I have been recommending the Use of Roots and Herbs as more profitable for House keepers than to make alwayes Use of Grain for Maintainance of their Families Wherefore least they object against my Advice in pretending difficulties from their want of skill in this Art and the natural Barrenness of the Ground To solve these difficultys I say according to the Measures already laid down for bringing every kind of Ground to a temperat Constitution I have shown already that any kind of arable Ground may be made fertile by industrie And I say again by Hedging and Planting fence your Garden from Storm and dung it well you may have Roots and Herbs abundance therein To bring your Gardens therefore to a good Condition First Digg up or delve your ground at first about a foot deep The soard of your ground throw the bottom of the Furrow or Trench and if there be any Weeds or stones in it gather them out this being done about Hallowday or some time in the Winter Then in the Spring so soon as you find it seasonable for sowing of Seeds dung your Garden and delve it over again casting it in Plots or Beds And then you may sow Carrot Parsneep Turneep or Onion Seeds or any other common Seeds you please and as soon as any Weeds begin to spring be sure to pluck them up In the Furrows you may plant Cabbage I need not tell you how to set or plant common Kale few or none but what has abundance of them already But when your Ground begins to fail which perhaps it may do within twelve or sixteen years even thô yâ— dung it every year by the frequent labouring and breaking up it begins to fail and turn somewhat dead or lifeless which cannot be helped but by letting it rest two or three years or else by Trenching which is done thus First cross your Brâ—â—k or Plot of Ground make a Ditch about two or three foot broad four inches deeper than the Crust of the Earth or deepth you have diggâ—d before throw the Earth quite out and seatter it upon the laighest part of your Plot then dig as much of your Ground next to this Trench and throw the upermost of the Earth into the bottom thereof and the new Earth you find below lay uppermost and when you have occasion to Trench this Ground again you must dig three or four inches deeper then before and as often as ye Trench raise three or four inches new ground and dung it and sow as before I also recommended Potatoes as a very profitable Root for Husbandmen or others that have numerous Families And because there is a peculiar way of Planting this Root nor commonly known in this Countrey I shall here shew what way it is ordinarly planted or set But first know there be two sorts of them the one knotty and some thing redish coloured the other long some thing after an Oval Form and white this last is set whole and when the Stalk is grown up a dozen or perhaps more Potatoes groweth round about the Root thereof but the cornered sort must be cut in small peeces before they be set Now the manner of Setting or Planting them is thus The ground whereon they are set must be dry and so much the better it is if it have a good Soard of Grass The Beds or Rigs are made about eight foot broad good store of dung being laid upon your Ground Horse or Sheep Dung is the most proper Manure for them Throw each Potatoe into a knot of dung and afterwards digg Earth out of the Furrows and cover them all over about some three or â—our inches deep the Furrows left between your Riggs must be about two foot broad and little less will they be in deepth before your Potatoe be covered You need not plant this Root in your Garden they are commonly set in the Fields and wildest of Ground for enriching of it The common way Potatoes are made usâ— of are boyled and broken and stirred with Butter or new Milk also roasted and eatâ—n with Butter Yea some make Bread of them by mixing them with Oat or Barley Meal after they are broken stirred with Milk other parboyl them and bake them with Aples after the manner of Tarts Several other wayes are they made use of as eating among Broath broken with Kale To be brief Potatoes are as usefull and profitable about a Husbandmans Houses as any kind of food I know I might insist in shewing farther How any Farmer possessing a Mailen as in Chap 3. May by Roots and Herbs not onely save ten Bolls of his Grain but even ne're twice so much From the middle of August till Ianuary he may have Potatoes in March and April Parsneeps from May to October abundance of Milk Kail and Carrots and Turnneeps c. after Lambmass But having insisted beyond my Expectation let what is said suffice at the time and if this pass the Press again there being but a few Coppies of this Impression perhaps the World may have it with some Addition and Amendments In the preceeding Chapter as a special means to enrich your Ground I thought to have informed you that where you can have the Conveniencie to set Water upon your Land it will much encrease the growth of Grass The way to perform this where you can draw a Ditch alongst the head of your Field and foregainst the head of every Rigg make a little Gape that you may close or leave open at your pleasure and then draw Furrows with your Plough and Spade squint wayes in the declining of the Hill from the Furrow between your Riggs to the top or middle thereof where it is left without any Conduit Then it spreadeth and waâ—ereth the Ground But that it may not run away as soon as it falleth down to the Furrow again you may raise it to the middle of the Riggs as before Thus renew your Conduits till iâ— come to the lowest part of the field CHAP. VIII Several Objections Solved NOt to consume time I shall as briefly as possible answer to some of the most material Objections I judge may occure And in the first place me thinks I hear some thick scul'd Peasant that sees as â—arâ— in States Affairs as a Mear doth in a Mill-stone Saying What And From whence came you Sir That offers to teach us how to labour our Ground We and our Fathers have been bred in Husbandrie thâ—se many Generations and if there had been any Mistery in it to find would not they have found it out before this time Are you Wiser than all that ever have been bred and exercised in Husbandry hitherto Away with your fool Notions there are too many â—ees in your Bonet-case we will satisfie our selves with such Measures as our Fathers have followed hitherto Solve Soft Friend one Question at once you run on with a full Carrier However to your first two Questions I say I am neither Italian Ierman nor of any
I leave them to calculat their year themselves Or had the Sun's motion been also slow as Saturn's or other of the Superior Planets then these places receiving his visit had been scorched by his long continuance in one place and other places continuing long in extream cold during his absence could not but frize before his return For it is beyond Contraversie if the Sun did continue any considerable time in one place things about him would be much more warmed than they are by his transient Visit. As for Instance Let a person take a Shovel full of fire and carry round about all the borders of a Room every particular place will not be so much warmed thereby as one place is when it doth remain any considerable space there Much on this Subject might be said which surpasseth the Eloquence of the ablest Oratour or Pen of best accomplished Clark Wherefore I shall return to what I was speaking of before You see Heat is one principal cause of growth of Grain and other things the Earth bringeth forth And seing Providence has aloted us to live in this cold Climate we must by Art endeavour to help that wherein Nature is defective as is said Which is done two wayes viz First by restraining external Cold and next by strenthening or assisting the internal Heat that is in the Earth The way to restrain external Cold is in a special manner by Planting and Hedging of which I shall speak more particularly when I come to treat of Planting But in the mean time that I may confirm my Assertion that restraining of external cold is no small Encouragement to growth of Corn and Grass c Besides the Reasons given for it in the first Chapter I shall tell what from Experience I have seen and what any person to their conviction may readily observe in any place where the Earth is sheltered from the violence of Storm As for Instance what Orchyeard Gairden c being inclosed under the shelter of Trees or any thing else that defends them from Wind and Storm But it is more Fertile than other Ground equal with it in every Circumstance this only excepted Again I have seen where the Wind had passage but only through the gape of a Hedge or Stone-wall the Ground there in the same very bit and no where else near it has been visibly a great dale more barren than the rest of the same Land And on the other hand where there has been a Bush or any other insignificant shelter tho the rest of the Ground about it has been barren Grass or any other thing growing under the lie of it has been tollerable good and rank Instances to confirm this were infinit wherefore I must conclude to restrain external Cold must be no small Encouragement for growth of Corn and Grass c. Having spoken of manuring or dunging the Ground in Chapter second and given a hint of what kind of Dung or Manure was fit for every several kind of Ground I shall not now resume what was there said only I would recommend this as an Universal Rule to apply that kind of Manure to every kind of Earth that has most of the Quality in it that the Ground whereon it is â—aid has least of viz hot Manure on cold Ground and cold Manure on Hot Ground But least some may be ignorant what kind of Dung or Manure is Hot or what is Cold know Cow or Ox Dung is the coldest of any I know and Horses Dung is more hot but Sheep Dung is hoter than either Lyme Ashes and Pigions Dung are also very hot either of them may be applyed alone or mixed as I shall afterward show But because I spoke of Marle and perhaps every one knows not what it is nor how to find it take Mr. Markem's Definition of it in his own Words Marle you shall understand is according to the Definition of Mr. Bernard Pullisly a natural and yet an excellent Sorb being an enemy to all the Weeds that spring up of themselves and giving a generative Vertue to all Seeds that are sowen upon the Ground Or for the plain Husband Man's Understanding it is a certain rich Stuff and rough Clay of a glewie Substance and not Fat or Oylie as some suppose this Marle is cold in Quality and not Hot as some would have it and it was Earth before it came to be Marle and being made Marle yet it is but a Clay Ground all Chalk whatsoever was Marle before it was Chalk And all manner of Stones which are subject unto Calcination or burning as Lymestone Flint and the like were first Marle before they were stones only hardened by accident and so not possible to be disolved but by fire As for Marle it self when it is a little hardened is only disolved by Frost and nothing else And thence the Cause is that Marle ever worketh better Effect the second year than the first This Marle hath been made so precious by some Writers that it has been accounted a fifth Element but of this Curiosity I will not now dispute Touching the Complexions and Collours of Marle there is some difference for tho all conclude there are four several Collours in Marle Yet one sayeth there is a White a Gray or Russet a Black and Yellow Another sayeth there is a Red and White mixed like unto Porphery And all these may well be reconceilled and Collours may alter according to the Climate and Strength of the Sun so that by these Characters the Collour the Roughness and the Loosness when it is dryed any Man of Judgement may know Marle from any other Earth whatsoever This Marle is so Rich of it self and so Excellent for Continuance that it will Maintain and Inrich barren Ground the worst ten or twelve and some for thirty years This Marle is commonly found in the lowest parts of High Countreys near Laiks and small Brooks and in the high part of low Countreys upon Knowls or small Hills or within the Clifts of high Mountainous Banks which bound great Rivers in To conclude You will seldom find barren Sandy Grounds but what are verged about with Marle sometimes it is found within two or three foot to the Surface of the Earâ—h and sometimes ten or twelve It is worth the searching after and boring of suspected places for it may be worth your pains Having given you this short hint of Markem's Opinion of Marle and how to know it I shall proceed to what I proposed To wit To give some Directions how to make some further Improvement of the Ground than what I have showen in the preceeding Chapter And as I said seeing Nature hath casten our Lot in this cold Climate we must by Art endeavour to supply that want the best way we can which beside the warding off Storm and Winds applying all or any of the forementioned kinds of Manure doth also warm or heat the Earth so that it doth bring forth Grain c. without any Fence at
other Forraign Nation and therefore likely to be the less noticed what farther concerns these Questions satisfie your self with the acount given in the Epistle Dedicatory What you or your Fathers have been bred to or what Misterys they might have found I question not neither prâ—tend I to any great Measure of Wit But grant that what I advise to were new as it is not for many in this same Kingdom and the greatest part of all others I either have seen or heard of have found the Truth of what I say to their Experience and if you will make Wit and Reason yeeld to Will and Custom I have no more to say brook your Opinion Object 2. Some more grave person I fancy asketh me what may be the Reasons For ye know there is never a Tale without a Reason why this Method I advise to is so universally contemned in this Kingdom if such Benefit as I pretend may be had by following of it Solve So farr as I can understand the Causes are all or either of these three the Maladies of two of them your Landlords may remove and if you take my advise the third you may remove your selves First When a Tenent makes any Improvement of his Ground the Landlord obligeth him either to augment his Rent or remove in so much that its become a Proverb and I think none more true Bouch and Sit Improve and Flit I doubt not but if Fermers had good Security for continuing in possession of their Lands buâ— they might thereby be much Encouraged to improve them Another Cause why Fermers make so little Improvement of Lands in their Possession is Poverty that great enemy to vertue for people that are empty handed are glad to accept any thing that first offers rather than waiâ— for future great things Landlords might also give their Tenents Encouragement in this Case by spairing the Rent for a time But the principal or chief Cause is peoples want of Skill to calculat or forecast the Ordering of their Matters most people thinking it better to take a scant Crop of Corn than leave their Land Grass not considering that by leaving a part of their Land in Grass the rest that is manured geteth the greater allowance of Dung whereby it is Enriched And that part leâ—t in Grass is also thereby brought to a more fertile Condition It is needless here to insist on this point having spent whole three Chapters already in shewing how I would have Fermers divide their Lands and take only so much into manure as they are able sufficiently to keep in a good Condition The two Parables our Saviour adduceth concerning a King's making War And other Men's going about to build That they ought to forecast the Charge and how they may be able to accomplish their Undertakings I say tho that Text is chiefly to be taken in a Spiritual Sense yet may it be taken in a Literal Sense also For when a Man undertaketh any Business whatsoever that is above his power to accomplish ten to one but his project doth miscarrie And I think Aristotle spoke Truth when he said He that is ignorant of Arithmetick is fit for no Science which was also the Opinion of Plato when he affixed this Inscription over his School-door Let none enter in hither that is ignorant of Geomitry When there is so much of it needed in the right Management of Husband Labour as you may see in Chapter 3 4 and 5. which is of all Employments the most plain and natural How much more is it requisite in other Sciences and Employments Object 3. But tho the Method you propose should be followed yet no such profit will come thereby as you would make us believe For in your Calculation Chapter third you reckon all things at a disadvantage in your first Example and all things to the Advantage in the second Solve The contrare is true for according to the division of Croft and Out-fâ—â—ld in the third Chapter I make the Land taken into Croft gâ—t more than double allowance of Dung which the other had and the differrence of product is only three Bolls which I doubt nothing of but it may be more Nevertheless admit there be but two Bolls of difference that is to say allow the Croft according to the first way of manuring to produce five Bolls per Aiker the odds will be greater than I reckoned it at when you defaulk the 150 pounds I pay more Rent for the last Mailen and beside there was six Bolls of Seed and four of Horse Corn saved which was not reckoned in that Account and why the Out-field in the latter Case may bear one Boll more per Aikeâ— than the first I suppose satisfying Reasons were given already As for the profit on the Cattle I think none can doubt of it Ob 4. Your Hedging and way oâ— Manuring recommended Chap 4 th is so difficult that the Charge will exceed the profit Moreover the Hedges will not grow on any Barren Ground Solve The Expence and Profit are both there reckoned and the contâ—aiâ— doth appear As for Hedges growing I have shewed already that any kind of Ground by Industry may be made fertile However â—or your more particular Information concerning planting of Hedges I say digg a ditch on every side of your Hedge or at least one on the out-side thereof Take the crust of the Earth you digg out of your ditches and lay next to the root of your Hedge and if the Ground be very Barren or cold mix dung therewith for as I observed when I spoke concerning planting when the roots of Trees are fixed in cold Tile or Clay tho the Tree it self may be nourished by Dew and Rain without extracting any Strength forth of the Earth as I have seen a Tree growing out of a Wall which had no other kind of Nourishment but what it received from Dew and Rain doth in a manner frize or as it is vulgarly termed Dozz'ns the Root so that it cannot thrive But when a Tree is planted in Ground that is any thing warm as the Surface or Crust of the Earth in all places is for it is warmed by the Sun's Beams and Salt it receiveth in Dew and Rain And your Hedge being therein planted as is shewed above And then to preserve your Hedge while it is young let your Fields about them be Corn so Beasts will have no access to them in Summer And in Winter Cattle seeing nothing to tempt â—hem to break into your inclosed Fields the Hedge and the ditch it self will be sufficient to restrain them Object 5. But you speak of Hedges keeping the Ground warm Pray What shelter hath the Ground by your Hedge except a Rigg or wo lying next to it Solve You may remember I also recommended planting of Trees in your Hedges which will also ward off the Storm But even the Hedges themselves if any thing tall will shelter more than the breadth of a dozen of Riggs of Ground And if
is rather to remove the Maladie than enquire any farther after the Cause I shall therefore proceed to lay down several Rules whereby to bring each of these different kinds of Ground to such a temperature as it may be in a condition to nourish any Plant or Seed therein sowen or planted which is done by removing the superfluity of that quality that prevaileth and strengthening of that which is weak For as in humane bodys there are a Composition of the four Elements and through the superfluity or deficiency of any one or more of them Diseases are contracted and fomented so in the Earth there is the like Composition of qualities and so far as heat Moister cold or dryness exceedeth the bounds of a moderat temperatur so far is she Diseased and rendred unfruitful I know some assert the Salt or hot quality that is in the Earth is the only cause of growth of Vigitables And consequently barreness to be only for want of this quality I confess where this quality is wanting altogether Barrenness cannot but ensue And also that this quality is that which is most frequently deficient in our cold Climate And moreover thô it be strengthned or assisted yet by teiling and Manuring of the Earth it s extracted forth into the substance of grain and other vigitables and so needeth frequently to be renewed Notwithstanding of all which with submission to men of greater Judgement I am of opinion there may be abundance of this Hot or Salt quality where there is as much barrenness as any where else But that I may confirm this assertion I say I have seen a field fatned sufficiently with Dung yet by reason of great drowght it has yielded small increase yea scarce one third of what it has done at other times The cause surely was not for want of this Hot or Salt Quality but allanerly for want of Moister Again I have seen a field that wanted not â—nough of this Hot quality by excessive Rains after it has been tiled and sown with Good Grain has produced little else but weeds and Thristles for that season also I have seen strong Clay ground where the clods remained firm and unbroken did not produce so much by far for that Season as at other times when by reason of the Frost in the Winter the clods have easily Mouldred to pieces Notwithstanding it was otherwayes in no better Condition which makes me believe the want of Air tho there be a moderat temperature of the other qualities hinders the growth of Vigitables for tho it want not Air in the stalk which is above ground yet in this confirmed Earth the Air cannot have free access to thâ— Root Another thing which confirms me in this opinion is where Trees grow closs or near the Bottom of hedges little or nothing doth grow Morover I have seen in the Bottom of a dung hill Plewed and sown tho round about the borders thereof the corn has been extraordiner strong and good yet where most of the strength of dung did remain little or nothing did grow which says the excesse of this hot quality tho there be a moderat temperature of all the rest doth hinder fruitfulness I observed formerly that within the bounds of a mile of ground in some places there may be seen fields in equal circumstances as to the manner of Situation and yet differing in other circumstances very much for which I can understand no cause save the primative constitution but for Valys being generally more fertile then hills I humbly conceive one or all of these reasons may be given First The internal heat of the earth warming the Air next unto it and in respect the hills are farder extended from the center than the Valys and bâ—ing so much higher where the Air is more pure and less warmed by this internal heat they are so much colder and consequently more unfruitfull Or secondly If it be said it is not the internal heat of the Earth that warmeth the Air but rather the reflex heat of the Sun Beams it is the same thing upon the Matter for whither the heat be from the Earth it self or the Sun's heat reâ—â—yling still the Valys have the advantage of the Mountains in respect the Air that is lowest receiveth the greatest share thereof 3. So much as the hills are higher than the Valys they ly the more open to the Air which has a quicker motion the higher it is and Air moved is much colder than when it is not moved whither it be in that it is warmed by things nixt to it when it standeth still and when it is moved fresh Air still approaching which has not been warmed be the cause why the one is warmer then the other I shall not determin But the matter of Fact is beyond contraversy that the Air moved is much colder than when it is not moved and Valys being much sheltered from the violence of Storms are keep'd so much the warmer and consequently are the more Fertile Moreover hills being steep the Rain runneth presently off so soon as it falleth and doth not only carry that salt or hot Quality that is in it self away But if the Ground be not well Soarded carryeth part of the Earth also away with it self And on the contraâ—e Valys lying near level Rain cannot run suddenly off but getting time to soak or sink in the Ground the salt Quality remaineth still whereby the Earth is much Inriched By the above mentioned Observations you may see it is Heat principally that makes the Valys more fertile than the Hills It follows â—hat if other Ground can be warmed to the like degree it may thereby be made as fertile I shall therefore in the following Chapters give some Directions how this may be performed which may be done two wayes First By assisting the Internal Hâ—at Next By restraining the External Cold of each in their places CHAP. II. How to bring every kind of Ground to a right Temperature so far as may be NOw to follow the Example of a skilfull Physitian after finding out the Disease he prescriveth Medicines sutable to be applyed to each various Distemper so shall we after this search and enquirie into the Nature and constitution of these different kinds of ground above mentioned See next what measures are to be taken to bring the same to a moderat temperature And as the Apostle says in another case Paul may Plant and Apollo may Water But 't is GOD that giveth the Increase So let men be never so industrious or carefull about their worldly Affairs yet if GOD give not a blessing to the means their labour is in vain For how often is it seen that after a hopeful Spring an unseasonable Summer maketh a scarce Harvest and after a seasonable Summer good appearence of a plentiful harvest by intemperat weather a few weeks much of the fruits of the Earth have been consumâ—d I am not so much an Astrologer as to impute the cause of this to
be from the influence of Coelestial Bodys and by the Regency or Planets of this and the other disposition together with their Conjunctions Squares Angles Opositions and so forth Such various effects are produced and that not only in the Elements But also the like influence have they on humane bodys both in their Dispositions and Actions is the Doctrine of most Astrologers What ever be the Opinion of such Men yet 't is beyond contraversie they go about to seek the nearest that go to the Stars to seek knowledge in futer Events I know so much of Astrologie that I know Mathematicians may calculat the course of the Planets and know in what Schem or Form the Coelestial Bodys shall be for a great many years to come And also they may be informed by those of their own profession that have lived many hundered years agoe what was the Schem of the Heavens when such such Events fell out and from this they conjecture when the Coelestial Bodys come again to be in the like Posture or Frame the like Events they shall befal I say notwithstanding of what Knowledge the best Mathematicians may have in future things by these Conjectures there can be nothing certain from these Causes For I hope none of them will deny but he that gave these Creatures a Being and appointed them their Uses and Offices can work whatsoever he pleaseth without their concurrance or assistance But so it is he hath forewarned us to be assured if we persist in sin we may expect to be punished as other people who have committed the like sins in times past And we have frequent instances in the History of the Iewish Church what was the causes of the Judgements inflicted on them I know not how the Planets were disposed in all the Revolutions of that people But the Pen-man of that Sacred Storie attributes all the Mutations of these times to other Causes I am of Opinion that such as are well versed in Sacred Writ and acquainted with the Life and Conversation of a People may read their Destiny better than all the Astrologers in Europe can do by their Mathematical Calculations None I confess can be positive as to the Time or Manner GOD sometimes giving a longer or shorter space of Repentance as he pleaseth And because He doth not alwayes punish sinners in the very act therefore many mistake the cause of their punishment as the Israelites in Ieremiah's time being by him reproved for their idolatrie assuring them that the afflictions they were then under proceeded from that cause They absolutely defend themselves alleadging he went about to deceive them Ier 44.17 But we will certainly do whatsoever thing goeth forth of our own mouth to burn Incense to the Queen of Heaven and to powr out Drink-offerings unto her as we have done we and our Fathers Our King and our Princes in the Citys of Judah and Streets of Jerusalem for then had we plenty of Victuals and were welâ— and saw no evil But since we left off to burn Incense to the Queen of Heaven and to pour out Drink-offerings unto her we hâ—â—e wanted all things and have been consumed by the Sword and by the Famine We want not abundance in our times that mistake the Language of Providence not one white less than thir Israelites did But meddling with them not being to our purpose I shall let them stand and fall to their own Master What I designe at presâ—nt is to have my Reader perswaded to a dutâ—â—ul Obedience unto the Law of GOD and to depend on Providence for good Success in his Lawful Affairs and for a Blessing on the Fruits of the Ground rather than believe Good or bad weather or any other Events cometh by guess or by the common course of the Starrs Now To return to our purpose let us see what kind of Nourishment or Medicine is required to refresh the Ground withal or to bring it to a temperat Constitution And that is First Dung of all sorts Vigitables of all kinds providing they be first putrified or rotten Yea all kind of Animals and Lime Ashes c. Tho some curious persons recommend Horn and Hove Blood and Gutts of Cattle and Shells of Fishes and Salt-Peter c. as very strong and dureable Nourishments for the Ground Yet seing these things cannot be had by every one I shall only speak of these which may be had every where Viz Dung of Cattle Ashes Lyme Marle and Sea-ware any of which will strengthen any kind of Ground Yet some of them are stronger than other and each of them proper to be applyed to different kinds of Ground as I shall immediatly remark And first I shall begin with Marish Ground if it be ploughable then let it be made in high Riggs Sheep or Horse Dung is fittest for this kind of Earth if it be so moist that it cannot be plewed draining the Water from it by Trinches or Ditches and strawing it with Lime or Ashes of Wood or Coals will much help the growth of Grass and prevent the growth of Rushes or any other hurtful weed 2 ly Where the Earth is sandy and hot let it be fatned with Cow-dung or Marish-earth because the Constitution thereof is too hot already Dung of a contrary Quality must be applyed But if it be excessive hot it can hardly be made Fertile unless a great quantity of Clay or Marish Ground be laid upon it which will be more expensive than all the Profit coming thereby can repay In that case I know nothing better than take what Grass it produceth of its self and not spend Seed and Labour in vain For tho in a wet Season it may bear a pretty good Crop yet seeing a drowght may as readily happen it is saffer to bestow Expence on other Ground where more certain Profit may be expected 3 ly Strong Clay Ground is that we shall speak of next the Nourishment most proper for it is Horse or Sheep dung This kind of Earth is capable of as much Improvement as any kind of Ground whatsomever Yet seeing there is two Maladies in it to be removed which is Cold and Astringedness or Hardness especially when a very dry Summer follows a wet Spring Beside the dung above mentioned take Sea sand or other sandy Earth and spread upon it as you do dung This both helps to keep the Ground open and also mitigats the Cold. Another thing that makes this kind of Ground open and tender is fallowing And also sowing it with Pease or Beans which at least ought to be sowen on this kind of Ground every third or fourth Year 4 ly The next kind of Earth we shall speak of is Mountainous wild and over-growen with Heath or Heather This Shurb only groweth on cold dry Ground where scarce any thing else can grow Nevertheless by removing that cold dead kind of light Ground that is upon the surface of the Earth where this Heather groweth The soil may be made pretty
Fertile The manner of mannaging this kind of Ground is as follows viz To digg it up in Turffs which being dryed gather in small Heaps and burn and spread the Ashes in September or October then sow it with Wheat and plough it down with a light Furr The first years Crop will do more than reward your Labour ten or twelve Bolls per Aiker being the least Increase you may expect and always afterwards it will be fit for Grain or Pasture as your other Ground But because most People in this Countrey are Strangers to this kind of Labour I shall tell what Method they take in other places to make this wild Ground Arrable Where the Heather is very rank or strong they take a Hoâ— much in form of an Each and therewith stricking as when a Carpenter heweth with an Each going round all the quarters of each Turff they digg it up Or else they first slit the Ground with a kind of Plough they have for that Use making each slit about a foot distant from one another then crossing it again all the edges of the Turff are â—ut so that they need but only cut them in the bottom Eight Men may digg an Aiker in a day where the bottom of the Turff is only to be cut but if the Ground be not slit as abovesaid scarce will they digg one half thereof You may slit your Ground either with your common Plough by lengthening your Culter three or four inches lower than your Sock But that which I judge may be more easie and hasten your Labour much more is to make a Slyp aftâ—r the common manner only and a Cross-beam and therein you may place two Culters at least providing they be thin and of good Mettle then lay a weight upon the said Slyp and where-ever it is drawen it will slit the Ground alse deep as the point of your Culters goeth CHAP. III. How to mannage the Ground to better Advantage tho not Inclosed SEeing all that can be said in General can never point out the Case so clearly as condescending on Particulars doth I shall therefore lay down the whole Matter in every Circumstance which I shall do by comparing the present way of managing the Ground by that which I shall propose But because every kind of Ground is not alike some being Valys which of themselves are more Fertile than Hills or Mountainous Ground and some lying near Borroustowns geting a greater quantity of dung than its own product can make by which it is in a prettie good Condition already But seeing I am to give only one Instance it shall be that which is commonly called Dale-ground that is such Lands as are partly Hills and partly Valys of which sorts may be comprehended the greatest part of Arrable ground in this Kingdom And as is â—aid tho this one Instance cannot be an infallible Rule for managing every kind of Earth by yet in some measure any person may know how to manage every kind of Ground For if the Ground be naturally Fertile or lying near any place where dung can be had More Land may be taken into dunging and where the Ground is naturally barren less must be taken in dunging than what is here proposed In a word I would give this a general Rule to dung no more than can be dunged sufficiently Of this kind of Dale-ground above mentioned I shall suppose a Farmer to have a Lease or Tack of threescore Aikers at three hundered Merks of Rent per annum perhaps some who are not acquaint with Rural Affairs may think this Cheap but these who are the Possessors thereof think otherwayes and find difficulty enough to get the same payed according to their present way of manuring thereof as anone you shall see But that I may proceed to the Comparison I shall show how commonly this Farme Room is managed It is commonly divided into two parts viz one third Croft and two thirds Out-field as it 's termed The Croft is usually divided into three parts To wit One third Barly which is alwayes dung'd that year Barly is sowen thereon another third Oats and the last third Pease The Out-side field is divided into two parts To wit The one half Oats and the other half Grass two years successively This Ground being improven as above represented let us see next what the Labouring of it may cost and what may be the Product thereof First The Product that may be supposed to be on each Aiker of Croft four Bolls and that of the Out field three the Quota is seven score Bolls This we may reckon it to produce good and bad Seasons the Better to mend the worse which we shall also reckon at five pounds per Boll Cheap Year and dear year one with another This in all is worth seven hundered pounds Then let us see what profit he can make of his Cattle According to the division of his Lands there is twenâ—y Aikers of Grass which cannot be expected to be very good because â—t gets not leave to ly above two years and therefore cannot be well â—oarded However usually beside â—our Horses which are keeped for â—loughing the said Land ten or â—welve Nolt are also keeped upon a â—erm Room of the above mentioned â—ounds But in respect of the badness of the Grass as said is little Profit is had of them perhaps two or three stone of Butter is the most can be made of the Milk of his Kyne the whole Summer and not above two Hiffers brought up each year As to what profit may be made by bringing up young Horses I shall say nothing supposing he keeps his Stock good by those of his own upbringing both in this Case and in that which I shall instance by and by The whole Product then of his Cattle cannot be reckoned above fifty Merks For in respect his Beasts are in a manner half starved they are generally small so that scarce may a Hiffer be sold at above twelve pounds The profit of his Bestial therefore cannot exceed what is said By what is said you see the whole Product of this Farm Room exceeds not the Value of seven hundered and thirty three pound or thereabout The Grain and Bestial being all he has to make Money of except what Vertue the Good wife and her Maid can make which is needless here to enquire into For let it be what it will the way of managing the Ground according to this project will rather further than hinder them in their Frugality Therefore I shall now try what Expence or Out-Cost the managing of this Room may be And not to mention the first Cost or Stocking of it which may be about the matter of 8 or nine hundered pounds the Interest of which in Reason ought to be allowed out of the first end of his profit But I shall proceed you heard this Ferm Room produceth one hundered and fourty Bolls of Grain per annum fourty of which may be allowed for the Mantainance of his
1000 Lambs I would have Hutts builded and make them so large that they may have sufficient Room to ly at ease and have room to breath for too much heat may do them hurt Wherefore little holes or windows in the Walls will be very convenient if it were not to preserve them from Rain And for the benefite of their dung they needed not to be put in any house at all but their dung as I shall instantly take notice of is almost as material a peece of benefite as any one profite had by them Next I would have about two hundred Aikers of the said Pasture inclosed and not suffer a beast thereon to set its foot till after Hallowday Then I make about some thirty Aikers in Meadow And because some may object that this will be the most difficult Task of all because of the natural barrenness of the Ground I shall answer to this by and by But first I would have an hundred and twenty Aikers more laid by for Croâ—t and this may seem another Mystery But I say again if it be not so mountainous that it cannot be plewed it may be made very fertile Six or seven score Aikers I appoint for Croft but if it cannot be plewed at all I gather the dung nevertheless and therewith manure the Grass But I suppose an hundred Aikers or two of the bounds foresaid to be arable which may be ordered after this sort The Sheep you heard are to be put in Coats every Night in Winter and even in Summer also if they be noâ— put in folds thir Sheep being well bedded or litter'd for that must by no means be neglected every one of them including Lambs will make a Cart load of dung each year which I value at fourteen shilling each Cart load as you shall afterward hear This three thousand â—ive hundred Carts of dung will sufficiently dung thirty five Aikers at five score Cart load per Aiker But because this Ground is naturally cold I shall allow six score to each Aiker which is no worse than nine score common dung the whole dung according to this Reckoning serveth thirty Aikers the strength of which will remain good four years So by this Sheep dung six score Aikers is keeped in Manure each Aiker of which I doubt nothing off but it may bear ten Bolls per annum But that I may remove all ground of Objections a-against the fertility of this six score Aikers of Croft or Corn Land let the dung of the rest of the Cattle To wit A dozen Horses or Oxen that perform the Labour and forty or fifty Nolt be added to the said Sheep dung abovementioned I am sure no better dunged ground can be required neither for all this shall I reckon the Product of each Aiker above 7 Bolls seven times six score is eight hundred and fourty Bolls less than an hundred Bolls will serve for seed observing the Rules given Chap 3. And fourty eight Bolls for Horse Meat according to that Calculation Six men are keeped to labour this Ground beside what are needed for other Uses whose Mantainance I shall not reckon laying that aside foregainst the Servants that were required to wait upon the Cattle when this Mailen was mannaged as above an hundred Bolls will therefore be sufficient for both Meat and Wages to these six Men An hundred Bolls for seed fourty eight for Horses and this hundred makes in all two hundred and fourty eight which being deduced from 840 Bolls five hundred and ninty two still remain which being reckoned at five pound per Boll is two thousand nine hundred 60 pounds But because nothing is yet allowed for sheering and reaping this Corn let two hundred pound go to defray that Charge Thirty Aikers as I formerly said I would have made in Meadow or Hay for preserving the Sheep in a Storm and not to go through every particular and show how much Hay may be made on each Aiker and how many Sheep may eat a Stone or Load of Hay at a Meal I say not to trouble my Reader in surveying every particular I suppose it will not be questioned but this quantity of Hay may serve this Stock of Sheep in cases oâ— extream necessity when their Pasture are covered with Snow or if they be in a great strait they may be supplyed with Corn-sheaves The way I make this Meadow or Park if there be none natural upon the Ground is by sowing several Aikers of the Corn-ground with Cloaver or Grass-seed when it has born several Crops after its dunging ready to be dunged again sow it with Cloaver as is said after the Corn is thereon sowen and the Land made as smoth as possible I say about eight days after the Corn is sowen sow this Seed upon the Ground and fill your Harrow with Thorns so that the Teeth thereof go not into the Ground least thereby the Mould be raised too high above the Grass-seed The Thorns being well tyed into the Harrow it smootheth a thin Mould over the Seed So that year you have your Crop of Corn as if nothing else were upon the Ground And next year the Cloaver and Grass grow up plentifully so that two or three times it may be cut down or moven Thus are your Hay Parks made But if your Ground be so Mountainous that it cannot be ploughed nevertheless it may be made Hay either by laying Dung upon the Grass or by folding your Sheep or other Cattle on the place you intend to make in Hay And after it is pudled and dunged by the feet and dung of your Beastial sow it with the said Seeds and Harrow it as above Let this Hay be given to your Sheep in time of Storme as is said But first provide Racks to lay it in for if you throw it down among their feet they will loss a great part of it by trampling it amongst their Dung Some place their Racks in the middle of their Sheep Coats But this I do not commend for if the Rack be placed so low that the Sheep can conveniently eat out thereof then the Woole is torn off their backs by going through beneath it To have them placed upon the Wall I judge more convenient The 200 Aikers that was appointed to be hained all Summer let your Sheep be put on it in November or as soon as your other pasture grows bare By this prudent providing for Food to your Sheep in Winter I doubt not but it may granted that Sheep keeped after this manner will be much stronger and more healthie than those keeped as was formerly supposed And consequently their Lambs cannot but be fatter and larger for how can it be supposed that a Ewe lying among Frost and Snow all Winter at the point of starving can in the Spring bring forth a Lamb in a good Condition Therefore we may reckon Lambs of Sheep keeped after this latter manner one third better than those keeped as above I question nothing but their Wool may be
your Inclosures be not too large scarce any bit thereof will be altogether void of shelter from Storm as is said Another great Benefit had by Inclosing Is the Fields are thereby preserved from being trampled on by Cattle which doth not only break the Soard of Grass but also with their feet make holes wherein Water doth stand and thereby the Ground is keeped cold Object 6. You lately recommended seting Water upon our Grasâ— â—s â— peece of great Improvement and now ye tell us that Water standing in the footsteps of Cattle doth the Ground much injury Solve Both these may very well be For Water set upon the Ground as was shew'd above leaveth the Salt that is in it behind and runneth away it self but that which standeth in footsteps of Cattle cooleth the Ground as is said and also moisteneth it too much Object 7. In your fifth Chapter you recommend housing of Sheep aâ—d taking part of that Ground into Manure neitâ—er of which is practicable for the Land is so Mountainous that it cannot be ploughed And it were hardly possible for us to get Hutts built foâ— so great a Number of Sheep Solve Where the Land is Mounâ—â—inous and cannot be ploughed lay the dung of your Cattle upon the Grass and not to plough it at all But this needs not hinder People to plough their Ground where it is ploughable And for the trouble of building Hutts for your Sheep the profit of their dung will much more than ten times recompence that trouble Yea that which will buy Tarâ— and Butter for Smiring your Sheep one year will build them Hutts that will lest ten years And beside the Sheep are both hereby keeped in a better Condition of body and their Wool is also improven as was showed in Chapter fifth Object 8. The Benefit of Sheep'â— dung by keeping them in Hutts is nought For whatever the Ground whereon it is laid may be thereby bertered the pasture whereon they used to be fed must certainly be so much the worse for when the Sheeply in the fields their dung is left upon the Pasture by which it is Inriched Solve There is some seeming Reason in this Objection yet upon tryal it will be found to evaporate for when the dung gâ—tteth leave to ly above ground not only much of the Strength thereof is defused into the Air and exhaled by the Sun's heat but especially the Heat or Salt thereof is not able to overcome the natural Coldness of the Earth in respect it is scattered here and there in small Quantitys To illustrat this a little take a peece of hot Iron that is able to heat one pynt of Water and put it into twenty or thirty pynts it will soon be coolled and the Water be little or nothing the warmer So this Quantity of Dung that is sufficient to Warm or Enrich thiâ—ty Aikers of Land every year being scattered up and down a thousand Aikers the Effect thereof is not known as is found by Experience Object 9. You advise us to dung our Pasture where the Ground is not arrable which if we do that Grass would root our Sheep Solve I did so and also there told you make Hay of it the first year but least ye object against this I say there is no Ground whatsoever that beareth Grass but it may be made so Fertile that it shall grow to the length of Hay or tho it did not then might you feed on it the first year other Cattle or Sheep you intend to fatten and sell. Object 10. As for your Orchyeards and keeping of Bee's Hyves these are for Gentlemen to look after we must be â—aken up about some other Bussiness we have not time to spend in looking after such Conceits Solve I shewed you already there is Profit no less than pleasure to be had that way Your Orchyeard in effect is nothing but a Hay-park and beside the profit of Trees which may be considerable you have as much of it as any so much Ground you possess And the Bees require little pains or Expence neither is there any fear of wanting Food to them In the beginning of the year the Blosomes of Trees and Flowers growing amongst the Grass of your Orchyeard and other places will serve them And in the latter end of Summer the Blosomes of Potatoes and Pease and Beans FINIS