hands Now there is not any of these Medicines which can bee disallowed for there is no doubt but that they will worke the effects spoken of if the Moale can be brought to take a full sent thereof but it is a Vermine curious of sent and passing quicke of hearing and being in a spacious ground will preuent these baits and therefore they are rather to be applyed for Gardens or little grounds where there is but a Moale or two then in large Fields where there be many hundreds To conclude for this matter of Medicines or for the helping of Gardens Hopyards or any small spot of ground there is not any thing held more auayleable then to sow in that place the Hearbe called Palma Christi for it is found by certaine experience that wheresoeuer that Hearbe groweth naturally of it selfe or otherwise is eyther purposely sowne or planted there in no wise will any Moale abide Thus much I thought good to shew you for the vse of

irrigations of flouds which there is called flowing and ouer-flowing Contrariwise the arable Land of the Shire at large hath a deepe and fat Mould of good Earth that is able to beare fiue or sixe good Crops together without intermission and after three or foure yeeres rest will doe the like againe and may so interchangeably keepe that course for euer yea there be many grounds that are sowed without ceasing because the Mould is so deepe that when the vpper part thereof beginneth to faint and be weary men can adde some strength of Cattell and with the Plough goe deeper and fetch vp a fresh Mould that will continue for a long season Furthermore this arable ground is a hollow dry ground for the most part on a deepe Clay that by tillage and the weather will become dry and spongy so as the Raine there washeth in the fat of the Earth the rather because it is not so hillish and sliding as the Weald but more leuell euen and champion also by which the Sunne and Winde doe dry the Corne and doe make it both carne or eare well and yeeld a purer flowre then that which is sobbed in wet and hath long time lyen before it bee dryed againe But forasmuch as the great oddes betweene these two sorts of grounds may be made euen by the helpe of Marle if it be rightly ordered as I said I will now shew you what it is and how many sorts thereof be found in this Weald of our Countrey Marle is indeed as it is in name the fat or marrow of the earth for so did the Germanes and so did our elders the Saxons terme it of the word Marize which wee found Marrow and thereof we call it Marling when we bestow that fat earth vpon our leane ground Pliny saith That the Brittanes meaning vs did vse to amend their Land with a certaine inuention which they called Marga that is the fat of the earth and it is to be seene in Conradus Hereshachius that the Germaines doe vse it to the same end and doe call it by the same name till this very day it is therfore a fat oyly and vnctious ground lying in the belly of the earth which is of warme and moist temperature and so most fertill seeing that heat and moysture be the father and mother of generation and growth howbeit this is not a pure simple marrow as that is which lyeth in our bones but a iuyce or fat liquor mingled with the Earth as is the fat which lyeth mixed and dispersed in our flesh so as the one may be drawne away and the other remaine as it shall anon appeare vnto you Foure sorts of Marle be found in this Weald knowne asunder by the difference of colours and thereby also differing in degrees of goodnesse one from the other for there is a Grey a Blue a Yellow and a Red Marle all which be profitable if they be earthy and fat or slippery as Sope and most times little worth if they bee mixed with Sand Grauell or Stone So the Blue is reputed the best the Yellow the next the Grey the next and the Red lesse durable then the other three and yet it is thought the Red to be the better if it be found vpon the Blue or others These Marles doe lye in veines or floores amongst those Hillocks or copped grounds most commonly wherof I haue spoken and doe oftentimes shew themselues at the foot of the Hill or about the mid-way betweene the foot and the top thereof some of them haue ouer them a couer of ground which we call Cope not exceeding 7. or eight foot in depth some lie deeper and other some doe arise as namely where the ground lieth not high and that Marle commonly is very good and there is in diuers leuell grounds good Marle And as Marle is for the most part of these foure colours so is arable ground for the most part of these foure sorts following that is to say either a cold stiffe and wet clay which is either the Cope of the Marle or lieth neere vnto it and is therefore commonly called The Marle Cope ground or a Haisell mould which I count to be one of the best Wealdish Moulds being a compound Mould and very good for Marle and will quit the cost very well Then are there two sorts of sandy Mould the one being a reasonable good kinde but not equall to the Haisell Mould for you shall haue in diuers places of the Weald this Haisell Mould to beare two or three good crops of Wheat being Summer-fallowed together which you shall hardly haue of any sandy ground without mending but as I said of the better sort of these two kinds of sandy Moulds you haue commonly very rich Wheat being well marled which is not so barren as the other but this last kinde of sandy Mould is a very barren kinde of ground and hath a very fleet Mould and you shall haue very Heath grow vpon it in diuers places and yet being ordered as followeth with Marle will beare both good Corne and Pasture And now that we may the better vnderstand how to marle and manure euery of these sorts by it selfe you must know that the Haisell ground being dry and not subiect to Winter-springs or teares of water for which some call such A whining or weeping ground is to be handled thus First plough it as deepe as you can with the strength of eight beasts at the least and be not afraid to plough vp some part of the dead earth that lieth vnder the vpper good Mould for the Sunne the Raine the Wind and the Frost will in time mellow and amend it and besides that the Mould will be the deeper for a long time after and thereby keepe it selfe the longer from being stiffened with the Marle Then may you bestow 500. Courtloads as we call them of Marle vpon each Acre thereof euery load containing 10. or 12. Bushels of eight Gallons and each Acre containing 160. Rods of 16. foot and a halfe to the Rod. Then also you may chuse whether at the first breaking vp you will sow it with Oates to kill the grasse or else first marle it and sow it with Wheat or otherwise Summer-fallow it in the May after the Oates and then Marle it and sow it with Wheat Vpon that fallow or Gratten as we call it you shall doe well to sow it with Pease and at Michaelmas following to sow that Pease-stubble or Gratten with Wheat againe which also will be the better if the Summer wherein it carried Pease were moist because the Pease being rich and thicke doe destroy the Grasse that together with the washing of the fallowes by raine doth greatly consume the heart and vertue or as wee call it the state of the ground But if that Summer were dry then is a fallow best because the Sunne with his heat doth much good to the ground and inableth it the better to beare

shall both loosen your Marle and refresh your ground so that within 40. yeeres the Mould of your ground will cleane eat vp and swallow the Marle that you lay vpon it and then become hungry and as capable of Marle againe as it was before at the first And by this also you may see the very cause for which it is good not to sow your marled Land continually but to pasture it by turnes and so giue it rest namely because the continuall ploughing doth exhaust and spend the fat of the Marle leauing the drossie dry and fruitlesse parts thereof to lie and couer the face of your ground whereas Pasturage through the donguing treading foddering of Cattell doth increase a new Mould which mingling it selfe with the dead Mould doth in the end giue some life and heart vnto it And therefore these Farmours and owners that haue beene at the cost to marle their ground and will not forbeare to till it but hasting to raise their charge doe thereby vtterly strike it with barrennesse are like to Aesops man who hauing a Henne that layed him euery day a golden Egge and being greedy to haue all the gold at once did therefore kill the Henne thinking to haue found her bellie full of gold and so was both defrauded of that hee looked for and lost also what hee had before Hitherto of the nature ordering and marling of this Haisell ground Generally now for the continuall fallowing and stirring thereof you must vnderstand it may neither be fallowed wet lest it answer more Grasse then Corne nor yet so dry that the dead bottome swell vp as in great drought it will and swallow the good Mould that lieth aboue and therefore binde not your selfe to any precise time of any moneth but the opportunity either in May or Iune as you shall finde the weather to haue prepared it for your desire In the like temper you ought to stirre it after a showre after Saint Iames his day or in the end of Iuly for so will it be dry and hard before the time of sowing whereas if it bee stirred later euery small Raine will distemper it into Dirt or Mire by reason of the tendernesse thereof and then can you not fitly bestow your Seede vpon it The Marle Cope ground followeth which is most commonly as I said a stiffe wet cold Clay and not so fit as the former to bee marled for Corne except in some few fleete places thereof but yet it may serue for Pasture or for Oates such of them as bee marled must be fallowed fleet or shallow lest the Marle become drowned in the wet then being marled they may in dry Summers and not ouer-moist Countries beare Wheat in some mediocrity Three hundred loads at the most of Marle are sufficient for an Acre of this kinde and two bushels and a halfe of Wheat will sow the same which must be cast aboue Furrow fourteene or twenty daies before Michaelmas It requireth round high and narrow Ridges and that the water-Furrowes be stricken somewhat deepe the better to conueigh moisture from the Corne and that it be left cloddy as much as may be and yet to say the truth such as will conuert this sort of ground to tillage must prouide a greater quantity of rich ground or Greet as wee tearme it and of fat Dongue then of Marle it selfe to amend this Land withall But if there bee any ground that is light and whining or weeping because of Springs that are therein and therewith doth cast vp Rushes let that be marled vpon the greene land with foure hundred or fiue hundred loads vpon the Acre about the latter end of Summer for so will the Marle sinke into it and cast vp a sweet grasse for eight or ten yeeres together and vntill that the Marle be sunke so low that another sword or crust of earth bee growne ouer it and then is it fit time to plough it but yet very fleet and narrow for so will it beare good Oates but if it bee so wet that you cannot aduenture to sow your Wheat vpon it because the Rushes bee not killed with this first ploughing then may you sow it againe with Oates drawing good water-furrowes to draine it because it will be the wetter for ploughing and thereby the Marle also will the sooner lose his force thus doing let it lie to Pasture againe There be some other grounds of the Marle Cope which carry a sowre Grasse and the Dyers Weed commonly called Greening weed and hauing a great tore thereof the which also may be amended by three hundred or foure hundred load of Marle vpon the Acre of the greene Land for the Marle will both rot the tore or vesture thereof and also inrich the Mould very much so as it will answer good Pasture twelue yeeres after and when you shall perceiue that the Marle is well sunke then may it bee ploughed fleet and narrow sowed with Oates and fallowed so may it both beare good Wheat if it finde a good season and bee the richer a long time after partly by the benefit of the Marle partly by the rotting of the tore and sword and partly by the dongue and water of the Cattel that pasture vpon it for the sweeter the Pasture is the more Beasts it feedeth and the more beasts it beareth the more it selfe is amended by it Touching the fallowing of this ground great heed is required for as it swelleth more then the Haisell ground if it be taken hard and dry so is it more grassie then that or the sandy Soyle if you fallow it wet The season therefore followeth commonly in Aprill or in the beginning of May for to fallow it and to stirre it about Midsummer or so soone after as the Raine shall haue prepared it meet for your vn-shod Oxen to labour vpon it Many men fearing to hit the right season for this ground in the Spring of the yeere doe make it ready by a Winter fallow before Christmas and by stirring it before Midsummer if they may which manner is not to be misliked Lastly commeth the two sorts of sandy ground and grauelly Mould the one being to be ordered much after the Haisell Mould sauing he would haue somewhat more Marle and also would be fauoured more in the often tillage then it for the Haisell Mould will beare or indure more tillage then the Sand. But this last sort of sandy ground being a very staring Sand as we vse to call it for much of it will beare Heathe being of it selfe very barren and very fleet or shallow Mould and ouer-hot and dry and by reason of that extremity is vnfertill except it be marled very plentifully And therefore when you breake vp this ground plough it as deepe as you may not fearing to cast downe the best Mould thereof because the Marle will pierce thorow and sinke downe into it An Acre of this ground requireth fiue hundred or sixe hundred loads of your Marle at the