Selected quad for the lemma: water_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
water_n	cold_a	dry_a	moist_a	4,796	5	10.4311	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A36288	Husbandry anatomized, or, An enquiry into the present manner of teiling and manuring the ground in Scotland for most part and several rules and measures laid down for the better improvement thereof, in so much that one third part more increase may be had, and yet more than a third part of the expence of the present way of labouring thereof saved / by Ja. Donaldson.	Donaldson, James, fl. 1697-1713.	1697 (1697)	Wing D1853; ESTC R10333	43,543	168

Air or cannot get sprung up thorrow so much Earth Moreover even tho it be not so deep in the Earth yet when the Seed is sowen dry and falling into such places of the Ground as are also dry it cannot suddenly chip or spring and continuing partly moist and partly dry a great dale of it consumeth before it doth sprout That which confirms me in this Opinion Is when I have taken notice to Malt upon the Floor scarce one Grain of ten yea in good Grain scarce one of twenty but what did fairly chip or begin to shot forth from which I conjecture if that which is sowen on the Earth were as much moisten●`d it would as universally chip And I believe very little Grain that once springeth above Ground doth afterward ●ail except the Season be very intemperat The way then to Remeed these Maladies are to steep the Seed before it be sowen twenty four hours at least some prescrive steeping in Aquavitae and Lyme Water but I am for no such Curiosity fearing the Benefit will not repay the Charges But let it only be steeped in Water twenty four hours as is said and let it ly upon the floor till the watter dry from it and if ye cannot conveniently have it instantly sowen it will be nothing the worse to ly three or four days providing ye let it not heat it cometh as fast forward on the Barn Floor as if it were sowen For the Sape or Moisture that remaineth in it after steeping is sufficient to make it once sprout I suppose after it doth once chip or shut forth it doth not radily afterward fail And then to prevent its falling into hols give the Ground a course of Harrowing before the Seed be thereon sowen and tha● harrow it till it be enough Taking thir Measures I dar adventur to sow an Aiker of Land with two or three Pecks less Seed than in following the common Manner which is more than seven Bols saved of fourty Aikers if three Pecks per aiker be rebet But I shall only reckon six saved this way Before I close this Chapter I shall answer one Objection which some perhaps may frame against my steeping of Seed-Corn in that I 'm of Opinion dry Seed sowen upon dry Ground is not sudenly moistened and lying some considerable time half wet half dry is consumed before it receive Life Whereas on the contrare it 's the universal Opinion of all that have any Knowledge or Experience of Husbandrie that a dry Seed time is the most seasonable of any in so much that it 's a Vulgar Proverb A Boll of March Dust is worth a Boll of Gold but steeping of Seed seems to inferr the contrair To which I answer this makes nothing against my assertion for as I shewed above there is a moderat temperature of diverse Qualitys required in the Earth to fit it for bringing furth Grain it is not so much the excess of Moister in Seed-time that hindereth a plentyful Cropt as it is the excess of Cold and tho the Earth of it self be Cold and Dry yet Water is Colder and when the ground is wet with Rain in Seed-time it cooleth it so much that much of the Seed consumeth before it Chip Another bad consequence that followeth a wet Seed-time is the ground being Ploughed and Harrowed wet is in a manner knedded together like Levan and drying afterwards hardneth together as if it were a Cake so that Air hath not free access to the Seed or Root of the stalk and therefore cannot be so fruitful as otherwayes it would be Besides all this a great dale of hurtfull Weeds spring up which are incouraged by a Cold wet Season and geting once above the Corn before it rise keep what advantage they get CHAP. IV. The great Profit of Hedging and Inclosures THE preceeding Chapter having already run beyond the bounds I thought to have contained all I had to say on this Subject in I shall endeavour all possible Brevity in speaking to these Heads I have nor yet spoken to You may remember at our entry it was observed That where the Earth is Fertile there is a moderat Temperature of Heat Cold Moisture and Dryness and when any one or more of these Qualitys prevail or are desicient it is so farr diseased and rendered unfruitful And also That the Hot or Salt Quality is that which is most frequently defective in our cold Climate and tho it be strengthened yet by Tielling and Dressing of the Ground it is extracted forth into the Substance of Grain c. That which is principally required then to bring the Ground to a Fruitful Condition is to assist this Hot or Salt Quality and seeing by GOD's Providence we Inhabit this place of the Earth which is naturally more cold than many other places thereof in respect it lyeth more remore from the Sun's Heat let us therefore endeavour to help by Art that wherein Nature is defective And before we go any fatther it may be no unseasonable Meditation to Contemplate upon the Wisdom and Goodness of that Infini● Being who has fixed the Sun that most glorious Creature in such a Sphere that by this one body of Light the whole Universe is Illuminated warmed and Quickened For what Creature Animate or Inanimate can subsist without constant Refreshment from his Grateful Comforting Rayes Yea doth not all the other Luminaries borrow their Light Glory off him What Finit Capacity could ever have contrived where to place one single body that might give light and moderat heat to the whole Universe Had the Sun been fixed in a lower Sphere than now he is the Earth had been scorched or burned up Had he been placed in a higher Sphere than the Earth had not been warmed to such a degtee that it had been possible for Men thereon to live or any thing therein to grow Should the Sun remain but a year or two at that distance he is from us in Winter no living Creature could subsist But the placeing of this Glorious Body at such a convenient distance is but one part of the wonderfulness of the incomprehensible Wisdom of GOD in relation to that Creature For had not the Sun moved let him be fixed in what place soever one third part of the Earth had not received the Benefit of his warm Beams Had his Annual motion that is his Revolution thorow the Signs been also quick as that of the Moon then Corn Herbs Flowers c that had begun to sprut and grow during the time of his welcome Visit should have weathered and decayed upon his sudden abandoning of them before they came to perfection And here if it were not beside our purpose I might ask such as make the Moon to be another inhabited Terestial Glob what time Corn takes to grow up and ripen there For more space than a moneth can they not have for Summer Winter Autumn and Spring Or else they must call every moneth but one day And so

all But know where there is no Fence or Shelter from Storm the Earth doth require a greater Quantity of Dung to keep it warm And to make this the more plain I shall illustrate it by this familiar Similitude You know when a Man is going abroad on a cold day the common way to defend himself from Cold is to put a Cloak or other Vestment upon him Yet by taking a Draham of Brandy or Strong Waters and walking sharply he may also keep himself warm So I say where the Earth is not defended from Wind and Storms it must have the more Manure laid upon it And consequently where the Earth is defended from Storms the less Dung will serve And seeing Manure cannot be had to every peece of Earth these Fields that are fenced will not require so much and so what can be had will serve the more Wherefore if in the Instance forementioned four Aikers and a half was dunged every year by the dung of the Cattle that were mantained upon the Mailen of ninety Aikers then I suppose one Aiker more the self same quantity of Dung may manure every year where the Ground is hedged or fenced Now if one Aiker more can be Manured or as it 's commonly termed Mucked every year and the Manure lesting four years as is shewed above than four Aikers more Corn may be had every year in a Mailen of the above mentioned bounds Which being reckoned at seven Bolls per Aiker as the rest of the Aikers of the said Mailen were reckoned at maketh twenty eight Bolls more than was on the said Mailen not inclosed But seeing four Aikers of that which formerly lay Grass is now made Corn perhaps it may be said the Profit is inconsiderable in respect four Aikers of Grass are deduced for the said twenty eight Bolls of Corn. To which I say notwithstanding four Aikers of Grass are taken off the Pasture yet seing the whole or greatest part of the Ground is inclosed and there was in all fourty eight Aikers of Grass there remains still 44 Aikers of Grass which according to the Parity of Reason seeing the Ground is warmed by hedging so that one fourth or fifth part of the Dung can be saved off Corn-Land and the Crop be alse good as when it had the whole alowance than I may reckon the Grass also one fourth or fifth part better then it was before the Ground was Hedged Therefore I have not only as much Grass as I had forme●ly when these four Aikers were not taken off the Pasture and the Ground not inclosed but even tho ten Aikers were taken off the remaining thirty eight Aikers inclosed are better than the whole fourty eight lying open without fence And beside the twenty eight Bolls had more on the Croft-land I suppose the Out-field being inclosed also may yield a Boll per Aiker more than it did before Howeverr reckoning it only half a Boll it is eleven Bolls in all which added to twenty eight makes thirty nine which in all makes an hundered and ninety five pounds in Money at ●ive pounds per Boll so much more is the Product of this Mailen than what it was before reckoned at The yearly Expence is no more than what we formerly reckoned except the Seed and Labouring of this additional four Aikers taken off the Out-field For which I shall deduce 12 pounds per Aiker being in all fourty eight Take fourty eight pounds from an hundered and ninety five there remains an hundered and fourty seven pounds And in respect the Pasture is as much improven by Hedging as the Corn-land is A greater number of Cattle may be thereon maintained And consequently more Dung will there be made which will serve to Manure more Ground than all that is yet made into Croft Besides all this seing more Cattle can be kept upon this Mailen when inclosed more Profit on them may be also expected but I shall pass that and advance yet to another step of improving this said Mailen which I do two wayes First by Fallowing and next by seeking out all the Manure I can possibly get beside the dung of Cattle and all rubbish made of the Product of the Ground itself As to the Fallowing I say it was marked at the entry of our division of this Mailen into Croft and Out-field that the Out-field was divided into three parts one third alwayes to be in Corn and two in Grass If the Ground ly conveniently I can sub-divide each third part into three parts and plough six or seven Aikers of the Out-field Grass every year But if that cannot be conveniently done I let it all ly till the third year and then I fallow six or eight Aikers of it sometime in the Winter preceeding the year I resolve to sow it and then about the beginning of May or latter end of April I plough it over again and lets it take the drought for a moneth or more then I harrow it and lets it ly a Week or two and then I plough it again and lets it ly as before and when the Mould is again dryed I harrow it again The advantage of this kind of Labour is more than can be well credited by those who know not something of it in Experience But that I may not desire any to credit my bare Assertion these Reasons I shall offer to confirm it First By this frequent Tieling and Harrowing of the Ground it is made mellow and tender Next All Weeds Grass and other things that may extract the strength out of the Earth is quite consumed and be the by I know no better way to cleange any Ground that is overgrown with Goole But the chief benefit it hereby receives is thorow the warmness of the Sun beams And Dew and Rain falling upon the Earth no kind of Herb or Grain being to interupt it the Salt Quality that is therein remaineth still As also the warmness it has received by influence of the Sun for being throughly dryed in the Summer it doth continue much warmer than otherwayes it would be But if none of these Reasons may be convinceing for my last Proof like the Catholicks who flee to the Testimony of the Church when other Proofs faile I leave it to be determined by these who have tryed the Experiment and to any who ever saw a Fold-dyke made of the very next adjacent Earth that after being dryed one Summer and again thrown down to its own place whither that Ground has not afterward been more fertile than the rest about it that was not so diged up and dryed In the next place as I said I use all diligence for making what Manure I can for beside the dung of Cattle which I preserve with great Care in bordering my Dung-hill so about with a wall of Earth that no Sapp can run from it and not only so but takes care that none of the Piss of Cattle run away and if there be not as much off-fallings of Straw or Litter

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 Gras● ●s ● 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 a●d taking part of that Ground into Manure neit●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 fo● so great a Number of Sheep Solve Where the Land is Moun●●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 Tar● 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'● 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 g●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 thi●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 ●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