plentifullie and of these it will come to passe that their bacon Hogges shall be fed fat with their whey of their Kine and with the corne that the working cattell were wont to eate vp and then shall those householders haue lesse neede of the Markets for their household prouision which will be a meanes to bring downe the price of all flesh fit to be eaten and of white meate that the poore Artificers and labourers may eate their victuals better cheape Ninthly it wil be a notable meanes to ouerthrow the wicked depopulation of the Lordes people her Maiesties louing subiects who haue bin most lamentably driuen out of their habitations and diuers townes and villages ouerthrowne by inclosures which yet continue and rather will increase notwithstanding the great care and order taken by her Maiestie and the great officers of her Kingdomes in the high Court of Parliament as appeareth by an act made of purpose against Setting of Corne good for Seafaring men let them praise God also the same Tenthly it will breede and saue such plentie of corne in England by Gods helpe that we may spare great quantities to be transported without any preiudice but rather great good to all our English nation of all sorts as well poore as rich to the great increase of the treasurie of this Realme the maintenance of our English Nauie Shipping and Marriners with prouision of victuals for her Maiesties souldiers and Armies by Sea and by Land to the feare and terror of all forreine enemies These and many other excellent benefits no doubt would follow this good kinde of Husbandrie which deserueth a more learned handling then I can say or doe professe to be in me If any man doe thinke this worke to be needlesse for that there is alreadie sufficiently written in former bookes I answere that to my knowledge there is none that hath hitherto written of the plowing and setting of Corne neither doe I perceiue the people so instructed but rather most ignorant and great numbers doe vtterly protest against the practise as an idle noueltie being lately discouraged by this Pamphlet called God speede the Plough Now the Almightie blesse all good husbands in Husbandrie and graunt a blessing to this mine endeuour to his glorie the honour of our Prince the comfort of the poore and the generall good of all the Land A COMPARISON BETWEENE PLOWING AND SOWING OF THREE ACRES of land after the old fashion and plowing and setting of one Acre after the manner declared in this Booke And first for the Charge A Computation for poore Farmers that pay great rents THE rent of three Acres in most places is worth some fiue shillings an Acre The land according to the vse of the common fields doth lie sommer fallow the first yeere and beareth Corne the other and so the Farmer payeth two yeeres rent before hee hath his crop which rent commeth to thirtie shillings The plowing of these if it bee well done and as most grounds require euery Acre foure times which is twelue plowings at two shillings euery time commeth to foure and twentie shillings The dunging of these three Acres with some twelue or fourteene loade vpon euery Acre and is for three Acres some fortie loade at sixe pence a loade spread vpon the land amounteth to twentie shillings The seede that will sow it is vsually two bushels and a halfe of Wheate or Rye for euery Acre which is seuen bushels and a halfe at foure shillings the bushel commeth to thirtie shillings The weeding reaping and other charges in two yeers though vncertaine yet for example ten shillings Thus two yeeres rent and charges commeth to fiue pound fourteene shillings The vsuall increase in the common fields barren land hauing so little help with dung is but two quarters vpon an Acre but allow twentie bushels to stop a wranglers mouth which is for three Acres seuen quarters and a halfe rated at foure shillings a bushell thirtie two shillings the quarter commeth to twelue poundes Out of which if you take the charge aforesaid there remaineth to the Farmer for his stock sixe pound sixe shillings And so for euery one of those Acres allowing so good increase and so great a price the profit is two and fortie shillings Then let vs see what profit one Acre being well plowed well dunged and orderly set will yeeld and so for the charge of one Acre The rent of one Acre at the price aforesaid which was fiue shillings an Acre for two yeeres ten shillings The plowing fiue times for this one Acre if neede be ten shillings The dunging with fortie loade vpon this Acre at sixe pence a loade twentie shillings The seede to set this one Acre halfe a bushell two shillings The setting of this Acre one man at eight pence a day and some foure poore people at foure pence a day will set this Acre in some sixe daies and all their wages is twelue shillings The weeding reaping and other charges three shillings foure pence The summe of the charges commeth to seuen and fiftie shillings foure pence This Acre so wel tilled with three times as much dung as any one of the other with excellent seede and orderly set although we cannot promise thirtie or twentie quarters yet we may haue seuen or eight quarters vpon an Acre which is vsuall vpon very good land which being rated at foure shillings as the other commeth to twelue pound sixteene shillings Out of which also if you take the charge which is fiftie seuen shillings foure pence there will remaine nine pound eighteene shillings eight pence And so this one Acre exceedeth the other three in profits with halfe the stock the summe of three pound twelue shillings eight pence But suppose the foresaid wrangler will not allow eight quarters vpon an Acre yet set downe some fiue quarters which commeth to fiue pound two shillings eight pence the charges deducted yet doth it exceede any one of the other by some three pound and eight pence Some part of this great profits I would haue bestowed vpon the poore to weede this one Acre in March or Aprill or sometime before the Corne be too high to pull vp the weedes by the rootes and then you shall see the Corne flourish keepe downe the weedes and haue no more neede of weeding in this season Worke and prouision for olde poore weake men their wiues and children Now a word or two to incourage a poore man that hath a wife and three or foure children that often wanteth worke in some countries yea though he be weake sickly or lame yet he may set Corne with his familie and haue sufficient to serue his house therefore let them fall to work cheerefully this next season and praise the Lord for his mercie endureth for euer FINIS
vnthankfulnes ioyned with frowardnes But yet let vs see if we can possiblie be brought to discerne any thing worthie account in this noueltie as you tearme it And for example say that thirtie Acres by Rodde will require three bushels of seede Winchester measure to euerie Acre In some part of Essex their land requireth lesse seede well obserued by some good Husbands for so you say it will and so in most land it doth which is eleuen quarters and two bushels of seede to thirtie Acres What is the vsuall increase vpon an Acre in the common fields barren land Scholler The increase of an Acre of such barren land commonly is not aboue two quarters one yeere with another and one Acre with another and when they so doe there neede be no dearth in England for where one hath aboue three hath not so much and therefore you will hardlie approue that your setting will be to any great purpose in those common fields barren Land Ploughman The best setting of Corne is in the common fields barren land when by these instructions it is so amended Verie well sir I am glad you haue declared your conceite in this poynt and euen for those barren Countries and barren common fields doe I auowe this Husbandrie to be most profitable and for their sakes onlie and altogether doe I take all this paines and vse so manie perswasions against so many fond obiections as you and most men vse against this good Husbandrie of Corne setting and not for those that are occupiers of rich land either by nature or so made by soile Their increase is plentifull alreadie and therefore I thinke it no great worke of charitie to bestow much labour vpon such rich men as commonlie with good Husbandrie vse such rich land but I speake and write for poore men and desire to make their poore land and them the richer by this good Husbandrie which I will maintaine vpon equall tearmes or by practise with any Husbandman in England of what countrie or shire so euer he be or dwell in Note well And now to our purpose again and I pray you marke well what I say you confesse as the truth is that an Acre by the Rodde will beare but two quarters commonlie one yeere with another which is but threescore quarters for thirtie Acres and that such an Acre will require three bushels to sowe it which is for thirtie Acres eleuen quarters and two bushels of seede as aforesaide so then take your eleuen quarters two bushels of seede sowed at seede time out of threescore quarters reaped at haruest there will remaine fortie eight quarters and sixe bushels increase by this computation then come to our ten Acres of like measure which will be set with fiue bushels what may we looke for euerie yeere vpon an Acre set with halfe a bushell by Gods blessing we are as likelie to haue sixe or seuen quarters vpon an Acre that is well dunged tilled the seede choiselie picked and the land orderlie set as other haue had vpon an Acre sowne which is vpon ten Acres threescore and ten quarters And what is then our increase of these ten Acres if you take fiue bushels of seede set at seede time out of threescore and ten quarters reaped at haruest there will remaine some threescore and nine quarters and three bushels increase so it is manifest that our increase by setting of ten Acres with fiue bushels is more then by sowing of thirtie Acres with eleuen quarters and two bushels by some twenty quarters and fiue bushels Scholler Say that all this doe follow as you would haue it and truly I cannot deny but it may yet the charge of setting and the trouble will be so great that it will not be worth the practise Ploughman Well it is manifestlie proued that two or three poore people with the ordinarie familie of all men that sowe thirtie Acres to a season may set ten Acres and that the wages of those poore people for setting time was but three poundes three shillings at sixe pence a day and for that charge you do saue twentie Acres of land at fiue shillings an Acre fiue poundes and the Plowing of that land three plowings to euery Acre before you sowe it which is threescore plowings at two shillings euerie time is sixe poundes then you saue some twentie quarters and fiue bushels of Corne as aforesaid worth in most yeeres twenty shillings a quarter comes to twentie poundes twelue shillings sixe pence So by this reckening which in truth and substance cannot be denied you will saue some one and thirtie poundes twelue shillings sixe pence And although I doe prise the twentie Acres so spared as aforesaid at fiue shillings an Acre as it were to be let out for rent yet I rather thinke that any good Husband that so spareth twentie Acres to rest from his principall seasons or Wheate Rie or Barlie will sowe after the olde fashion if it please him some sixe eight or ten Acres with Pease Beanes Bucke otherwise called french Wheate or with Oates vpon one earth or Plowing whereby he may haue great store of strawe for his Cattell meate for his wiues Hens and prouender for his Horse ouer and besides so much increase and profite of those sixe eight or ten Acres as shall defraie all the extraordinarie charge of setting with aduantage And because I haue heard this kinde of complaint often and many men doubt their neighbours and their own seruants will not meddle with such a pidling troublesome worke whose frowardnes no doubt will doe much hurt I wish any such that dwell amongst such neighbours or haue such seruants as indeed I thinke many haue to sell some three or foure quarters of their seede corne that before was spared and allow double their wages to straungers and I will assure them workmen plentie to doe so easie and cleane a worke And yet then the charge will be but sixe pound sixe shillings which taken out of the former profits there will remaine some twentie fiue pound sixe shillings sixe pence which will helpe a poore Farmer towards the payment of his rent Scholler This obiection is none of your owne Master Scholler you had helpe of a Lawyer Your comparison betweene tenne acres passing well husbanded and made rich and then set and thirtie acres of barren land sowed no doubt will bee a matter of great difference and therefore I wish to be followed of all men But what say you to good land either by nature or helpe of soyle that will vsually beare fiue or sixe quarters vpon an acre and if your setting will amount to no more increase then after a man hath laid all his cost vpon so small quantitie of land and made it so good he will sow it and saue the charge of setting Ploughman If this booke do but perswade our countrimen that occupie much barren land to sow but the third part or halfe their land which they were wont to worke out of
heart with their poore cattell and themselues I shall not onely thinke my labour happely bestowed in writing but all the poore people may thank God as much for the printing of it as for any booke set foorth in our time for a matter of this qualitie and which is of no small importance for the common-wealth of this land But yet I must not yeeld that plowing and sowing will be of like profit for the common-wealth as plowing and setting seeing the same will be done yet with much lesse charge comparing tenne acres of the best land set with other tenne as good sowed which I will prooue by example and tried experience and first it is wel knowne by often triall that lesse then halfe a bushel of very choise seede wheate will set as much land as three bushels will sowe So that whereas ten or twelue great Acres of land will require some three or foure quarters to sowe them the same land may be set with sixe or seuen bushels at the most for there will be faued some three quarters of the best seede Corne euery yeere which is now worth fortie shillings a quarter and commeth to sixe poundes and exceedeth the extraordinarie charge of setting aforesaid by much Fiue or sixe thousand quarters of Graine saued euery yeare by Corne setting all obiections answered and will amount to the sauing of some three hundred thousand quarters of the best Wheate and Rie growing in this Land and much more in Barlie Pease and Beanes and so of all sorts of graine I thinke it would saue aboue fiue or sixe hundred thousand quarters euery yeere in her Maiesties Dominions And yet giue mee leaue to tell you Gentleman that I dare confidently auow seeing both reason doth teach and experience doth proue that an Acre orderly set will yeeld more increase by some three quarters than an Acre sowne which increase at Haruest being added to the other three quarters saued at seede time commeth to some sixe quarters of Corne at fortie shillings a quarter twelue pound as it is now worth in many Countries which will defray the charges of setting double though your Plowmen follow their Teemes giue vs no help And yet this I must confesse that in time of great plentie when Corne is at a low price and where chargeable seruants or labourers dwell Chargeable seruants and ill workemen a great hinderance to all good Husbandire that will not serue or worke vnder fiue pound and a fustian doublet or in such places where their land and themselues are so rich with such times places and persons this poore booke or rather booke for the poore hath yet little to say vntil such time as they be brought to consider that after great plentie may follow as great scarsitie the wealthiest Corne-master and stoutest labourer or seruant may in time become like one of their poorest neighbours Great men in this and all ages haue been subiect to their fall Lasie vsurie a capitall enemie to all industrious husbandrie lewes onely did vse it in England about the raigne of King Richard the first anno 1189. Iob. 1.1 1. Pet. 4.7 Iob was accounted as rich in his time as the greatest Corne-master or the wealthiest Vsurer that liues in our time yet the Lord made an example of his seruant Iob to all posteritie albeit hee was an vpright and iust man one that feared God and eschued euil If vengeance begin at the house of God where shall the wicked and vngodly appeare I write not this against good minded men whom it hath pleased God to blesse with plentie of Corne and yet loue their brethren and poore neighbours some such good men no doubt haue been and yet are in England who may be accounted patterns for others to followe or patrons that is fathers to their Countrie by storing vp Corne in the time of plentie with purpose to bring it forth in scarcitie to sell it at a lower rate for the good of the poore Such good men no doubt are to be praised with gracious Ioseph The murmuring of the people prouoketh Gods wrath who by laying vp of Corne in the time of plenty preserued not only the whole kingdome of Aegypt but also the whole Church of God then visible on earth for which cause his industrie is recorded and commended for the instruction of all posteritie And by the way I wish all murmuring people to consider what it is to grudge and repine against Gods works and to be more aduised how they speake against good Magistrates and such good men as carefullie respect the publike weale of the Land Exod. 16.2 Numb 11.13 Furthermore that it may yet appeare more manifestly that plowing and setting of Corne is euery way much more profitable and lesse chargeable than plowing and sowing and that euerie Farmer may easilie set the third part of his land with his owne familie and two or three of the poorest people only at setting time whereby he may yet haue more leasure to practise and performe euerie complement that shall be likelie to further his increase let him Tyll but the third part of his land as of thirtie Acres ten and so whereas he was wont to giue his thirtie Acres vpon a sommer fallow some foure or fiue plowings as some grounds will require and as most good Husbands doe for thereby they doe kill the weedes which of all things I would all men should most speciallie regard So then thirtie Acres hauing at least foure plowings amounteth to an hundred and twentie daies worke at the least and ten Acres hauing fiue plowings euerie Acre which is but fiftie daies worke at the most so here is threescore and ten daies worke spared in your winter season for Wheate or Rie and as much for Barlie which being in all one hundred and twentie daies worke or there about is very neere the third part of the whole yeere spared for your Plowes and Teemes The third part of the yeere spared from plowing by setting of corne therefore forget not therein to forue God which I wish should be otherwise imployed to some good worke as no doubt but euerie good Husband will finde worke enough for them to do But yet let them bestowe some part of this time so well gained a little to serue God in prayer morning and euening either in their priuat families or with a diligent Minister they that dwel neere the Church one halfe houre in a morning or euening or both if they haue any thing to doe at Church with God or with their neighbours it will be a good meeting place if it be done to good purposes It is a small portion of so many daies spared and no doubt but God will the rather blesse the increase of such as will serue him according as he hath promised and as the Scripture saith Paul planteth Apollo watereth but it is the Lord no doubt that giueth the increase as well in temporall as in spirituall blessings Beware