THE ENGLISH HUSBANDMAN.  
The first Part: CONTAINING the Knowledge of the true Nature of every Soil within this Kingdom: how to Blow it; and the manner of the Plough, and other Instruments belonging thereto.  
TOGETHER WITH THE Art of Planting, Grafting, and Gardening after our latest and rarest fashion.  
A work never written before by any Author: and now newly compiled for the benefit of this KINGDOM. By G. M.  
Bramo assai, poco, spero nulla chieggio.  
LONDON: Printed by T. S. for john Browne, and are to be sold at his shop in Saint Dunstanes Church-yard. 1613.   

TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE, and his singular good Lord, the Lord Clifton, Baron of LAYTON.  
IT was a custom (right Honourable, and my most singular good Lord) both amongst the ancient Romans, and also amongst the wise Lacedæmonians, that every idle person should give an account of the expense of his hours: Now I that am most idle, and least employed in your Family, present here unto your Lordship's hands an account of the expense of my idle time, which how well, or ill, it is, your Noble wisdom must both judge and correct; only this I am acertained, that for the general rules and Maxims of the whole work, they are most infallibly true, and perfectly agreeing with our English climate. Now if your Lordship shall doubt of the true taste of the liquor because it proceedeth from such a vessel as myself, whom you may imagine utterly unseasoned with any of these knowledges, believe it (my most best Lord) that for divers years, wherein I lived most happily, I lived a Husbandman, amongst Husbandmen of most excellent knowledge; during all which time I let no observation overslip me: for I have ever from my Cradle been naturally given to observe, and albe I have not that oily tongue of ostentation which loveth ever to be babbling all, and somewhat more than it knoweth, drawing from ignorance admiration, and from wisdom laughter, filling meale-times with much unprofitable noise; yet I thank my maker I have a breast which containeth contentment enough for myself, and I hope much benefit for the whole Kingdom; how ever or whatsoever it is, it is all your Lordships, under the covert of whose favourable protection if it may find grace it is the uttermost aim whereunto my wishes aspire, nor shall I fear the malignity of the curious, for it is not to them but the honest plain English Husbandman, I intent my labours, whose defender you have ever been, and for whose Honourable prosperity both they and I will continually pray.  
Your honours in all serviceable humbleness, G. M.   

The Epistle to the general and gentle Reader.  
ALthough (general reader) the nature of this worst part of this last age hath converted all things to such vildness that whatsoever is truly good is now esteemed most vicious, learning being derided, fortitude drawn into so many definitions that it consisteth in mere words only, and although nothing is happy or prosperous, but mere fashion & ostentation, a tedious fustian-tale at a great man's table, stuffed with big words, with out sense, or a mimic jester, that can play three parts in one; the Fool, the Pander and the Parasit, yet notwithstanding in this apostate age I have adventured to thrust into the world this book, which nothing at all belongeth to the silken scorner, but to the plain russet Husbandman, for whose particular benefit, and the kingdoms general profit, I have with much pain, care● and industry, passed through the same. Now for the motives which first drew me to undertake the work, they were divers: as first, when I saw one man translate and paraphrase most excellently upon Virgil's Georgickes, a work only belonging to the Italian climb, & nothing agreeable with ours another translates Libault & Steuens, a work of infinite excellency, yet only proper and natural to the French, and not to us: and another takes collections from Zenophon, and others; all foreigners and utterly unacquainted with our climbs: when this I beheld, and saw with what good liking they were entertained of all men; and that every man was dumb to speak any thing of the Husbandry of our own kingdom, I could not but imagine it a work most acceptable to men, and most profitable to the kingdom, to set down the true manner and nature of our right English Husbandry, our soil being as delicate, apt, and fit for increase as any foreign soil whatsoever, and as far outgoing other kingdoms in some commodity, as they us in other some. Hence, and from these considerations, I began this work, of which I have here sent thee but a small taste, which if I find accepted, according to mine intent, I will not cease (God permitting me life) to pass through all manner of English Husbandry and Housewifery whatsoever, without omission of the least scruple that can any way belong to either of their knowledges. Now gentle reader whereas you may be driven to some amazement, at two titles which ensue in the book, namely, a former part before the first, and the first part, you shall understand that those first sheets were detained both from the Stationer and me, till the book was almost all printed; and myself by extreme sickness kept from over-viewing the same, wherefore I must entreat your favour in this impression and the rather in as much as there wanteth neither any of the words or matter whatsoever: Farewell.  
ThineG. M.   

A FORMER PART, before the first Part: Being an absolute perfect Introduction into all the Rules of true Husbandry; and must first of all be read, or the Readers labour will be frustrate.  

CHAP. I. The Proem of the Author. What a Husbandman is: His Utility and Necessity.  
IT is a common Adage in our English speech, that a man generally seen in all things can be particularly perfect or complete in none: Which Proverb there is no question will both by the curious and envious be heavily imposed upon my back, because in this, and other works, I have dealt with many things of much importance, and such as any one of them would require a whole lives experience, whereas neither my Birth, my Education, nor the general course of my life can promise no singularity in any part of those Arts they treat of: but for suggestions (the liberty whereof the wisdom of Kings could never bridle) let them poison themselves with their own gall, they shall not so much as make me look over my shoulder from my labour: only to the courteous and well meaning I give this satisfaction, I am but only a public Notary, who record the most true and infallible experience of the best knowing Husbands in this land.  
Besides, I am not altogether unseen in these misceries I write of: for it is well known I followed the profession of a Husbandman so long myself, as well might make me worthy to be a graduate in the vocation: wherein my simplicity was not such but I both observed well those which were esteemed famous in the profession, and preserved to myself those rules which I found infallible by experience. Virgil was an excellent Poet, and a servant, of trusty account, to Augustus, whose court and study-imployments would have said he should have little knowledge in rural business, yet who hath set down more excellently the manner of Italian Husbandry than himself, being a perfect lantern, from whose light both Italic and other countries have seen to trace into the true path of profit and frugallitie? Steuens and Libault, two famous Physicians, a profession that never meddleth with the Plough, yet who hath done more rarely● nay, their works are utterly uncontrollable touching all manner of french Husbandry whatsoever; so myself although by profession I am only a horseman, it being the predominant outward virtue I can boast of, yet why may not I, having the sense of man, by the aid of observation and relation, set down all the rules and principles of our English Husbandry in as good and as perfect order as any of the former: there is no doubt but I may and this I dare boldly assure unto all Readers that there is not any rule prescribed through this whole work, but hath his authority from as good and well experienced men, in the Art of which the rule treateth, as any this kingdom can produce: neither have I been so hasty, or willing, to publish this part as men may imagining, for it is well known it hath lain at rest this many years, and only now at the Instigation of many of my friends is bolted into the world, to try the censure of wits, and to give aid to the ignorant Husbandman. Wherefore to leave off any further digression, I will fall to mine intended purpose: and because the whole scope of my labour hath all his aim and reverence to the English Husbandman, I will first show you what a Husbandman is.  
A Husbandman is he which with discretion and good order tilieth the ground in his due seasons, 
The definition of a Husbandman.  making it fruitful to bring forth Corn, and plants, meet for the sustenance of man. This Husbandman is he to whom God in the scriptures giveth many blessings, for his labours of all other are most excellent, and therefore to be a Husbandman is to be a good man; whence the ancients did baptize, and we even to this day do seriously observe to call every Husbandman, both in our ordinary conference and every particular salutation, goodman such a one, a title (if we rightly observe it) of more honour and virtuous note, than many which precede it at feasts and in gaudy places.  
A Husbandman is the Master of the earth, 
The Vtillitie of the Husbandman.  turning sterrillitie and barrenness, into fruitfulness and increase, whereby all common wealths are maintained and upheld, it is his labour which giveth bread to all men and maketh us forsake the society of beasts drinking upon the water springs, feeding us with a much more nourishing liquor. The labour of the Husbandman giveth liberty to all vocations, Arts, mysteries and trades, to follow their several functions, with peace and industry, for the filling and emptying of his barns is the increase and prosperity of all their labours. To conclude, what can we say in this world is profitable where Husbandry is wanting, it being's the great Nerve and Sinew which holdeth together all the joints of a Monarchy?  
Now for the necessity, 
Of the necessit●e of a Husbandman.  the profit inferreth it without any larger amplification: for if of all things it be most profitable, then of all things it must needs be most necessary, sith next unto heavenly things, profit is the whole aim of our lives in this world: beside it is most necessary for keeping the earth in order, which else would grow wild, and like a wilderness, brambles and weeds choking up better Plants, and nothing remaining but a Chaos of confusedness. And thus much of the Husbandman his utillity and necessity.   

CHAP. II. Of the situation of the Husbandman's house; the necessaries there to belonging, together with the model thereof.  
Here you behold the model of a plain country man's house, without plaster or embosture, because it is to be intended that it is as well to be built of studde and plaster, as of lime and stone, or if timber be not plentiful it may be built of courser wood, and covered with lime and hair, yet if a man would bestow cost in this model, the four inward corners of the hall would be convenient for four turrets, and the four gavel ends, being thrust out with bay windows might be form in any curious manner: and where I place a gate and a plain pale, might be either a tarrisse, or a gatehouse: of any fashion whatsoever, besides all those windows which I make plain might be made bay windows, either with battlements, or without, but the scope of my book tendeth only to the use of the honest Husbandman, and not to instruct men of dignity, who in Architecture are able wonderfully to control me; therefore that the Husbandman may know the use of this facsimile, he shall understand it by this which followeth.  

A. Signifieth the great hall.  
B. The dining Parlour for entertainment of strangers.  
C. An inward closet within the Parlour for the mistresses use, for necessaries.  
D. A stranger's lodging within the Parlour.  
E. A staircase into the rooms over the Parlour.  
F. A staircase into the Goodman's rooms over the Kitchen and Buttery.  
G. The Skréene in the hall.  
H. An inward cellar within the buttery, which may serve for a Larder.  
I. The Buttery.  
K. The Kitchen, in whose range may be placed a brewing lead, and convenient Ovens, the brewing vessels adjoining.  
L. The Dairy house for necessary business.  
M. The Milk house.  
N. A fair sawn pale before the foremost court.  
O. The great gate to ride in at to the hall door.  
P. A place where a Pump would be placed to serve the offices of the house.   
Now you shall further understand that on the South side of your house, you shall plant your Garden and Orchard, as well for the prospect thereof to all your best rooms, as also because your house will be a defence against the Northern coldness, whereby your fruits will much better prosper. You shall on the West side of your house, within your inward dairy and kitchen court, fence in a large base court, in the midst whereof would be a fair large Pond, well stoned and graveled in the bottom, in which your cattle may drink, and horses when necessity shall urge be washed: for I do by no means allow washing of horses after instant labour. Near to this Pond you shall build your Dovecoate, for Pigeons delight much in the water: and you shall by no means make your Dove-house too high, for Pigeons cannot endure a high mount, but you shall build it moderately, clean, neat, and close, with water pentisses to keep away vermin. On the North side of your base-court you shall build your Stables, Oxe-house, Cowhouse, and Swine-coates, the doors and windows opening all to the South. On the South side of the base-court, you shall build your Hay-barnes, Corne-barnes, pullen-houses for Hens, Capons, Ducks, and Geese, your french Kilne, and Malting flowers, with such like necessaries: and over cross betwixt both these sides, you shall build your bond hovels, to carry your Pease, of good and sufficient timber, under which you shall place when they are out of use your Cartes, Wanes, Tumbrels, Ploughs, Harrows, and such like, together with Plough timber, and axletrées: all which would very carefully be kept from wet, which of all things doth soon rot and consume them. And thus much of the Husbandman's house, and the necessaries there to belonging.   

CHAP. III. Of the several parts and members of an ordinary Plough, and of the joining of them together.  
IF a workman of any trade, or mystery, cannot give directions how, and in what manner, the tools where with he worketh should be made or fashioned, doubtless he shall never work well with them, nor know when they are in temper and when out. And so it fareth with the Husbandman, for if he know not how his Plough should be made, nor the several members of which it consisteth, with the virtue and use of every member, it is impossible that ever he should make a good furrow, or turn over his ground in Husbandly manner: Therefore that every Husbandman may know how a well shaped Plough is made, he shall understand that the first member thereof, as being the strongest and most principallest piece of timber belonging to the same, is called the Ploughbeame, being a large long piece of timber much bending, according to the form of this figure.  
This beam hath no certain length nor thickness, but is proportioned according to the ground, for if it be for a clay ground the length is almost seven foot, if for any other mixed or lighter earth, than five or six foot is long enough.  
The second member or part of the Plough, is called the skeath, and is a piece of wood of two foot and a half in length, and of eight inches in breadth, and two inches in thickness: it is driven extremely hard into the Ploughbeame, slopewise, so that joined they present this figure.  
The third part is called the Ploughs principal hale, and doth belong to the left hand being a long bend piece of wood, some what strong in the midst, and so slender at the upper end that a man may easily gripe it, which being fixed with the rest presenteth this figure.  
The fourth part is the Plough head, which must be fixed with the skeath & the head all at one instant in two several mortisse holes: it is a flat piece of timber, almost three foot in length if it be for clay ground, otherwise shorter, of breadth seven inches, and of thickness too inches and a half, which being joined to the rest presenteth this figure.  
The fifth part is the Plough spindels, which are two small round pieces of wood, which coupleth together the hales, as in this figure.  
The sixth part is the right hand hale, through which the other end of the spindels run, and is much slenderer than the left hand hale, for it is put to no force, but is only a stay and aid to the Plough houlder when he cometh in heavy, stiff, and strong work, and being joined with the rest presenteth this figure.  
The seventh part is the Plough-rest, which is a small piece of wood, which is fixed at one end in the further nick of the Plough head, and the other end to the Ploughs right-hand hale, as you may see by this figure.  
The eight part is called the shelboard, and is a broad board of more than an inch thickness, which covereth all the right side of the Plough, and is fastened with two strong pings of wood through the skeath, and the right-hand hale, according to this figure.  
The ninth part is the coulture, which is a long piece of Iron, made sharp at the neither end, and also sharp on one side and being for a stiff clay it must be strait without bending, which passeth by a mortisse-hole through the beam, and to this coulture belongeth an Iron ring, which windeth about the beam and keepeth it in strength from breaking as may appear by this figure.  
The tenth part of a complete Plough, is the share; which is fixed to the Plough head, and is that which cutteth and turneth up the earth: if it be for a mixed earth than it is made without a wing, or with a very small one, but if it be for a deep, or stiff clay, than it is made with a large wing, or an outward point, like the figure following.  
The eleventh part of a perfect Plough is called the Plough foot, and is through a mortisse-hole fastened at the far end of all the beam with a wedge or two, so as the Husbandman may at his discretion set it higher or lower, at his pleasure: the use of it is to give the Plough earth, or put it from the earth, as you please, for the more you drive it downward, the more it raiseth the beam from the ground, and maketh the Irons forsake the earth, and the more you drive it upward the more it letteth down the beam, and so maketh the Irons bite the sorer; the figure whereof is this.  
Thus have you all the parts and members of a Plough, and how they be knit and joined together, wherein I would wish you to observe to make your Plough-wright ever rather give your Plough land then put her from the land, that is, rather leaning towards the earth and biting sore, than ever slipping out of the ground: for if it have two much earth the Husbandman may help it in the holding, but if it have too little, then of necessity it must make foul work: but for as much as the error and amends lie both in the office of the Plough-wright, I will not trouble the Husbandman with the reformation thereof.  
This Akerstaffe the Husbandman is ever to carry within his Plough, and when at any time the Irons, shelboard, or Plough, are choked with dirt, clay, or filth, which will cling about the old stubble; then with this Akerstaffe you shall put the same off (your Plough still going) and so keep her clean and smooth that your work may lie the handsomer; and this you must ever do with your right hand: for the Plough choketh ever on the shelboard side, and between the Irons. And thus much tonching the perfect Plough, and the members thereof.   

CHAP. FOUR How the Husbandman shall temper his Plough, and make her fit for his work.  
A Plough is to a Husbandman like an Instrument in the hand of a Musician, which if it be out of tune can never make good Music, and so if the Plough, being out of order, if the Husbandman have not the cunning to temper it and set it in the right way, it is impossible that ever his labour should come to good end.  
It is very necessary then that every good Husbandman know that a Plough being perfectly well made, the good order or disorder thereof consisteth in the placing of the Plough-Irons and the Plough-foote. Kn●w then, that for the placing of the Irons, the share would be set to look a little into the ground: and because you shall not bruise, or turn, the point thereof, you shall knock it fast upon the head, either with a crooked Rams-horne, or else with some piece of soft Ash-woode: and you shall observe that it stand plain, flat, and level, without wrying or turning either upward or downward: for if it run not even upon the earth it will never make a good furrow, only as before I said, the point must look a little downward.  
Now, for the coulture, you must place it flopewise through the beam, so as the point of it and the point of the share may as it were touch the ground at one instant, yet if the coulture point be a little thought the longer it shall not be amiss: yet for a more certain direction and to try whether your Irons stand true I or no, you shall take a string, and measure from the mortisse-hole through which the coulture passeth, to the point of the coulture, and so keeping your upper hand constant lay the same length to the of point your share, and if one measure serve them both right, there being no difference between them, than the Irons stand true for their length, otherwise they stand false.  
Now your coulture albe it stand true for the length, yet it may stand either too much to the land, or too much from the land, either of which is a great error, and will keep the Plough from going true: your coulture therefore shall have certain wedges of old dry Ash wood, that is to say, one before the coulture on the upper side the beam, and another on the land side, or left side, the coulture on the upper side the beam also; than you shall have another wedge behind the coulture underneath the beam, and one on the furrow side, or right side, the beam underneath also. Now, if your coulture have too much land, than you shall drive in your upper side wedge and ease the contrary: if it have too little land, than you shall contrarily drive in your right side under wedge and ease the other: If your coulture stand too forward, than you shall drive in your upper wedge which standeth before the coulture; and if it stand too backward and too near your share, than you shall drive in your under wedge which standeth behind the coulture: if your coulture standeth awry any way, then are either your side wedges too small, or else not even and plainecut, which faults you must amend, and then all will be perfect. Now, when your Irons are just and truly placed, than you shall drive in every wedge hard and firm, that no shaking or other strain may loosen them: as for the Plough foot it also must have a wedge or two, which when your Plough goeth right and to your contentment (for the foot will keep it from sinking or rising) than you shall also drive them in hard, that the foot may not stir from the true place where you did set it. And that these things when a man cometh into the field may not be to seek, it is the office of every good Husbandman never to go forth with his Plough but to have his Hatchet in a socket, fixed to his Plough beam, and a good piece of hard wedge wood, in case any of your wedges should shake out and be lost.  

Of holding the Plough.  When your Plough is thus ordered and tempered in good manner, and made fit for her work, it than resteth that you know the skill and advantages in holding thereof, which indeed are rules of much diversity, for if it be a stiff, black clay which you Blow, then can you not Blow too deep, nor make your furrows too big: if it be a rich hassel ground, and not much binding, then reasonable furrows, laid close, are the best: but if it be any binding, stony, or sandy ground, than you cannot make your furrows too small. As touching the governing of your Plough, if you see she taketh too much land, than you shall writhe your left hand a little to the left side and raise your Plough rest somewhat from the ground: if she taketh too little earth, than you shall raise up your left hand, and carry your Plough as in a direct line: If your Plough-Irons forbear and will not bite on the earth at all, than it is a sign that you hang too heavy on the Plough hales, raising the head of the Plough from the ground, which error you must amend, and of the two rather raise it up behind then before, but to do neither is best, for the Plough hale is a thing for the hand to govern, and not to make a leaning stock of: And thus much touching the tempering of the Plough and making her fit for work.   

CHAP. V. The manner of Ploughing the rich, stiff, black Clay, his Earring, Plough, and other Instruments.  
OF all soils in this our kingdom there is none so rich and fruitful, if it be well handled and Husbanded, as is that which we call the stiff, black, Clay, and indeed is more blacker to look on then any other soil, yet some times it will turn up very bluish, with many white veins in it, which is a very special note to know his fruitfulness; for that bluish earth mixed with white is nothing else but very rich Marle, an earth that in Cheshire, Lancashire, and many other countries, serveth to Manure and make fat their barrainest land in such sort that it will bear Corn seven years together. This black clay as it is the best soil, well Husbanded, so it is of all soils the worst if it be ill Husbanded: for if it lose but one ardour, or seasonable Ploughing, it will not be recovered in four years after, but will naturally of itself put forth wild Oats, Thistles, and all manner of offensive weeds, as Cockle, Darnell, and such like: his labour is strong, heavy, and sore, unto the cattle that tilleth it, but to the Husbandman is more easy than any other soil, for this asketh but four times Ploughing over at the most, where divers other soils ask five times, and six times, as shallbe showed hereafter. But to come to the Ploughing of this soil, I hold it meet to begin with the beginning of the year, which with Husbandmen is at Plow-day, being ever the first Monday after the Twelft-day, at which time you shall go forth with your draft, & begin to plow your Pease-earth, that is, the earth where you mean to sow your Pease, or Beans: for I must give you to understand, that these Clayes are ever more natural for Beans then Pease, not but that they will bear both alike, only the Husbandman employeth them more for beans, because pease & fitches' will grow upon every soil, but Beans will grow no where but on the calys only. This Pease-earth is ever where barley grew the year before, & hath the stubble yet remaining thereon. You shall plow this Pease-earth ever upward, that is, you shall begin on the ridge of the land, & turn all your furrows up, one against another, except your lands lie too high (which seldom can be seen) and then you shall begin at the furrow, & cast down your land.  
Now, when you have ploughed all your Pease-ground, you shall let it so lie, till it have received divers Frosts, some Rain, and then a fair season, which betwixt plow-day and Saint Valentine's day you shallbe sure to enjoy: and this is called, The letting of Land lie to bait: for without this rest, and these seasons, it is impossible to make these Clayes harrow, or yield any good mould at all. After your Land hath received his kindly bait, than you shall cast in your seed, of Beans, or Pease: but in my conceit, an equal mixture of them is the best seed of all, for if the one fail, the other will be sure to hit: and when your land is sown you shall harrow it with a harrow that hath wooden teeth.  
The next ardour after this, is the sowing of your Barley in your fallow field: the next is the fallowing of your ground for Barley the next year: the next ardour is the Summer-stirring of that which you fallowed: the next is the foiling of that which you Summer-stirde: and the last is the Winter rigging of that which you soiled: of all which ardours, and the manner of Ploughing them, with their seasons, I have written sufficiently in the first Chapter of the next part; where I speak of simple earth's uncompounded.  
Now whereas I told you before that these calies were heavy work for your cattle, it is necessary that I show you how to ease them, and which way they may draw to their most advantage, which only is by drawing in beare-geares, an invention the skilful Husbandman hath found out, wherein four horses shall draw as much as six, and six as eight, being geard in any other contrary fashion. Now because the name only bettereth not your knowledge, you shall hear behold the figure and manner thereof.  
Now you shall understand the use of this Figure by the figures therein contained, that is to say, the figure 

(1) presenteth the plough-clevisse, which being joined to the ploughbeame, extendeth, with a chain, unto the first Toastrée: and touching this Clevisse, you shall understand, that it must be made with three nicks in the midst thereof, that if the Plough have too much land given it in the making, that is, if it turn up too much land, than the chain shall be put in the outwardmost nick to the land side, that is, the nick towards your right hand: but if it take too little land, than it shall be put in the nick next the furrow, that is, towards the right hand: but if it go even and well, than you shall keep it in the middle nick, which is the just guide of true proportion. And thus this Clevisse is a help for the evil making or going of a plough.  

(2) Is the hindmost Toastrée, that is, a broad piece of ash wood, three inches broad, which going cress the chain, hath the Swingletrées fastened unto it, by which the horses draw. Now you shall understand that in this Toastrée is great help and advantage: for if the two horses which draw one against the other, be not of equal strength, but that the one doth over-draw the other, than you shall cause that end of the Toastrée by which the weaker horse draws, to be longer from the chain then the other, by at least half a foot, and that shall give the weaker horse such an advantage, that his strength shall counterpoise with the stronger horse. Now there be some especial Husbandmen that finding this disadvantage in the Toastrée, and that by the uncertain shortening, and lenthening of the Toastrée, they have sometimes more disadvantaged the strong horse, then given help to the weak, therefore they have invented another Toastrée, with a double chain, and a round ring, which is of that excellent perfection in draft, that if a Foal draw against an old horse, yet the Foal shall draw no more than the ability of his own strength, each taking his work by himself, as if they drew by single chains. Now because this Toastrée is such a notable Implement both in Plough, Cart, or Wain, and so worthy to be imitated of all good husbands, I think it not amiss to show you the figure thereof.  

The Toastree with double chains.    
(3) The Swingletrées, being pieces of Ash wood cut in proportion aforeshewed, to which the Treats, by which the horses draw, are fastened with strong loops.  
(4) The Treats by which the horses draw, being strong cords made of the best Hemp.  
(5) The place between the Treats, where the horses must stand.  
(6) The Hames, which girt the Colours about, to which the other end of the Treats are fastened, being compassed pieces of wood, either clean Ash, or clean Oak.  
(7) The round Withes of wood, or broad thongs of leather, to put about the horse's neck, to bear the main chain from the ground, that it trouble not the horses in their going.  
(8) The Single-linckes of Iron, which-joine the Swingletrées unto the Toastrées.  
(9) The Belly-bands, which pass under the belly of the horse, and are made fast to both sides of the Treats, keeping them down, that when the horse draws, his collar may not choke him: being made of good small line or chord.  
(10) The Backe-bands, which going over the horses back, and being made fast to both sides of the Treats, do hold them, so as when the horses turn, the Treats do not fall under their feet.    
Thus I have given you the perfect portraiture of a well yoked Plough, together with his Implements, and the use of them, being the best which hath yet been found out by any of our skilfullest English Husbandmen, whose practice hath been upon these deep, stiff, black calies. Now you shall understand, 
How many beasts in a plough.  that for the number of cattle to be used in these ploughs, that in fallowing your land, and ploughing your Pease-earth, eight good cattle are the best number, as being the strongest, and within the compass of government, whereas more were but troublesome, and in all your other ardours, six good beasts are sufficient, yet if it be so, that either want of ability, or other necessity urge, you shall know that fix beasts will suffice either to fallow, or to plow Pease-earth, and four beasts for every other ardour or caring: and less than this number is most insufficient, as appears by daily experience, when poor men kill their cattle only by putting them to overmuch labour. And thus much touching the ploughing of the black clay.   

CHAP. VI The manner of ploughing the white or grey Clay, his Earring, Plough, and Instruments.  
NOW as touching the white or grey clay, you shall understand that it is of divers and sundry natures, altering according to his tempers of wet or dryness: the wet being more tough, and the dry more brittle: his mixture and other characters I have showed in a former Chapter, wherefore for his manner of ploughing (observing my first method, which is to begin with the beginning of the year, I mean at Christmas) it is thus:  
If you find that any of this white or grey clay, 
Of sowing of Pease and beans.  lying wet, have less mixture of stone or chalk in it, and so consequently be more tough, as it doth many times fall out, and that upon such land, that year, you are to sow your Pease and beans: for as in the former black clay, so in this grey clay you shall begin with your Pease-earth ever: then immediately after Plow-day, you shall plow up such ground as you find so tough, in the self-same manner as you did plow the black clay, and so let it lie to bait till the frost have seasoned it, and then sow it accordingly. But if you have no such tough land, but that it holds it own proper nature, being so mixed with small stones and chalk, that it will break in reasonable manner, than you shall stay till the latter end of january, at what time, if the weather be seasonable, and inclining to dryness, you shall begin to plow your Pease-earth, in this manner: First, you shall cause your séedes-man to sow the land with single casts, as was showed upon the black clay, with this caution, that the greater your seed is, (that is, the more Beans you sow) the greater must be your quantity: and being sown, you shall bring your plough, and beginning at the furrow of the land, you shall plow every furrow downward upon the Pease and beans: which is called sowing of Pease under furrow: and in this manner you shall sow all your Pease and beans, which is clean contrary to your black clay. Besides, whereas upon the stiff clay it is convenient to take as large furrows as you please, upon this kind of grey clay you shall take as small furrows as is possible. Now the reason for this manner of ploughing your Pease-earth, is, because it is a light kind of breaking earth, so that should it be sown according to the stiff black clay, it would never cover your Pease, but leave them bare, both to be destroyed by the Fowls of the air, and the bitterness of the weather. As soon as your Pease and beans are risen a finger's length above the earth, then if you find that any of your lands do lie very rough, and that the clods be great, it shall not be amiss, to take a pair of wooden Harrows, and harrow over all your rough lands, the benefit whereof is this, that it will both break the hard clots, and so give those Pease leave to sprout through the earth, which before lay bound in and drowned, and also lay your lands smooth and clean, that the Mowers when they come to mow your Pease and beans, shall have better work, and mow them with more ease, and much better to the owner's profit. For you must understand that where you sow beans, there it is ever more profit to mow them with Sythes, then to reap them with Hooks, and much sooner, and with less charge performed. The limitation of time for this ardour of ear-ring, is from the latter end of january until the beginning of March, not forgetting this rule, that to sow your Pease and beans in a shower, so it be no beating rain is most profitable: because they, as Wheat, take delight in a fresh and a moist mould.  

Of sowing of Barl●y.  After the beginning of March, you shall begin to sow your Barley upon that ground which the year before did lie fallow, and is commonly called your tilth, or fallow field: and if any part of it consist of stiff and tough ground, than you shall, upon such ground, sow your Barley under furrow, in such manner and fashion as I described unto you for the sowing of your stiff black clay: but if it be (as for the most part these grey and white calies are) of a much lighter, and as it were, fussie temper, than you shall first plow your land upward, clean and well, without ba●kes or stitches: and having so ploughed it, you shall then sow it with Barley, that is to say, with double casts, I mean, bestowing twice so many casts of Barley, as you would do if you were to sow it with Pease. And as soon as you have sown your Barley, you shall take a pair of wooden Harrows, and harrow it as small as is possible: and this is called sowing above furrow.  
Now if you have any land, 
Of sowing Oats.  which either through the badness of the soil, or for want of manure, is more barren, and hard to bring forth then generally the rest of your land is, than you shall not bestow Barley thereupon, but sow it with Oats, in such manner and fashion as is appointed for the sowing of Pease, that is to say, if it be stiff ground you shall sow it above furrow, if it be light ground, than you shall sow it under furrow, knowing this for a rule, that the barraynest ground will ever bear indifferent Oats, but if the ground have any small heart, than it will bear Oats in great abundance: neither need you to be very precise for the oft ploughing of your ground before you sow your Oats, because Oats will grow very well if they be sown upon reasonable ground, at the first ploughing: whence it comes to pass that many Husbandmen do oft sow their Oats where they should sow their Pease, and in the same manner as they do sow their Pease, and it is held for a rule of good husbandry also: because if the ground be held any thing casual for Pease, it is better to have good Oats then naughty Pease: beside, your Oats are both a necessary grain in the house, as for Oatmeal, for the pot, for Puddings, and such like, and also for the stable, for Provender, and the feeding of all manner of Poultry. The time for sowing of your Barley and Oates, is from the first of March till the first of April, observing ever to sow your Oats first, and your Barley after, for it being only a Summer grain, would participate as little as may be with any part of the Winter.  

Of Fallowing.  About the midst of April you shall begin to fallow that part of your ground, which you intend shall take rest that year, and so become your fallow or tilth-field. And in fallowing this grey or white clay, you shall observe all those rules and ceremonies, which are formerly described for the fallowing of the stiff black clay, knowing that there is in this work no difference between the black clay, and the grey clay, but both to be ploughed after one manner, that is to say, to have all the furrows cast downward, and the ridges of the lands laid largely open, and of a good depth, only the furrows which you turn upon this grey clay must be much smaller and less than those which you turn upon your stiff black clay, because this earth is more naturally inclined to bind and cleave together then that of the black clay. The time for fallowing of this ground, is from the midst of April until the midst of May: at what time you shall perceive your Barley to appear above the ground, so that then you shall begin to sleight and smooth it: 
Of slighting Barley.  but not with back Harrows, as was described for the black clay, because this grey clay being not so fat and rich, but more inclined to fastness and hardness, therefore it will not sunder and break so easily as the other: wherefore when you will smooth or slight this ground, you shall take a round piece of wood, being in compass about at least thirty inches, and in length six foot, having at each end a strong pin of Iron, to which making fast two small poles, by which the horse shall draw, yet in such sort that the round piece of wood may roll and turn about as the horse draws it: and with this you shall roll over all your Barley, and by the weight of the round piece of wood bruise and break all the hard clots asunder. This is called amongst Husbandmen a Rouler, and is for this purpose of slighting and smoothing of grounds of great use and profit. Now you shall understand that you must not at any time sleight or smooth your Corn, but after a shower of Rain, for if the mould be not a little moistened the rouler will not have power to break it.  
Now for as much as this rouler is of so good use and yet not generally used in this kingdom, I think it not amiss to show you the figure thereof.  
The great Rouler.  
As soon as you have rolled over your Barley, & laid it so smooth as you can with your rouler, if then you perceive any hard clots, such as the rouler cannot break, than you shall send forth your servants with long clotting béetels, made broad and flat, and with them you shall break asunder all those hard clots, and so lay your Barley as smooth and clean as is possible: the profit whereof you shall both find in the multiplying of your Corn and also in the saving of your scythes from breaking, at such time as you shall come to mow your Corn, and gather in your Harvest.  
Your Barley being thus laid smooth, you shall then follow your other necessary businesses, as preparing of your fuel, and other néedements for household until the beginning of june, at which time you shall begin to Summer-stirre your fallow field, 
Of Summer-stirring.  which shallbe done in all points after the same manner as you did Summer-stirre your black Clay, that is to say, you shall begin in the ridge of the land, and as when you fallowed your land you turned your furrows downward, so now in Summer-stirring, you shall turn your furrows upward and close the ridge of you land again. As soon as this ardour is finished, or when the unseasonableness of the weather, as either too much wet, or too much dryness shall hinder you from Ploughing, you shall then look into your Corn● fields, that is to say: first into your Wheat and Rye fi●●d, and if there you shall find any store of weeds, as Thistell, Darnell, 
Of weeding.  Tear, Cockle, or such 〈◊〉, you shall with 〈◊〉- hooks, or nippers of wood, cut, or pluck them up by the roots; and also if you find any annoyance of stones, which hinders the growth of your Corn, as generally it happens in this soil, you shall then cause some Boys and Girls, 
Of stone gathering.  or other waste persons, to gather them up and lay them in heaps at the lands ends, to be employed either about the mending of high ways or other occasions, and for this purpose their is a general custom in most villages, that every houshoulder is bound to send out one servant to be employed about this business: whence it comes to pass, that it is called common work, as being done at the general charge of the whole Parish. After you have weeded your Wheat and Rye, you shall then weed your Barley also, which being finished about the midst of july, you shall then begin to look into your meadows and to the preparing of your Hay harvest.  
Now at such time as either the unseasonableness of the weather, 
Of foiling.  or the growth of your grass shall hinder you from following that business of Harvest, you shall then look into your fallow or tilth field again, and whereas before at your Summer-stirring you Ploughed your land upward, now you shall begin to foil, that is to say, you shall cast your land down again, and open the ridge: and this ardour of all other ardours you must by no means neglect upon the grey, white clay, because it being most subject unto weed, and the hardest to bring to a fine mould, this ardour of all others, doth both consume the one and makes perfect the other, and the drier season you do foil your land in, the better it is, and the more it doth break and sunder the clots in pieces: for as in Summer-stirring the greater clots you raise up, and the rougher your land lies the better it is, because it is a token of great store of mould, so when you foil, the more you break the clots in pieces the better season will your land take, and the richer it willbe when the seed is sown into it: And the season for the foiling of this soil is from the midst of july till the midst of September.  
Now albe I have omitted the Manuring of this land in his due place, 
Of Manuring  as namely, from the midst of April, till the end of May, yet you shall understand that of all other things it is not in any wise to be neglected by the careful Husbandman, both because the soil being not so rich as the black Clay, will very hardly bring forth his seed without Manure, and also because it is for the most part subject unto much wet, and stones, both which are signs of cold and barrenness. Now for those Manures, which are best and most proper for this soil, you shall understand that all those which I formerly described for the black Clays, as namely, Ox or cows dung, Horse dung and sheeps dung, are also very good for this soil, and to be used in the same manner as is specified in the former Chapter: but if you have not such store of this Manure as will serve to compass your whole land, you shall then understand, that the black mud, or dirt which lies in the bottom of old ponds, or else standing lakes, is also a very good manure for this soil, or else straw which is spread in highways, and so rotten by the great concourse or use of much traveling, and after in the Spring-time shovelled up in great heaps, is a good manure for this earth: but if you find this soil to be subject to extraordinary wet and coldness, you shall then know that the ashes either of wood, coal, or straw, is a very good manure for it. But above all other, and then which there is no manure more excellent for cold barren calies of this nature, the Pigeons dung, or the dung of household Pullen, as Capons, Hens, Chickens, Turkeys, and such like, so there be no Goose-dung amongst it, is the best of all other: but not to be used in such sort as the other manures, that is to say, to be laid in great heaps upon the land, or to be spread from the Cart upon the land, for neither is there such abundance of such manure to be gotten, nor if there were, it would not be held for good husbandry to make lavish havoc of a thing so precious.  

The use of Pigeon or Pullen-dung.  You shall then know that for the use of Pigeon or Pullen-dung, it is thus: you shall first with your hand break it as small as may be, and then put it into the Hopper, in such sort as you put your corn when you sow it: and then look how you sow your corn, in such sort you shall sow your Pigeon or Pullen-dung: which done, you shall immediately put your Barley into the same Hopper, and so sow it after the Pigeons or Pullen-dung: by which you are to understand that this kind of manuring is to be used only in Séede-time, and at no other season. This manure is of the same nature that sheeps manure is, and doth last but only for one year, only it is much hotter, as being in the greatest extremity of heat. Now if it happen that you cannot get any of this Pigeons or Pullen-dung, because it is scarce, and not in every man's power, if then you take Lime and sow it upon your land in such sort as is before said of the Pigions-dung, and then sow your corn after it, you shall find great profit to come thereon, especially in cold wet soils, such as for the most part, these grey white calies are.  
After your land is soiled, 
Of sowing Wheat.  which work would be finished by the midst of September, than you shall begin to sow your Wheat, Rye, and Maslin, which in all things must be done as is before set down for the black clay, the choice of seed, and every observation being all one: for Wheat not taking delight in a very rich ground, doth prosper best upon this indifferent soil. Whence it comes that in these grey white calies, you shall for the most part, see more Wheat sown then any other Grain whatsoever. But as touching your Rye and Maslin, that ever desires a rich ground and a fine mould, and therefore you shall make choice of your better earth for that Seed, and also observe to help it with manure, or else shéepes●folding, in such manner as is described in the former Chapter, where I spoke of the sowing of Wheat, Rye, and Maslin.  
As soon as you have sown your Wheat, 
Of winter-ridging.  Rye, and Maslin, you shall then about the latter end of October, begin to Winter ridge, or set up your land for the whole year: which you shall do in all points, as you do upon the black clay, without any change or alteration. And the limitation for this ardour is, from the latter end of October until the beginning of December, wherein your years work is made perfect and complete.  
Now you shall understand, 
Observations.  that although I have in this general sort passed over the ardours and several Earring of this white or grey clay, any of which are in no wise to be neglected: yet there are sundry other observations to be held of the careful Husbandman, especially in the laying of his land: as thus, if the soil be of good temper, fruitful, dry, and of a well mixed mould, not being subject to any natural spring or casting forth of moisture, but rather through the native warmth drying up all kind of flures or cold moistures, neither bin●ing or strangling the Seed, nor yet holding it in such looseness, that it lose his force of increasing, in this case it is best to lay your lands flat and level, without ridges or furrows, as is done in many parts of Cambridge-shire, some parts of Essex, and some parts of Hartford-shire: but if the clay be fruitful and of good temper, yet either by the bordering of great hills, the overflow of small brooks, or some other casual means it is subject to much wet or dr●wning, in this case you shall lay your lands large and high, with high ridges and deep furrows, as generally you see in Lincolne-shire, Nottinghamshire, Huntington-shire, and most of the middle Shires in England. But if the land be barren, cold, wet, subject to much binding, and doth bring forth great store of weeds, than you shall lay your land in little stitches, that is to say, not above three or four furrows at the most together, as is generally seen in Middlesex, Hartford-shire, Kent and Surrey: for by that means neither shall the land bind and choke the Corn, nor shall the weed so overrun it, but that the Husbandman may with good ease help to strengthen and cleanse it, the many furrows both giving him many passages, whereby he may correct those enormities, and also in such sort conveying away the water and other moistures, that there cannot be made any land more fruitful.  

Of the Plough.  Now to speak of the Plough which is best and most proper for this grey or white clay, of which we now speak, you shall understand that it differeth exceeding much from that of which we spoke concerning the black clay: I, and in such sort, that there is but small alliance or affinity between them: as thus for example:  
First, it is not so large and great as that for the black clay: for the head thereof is not above twenty inches in length, and not above one inch and a half in thickness, the main beam thereof is not above five foot long, & the rest is broader by an inch and more than that for the black clay: this Plough also hath but one hale, & that is only the left hand Hale: for the Plough-staffe, or Akerstaffe serveth ever in stead of the right hand Hale, so that the Rough-staves are fixed, the upper unto the shelboard, and the neither unto the Plough-rest, as for your better understanding you may perceive by this figure.  
The Plough with one Hale.  
Now you shall understand that the especial care which is to be held in the making of this Plough, is, that it be wide and open in the hinder part, that it may turn and lay the furrows one upon another: whereas if it should be any thing straightened in the hinder part, considering that this clay naturally is somewhat brittle of itself, and that the furrows which you plough must of necessity be very narrow and little, it were not possible so to lay them, but that they would fall down back again, and enforce the Ploughman to lose his labour. Also you shall understand that whereas in the former plough, which is for the black clay, you may turn the shelboard, that is, when the one end is worn, you may eftsoons turn the other, and make it serve the like season: in this Plough you must never turn the shelboard, because the rising wing of the Share will so defend it, that it will ever last as long as the Plough-head, without change or turning.  
Now for the Irons belonging unto this Plough, which is the Share and Coulture, there is more difference in them then in the Plough: for to speak first of the Share, whereas the former Share for the black clay, was made broad, plain, and with a large wing, this Share must be made narrow, sharp, and small, with no wing at all, having from the upper part thereof, close by the shelboard, a certain rising wing, or broad piece of Iron, which coming up and arming that part of the shelboard which turns over the land, defends the wood from the sharp mould, which having the mixture of pebble stone in it, would otherwise in less than one days work consume the shelboard unto nothing, forcing the Ploughman to much trouble and double cost. The fashion of the Share is presented in this Figure following.  
The Share.  
This Share is only made that it may take a small furrow, and so by breaking the earth oftener than any other Share, causeth the land to yield a good and plentiful mould, and also keep it from binding or choking the seed when it is cast into it.  
Now for the Coulture, it differeth from the former Coulture both in breadth and thickness, but especially in compass: for whereas the former Coulture for the black clay, was made strait, narrow, and thick, this must be compassed like an half bend bow: it must be broader than three fingers, and thinner than half an inch, according to this Figure.  
The Coulture.  
Now when these Irons, the Shelboard, and other implements are fixed unto the Plough, you shall perceive that the Plough will carry the proportion of this Figure following.  
The Plough for the grey Clay.  
Having thus showed you the substance, difference, and contraries of these two Ploughs, which belong to these two several calies, the black and grey, you shall understand that there is no clay-groud whatsoever, which is without other mixture, but one of these Ploughs will sufficiently serve to ear and order it: for all calies are of one of these tempers.  
Now for the use and manner of handling or holding this Plough, 
The use and handling.  it differeth nothing in particular observation from the use and handling of the Plough formerly described, more than in the largeness and smallness of the furrows: for as before I said, whereas the black clay must be raised with a great furrow, and a broad stitch, this grey clay must be raised with a small furrow, and a narrow stitch: and although this plough have nothing but a left hand Hale, yet considering the Plough-staffe, upon which the Ploughman resteth his right hand, it is all one as if he had a right. And indeed, to make your knowledge the more perfect, you shall know that these grey calies are generally in their own natures so wet, tough, and slimy, and do so clog, cleave, and choke up the Plough, that he which holds it shall have enough to do with his right hand only to cleanse and keep the Plough from choking, insomuch that if there were another Hale, yet the Ploughman should have no leisure to hold it.  

Of the draft or Team.  Now for the draft or Team which should draw this Plough, they ought in all points, as well in strength as tryving to be the same with those before showed for the use of the black clay: as namely, either Oxen or Horse, or Horse and Oxen mixed together, according to the custom of the soil wherein the Ploughman lives, or his ability in provision, observing ever to keep his number of beasts for his Plough certain, that is to say, for fallowing, and Pease-earth, never under six, and for all other ardours four at the least. And thus much for the ploughing of this grey or white clay.   

CHAP. VII. The manner of ploughing the red-Sand, his Earring, Plough, and Implements.  
NExt unto these Clayes, which are soils simple and uncompound, as being perfect in their own natures, without the help of other mixtures, I place the Sand soils, as being of like quality, not borrowing any thing but from their own natures, nor breeding any defects more than their own natural imperfections: and of Sands, sith the red Sand is the best and most fruitful, therefore it is fit that it take priority of place, and be here first spoken of.  
You shall then understand that this red Sand, albeit it is the best of Sands, yet it is the worst of many soils, as being of itself of such a hot and dry nature, that it scorcheth the seed, and drieth up that nutriment and fatness which should occasion increase: whereby it comes to pass, that the Barley which grows upon this red Sand is ever more yellow, lean and withered, then that which grows upon the calies or other mixed earths. This Sand especially taketh delight in Rye, because it is a Grain which loves warmth above all other, and yet notwithstanding, if it be well ordered, manured and ploughed, it will bring forth good store of Barley, albeit the Barley be not so good as Clay-Barley, either for the colour, or for the yield, whether it be in meal or in Malt.  
Now for the manner of Ear-ring or ploughing this red Sand, it differeth much from both the former soils, insomuch that for your better understanding, I must in many places alter my former method, yet so little as may be, because I am loath to alter or clog the memory of the Reader: wherefore to pursue my purpose. As soon as Christmas is ended, 
Of Fallowing.  that is to say, about the midst of january, you shall go with your Plough into that field where the Harvest before did grow your Rye, and there you shall in your ploughing cast your lands downward, and open the ridges well, for this year it must be your fallow field: for as in the former soils, we did divide the fields either into three parts, that is, one for Barley and Wheat, another for Pease, and the third fallow, which is the best division: or into four parts, that is, one for Wheat and Rye, another for Barley, a third for Pease, and a fourth fallow, which is the worst division and most toilsome, so in this red Sand soil, we must ever divide it into three parts, that is, one for Barley, another for Rye, and a third fallow. For this Sand-soile being hot, dry, and light, will neither bring forth good Beans nor good Pease, and therefore that ardour is in this place but only to be spoke of by way of discourse in urgent necessity.  
Wherefore (as before I said) about the midst of january you shall begin to lay fallow that field, where formerly did grow your Rye, the manner of ploughing whereof differeth nothing from the manner of ploughing the calies before written of, only that the discretion of the Ploughman must thus far forth govern him, that in as much as this soil is lighter, drier, and of a more loose temper, by so much the more he must be careful to make his furrows less, and to lay them the closer together: & also in as much as this soil, through his natural warmth and temperate moisture, is exceeding apt to bring forth much weed, especially Brakes, Ling, Brambles, and such like, therefore the Ploughman shall be very careful to plow all his furrows very clean, without baukes or other impediments by which may be engendered any of these inconveniences.  

Of Spring-foyling.  After you have thus broke up and fallowed your fallow or tilth-field, the limitation of which time is from the midst of january until the midst of February, you shall then at the midst of February, when the claymen begin to sow their Beans and Pease, go with your plough into your other fallow-field, which all the year before hath lain fallow and already received at your hands at least four several ardours; as Fallowing, Summer-stirring, foiling, and Winter-rigging; and there you shall plow all that field over the fifth time, which is called the Spring-foyling: and in this ardour you shall plow all your lands upward, in such sort as when you Winter-ridge it, by which means you shall plow up all those weeds which have sprung forth in the Winter season. For you must understand that in these light, hot, sandy soils, there is a continual spring (though not of good fruits) yet of weeds, quicks, and other inconveniences: for it is a rule amongst Husbandmen, that warm soils are never idle, that is, they are ever bringing forth something.  
Now the limitation for this ardour is from the midst of February until the midst of March, at which time you shall, by comparing former experience with your present judgement, take into your consideration the state, goodness, and powerfulness of your land, I mean especially of this fallow-field, which hath lain fallow the year before, and hath now received five ardours: and if you find any part of it, either for want of good ordoring in former times, or for want of manure in the present year, to be grown to lean and out of heart, that you fear it hath not strength enough to bear Barley, you shall then at this time, being the midst of March, sow such land with Rye, which of Husbandmen is called the sowing of March-Rye: 
Of Sowing March-Rye.  and this Rye is to be sown and harrowed in such sort as you did sow it upon the clay soils, that is to say, above furrow, and not under furrow, except the land be very full of quicks, that is, of Brakes, Ling, Brambles, dock, or such like, and then you shall first with a pair of Iron harrows, that is, with harrows that have Iron teeth, first of all harrow the land over, and by that means tear up by the roots all those quickes, and so bring them from the land: which done, you shall sow the land over with Rye, and then plow it downward which is under furrow: & as soon as it is ploughed, you shall then with a pair of Iron Harrows harrow it all over so exceedingly, that the mould may be made as fine, and the land lie as smooth as is possible.  

Of the harrow.  Now because I have in the former Chapters spoke of Harrows and harrowing, yet have not delivered unto you the shape and proportion thereof, and because both the wooden harrow and the Iron harrow have all one shape, and differ in nothing but the teeth only, I think it not amiss before I proceed any further to show you in this Figure the true shape of a right Harrow.  
The Harrow.  
The parts of this Harrow consisteth of bulls, staves, and teeth: of bulls, which are broad thick pieces either of well seasoned Willow, or Sallow, being at least three inches every way square, into which are fastened the teeth: of staves, which are round pieces of well seasoned Ash, being about two inches and a half about, which going thorough the bulls, hold the bulls firmly in equal distance one from the other: and of teeth, which are either long pings of wood or Iron, being at least five inches in length, which are made fast, and set slope-wise through the bulls.  
Now you shall understand that Harrows are of two kinds, 
The diversity of Harrows.  that is, single and double: the single Harrow is called of Husbandmen the Horse-harrow, and is not above four foot square: the double Harrow is called the Oxe-harrow, and it must be at least seven foot square, and the teeth must ever be of Iron. Now whereas I spoke of the Horse-harrow and the Oxe-harrow, it is to be understood that the single Harrow doth belong to the Horse, because Horses drawing single, do draw each a several Harrow by himself, albeit in the common use of harrowing, we couple two horses ever together, and so make them draw two single Harrows: but Oxen not being in good Husbandry to be separated, because ever two must draw in one yoke, therefore was the double Harrow devised, containing in substance and work as much as two single Harrows.  
Now for the use of Harrows. 
The use of Harrows.  The wooden Harrow which is the Harrow with wooden teeth, is ever to be used upon clay grounds and light grounds, which through dryness doth grow loose, and falls to mould of it own nature, as most commonly Sand grounds do also: and the Iron Harrow which is the Harrow with Iron teeth, is ever to be used upon binding grounds, such as through dryness grow so hard that they will not be sundered, and through wet turn soon to mire and loose dirt. Now whereas there be mingled earths, which neither willingly yield to mould, nor yet binds so sore, but small industry breaks it, of which earth I shall speak hereafter, to such grounds the best Husbands use a mixture, that is to say, one wooden Harrow, and one Iron Harrow, that the wooden Harrow turning over and loosening the losest mould, the Iron Harrow coming after, may break the stiffer clots, and so consequently turn all the earth to a fine mould. And thus much for Harrows.  
Now to return to my former purpose touching the tillage of this red Sand: 
Of the sowing of Pulse.  if (as before I said) you find any part of your fallow-field too weak to bear Barley, then is your March-Rye, a grain which will take upon a harder earth: but if the ground be too weak either for Barley or Rye, (for both those Seeds desire some fatness of ground) then shall you spare ploughing it at all until this time of the year, which is mid-March, and then you shall plow it, 
Of Pease, Lentles, and lupines.  and sow it with either the smallest Pease you can get, or else with our true English Fitches, which by foreign Authors are called Lentles, that is, white Fitches, or lupines, which are red Fitches: for all these three sorts of Pulse will grow upon very barren soils, and in their growth do manure and make rich the ground: yet your Pease desire some heart of ground, your Lentles, or white Fitches, less, and your lupines, or red Fitches, the least of all, as being apt to grow upon the barrainest soil: so likewise your Pease do manure barren ground well, your Lentles better, and your lupines the best of all.  
Now for the nature and use of these grains, the Pease as all Husbandmen know, are both good for the use of man in his bread, as are used in Leicester shire, Lincolne-shire, Nottinghamshire, and many other Countries: and also for Horses in their Provender, as is used generally over all England: for Lentles, or white Ftches, or the lupines which are red Fitches, they are both indifferent good in bread for man, especially if the meal be well scalded before it be knodden (for otherwise the savour is exceeding rank) or else they are a very good food being sodden in the manner of Leap●-Pease, especially at Sea, in long journeys where fresh meat is most exceeding scarce: so that rather than your land should lie idle, and bring forth no profit, I conclude it best to sow these Pulses, which both bring forth commodity, and also out of their own natures do manure and enrich your ground, making it more apt and fit to receive much better Seed.  
For the manner of sowing these three sorts of Pulse: you shall sow them ever under furrow, in such sort as is described for the sowing of Pease and beans upon the white or grey clay which is of indifferent dryness and apt to break.  
Now the limitation for this ardour or ●éede time, 
Of Manuring.  is from the midst of March, till the midst of April: then from the midst of April, till the midst of May, you shall make your especial work, to be only the leading forth of your Manure to that field which you did fallow, or lay tilth that present year immediately after Christmas, and of which I first spoke in this Chapter. And herein is to be understood, that the best and principallest Manure for this redde-sand, is the ouldest Manure of beasts which can begotten, which you shall know by the exceeding blackness and rottenness thereof, being in the cutting both soft and smooth, all of one substance, as if it were well compact mortar, without any show of straw or other stuff which is unrotted, for this dung is of all the fattest and coolest, and doth best agree with the nature of this hot sand. Next to the dung of beasts, is the dung of Horses if it be old also, otherwise it is somewhat of the hottest, the rubbish of old houses, or the swéeping of flowers, or the scourings of old Fishponds, or other standing waters where beasts and horses are used to drink, or be washed, or whereunto the water and moisture of dunghills have recourse are all good Manures for this redde-sand: as for the Manure of Sheep upon this redde-sand, it is the best of all in such places as you mean to sow Rye, but not fully so good where you do intend to sow your Barley: if it be a cold moist redde-sand (which is seldom found but in some particular low countries) than it doth not amiss to Manure it most with Sheep, or else with Chalk, Lime, or Ashes, of which you can get the greatest plenty: if this soil be subject to much weed and quicks, as generally it is, then after you have torn up the weeds and quickes with Harrows, you shall with rakes, rake them together, and laying them in heaps upon the land, you shall burn them and then spreading the ashes they will be a very good Manure, and in short space destroy the weeds also; likewise if your land be much overgrown with weeds, if when you shear your Rye you leave a good long stubble, and then mowing the stubble burn it upon the land, it is both a good Manure and also a good means to destroy the weeds.  

Of sowing Barley.  After your Manure is lead forth and either spread upon the lands, or set in great heaps, so as the land may be covered over with Manure (for it is to be observed that this soil must be thoroughly Manured) then about the midst of May, which is the time when this work should be finished, you shall repair with your Plough into the other fallow field, which was prepared the year before for this years Barley, & there you shall sow it all over with Barley above furrow, that is to say, you shall first Plough it, then sow it, and after Harrow it, making the mould as fine and smooth as may be, which is done with easy labour, because this sand of it own nature is as fine as ashes.  
Now the limitation for this seed time, is from the midst of May, till the midst of june, wherein if any man demand why it should not be sown in March and April, according as it is sown in the former soils, I answer, that first this redde-sand cannot be prepared, or receive his full season in weather, and earrings, before this time of the year, and next that these redde-sands, by how much they are hotter and drier than the other claies, by so much they may well stay the longer before they receive their seed, because that so much the sooner the seed doth sprout in them, & also the sooner ripen being kept warmer at the root then in any could soil whatsoever. As soon as the midst of june approacheth, 
Of Summer-stirring.  you shall then begin to Summer-stirre your fallow field, and to turn your Manure into your land, in such sort as you did upon your clay soils, for this ardour of Summer-stirring altereth in no soil, and this must be done from the midst of june, till the midst of july, for as touching slighting, 
Of slighting.  clotting, or smoothing of this Barley field, it is seldom in use, because the fineness of the sand will lay the land smooth enough without slighting: yet if you find that any particular land lieth more rough than the rest, it shall not be amiss, if with your back Harrows you smooth it a little within a day or two after it is sown.  
From the midst of july until the midst of August, 
Of Foiling.  you shall foil and throw down your fallow field again, if your lands lie well and in good order, but if any of your lands do lie in the danger of water, or by use of Ploughing are grown too flat, both which are hindrances to the growth of Corn, then when you foil your lands you shall Blow them upward, and so by that means raise the ridges one furrow higher. 
Of sowing Rye.  After you have foiled your land, which must be about the midst of August, then will your Barley be ready to mow, for these hot soils have ever an early harvest, which as soon as it is mown and carried into the Barn, forthwith you shall with all expedition carry forth such Manure as you may conveniently spare, and lay it upon that land from whence you received your Barley, which is most barren: and if you want cart Manure, you shall then lay your fold of Séepe thereupon, and as soon as it is Manured, you shall immediately Blow both it & the rest, which ardour should be finished by the midst of September, and so suffered to rest until the beginning of October, at which time you shall begin to sow all that field over with Rye in such sort as hath been spoken of in former places.  
Now in as much as the ignorant Husbandman may very easily imagine that I reckon up his labours too thick, 
Objection.  and therein leave him no leisure for his necessary businesses, especially because I appoint him to foil his land from the midst of july, till the midst of August, which is both a busy time for his Hay harvest, and also for his Rye shearing.  
To this I make answer, 
Answer.  that I write not according to that which poor men are able (for it were infinite to look into estates) but according as every good Husband ought, presupposing that he which will live by the Plough, aught to pursue all things belonging unto the Plough, and then he shall find that there is no day in the year, but the Saboth, but it is necessary that the Plough be going: yet to reconcile the poor and the rich together, they shall understand, that when I speak of Ploughing in the time of Harvest, I do not mean that they should neglect any part of that principal work, which is the true recompense of their labour: but because whilst the dew is upon the ground, or when there is either rain or mizling there is then no time for Harvest work, than my meaning is that the careful Husbandman shall take those advantages, and rising earlier in the mornings, be sure to be at his Plough two hours before the dew be from the ground, knowing that the getting but of one hour in the day compasseth a great work in a month, neither shall he need to fear the over toiling of his cattle, sith at that time of the year grass being at greatest plenty, strongest and fullest of heart, Corn scattered almost in every corner, and the mouth of the beast not being muzeld in his labour, there is no question but he will endure and work more than at any other season.  

Of Winter ridging.  In the beginning of November, you shall begin to Winter-ridge your fallow, or tilth-field, which in all points shallbe done according to the form described in the former soils: for that ardour of all other never altereth, because it is as it were a defence against the latter spring, which else would fill the lands full of weeds, and also against the rigour of Winter, and therefore it doth lay up the furrow close together, which taking the season of the frost, wind, and weathe, rmakes the mould ripe, mellow, and light: and the limitation for this ardour, is from the beginning of November, until the midst of December.  

Of the Plough.  Now as touching the Plough which is best and most proper for this redde-sand, it differeth nothing in shape and composure of members from that Plough which is described for the black Clay, having necessarily two hales, because the ground being loose and light, the Plough will with great difficulty hold land, but with the least disorder be ever ready to run into the furrow, so that a right hand hale is most necessary for the holding of the plough even, only the difference of the two Ploughs consisteth in this, that the plough for this red-sand, must be much less than the plough for the black Clay holding in the sizes of the timber the due proportion of the plough for the white or grey clay, or if it be somewhat less it is not amiss, as the head being eighteen inches, the main beam not above four foot, and between the hinder part of the rest, and the out-most part of the plough head in the hinder end not above eight inches. 
Of the coulture.  Now for the Plough-Irons which do belong unto this plough, the Coulture is to be made circular, in such proportion as the coulture for the grey, or white clay, and in the placing, or tempering upon the Plough it is to be set an inch at least lower than the share, that it may both make way before the share, and also cut deeper into the land, to make the furrow have more easy turning.  
Now for the share, 
Of the share.  it differeth in shape from both the former shares, for it is neither so large nor out-winged, as that for the grey Clay, for this share is only made broad to the Plough ward, and small to the point of the share, with only a little peake and no wing accoridng to this figure.  
The share.  
These Plough-irons, both coulture and share, must be well stéeled and hardened at the points, because these sandy soils being full of moisture and greet, will in short space wear and consume the Irons, to the great hindrance and cost of the Husbandman, if it be not prevented by steel and hardening, which notwithstanding will waste also in these soils, so that you must at least twice in every ardour have your Irons to the Smith, and cause him to repair them both with Iron and steel, 
Of the plough-slip.  besides these Irons, of coulture and share, you must also have a long piece of Iron, which must be just of the length of the Plough head, and as broad as the Plough head is thick, and in thickness a quarter of an inch: and this piece of Iron must be nailed upon the outside of the Plough head, next unto the land, only to save the Plough head from wearing, for when the Plough is worn it can then no longer hold the land, and this piece of Iron is called of Husbandmen the Plough-slip and presenteth this figure.  
The Plough-slip.  

Of Plough clouts.  Over and beside this Plough-slip, their are certain other pieces of Iron which are made in the fashion of broad thin plates, and they be called Plough clouts, and are to be nailed upon the shelboard, to defend it from the earth or furrow which it turneth over, which in very short space would wear the wood and put the Husbandman to double charge.  

The holding of the Plough.  Thus having showed you the parts, members, and implements, belonging to this Plough, it rests that I proceed unto the team or draft: for to speak of the use and handling of this Plough, it is peerless, because it is all one with those Ploughs, of which I have spoken in the former Chapters, and he which can hold and handle a Plough in stiff calies must needs (except he be exceeding simple) hold a Plough in these light sands, in as much as the work is much more easy, and the Plough a great deal less chargeable.  
Now for the draft or Team, 
Of the draft.  they ought to be as in the former Soils, Oxen or Horses, yet the number not so great: for four Beasts are sufficient to plow any ardour upon this soil, nay, three Horses if they be of reasonable strength will do as much as fix upon either of the Clay-soiles: as for their attire or Harnessing, the Beare-geares, before described, are the best and most proper. And thus much concerning this red Sand, wherein you are to take this brief observation with you, that the Grains which are best to be sown upon it, are only Rye, Barley, small Pease, Lentles and lupines, otherwise called Fitches, and the grains to which it is adverse, are Wheat, beans and Mas●in.   

CHAP. VIII. The manner of ploughing the white Sand, his Earring, Plough, and Implements.  
NExt unto this red Sand, is the white sand, which is much more barren than the red Sand, yet by the industry of the Husbandman in ploughing, and by the cost of Manure it is made to bear corn in reasonable plenty. Now of white Sands there be two kinds, the one a white Sand mixed with a kind of Marle, as that in Norfolk, Suffolk, and other such like places butting upon the Sea-coast: the other a white Sand with Bible, as in some parts of Surrey, about Aucaster in Lincoln shire, and about Salisbury in Wiltshire.  
Now for this white Sand with Bible, 
Of the white Sand with Bible.  it is the barrainest, and least fruitful in bringing forth, because it hath nothing but a hot dusty substance in it. For the manner of Ear-ring thereof, it agreeth in all points with the red Sand, the ardours being all one, the Tempers, Manuring and all other appurtenances: the Seed also which it delights in is all one with the red Sand, as namely, Rye, Barley, Pease and Fitches. Wherefore who so shall dwell upon such a soil, I must refer him to the former Chapter of the red Sand, and therein he shall find sufficient instruction how to behave himself upon this earth: remembering that in as much as it is more barren than the red Sand, by so much it craveth more care and cost, both in ploughing and manuring thereof, which two labours only make perfect the ill ground.  

Of the white Sand with Marle.  Now for the white Sand which hath as it were a certain mixture, or nature of Marle in it, you shall understand that albeit unto the eye it be more dry and dusty than the red Sand, yet it is fully as rich as the red Sand: for albe it do not bear Barley in as great plenty as the red Sand, yet it beareth Wheat abundantly, which the red Sand seldom or very hardly bringeth forth.  

Of Fallowing.  Wherefore to proceed to the Earring or tillage of this white Marly sand, you shall understand that about the midst of january is fit time to begin to fallow your field which shall be tilth and rest for this year: wherein by the way, before I proceed further, you shall take this observation with you, that whereas in the former soils I divided the fields into three & four parts, this soil cannot conveniently, if it be well husbanded, be divided into any more parts than two, that is to say, a fallow field, and a Wheat-field: in which Wheate-field if you have any land richer than other, you may bestow Barley upon it, upon the second you may bestow Wheat, upon the third sort of ground Rye, land upon the barrainest, Pease or Fitches: and yet all these must be sown within one field, because in this white sand, Wheat and Rye will not grow after Barley or Pease, nor Barley and Pease after Wheat or Rye. Your fields being then divided into two parts, that is, one for corn, the other for rest, you shall as before I said, about the midst of january begin to fallow your Tith-field, which in all observations you shall do according as is mentioned for the red sand.  
About the midst of March, if you have any barren or wasted ground within your fallow field, 
Of sowing Pease.  or if you have any occasion to break up any new ground, which hath not been formerly broke up, in either of these cases you shall sow Pease or Fitches thereupon, and those Pease or Fitches you shall sow under furrow as hath been before described.  
About the midst of April you shall plow your fallow-field over again, 
Of Spring-fallowing.  in such manner as you ploughed when you fallowed it first: and this is called Spring-fallowing, and is of great benefit because at that time the weeds and quickes beginning to spring, nay, to flourish, by reason that the heat of the climb puts them forth sooner than in other soils, if they should not be ploughed up before they take too strong root, they would not only overrun, but also eat out the heart of the Land.  
About the midst of May you shall begin to sow your Barley upon the richest part of your old fallow-field, 
Of sowing Barley.  which at the Michaelmas before, when you did sow your Wheat, and Rye, and Maslin, you did reserve for that purpose: and this Barley you shall sow in such sort as is mentioned in the former Chapter of the red Sand, in so much that this ardour being finished, which is the last part of your Séede-time, your whole field shall be furnished either with Wheat, if it hold a temperate fatness, or with Wheat and Barley, if it be rich and richer, or with Wheat, Barley and Pulse, if it be rich, poor or extreme barren: and the manner of sowing all these several seeds is described in the Chapters going before.  
About the midst of june you shall begin to Summer-stirre your fallow-field, 
Of Summer-stirring.  in such sort as was spoken of in the former Chapters concerning the other soils: for in this ardour there is no alteration of method, but only in government of the Plough, considering the heaviness and lightness of the earth. During this ardour you shall busily apply your labour in leading forth your Manure, for it may at great ease be done both at one season, neither the Plough hindering the Cart, nor the Cart staying the Plough: for this soil being more light and easy in work then any other soil whatsoever, doth ever preserve so many cattle for other employment that both works may go forward together, as shall be showed when we come to speak of the Plough, and the Team which draws it.  

Of Manuring.  Now as touching the Manures most fit for this soil, they be all those of which we have formerly written, ashes only excepted, which being of an hot nature do s●ald the Seed, and detain it from all fruitfulness, being mixed with this hot soil, so is likewise lime, and the burning of stubble: other Manures are both good and occasion much fertility, as being of a binding and cool nature, and holding together that looseness which in his too much separation taketh all nutriment from the earth.  

Of Weeding.  After you have led forth your Manure, and Summer-stird your Land, you shall then about the beginning of julie look into your Cornfield, and if you perceive any Thistles, or any other superfluous weeds to annoy your Corn, you shall then (as is before said) either cut, or pluck them up by the roots.  

Of foiling.  About the midst of August you shall begin to foil or cast down your fallow-field again, and in that ardour you shall be very careful to plow clean and leave no weeds vncut up: for in these hot soils if any weeds be left with the least root, so that they may knit and bring forth seed, the annoyance thereof will remain for at least four years after, which is a double fallowing. And to the end that you may cut up all such weeds clean, although both your Share and Coulture miss them, you shall have the rest of your Plough in the under part which strokes alongst the earth filled all full of drags of Iron, that is, of old crooked nails or great tenterhooks, such as upon the putting down of your right hand when you come near a weed shall catch hold thereof and tear it up by the roots, as at this day is used be many particular Husbands in this Kingdom, whose cares, skills, and industries are not inferior to the best whatsoever.  
About the midst of September, 
Of Sowing Wheat and Rye.  you shall begin to sow your Wheat and Rye upon your fallow field, which Grain upon this soil is to be reckoned the most principal: and you shall sow it in the same manner that is described in the former Chapters, wherein your especiallest ear is the choice of your seed: 
The choice of Seed.  for in this soil your whole-straw Wheat, nor your great Pollard taketh any delight, neither your Organ, for all those three must have a firm and astrong mould: but your Chilter-wheate, your Flaxen-wheate, your White-pollard, and your Red-wheate, which are the Wheats which yield the purest and finest meal, (although they grow not in so great abundance) are the seeds which are most proper and natural for this soil. As for Rye or Maslin, according to the goodness of the ground so you shall bestow your seed: for it is a general rule, that wheresoever your Wheat grows, there will ever Rye grow, but Rye will many times grew where Wheat will not prosper; and therefore for the sowing of your Rye, it must be according to the temper of the earth, and the necessity of your household: for Wheat being a richer grain than Rye, if you be assured that your ground will bear Wheat well, it is small Husbandry to sow more Rye or Maslin then for your house: but if it be too hot for Wheat, and kindly for Rye, than it is better to have good Rye, then ill Wheat. Now for the sowing of your Rye or Maslin in this soil, it differeth nothing from the former soils, either in ploughing or any other observation, that is to say, it must be ploughed above furrow: for Rye being the most tender grain, it can neither abide the weight of earth, nor yet moisture; the one, as it were, burying, and the other drowning the vigour and strength of the seed.  
About the beginning of November you shall Winter-ridge your fallow field, 
Of Winter-ridging.  I mean that part which you do preserve for Barley (for the other part is furnished with seed) and this Winter-ridging differeth nothing from the Winter ridging of other soils, only you shall a little more precisely observe to set up your lands more strait and high then in other soils, both to defend them from wet, which this soil is much subject unto, because commonly some great river is near it, and also for the preserving of the strength and goodness of the Manure within the land which by lying open and unclosed would soon be washed forth and consumed.  

Of the cleansing of lands, or drawing of water-furrowes.  Now sith I have here occasion so speak something of the draining of lands, and the keeping of them from the annoyance of superfluous wet, whether it be by inundation or otherwise, you shall understand that it is the especial office and duty of every good Husbandman, not only in this soil, but in all other whatsoever, to have a principal respect to the keeping of his land dry, and to that end he shall diligently (as soon as he hath Winter-rigged his land) take a careful view how his lands lie, which way the descent goes from whence annoyance of water may possibly come, and so consequently from those observations, with a Spade or strong Plough, of extraordinary greatness, draw certain deep furrows from descent unto descent, by which means all the water may be conveyed from his lands, either into some common Sewer, Lake, Brooke, or other main River: and to this end it is both a rule in the common Laws of our Land, and a laudable custom in the Commonwealth of every Town, that for as much as many Towns have their lands lie in common, that is to say, mixed neighbour with neighbour, few or none having above two or three lands at the most lying together in one place, therefore every man shall join, and make their water-furrowes one from another, until such time as the water be conveyed into some common issue, as well he whose lands lie without all danger, as he that is troubled with the greatest annoyance, and herein every one shall bear his particular charge: which is an Act of great virtue and goodness.  

Of the Plough.  Now for the Plough which is to plow this white sand it doth differ nothing in size, proportion, and use of handling from the Plough described for the red Sand, only it hath one addition more, that is to say, at the further end of the main Beam of the Plough, where you fire your Plough-foote, there you shall place a little pair of round wheels, which bearing the Beam upon a loose moving axle-tree, being just the length of two furrows and no more, doth so certainly guide the Plough in his true furrow that it can neither lose the land by swerving (as in these light soils every Plough is apt to do) nor take too much land, either by the greediness of the Plough or sharpness of the Irons, neither can it drowned through the easy lightness of the earth, nor run too shallow through the fussinesse of the mould, but the wheels being made of a true proportion, which should not be above twelve inches from the centre, the Plough with a reasonable hand of government shall run in a direct and even furrow: the proportion of which Plough is contained in this Figure.  
The Plough with Wheels.  
This Plough of all others I hold to be most ancient, and as being the model of the first invention, and at this day is preserved both in France, Germany, & Italy, and no other proportion of Ploughs known, both as we perceive by our experience in seeing them plough, & also by reading of their writings: for neither in Virgil, Columella, Xenophon, nor any old Writer: nor in Heresbachius, Steuens, nor Libault, being later Writers, find we any other Plough bequeathed unto our memories. Yet it is most certain, that in many of our English soils, this Plough is of little profit, as we find by daily experience both in our calies, and many of our mixed earths: for in truth this Plough is but only for light, sandy, or gravelly soils, as for the most part these foreign Countries are, especially about the sea-coast, or the borders of great Cities, from whence these Writers most generally took the precedents for their writings.  
Now for the parts of this Plough, it consisteth of the same members which the former Ploughs do, only that in stead of the Plough-foote it hath a pair of wheels. It hath also but one Hale, in such sort as the Plough for the grey or white clay. The beam also of this Plough is much more strait than the former, by which means the Skeath is not full so long. 
Of the plough-Irons.  The Irons belonging unto this Plough are of the fashion of the former Irons, only they be somewhat less, that is to say, the Coulture is not so long, neither so full bend as that for the red Sand, nor so strait as that for the black clay, but as it were holding a mean between both: so likewise the Share is not fully so broad as that for the red sand, nor so narrow as that for the grey clay, but holds as it were a middle size between both, somewhat leaning in proportion to the shape of that for the black clay. As for the Plough-slip, Plough-clouts, and other implements which are to defend the wood from the hardness of the earth, they are the same, and in the same wise to be used as those for the red Sand.  

Of the draft.  Now for the draft or Team which draws this Plough, they are as in all other Draughts, Oxen or Horses, but for the number thereof they differ much from those which are formerly written of: for you shall understand that in this white sandy soil, which is of all soils the lightest, either two good Horses, or two good Oxen are a number sufficient to plow any ardour upon this soil whatsoever, as by daily experience we may see in those countries whose soil consists of this white light Sand, of which we have now written: neither shall the Ploughman upon this soil need any person to drive or order his Plough more than himself: for the soil being so light and easy to cut, the Plough so nimble, and the cattle so few and so near him, having ever his right hand at liberty (because his plough hath but only a left hand Hale) he hath liberty ever to carry a goad or whip in his right hand, to quicken and set forward his cattle, and also a line which being fastened to the heads of the Beasts, he may with it ever when he comes to the lands end, stop them and turn them upon which hand he pleases. And thus much for the tillage and ordering of this white Sand.   

CHAP. IX. The manner of ploughing the Gravel with Bible stones, or the Gravel with Flint, their Earring, Plough, and implements.  
Having in the plainest manner I can written sufficiently already of the four simple and uncompounded soils, to wit, two Clayes, black and grey, and two Sands, red and white, it now rests that I also give you some perfect touch or taste of the mixed or compounded soils, as namely, the gravel which is a kind of hard sand, clay and stone mixed together: and of Gravels there be two kinds, that is to say, one that is mixed with little small Bible stones, as in many parts of Middlesex, Kent, and Surry: and the Gravel mixed with broad Flints, as in many parts of Hartford-shire, Essex, and sundry such places. These Gravels are both, in general, subject to much barrenness, espcially if they be accompanied with any extraordinary moisture, yet with the good labour of ploughing, and with the cost of much Manure, they are brought to reasonable fruitfulness, where it comes to pass that the Ploughman which is master of such a soil, if either he live not near some City or Market-town, where great store of Manure, by the concourse of people, is daily bred, and so consequently is very cheap, or else have not in his own store and breed, means to raise good store of Manure, he shall seldom thrive and prosper thereupon. Now although in these gravel soils there is a diversity of mixture, as the one mingled with small Pebbles, which indeed is the worst mixture, the other with broad Flints, which is the better sign of fruitfulness: yet in their order of tillage or Earring, in their wéeding and cleansing, and in all other ardours and observations, they differ nothing at all, the beginning and ending of each several work being all one.  
Now for the manner of work belonging unto these two soils, it altereth in no respect nor observation either in Plough, ploughing, manuring, weeding, or any other thing whatsoever, from that of the white sand, the same times of the year, the same Seeds, and the same Earring being ever to be obserued● wherefore at shall 〈…〉 to write so amply of these soils as of the other, because being all one with the white Sand, without alteration, it were but to write one thing twice, and therefore I refer the Reader to the former Chapter, and also the Husbandman that shall live upon either of these soils, only with these few caveats: First, that for the laying his land; he shall lay them in little small stitches, that is, not having above four furrows laid together, as it were for one land, in such sort as you see in Hartford-shire, Essex, Middlesex, Kent and Surry: for this soil being for the most part subject to much moisture and hardness, if it should be laid in great lands, according to the manner of the North parts, it would over-burden, choke and confound the seed which is thrown into it. Secondly, you shall not go about to gather off the stones which seem as it were to cover the lands, both because the labour is infinite and impossible, as also because those stones are of good use, and as it were a certain Manuring and help unto the ground: for the nature of this Gravel being cold and moist, these stones do in the winter time, defend and keep the sharpness of the Frosts and bleak winds from killing the heart or root of the seeds, and also in the Summer it defends the scorching heat of the Sun from parching and drying up the Seed, which in this gravelly soil doth not lie so well covered, as in other soils, especially if this kind of earth be environed with any great hills (as most commonly it is) the reflection whereof makes the heat much more violent. And lastly, to observe that there is no manure better or more kindly for this kind of earth than Chalk, white Marle, or lime: for all other matters whatsoever the former Chapter of the white Sand, will give you sufficient instructions.   

CHAP. X. The manner of ploughing the black Clay mixed with red Sand, and the white Clay mixed with white Sand, their Earring, Plough, and Implements.  
NExt to these gravelly soils, there be also two other compounded earths, as namely, the black Clay mixed with red Sand, and the white Clay mixed with white sand, which albe they differ in composition of mould, yet they hold one nature in their Tillage and Husbandry: wherefore first to speak of the black Clay mixed with red Sand, which (as before I said) is called of Husbandmen an hassel earth, you shall understand that it is a very rich and good soil, very fruitful both for Corn and Grass: for Corn, being apt to bear any seed whatsoever: and for Grass, as naturally putting it forth very early in the year, by which your cattle shall get relief sooner than in other soils of colder nature: for both the black and white clays do seldom flourish wish any store of Grass before june, which is the time of woods●are, and this soil will boast of some plenty about the beginning of April at the furthest: but for Grass we shall speak in his proper place.  

Of fallowing.  Now for his tillage it is thus: you shall about the midst of january, begin to fallow that field which you intent that year shall lie at rest or tilth, and you shall fallow it in such sort as is specified in the Chapter of the black clay: only you shall take small furrows and Blow the land clean, being s●re to open and cast the land downward if the land lie high and round, otherwise you shall never at any time cast the land down but ridge it up, that is to say, when you fallow it, you shall cast the first furrow downward, and so likewise the second, which two furrows being clean ploughed, will lay the land open enough, that is, there willbe no part of the ridge unploughed: which done, by changing your hand and the gate of your Plough, you shall plough those furrows back again and lay them upward, and so plough the whole land upward, also laying it round and high: the reason for this manner of ploughing being this, that for as much as this land being mixed of clay and sand, must needs be a sore binding land, therefore if it should be laid flat, if any great rain or wet should fall, and a present drought follow it, neither should you possibly force your Plough to enter into it and break it, or being broken should you get so much mould as to cover your Corn and give the seed comfort, whereas upon the contrary part, if it be laid high and upright, it must necessarily be laid hollow and light, in so much that you may both Plough it at your pleasure, and also beget so perfect a mould as any other soil whatsoever, both because the wet hath liberty to avoid through the hollowness, and also because the Sun and weather hath power to enter and season it, wherefore in conclusion you shall fallow this field downward if it lie high and upright, otherwise you shall fallow it upward as the means to bring it to the best ardour.  
Now for this fallow field it must ever be made where the year before you did reap your Pease, in case you have but three fields, or where you did reap your Wheat, Rye, and Maslin, in case you have four fields, according to the manner of the black clay.  
About the midst of February, 
Of sowing Pease.  which is within a day or two of Saint Valentine's day, if the season be any thing constant in fairness and dryness, you shall then begin to sow your Pease, for you must understand that albeit this soil will bear Beans, yet they are nothing so natural for it as Pease, both because they are an hungry seed and do much impair and waste the ground, and also because they prosper best in a fat, loose, and tough earth, which is contrary to this hard and dry soil: but especially if you have four fields, you shall forbear to sow any Beans at all, lest you lose two commodities, that is, both quantity of grain (because Beans are not so long and fruitful upon this earth, as upon the calies) and the Manuring of your ground, which Pease out of their own natures do, both by the smothering of the ground and their own fatness, when your Beans do pill and suck the heart out of the earth.  
Now for the manner of sowing your Pease, you shall sow them above furrow, that is, first plough the land upward, then immediately sow your Pease, and instantly after Harrow them, the Plough, the Séedes-man, and the Harrower, by due course, following each other, an● so likewise you may sow Oats upon this soil.  
About the midst of March, 
Of sowing Barley.  which is almost a fortnight before our Lady day, you shall begin to sow your Barley, which Barley you shall sow neither under-furrow nor above, but after this order: first, you shall plow your land downward, beginning at the furrow and so ascending upward to the ridge of the land, which as soon as you have opened, you shall then by pulling the plough out of the earth, and laying the shelboard cross the ridge, you shall fill the ridge in again with the same mould which you ploughed up: this done, your sédes-man shall bring his Barley and sow the land above furrow: after the land is sown, you shall then Harrow it as small as may be, first with a pair of wooden Harrows, and after with a pair of Iron Harrows, or else with a double Ox Harrow, for this earth being somewhat hard and much binding, will ask great care and diligence in breaking.  

Of slighting  After your Barley is sown, you shall about the latter end of April begin to smooth and slight your land, both with the back Harrows and with the rouler, and look what clots they fail to break, you shall with clotting beetles beat them asunder, making your mould as fine and laying your land as smooth as is possible.  

Of Summer-stirring.  About the midst of May, you shall, if any wet fall, begin to Summer-stirre your land, or if no wet fall, you shall do your endeavour to Summer-stirre your land, rather adventuring to break two ploughs, then to lose one day in that labour, knowing this, that one land Summer-stird in a dry season, is better than three Summer-stird in a wet or moist weather, both because it gives the earth a better temper, and kills the weeds with more assuredness, and as I speak of Summer-stirring, so I speak of all other ardours, that the drier they are done the better they are ever done: and in this season you shall also gather the stones from your ground.  

Objection.  Now it may be objected, that if it be best to plough in dry seasons, it is then-best to fallow also in a dry season, and by that means not to begin to fallow until the beginning of May, as is prescribed for the black clay, and so to defer the Summer-stirring till the next month after, sith of necessity january must either be wet or else unkindly.  

Answer.  To this I make answer, that most true it is, that the land which is last fallowed is ever the best and most fruitful, yet this mixed earth which is compound of sand and clay, is such a binding earth, that if it be not taken and fallowed in a moist time of the year, as namely, in january or February, but suffered to lie till May, at which time the drought hath so entered into him, that the greatest part of his moisture is decayed, than I say, the nature of the ground is such and so hard, that it willbe impossible to make any plough enter into it, so that you shall not only adventure the loss of that special ardour, but also of all the rest which should follow after, and so consequently lose the profit of your land: where contrary wise if you fallow it at the beginning of the year, as in january, and February, albe they be wet, yet shall you lay up your furrows and make the earth more loose, by which means you shall compass all the other Earring which belong to your soil: for to speak briefly, late fallowing belongs unto clays, which by drought are made loose and light, and early fallowing unto mixed soils, such as these which by dryness do engender and bind close together.  
About the midst of june, 
Of weeding.  you shall begin to weed your Corn, in such sort as hath been before described in the former Chapters: and although this soil naturally of itself (if it have received his whole ardour in due seasons, and have been Ploughed clean, according to the office of a good Husband) doth neither put forth Thistle or other weed, yet if it want either the one or the other, it is certain that it puts them forth in great abundance, for by Thistles and weeds, upon this soil, is ever known the goodness and diligence of the Husbandman.  
About the midst of july, 
Of Foiling.  you shall begin to foil your land, in such sort also as hath been mentioned in the former Chapters, only with this observation that if any of your lands lie flat, you shall then, in your foiling, plough those lands upward and not downward, holding your first precept that in this soil, your lands must lie high, light, and hollow, which if you see they do, than you may if you please in your foiling cast them downward, because at Winter ridging you may set them up again.  

Of Manuring.  Now for as much as in this Chapter I have hitherto omitted to speak of Manuring this soil, you shall understand that it is not because I hold it so rich that it needeth no Manure, but because I know there is nothing more needful unto it then Manure, in so much that I wish not the Husbandman of this ground to bind himself unto any one particular season of the year for the leading forth of his Manure, but to bestow all his leasurable hours and rest from other works only upon this labour, even through the circuit of the whole year, knowing this most precisely, that at what time of the year so ever you shall lay Manure upon this earth it will return much profit.  
As for the choice of Manures upon this soil they are all those whatsoever, of which I have formerly entreated in any of the other Chapters, no Manure whatsoever coming amiss to this ground: provided that the Husbandman have this respect to lay upon his moistest and coldest ground his hottest Manures, and upon his hottest and driest earth his coolest and moistest Manures: the hot Manures being Shéepes-dung, Pigions-dung, Pullen-dung, lime, Ashes, and such like: the cool being Oxe-dung, Horse-dung, the scourings of Ponds, Marle, and such like.  

Of Winter-ridging.  About the midst of September you shall begin to Winter-ridge your Land, which in all points you shall do according as is mentioned in the former Chapters of the Clayes: for in this ardour there is never any difference, only this one small observation, that you may adventure to Winter-ridge this mixed earth sooner than any other: for many of our best English Husbandmen which live upon this soil do hold this opinion, that if it be Winter-ridged so early in the year, that through the virtue of the latter spring it put forth a certain green weed like moss, being short and soft, that the land is so much the better therefore, being as they imagine both fed and comforted by such a slender expression which doth not take from the land any heart, but like a warm covering doth ripen and make mellow the mould, and this cannot be effected but only by early Winter-ridging.  
At the end of September you shall begin to sow your Wheat, Rye, and Maslin, 
Of Sowing of Wheat, Rye, and Maslin.  all which Grains are very natural, good, and profitable upon this soil, and are to be sown after the same manner, and with the same observations which are specified in the former Chapter of the black clay, that is to say, the Wheat under furrow, and unharrowed, the Rye and Maslin above furrow, and well harrowed. And herein is also to be remembered all those precepts mentioned in the Chapter of the black Clay, touching the division of the fields, that is to say, if you have three fields, you shall then sow your Wheat, Rye and Maslin in your fallow-field, and so save both the foiling and double manuring of so much earth: but if you have four fields, than you shall sow those grains upon that land from whence the same year you did reap your Pease; your Wheat having no other Manure then that which came by the Pease, your Rye having, if possible, either Manure from the Cart, or from the Fold, in such sort as hath been showed in the Chapter of the black Clay, and this of Husbandmen is called Inam-wheate or Inam-rye, that is, white corn sown after white-corne, as Barley after Barley, or hard-corne after hard-corne, which is wheat after Pease.  
Now for the Plough which is most proper for this soil 
Of the plough.  it is to be made of a middle size betwixt that for the black Clay, and that for the red Sand, being not all out so big and unwieldy as the first, nor so slender and nimble as the latter, but taking a middle proportion from them both, you shall make your Plough of a competent fitness.  
As for the Irons, 
Of the plough-Irons.  the Share must be of the same proportion that the Share for the red Sand is, yet a little thought bigger, and the Coulture of the fashion of that Coulture, only not full so much bend, but all-out as sharp and as long: and these Irons must be ever well maintained with steel, for this mixed earth is ever the hardest, and weareth both the Plough and Irons soon, and therefore it is agreed by all Husbandmen that this Plough must not at any time want his Plough-slip, except at the first going of the Plough you shall find that it hath too much land, that is to say, by the cross setting on of the beam, that it runneth too greedily into the land, which to help, you shall let your Plough go without a plough-slip, till the plough-head be so much worn, that it take no more but an ordinary furrow, and then you shall set on your Plough-slips and Plough clouts also: but I write this in case there be imperfection in the Plough, which if it be otherwise, than this observation is needless.  

Of the Team.  Now for the Team or draft which shall draw this Plough, they are as the former, Oxen or Horses, and their number the same that is prescribed for the black Clay, as namely, eight or six Beasts for Pease-earth, for Fallowing, and Summer-stirring, and six or four for all other ardours: for you must understand that this mixed and binding soil, through his hardness, and glutenous holding together, is as hard to plow as any clay-soile whatsoever, and in some special seasons more by many degrees.  

Of the white clay with white Sand.  Now for the white clay mixed with white sand, it is an earth much more barren, than this former mixed earth, and bringeth forth nothing without much care, diligence, and good order: yet, for his manner of Earring, in their true natures every way do differ nothing from the Earring of this black clay and red Sand, only the Seed which must be sown upon this soil differeth from the former: for upon this soil in stead of Barley you must sow most Oats, as a Grain which will take much strength from little fertility: and in stead of Rye you shall sow more Wheat and more Pease, or in stead of Pease than you shall sow Fitches of either kind which you please, and the increase will be (though not in abundance, yet) so sufficient as shall well quit the Ploughman's labour.  

Of Manuring.  Now for the Manuring of this ground, you shall understand that Marl is the chiefest: for neither will any man suppose that this hard soil should bring up cattle sufficient to manure it, nor if it would, yet that Manure were not so good: for a barren clay being mixed with a most barren sand, it must consequently follow that the soil must be of all the barenest, insomuch that to give perfect strength and life unto it, there is nothing better than Marle, which being a fat and strong clay, once incorporated within these weak moul●●, it must needs give them the best nourishment, loosening the binding substance, and binding that weakness which occasioneth the barrenness: but of this Marl I shall have more occasion to speak hereafter in a particular Chapter, only thus much I must let you understand, that this soil, albe it be not within any degree of praise for the bringing forth of Corn, yet it is very apt and fruitful for the breeding of grass, insomuch that it will bear you corn for at least nine years together (without the use of any fallow or Tilth-field) if it be well marled, and immediately after it will bear you very good breeding grass, or else reasonable Meadow for as many years after, as by daily experience we see in the Countries of Lancaster and Chester. So that the consequence being considered, this ground is not but to be held indifferent fruitful: for whereas other soils afore showed (which bear abundance of Grain) are bound to be manured once in three years, this soil, albe it bear neither so rich grain, nor so much plenty, yet it needs marling not above once in sixteen or eighteen years: and albe Marle be a Manure of the greatest cost, yet the profit by continuance is so equal that the labour is never spent without his reward, as shall more largely appear hereafter.  
As touching the Plough, 
Of the Plough.  it is the same which is mentioned in the other soil of the black Clay, and red Sand, altering nothing either in quantity of timber, or strength of Irons: so that to make any large description thereof, is but to double my former discourses, and make my writings tedious.  
For to conclude briefly, these two soils differ only but in fatness and strength of nature, not in Ear-ring, or ploughing, so that the labours of tillage being equal there is not any alteration more than the true diligence of much manuring, which will breed an affinity or alliance betwixt both these soils. And thus much for this black Clay and red Sand, or white Clay and white Sand.    

THE FIRST PART OF THE ENGLISH Husbandman: Containing, the manner of ploughing and Manuring all sorts of Soils, together with the manner of planting and setting of Corne.  

CHAP. I. Of the manner of ploughing all simple Earth's, which are uncompounded.  
THAT many famous and learned men, both in France, Spain, Italy and Germany, have spent all their best time in showing unto the world the excellency of their experiences, in this only renowned Art of Husbandry, their large and learned Uolumes, most excellently written, in that kind, are witnesses: from whence we by translations have gotten some contentment, though but small profit; because those foreign climates, differing much from ours, both in nature of earth, and temper of Air, the rules and observations belonging unto them can be little available to us, more than to know what is done in such parts, a thing more appertaining to our conference then practise. But now, that other kingdoms may see though we write less yet we know as much as belongeth to the office of the English Husbandman, I, though the meanest of many millions, have undertaken to deliver unto the world all the true rudiments, observations and knowledges what soever, which hath any affinity or alliance with English Husbandry. And for as much as the best and principallest part of Husbandry consisteth in the ploughing and earring of the ground (for in that only Adam began his first labours) I think it not unmeet, first to treat of that subject, proceeding so from branch to branch, till I have given every one sufficient knowledge.  
To speak then first of the Tilling of Grounds. You shall well understand, that it is the office of every good Husbandman before he put his plough into the earth, truly to consider the nature of his Grounds, and which is of which quality and temper. To proceed then to our purpose; all soils what soever, in this our kingdom of England, are reduced into two kinds only, that is to say, Simple or Compound. Simple, are those which have no mixture with others of a contrary quality, as are your stiff calies, or your loose sands: your stiff calies are likewise divers, as a black clay, a blue clay, and a clay like unto Marble. Your sands are also divers, as a red sand, a white sand, a yellow sand, and a sand like unto dust. Your mixed earths are where any of these calies and sands are equally or unindifferently mixed together, as shallbe at large declared hereafter. Now as touching the tilling of your simple calies, it is to be noted, that the black clay, of all earth, is the most fruitful, and demandeth from the Husbandman the least toil, yet bringeth forth his increase in the greatest abundance: it will well and sufficiently bring forth three crops, ear it desire rest: namely, the first of Barley, the second of Pease, and the third of Wheat: It doth not desire much Manure, for it is naturally of itself so fat, rich, and fruitful, that if you add strength unto his strength, by heaping Manure or Compass thereupon, you make it either blast, and mildew the Corn that grows, with the too much fatness of the earth, or else through his extreme rankness, to bring it up in such abundance that it is not able to stand upright when it is shot up, but falling down flat to the ground, and the ears of Corn smothering one another, they bring forth nothing but light Corn, like an empty husk, without a kernel. The best Manure or Compass therefore that you can give such ground, is then to plow it in orderly and due seasons, as thus: you shall begin to fallow, or break up this soil, at the beginning of May, at which time you shall plow it deep, & take up a large furrow, and if your Lands lie any thing flat, it shallbe meet that you begin on the ridge of the land, and turn all your furrows upward, but if your Lands lie high and upright, then shall you begin in the furrow and turn all your furrows downward, which is called of Husbandmen, the casting down of Land. This first ploughing of ground, or as Husbandmen term it, the first ardour, is called fallowing: the second ardour, which we call stirring of ground, or summer stirring, you shall begin in july, which is of great consequence, for by means of it you shall kill all manner of weeds and thistells that would annoy your Land. In this ardour you must oft observe that if when you fallowed you did set up your Land, than now when you stir you must cast down your Land, and so contrarily, if before you did cast down, then now you must set up: your third ardour, which is called of Husbandmen, winter ridgeing, or setting up Land for the whole year, you shall begin at the latter end of September, and you must ever observe that in this third ardour you do always ridge up your Land, that is to say, you most turn every furrow upward and lay them as close together as may be, for should you do otherwise, that is to say, either lay them flat or loosely, the winter season would so beat and bake them together, that when you should sow your seed you would hardly get your plough into the ground.  
Now your fourth and last ardour, which must be when you sow your seed, you shall begin ever about the midst of March, at least one week before our Lady's day, commonly called the Annunciation of Mary, and this ardour you shall ever plow downward, laying your ridges very well open, and you shall ever observe in this ardour, first to sow your seed, and then after to plow your ground, turning your seed into the earth, which is called of Husband-men● sowing underfurrow: as soon as your ground is ploughed you shall harrow it with an harrow whose teeth are all of wood, for these simple earths are of easy temper and will of themselves fall to dust, then after you have thus sown your ground, if then there remain any clots or lumps of earth unbroken, you shall let them rest till after the next shower of rain, at which time you shall either with a heavy rouler, or the backside of your harrows, run over your Lands, which is called the slighting of ground, and it will not only break such clots to dust, but also lay your Land plain and smooth, leaving no impediment to hinder the Corn from sprouting and coming forth. In this same order as you are appointed for this black clay, in this same manner you shall order both your blue clay & your clay which is like unto marble. Now as touching the plough which is fittest for these calies, it must be large and strong, the beam long and well bending, the head thick and large, the skéeth broad, strong, and well sloping, the share with a very large wing, craveing much earth, and the coulter long, thick and very strait.  
Now touching those sands which are simple and uncompounded, you shall understand that every good Husbandman most begin his first ardour (which is to fallow them) at the beginning of january, he must sooner stirer them, which is the second ardour, at the latter end of April, he shall cast them down again, which is called foiling of Land, at the beginning of july, which is the third ardour, and wherein is to be noted, that how soever all other ardours are ploughed, yet this must ever be cast downward: the fourth ardour, which is winter-stirring or winter-ridgeing, must ever begin at the end of September, and the fifth and last ardour must be performed when you sow your ground, which would be at the midst of May, at the soon, and if your leisure and ability will give you leave, if you turn over your ground again in january, it will be much better, for these sands can never have too much ploughing, nor too much Manure, and therefore for them both, you shall apply them so oft as your leisure will conveniently serve, making no spare when either the way or opportunity will give you leave. Now for as much as all sands, being of a hot nature, are the fittest to bring forth Rye, which is a grain delighting in dryness only, you shall understand, that then you shall not need to plow your ground above four times over, that is, you shall fallow, summer stir, foil, and in September sow your Corn: and as these ardours serve the red sand, so are they sufficient for your white sand, and your yellow sand also. As touching the ploughs fit for these light earths, they would be little and strong, having a short slender beam and a crooked; a narrow and thin head, a slender skéeth, a share without a wing, a coulter thin and very crooked, and a pair of hales much bending forward towards the man; and with this manner of plough you may plow divers mixed and compounded earths, as the black clay and red sand, or the red sand and white gravel: and thus much as touching earths that are simple and uncompounded.   

CHAP. II. Of the manner of ploughing the black clay mixed with white sand, and the white clay mixed with red sand: their Earrings, Plough, and Implements.  
AS touching the mi●ture of these two several soils, that is to say, the black clay with white sand, and the white clay with red sand, they ●iffer not in the nature of ploughing, sowing, or in Manuring, from the soil which is mixed of a black clay and red sand, of which I have sufficiently entreated before: only thus much you shall understand, that the black clay mixed with white sand is so much better and richer than the white clay mixed with red sand, by as much as the black clay is better than the white clay: and although some Husbandmen in our Land, hold them to be both of one temper and goodness, reasoning thus, that by how much the black clay is better than the white, by so much the red sand is better than the white sand, so that what the mixture of the one addeth, the mixture of the other taketh away, and so maketh them all one in fruitfulness and goodness: but in our common experience it doth not so fall out, for we find that the black clay mixed with white sand, if it be ordered in the form of good Husbandry, that is to say, be ploughed over at least four times, before it come to be sown, and that it be Manured and compassed in Husbandly fashion, which is to allow at least eight waine-load to an Acre, that if then upon such Land you shall sow either Organ Wheat (in the south parts called red Wheat) or flaxen, or white Pollard Wheat, that such Wheat will often mildew, and turn as black as soot, which only showeth too much richness and fatness in the earth, which the white clay mixed with red sand hath never been seen to do, especially so long as it is used in any Husbandly fashion, neither will the white clay mixed with red sand endure to be divided into four fields, that is to say, to bear three several crops, one after another, as namely, Barley, Pease, and Wheat, without rest, which the black clay mixed with white sand many times doth, and thereby again showeth his better fruitfulness: nevertheless, in generality I would not wish any good Husbandman, and especially such as have much tillage, to divide either of these soils into any more than three fields, both because he shall ease himself and his cattle of much toil, shall not at any time loose the best seasons for his best works, and make his commodities, and fruit of his hands labours, by many degrees more certain.  
You shall also understand, that both these soils are very much binding, especially the white clay with red sand, both because the clay, proceeding from a chaukie and limie substance, and not having in it much fatness or fertility (which occasioneth separation) being mixed with the red sand, which is of a much more hardness and aptness to knit together, with such tough matter, it must necessarily bind and cleave together, and so likewise the black clay, from whence most naturally proceedeth your best limestone, being mixed with white sand, doth also bind together and stifle the seed, if it be not prevented by good Husbandry.  
You shall therefore in the ploughing and earring of these two soils, observe two especial notes; the first, that by no means you plow it in the wet, that is, in any great glut of rain: for if you either lay it up, or cast it down, when it is more like mortar then earth, if then any sunshine, or fair weather, do immediately follow upon it, it will so dry and bake it, that if it be sown, neither will the seed have strength to sprout thorrow it, nor being in any of your other summer ardours, shall you by any means make your plough enter into it again, when the season falleth for other ploughing. The second, that you have great care you lay your Land high and round, that the furrows, as it were standing upright one by another, or lying light and hollow, one upon another, you may with more ease, at any time, enter in your plough, and turn your mould which way you please, either in the heat of Summer, or any other time of the year whatsoeuer●.  
Now as touching the plough, which is most best and proper for these soils, it would be the same in size which is formerly directed for the red sand, only the Irons must be altered, for the Coulter would be more long, sharp, and bending, and the share so narrow, sharp, and small as can conveniently be made, according as is formerly expressed, that not having power to take up any broad furrow, the furrows by reason of there slenderness may lie many, and those many both hollow, light and at any time easily to be broken.  
As for the Team which is best to work in this soil, they may be either Horses or Oxen, or Oxen and Horse mixed together, according to the Husbandman's ability, but if he be a Lord of his own pleasure and may command, and have every thing with is most apt and proper, then in these two soils, I prefer the Team of Horses single, rather than Oxen, especially in any winter or moist ardour, because they do not tread and foil the ground making it miry and dirty as the Ox doth, but going all in one furrow, do keep the Land in his constant firmness.  
As touching the clotting, slighting, wéeding, and dressing of these two soils, they differ in nothing from the former mixed earths, but desire all one manner of diligence: and thus much for these two soils the black clay mixed with white sand, and the white clay with white red sand.   

CHAP. III. A comparison of all the former soils together, and most especial notes for giving the ignorant Husbandman perfect understanding, of what is written before.  
THe reason why I have thus at large discoursed of every several soil, both simple and compounded, is to show unto the industrious Husbandman, the perfect and true reason of the general alteration of our works in Husbandry, through this our Realm of England: for if all our Land, as it is one kingdom, were likewise of one composition, mixture, and goodness, it were then exceeding preposterous to see those diversities, alterations, I, and even contrary manners of proceedings in Husbandry, which are daily and hourly used: but every man in his own work knows the alteration of climates. Yet for so much as this labour of Husbandry, consisteth not for the most part in the knowing and understanding breast, but in the rude, simple, and ignorant Clown, who only knoweth how to do his labour, but cannot give a reason why he doth such labour, more than the instruction of his parents, or the custom of the Country, where it comes to pass (and I have many times seen the same to mine admiration) that the skilfullest Clown which is bred in the clay soils, when he hath been brought to the sandy ground, he could neither hold the plough, temper the plough, nor tell which way in good order to drive the cattle, the heaviness of the one labour being so contrary to the lightness of the other, that not having a temperance, or understanding in his hands, he hath been put even unto his wits ends; therefore I think it convenient, in this place, by a slight comparison of soils together, to give the simplest Husbandman such direct & plain rules that he shall with out the study of his brains, attain to absolute knowledge of every several mixture of earth: and albeit he shall not be able distinctly to say at the first that it is compounded of such and such earths, yet he shall be very able to deliver the true reason and manner how such ground (of what nature soever) shall be Husbanded and titled.  
Therefore to begin the Husbandman, is to understand, that generally there are but two soils for him to regard, for in them consisteth the whole Art of Husbandry: as namely, the open and loose earth, and the close and fast binding earth, and these two soils being mere opposites and contraries, most necessarily require in the Husbandman a double understanding, for there is no soil, of what simplicity or mixture soever it be, but it is either loose or fast.  
Now to give you my meaning of these two words, loose and fast, it is, that every soil which upon parching and dry weather, even when the Sun beams scorcheth, and as it were baketh the earth, if then the ground upon such exceeding drought do moulder and fall to dust, so that whereas before when it did retain moisture it was heavy, tough, and not to be separated, now having lost that glewinesse it is light, loose, and even with a man's foot to be spurned to ashes, all such grounds are termed loose and open grounds, because at no time they do bind in or imprison the seed (the frost time only excepted, which is by accidence, and not from the nature of the foil:) and all such grounds as in their moisture or after the fall of any sudden rain are soft, pliable, light, and easy to be wrought, but after when they come to lose that moistness and that the powerfulness of the Sun hath as it were drid up their veins, if then such earths become hard, firm, and not to be separated, then are those soils termed fast and binding soils, for if there ardours be not taken in their due times, and their seed cast into them in perfect and due seasons, neither is it possible for the Ploughman to plow them, nor for the seed to sprout through, the earth being so fastened and as it were stone-like fixed together. Now sithence that all soils are drawn into these two heads, fastness, and looseness, and to them is annexed the diversity of all tillage, I will now show the simple Husbandman which earths be loose, and which fast, and how without curiosity to know and to distinguish them.  
Briefly, all soils that are simple and of themselves uncompounded, as namely, all clays, as black, white, grey, or blue, and all sands, as either red, white, or black, are open and loose soils: the claies because the body and substance of them being held together by moistness, that moisture being dried up, their strength and stiffness decayeth, and sands by reason of their natural lighnesse, which wanting a more moist and fixed body to be joined with them do lose all strength of binding or holding together. Now all mixed or compound earths (except the compositions of one and the same kinds, as clay with clay, or sand with sand) are ever fast and binding earths: for betwixt sand and clay, or clay & gravel, is such an affinity, that when they be mixed together the sand doth give to the clay such hardness and dryness, and the clay to the sand such moisture and coldness, that being fixed together they make one hard body, which through the warmth of the Sun bindeth and cleaveth together. But if it be so that the ignorance of the Husbandman cannot either through the subtlety of his eye sight, or the observations gathered from his experience, distinguish of these soils, and the rather, sith many soils are so indifferently mixed, and the colour so very perfect, that even skill itself may be deceived: as first to speak of what mixture some soils consist, yet for as much as it is sufficient for the Husbandman to know which is loose and which is binding, he shall only when he is perplexed with these differences, use this experiment, he shall take a good lump of that earth whose temperature he would know, and working it with water and his wet hands, like a piece of past, he shall then as it were make a cake thereof, and laying it before an hot fire, there let it lie, till all the moisture be dried & backed out of it, then taking it into your hands and breaking it in pieces, if between your fingers it moulder and fa●l into a small dust, then be assured it is a loose, simple, and uncompounded earth, but if it break hard and firm, like a stone, and when you crumble it between your fingers it be rough, gréetie, and shining, then be assured it is a compounded fast-binding earth, and is compounded of clay and sand, and if in the baking it do turn red or reddish, it is compounded of a grey clay and red sand, but if it be brown or bluish, than it is a black clay & white sand, but if when you break it you find therein many small pebbles, than the mixture is clay and gravel. Now there be some mixed soils, after they are thus baked, although they be hard and binding, yet they will not be so exceeding hard and stone-like as other soils will be, and that is where the mixture is unequal, as where the clay is more than the sand, or the sand more than the clay.  
When you have by this experiment found out the nature of your earth, and can tell whether it be simple or compounded, you shall then look to the fruitfulness thereof, which generally you shall thus distinguish. First, that calys, simple and of themselves uncompounded, are of all the most fruitful, of which, black is the best, that next to calies, your mixed earths are most fertile, and the mixture of the black clay and red sand, called a hazel earth, is the best, and that your sands are of all soils most barren, of which the red sand for profit hath ever the pre-eminence.  
Now for the general tillage and use of these grounds, you shall understand that the simple and uncompounded grounds, being loose and open (if they lie free from the danger of water) the Lands may be laid the flattest and greatest, the furrows turned up the largest and closest, and the plough and plough-Irons, most large and massy, only those for the sandy grounds must be more slender than those for the calies and much more nimble, as hath, bi●ne showed before. Now for the mixed earths, you shall lay your Lands high, round, and little, set your furrows upright, open, and so small as is possible, and make your plough and plow Irons most nimble and slender, according to the manner before specified: and thus I conclude, that he which knoweth the loose earth and the binding earth, can either help or abate the strength of the earth, as is needful, and knows how to sort his ploughs to each temper, knows the ground and substance of all tillage.   

CHAP. FOUR Of the planting or setting of Corn, and the profit thereof.  
NOt that I am conceited, or carried away with any novelty or strange practice, unusually practised in this kingdom, or that I will ascribe unto myself to give any judicial approbation or allowance to things merely unfrequented, do I publish, within my book, this relation of the setting of Corn, but only because I would not have our English Husbandman to be ignorant of any skill or obscure faculty which is either proper to his profession, or agreeable with the fertility and nature of our climates, and the rather, since some few years ago, this (as it then appeared secret) being with much admiration bruited through the kingdom, in so much that according to our weak accustomed dispositions (which ever loves strange things best) it was held so worthy, both for general profit and particular ease, that very few (except the discreet) but did not alone put it in practice, but did even ground strong beliefs to raise to themselves great commonwealths by the profits thereof; some not only holding insufficient arguments, in great places, of the inutilitie of the plough, but even utterly contemning the poor cart jade, as a creature of no necessity, so that Poulters and Carriers, were in good hope to buy Horseflesh as they bought eggs, at least five for a penny; but it hath proved otherwise, and the Husbandman's es yet cannot lose the Horse's service. But to proceed to the manner of setting or planting of Corn, it is in this manner.  

Of setting Wheat.  Having chosen out an acre of good Corn ground, you shall at the beginning of March, appoint at least six diggers or labourers with spades to dig up the earth gardenwise, at least a soot and three inches deep (which is a large spades grafted) and being so digged up, to rest till june, and then to dig it over again, and in the digging to trench it and Manure it, as for a garden mould, bestowing at least sixteen Waine-load of Horse or Ox Manure upon the acre, and the Manure to be well covered within the earth, than so to let it rest until the beginning of October, which being the time for the setting, you shall then dig it up the third time, and with rakes and béetells break the mould somewhat small, then shall you take a board of six foot square, which shallbe bored full of large wimble holes, each hole standing in good order, just six inches one from another, then laying the board upon the new digged ground, you shall with a stick, made for the purpose, through every hole in the board, make a hole into the ground, at least fore inches deep, and then into every such hole you shall drop a Corn of Wheat, and so removing the board from place to place, go all over the ground that you have digged, and so set each several Corn six inches one from another, and then wi●h a rake you shall rake over and cover all the holes with earth, in such sort that they may not be discerned. And herein you are to observe by the way that a quart of Wheat will set your acre: which Wheat is not to be taken as it falls out by chance when you buy it in the market, but especially could and picked out of the ear, being neither the uppermost Corns which grow in the tops of the ears, nor the lowest, which grow at the setting on of the stalk, both which, most commonly are light and of small substance, but those which are in the midst, and are the greatest, fullest, and roundest.  
Now in the self-same sort as you dress your ground for your Wheat, 
Of setting Barley, or Pease.  in the self same manner you shall dress your ground for Barley, only the first time you dig it shallbe after the beginning of May, the second time and the Manuring about the midst of October, wherein you shall note that to your acre of Barley earth, you shall allow at least four and twenty Waine-load of Manure, and the last time of your digging and setting shallbe at the beginning of April.  
Now for the dressing of your earth for the setting of Pease, it is in all things answerable to that for Barley, only you may save the one half of your Manure, because a dozen Waine-load is sufficient, and the time for setting them, or any other pulse, is ever about the midst of February.  
Now for the profit which issueth from this practice of setting of Corn, 
Of the profit of setting Corne.  I must needs confess, if I shall speak simply of the thing, that is, how many folds it doubleth and increaseth, surely it is both great and wonderful: and whereas in general it is reputed that an acre of set Corn yieldeth as much profit as nine acres of sown Corn, for mine own part I have seen a much greater increase, if every Corn set in an acre should bring forth so much as I have seen to proceed from some three or four Corns set in a garden, but I fear me the generality will never hold with the particular: how ever, it is most, certain that earth in this sort trimmed and enriched, and Corn in this sort set and preserved, yieldeth at least twelue-fold more commodity then that which by man's hand is confusedly thrown into the ground from the Hopper: whence it hath come to pass that those which by a few Corns in their gardens thus, set seeing the innumerable increase, have concluded a public profit to arise thereby to the whole kingdom, not looking to the intricacy, trouble, and casualty, which attends it, being such and so insupportable that almost no Husbandman is able to undergo it: to which we need no better testimony than the example of those which having out of mere covetousness and lucre of gain, followed it with all greediness, seeing the mischiefs and inconveniences which hath encountered their works, have even desisted, and forgotten that ever there was any such practice, and yet for mine own part I will not so utterly condemn it, that I will deprive it of all use, but rather leave it to the discretion of judgement, and for myself, only hold this opinion, that though it may very well be spared from the general use of Wheat and Barley in this kingdom, yet for hastie-Pease, French Beans, and such like pulse, it is of necessary employment, both in rich and poor men's gardens. And thus much for the setting of Corne.   

CHAP. V. Of the choice of seede-Corne, and which is best for which soil.  
Having thus showed unto you the several soils and temperatures of our English land, together with the order of Manuring, dressing and tillage of the same, I think it meet (although I have in general writ something already touching the seed belonging to every several earth) now to proceed to a particular election and choice of séede-Corne, in which there is great care and diligence to be used: for as in Men, Beasts, Fowl, & every moving thing, there is great care taken for the choice of the bréeders, because the creatures bred do so much participate of the parents that for the most part they are seen not only to carry away their outward figures and semblances, but even their natural conditions and inclinations, good issuing from good, and evil from evil: so in the choice of séede-Corne, if their be any neglect or carelessness, the crop issuing of such corrupt seed must of force bring forth a more corrupt harvest, by as much as it exceedeth in the multiplication.  
To proceed therefore to the choice of séede-Corne, 
The choice of seed Wheat.  I will begin with Wheat, of which there are divers kinds, as your whole straw Wheat, the great brown Pollard, the white Pollard, the Organ or red Wheat, the flaxen Wheat, and the chilter Wheat. Your whole straw Wheat, and brown Pollard, are known, the first, by his straw, which is full of pith, and hath in it no hollowness (whence it comes that Husbandmen esteem it so much for their thacking, allowing it to be as good and durable as reed:) the latter is known by his ear, which is great, white, and smooth, without anes or beard upon it: in the hand they are both much like one to another, being of all Wheats the biggest, roundest and fullest: they be somewhat of a high colour, and have upon them a very thick husk, which making the meal somewhat brown causeth the Baker not all together to esteem them for his purest manchet, yet the yield of flower which cometh from them is as great and greater than any other Wheat whatsoever. These two sorts of Wheat are to be sown upon the fallow field, as craving the greatest strength and fatness of ground, whence it comes that they are most commonly seen to grow upon the richest and stiffest black calies, being a grain of that strength that they will seldom or never mildew or turn black, as the other sorts of Wheat will do, if the strength of the ground be not abated before they be thrown into the earth. Now for the choice of these two Wheats, if you be compelled to buy them in the market, you must regard that you buy that which is the cleanest and fairest, being utterly without any weeds, as darnel, cockle, tars or any other foulness whatsoever: you shall look that the Wheat, as near as may be, hold all of one bigness and all of one colour, for to behold it contrary, that is to say, to see some great Corns, some little, some high coloured, some pale, so that in their mixture they resemble changeable taffeta, is an apparent sign that the Corn is not of one kind but mixed or blended, as being partly whole-straw, partly Pollard, partly Organ, and partly Chelter. For the flaxen, it is naturally so white that it cannot be mixed but it may easily be discerned, and these mixed seeds are never good, either for the ground or the use of man. Again you shall carefully look that neither this kind of Wheat, nor any other that you buy for seed be black at the ends, for that is a sign that the grain coming from too rich a soil was mildewed, and then it will never be fruitful or prove good seed, as also you shall take care that it be not too white at the ends, showing the Corn to be as it were of two colours, for that is a sign that the Wheat was washed and dried again, which utterly confoundeth the strength of the Corn and takes from it all ability of bringing forth any great increase. Now if it be so that you have a crop of Wheat of your own, so that you have no need of the market, you shall then pick out of your choicest sheaves, and upon a clean floor gently bat them with a slaile, and not thrash them clean, for that Corn which is greatest, fullest, and ripest, will first fly out of the ears, and when you have so batted a competent quantity you shall then winnow it and dress it clean, both by the help of a strong wind and open sives, and so make it fit for your seed.  
I have seen some Husbands (and truly I have accounted them both good and careful) that have before Wheat seed time both themselves, wives, children, and servants at times of best leisure, out of a great Wheat mow or bay, to glean or pull out of the sheaves, ear by ear, the most principal ears, and knitting them up in small bundles to bat them and make their seed thereof, and questionless it is the best seed of all other: for you shall be sure that therein can be nothing but the cleanest and the best of the Corn, without any weeds or foulness, which can hardly be when a man thresheth the whole sheate, and although some men may think that this labour is great and troublesome, especially such as sow great quantities of Wheat, yet let them thus far encourage themselves, that if they do the first year but glean a bushel or two (which is nothing amongst a few persons) and sow it up on good Land, the increase of it will the next year go far in the sowing the whole crop: for when I do speak of this picking of Wheat, ear by ear, I do not intend the picking of many quarters, but of so much as the increase thereof may amount to some quarter.  
Now there is also another regard to be had (as available as any of the former) in choosing of your seed Wheat, and that is to respect the soil from whence you take your seed, and the soil into which you put it, as thus.  
If the ground whereon you mean to sow your Wheat be a rich, black, clay, stiff and full of fertility, you shall then (as near as you can) choose your seed from the barrainest mixed earth you can find (so the Wheat be whole-straw or Pollard) as from a clay and gravel, or a clay and white sand, that your seed coming from a much more barren earth then that wherein you put it, the strength may be as it were redoubled, and the increase consequently amount to a higher quantity, as we find it proveth in our daily experience; but if these barren soils do not afford you seed to your contentment, it shall not then be amiss (you sowing your Wheat upon fallow or tilth ground) if you take your seed Wheat either from an earth of like nature to your own, or from any mixed earth, so that such seed come from the niams, that is, that it hath been sown after Pease, as being the third crop of the Land, and not from the fallow or tilth ground, for it is a maxiome amongst the best Husbands (though somewhat preposterous to common sense) bring to your rich ground seed from the barren, and to the barren seed from the rich, their reason (taken from their experience) being this, that the seed (as before I said) which prospereth upon a lean ground being put into a rich, doth out of that superfluity of warmth, strength and fatness, double his increase; and the seed which cometh from the fat ground being put into the lean, having all the vigour, fullness and juice of fertileness, doth not only defend itself against the hungrinesse of the ground but brings forth increase contrary to expectation; whence proceedeth this general custom of good Husbands in this Land, that those which dwell in the barren wood Lands, heaths and high mountain countries of this kingdom, ever (as near as they can) seek out their seed in the fruitful low vales, and very gardens of the earth, & so likewise those in the vales take some helps also from the mountains.  
Now for your other sorts of Wheat, that is to say, the white Pollard and the Organ, they are grains nothing so great, full, and large, as the whole straw, or brown Pollard, but small, bright, and very thinly huskt: your Organ is very red, your Pollard somewhat pale: these two sorts of Wheat are best to be sown upon the or fourth field, that is to say, after your Pease, for they can by no means endure an over rich ground, as being tender and apt to sprout with small moisture, but to mildew and choke with too much fatness, the soils most apt for them are mixed earths, especially the black clay and red sand, or white clay and red sand, for as touching other mixtures of grounds, they are for the most part so barren, that they will but hardly bring forth Wheat upon their fallow field, and then much worse upon a fourth field. Now for any other particular choice of these two seeds, they are the same which I showed in the whole straw, and great Pollard. As for the flaxen Wheat, and chilter Wheat, the first, is a very white Wheat both inward and outward, the other a pale red or deep yellow: they are the least of all sorts of Wheat, yet of much more hardness and toughness in sprouting, then either the Organ or white Pollard, and therefore desire somewhat a more richer soil, and to that end they are for the most part sown upon fallow fields, in mixed earths, of what natures or barrenness soever, as is to be seen most generally over all the South parts of this Realm: and although uncompounded sands out of their own natures, do hardly bring forth any Wheat, yet upon some of the best sands and upon the flinty gravels, I have seen these two Wheats grow in good abundance, but being seldom it is not so much to be respected.  
After your Wheat you shall make choice of your Rye, 
The choice of seed Rye.  of which there is not divers kinds although it carry divers complexions, as some blackish, brown, great, full and long as that which for the most part grows upon the red sand, or red clay, which is three parts red sand mixed with black clay, and is the best Rye: the other a pale grey Rye, short, small, and hungry, as that which grows upon the white sand, or white clay and white sand, and is the worst Rye. Now you shall understand that your sand grounds are your only natural grounds for Rye, as being indeed not principally apt for any other grain, therefore when you choose your Rye for seed, you shall choose that which is brownest, full, bold, and longest, you shall have great care that it be free from weeds or filth, sith your sand grounds, out of their own natural heat, doth put forth such store of naughty weeds, that except a man be extraordinarily careful, both in the choice and dressing of his Rye, he may easily be deceived and poison his ground with those weeds, which with great difficulty are after rooted out again. Now for your seeds to each soil, it is ever best to ●ow your best sundry upon your best clay ground, and your best clay-Rie upon your best sand ground, observing ever this general principle, not only in Rye, but even in Wheat, Barley, Pease and other grain of account, that is, ever once in three years, to change all your seed, which you shall find both to augment your increase and to return you double profit.  

The choice of seede-Barly  Now for the choice of your séede-Barly, you shall understand, that for as much as it is a grain of the greatest use, & most tenderness, therefore there is the greatest diligence to be used in the election thereof. Know then that of Barley there be divers sorts, as namely, that which we call our common Barley, being long ears with two ranks of Corn, narrow, close, and upright: another called spike or batteldore-Barly, being a large ear with two ranks of Corn, broad, flat, and in fashion of a batteldore: and the third called beane-Barly, or Barley big, being a large foursquare ear, like unto an ear of Wheat.  
Of these three Barlyes' the ●irst is most in use, as being most apt and proper to every soil, whether it be fruitful or barren, in this our kingdom, but they have all one shape, colour and form, except the soil alter them, only the spike-Barly is most large and plentiful, the common Barley hardest and aptest to grow, and the beane-Barly least, palest, & tenderest, so that with us it is more commonly seen in gardens then in fields, although in other Countries, as in France, Ireland, and such like, they sow no other Barley at all, but with us it is of no such general estimation, and therefore I will neither give it precedency nor speak of it, otherwise then to refer it to the discretion of him who takes delight in many practices: but for the common Barley, or spike-Barly, which our experience finds to be excellent and of great use, I will knit them in one, and write, my full opinion of them, for their choice in our seed. You shall know then that when you go into the market to choose Barley for your seed, you shall to your best power elect that which is whitest, pullest, and roundest, being as the ploughman calls it, a full hunting Corn, like the nebbe or beak of a Bunting, you shall observe that it be all of one Corn, and not mingled, that is, clay Barley, and sand Barley together, which you shall distinguish by these differences: the clay Barley is of a palish, white, yellow colour; smooth, full, large, and round, and the sand Barley is of a deep yellow, brown at the neither end, long, slender, and as it were, withered, and in general no sand Barley is principal good for seed: but if the Barley be somewhat of a high colour, and brown at the neither end, yet notwithstanding is very full, bold, and big, than it is a sign that such Barley comes not from the sand, but rather from an over fat soil, sith the fatness of the earth doth ever alter the complexion of the Barley; for the whiter Barley ever the leaner soil, and better seed: you shall also observe, that there be not in it any light Corn, which is a kind of hungry grain without substance, which although it filleth the séeds-mans' hand, yet it deceiveth the ground, and this light Corn will commonly be amongst the best Barley: for where the ground is so rich that it bringeth forth the Barley too rankly, there the Corn, wanting power to stand upon root, falleth to the ground, and so robbed of kindly ripening, bringeth forth much light and insufficient grain. Next this, you shall take care that in your séede-Barly there be not any Oats, for although they be in this case amongst Husbandmen accounted the best of weed, yet are they such a disgrace, that every good Husband will most diligently eschew them, and for that cause only will our most industrious Husbands bestow the tedious labour of gleaning their Barley, ear by ear, by which glean, in a year, or two, they will compass their whole seed, which must infallibly be without either Oats or any weed whatsoever: and although some grounds, especially your richest black calies, will out of the abundance of their fruitfulness (as not enduring to be Idle) bring forth naturally a certain kind of wild Oats, which makes some ignorant Husbands less careful of their seed, as supposing that those wild ones are a poisoning to their grain, but they are infinetly deceived: for such wild Oats, wheresoever they be, do shake and fall away long before the Barley be ready, so that the Husbandman doth carry of them nothing into the Barn, but the straw only. Next Oates, you must be careful that there be in your Barley no other foul weed: for whatsoever you sow, you must look for the increase of the like nature, and therefore as before I said in the Wheat, so in the Barley, I would wish every good Husband to employ some time in gleaning out of his Mow the principal ears of Barley, which being batted, dressed, and sown, by itself, albeit no great quantity at the first, yet in time it may extend to make his whole seed perfect, and then he shall find his profit both in the market, where he shall (for every use) sell with the dearest, and in his own house where he shall find his yield redoubled.  
Now for fitting of several seeds to several soils, you shall observe, that the best séede-Barly for your clay field, is ninam Barley, sown upon the clay field, that is to say, Barley which is sown where Barley last grew, or a second crop of Barley: for the ground having his pride abated in the first crop, the second, though it be nothing near so much in quantity, yet that Corn which it doth bring forth is most pure, most white, most full, and the best of all seeds whatsoever, and as in case of this soil, so in all other like soils which do hold that strength or fruitfulness in them that they are either able of themselves, or with some help of Manure in the latter end of the year, to bring forth two crops of Barley, one after the other: but if either your soil deny you this strength, or the distance of place bereane you of the commodity thereof, than you shall understand that Barley from a hazel ground is the best seed, for the clay ground, and Barley from the clay ground is the best seed, not only for the hazel earth, but even for all mixed earths whatsoever, and the Barley which proceeds from the mixed earths is the best seed for all simple and uncompounded sands or gravells, as we find, both by their increasings and daily experience.  
Now for the choice of séede-Beanes, 
The choice of seede-Beanes, Pease, and Pulse.  Pease, or other Pulse, the scruple is nothing near so great as of other seeds, because every one that knows any grain, can distinguish them when he sees them: beside they are of that massy weight, and so well able to endure the strength of the wind, that they are easy to be severed from any weed or filth whatsoever: it resteth therefore that I only give you instruction how to employ them.  
You shall understand therefore, that if your soil be a stiff, black, rich, clay, that then your best seed is clean Beans, or at the least three parts Beans, and but one part Pease: if it be a grey, or white clay, than Beans and Pease equally mixed together: if the best mixed earths, as a black clay and red sand, black clay and white sand, or white clay and red sand, than your seed must be clean Pease only: if it be white clay and white sand, black clay and black sand, than your seed must be Pease and Fitches mixed together: but if it be gravel or sand simple, or gravel and sand compounded, than your seed must be either clean Fitches, clean Buck, or clean tars, or else Fitches, Buck and tars mixed together.  
Now to conclude with the choice of your Oats. 
The choice of seede-Oates.  You shall understand that there be divers kinds of them, as namely, the great long white Oat, the great long black Oat, the cut Oat, and the skegge: the two first of these are known by their greatness and colours, for they are long, full, big, and smooth, and are fittest to be sown upon the best of barren grounds, for sith Oats are the worst of grain, I will give them no other priority of place. The next of these, which is the cut Oat, it is of a pale yellow colour, short, smooth, and thick, the increase of them is very great, and they are the fittest to be sown upon the worst of best grounds, for most commonly where you see them, you shall also see both good Wheat, good Barley, and good Beans and Pease also. Now for the skegge Oat, it is a little, small, hungry, lean Oat, with a beard at the small end like a wild Oat, and is good for small use more than Pullen only: it is a seed meet for the barrainest and worst earth, as fit to grow but there where nothing of better profit will grow. And thus much for those seeds which are apt and in use in our English soils: wherein if any man imagine me guilty of error, in that I have omitted particularly to speak of the seed of blend-Corne, or Masline, which is Wheat and Rye mixed together, I answer him, that sith I have showed him how to choose both the best Wheat and the best Rye, it is an easy matter to mix them according to his own discretion.   

CHAP. VI Of the time of Harvest and the gathering in of Corne.  
NExt unto ploughing, it is necessary that I place Reaping, sith it is the end, hope, and perfection of the labour, and both the merit and encouragement which maketh the toil both light and portable: then to proceed unto the time of Harvest. You shall understand that it is requisite for every good Husband about the latter end of july, if the soil wherein he liveth be of any hot temper, or about the beginning of August, if it be of temperate warmth, with all diligence constantly to behold his Rye, which of all grains is the first that ripeneth, and if he shall perceive that the hull of the ear beginneth to open, and that the black tops of the Corn doth appear, he may then be assured that the Corn is fully ripe, and ready for the Sickle, so that instantly he shall provide his Reapers, according to the quantity of his grain: for if he shall neglect his Rye but one day more than is fit, it is such a hasty grain, that it will shalt forth of the husk to the ground, to the great loss of the Husbandman. When he hath provided his shearers, which he shall be careful to have very good, he shall then look that neither out of their wantonness nor emulation, they strive which shall go fastest, or rid most ground, for from thence proceedeth many errors in their work, as namely, scattering, and leaving the Corn uncut behind them, the cutting the heads of the Corn off so that they are not possible to be gathered, and many such like incommodities, but let them go soberly and constantly, and shear the Rye at least fourteen inches above the ground. Then he must look that the gatherers which follow the Reapers do also gather clean, & the binder's bind the Sheaves fast from breaking, then if you find that the bottoms of the Sheaves be full of greens, or weeds, it shall not be amiss to let the Sheaves lie one from another for a day, that those greens may wither, but if you fear any Rain or foul weather, which is the only thing which maketh Rye shalt, than you shall set it up in Shocks, each shock containing at least seven Sheaves, in this manner: first, you shall place four Sheaves upright close together, and the ears upwards, than you shall take other three Sheaves and opening them and turning the ears downward cover the other four Sheaves that stood upwards, and so let them stand, until you may with good conveniency lead them home, which would be done without any protraction. Next after your clean Rye, you shall in the self-same sort reap your blend-Corne, or Masline: 
The getting in of Masline.  and albeit your Wheat will not be fully so ripe as your Rye, yet you shall not stay your labour, being well assured that your Rye is ready, because Wheat will harden of itself after it is shorn, 
The getting in of Wheat.  with lying only. After you have got in your Rye and blend-Corne, you shall then look unto your clean Wheat, and taking hear and there an ear thereof, rub them in your hand, and if you find that the Corn hath all perfection save a little hardening only, you shall then forthwith set your Reapers unto it, who shall shear it in all things as they did shear your Rye, only they shall not put it in Shocks for a day or more, but let the Sheaves lie single, that the wind and Sun may both wither the greens, and harden the Corn: which done, you shall put the Sheaves into great Shocks, that is to say, at least twelve or fourteen Sheaves in a shock, the one half standing close together with the ears upward, the other half lying cross overthwart those ears, and their ears downward, and in this sort you shall let your Wheat stand for at least two days before you lead it.  
Now it is a custom in many Countries of this kingdom, not to shear their Wheat, but to mow it, but in my conceit and in general experience, it is not so good: for it both maketh the Wheat foul, and full of weed, and filleth up a great place with little commodity, as for the use of thacking, which is the only reason of such disorderly cutting, there is neither the straw that is shorn, nor the stubble which is left behind, but are both of sufficiency enough for such an employment, if it pass through the hands of a workman, as we see in daily experience,  
Next to your Wheat, you shall have regard to your Barley, 
The getting in of Barley.  for it suddenly ripeneth, and must be cut down assoon as you perceive the straw is turned white, to the bottom, and the ears bended down to the ground-ward. Your Barley you shall not shear, although it is a fashion in some Country, both because it is painful and profitless, but you shall Mowe it close to the ground, and although in general it be the custom of our kingdom, after your Barley is mown and hath line a day or two in swath, then with racks to rack it together, and make it into great cocks, and so to lead it to the Barn, yet I am of this opinion that if your Barley be good and clean without thistles or weeds, that if then to every sitheman, or Mower you allot two followers, that is to say, a gatherer, who with a little short rake and a small hook shall gather the Corn together, and a binder, who shall make bands and bind up the Barley in small Sheaves, that questionless you shall find much more profit thereby: and although some think the labour troublesome and great, yet for mine own part, I have seen very great crops inned in this manner, and have seen two women, that with great ease, have followed and bound after a most principal Mower, which made me understand that the toil was not so great as mine imagination; and the profit tenfold greater than the labour: but if your Corn be ill Husbanded, and full of thistles, weeds, and all filthiness, than this practice is to be spared, and the loose cocking up of your Corn is much better. Assoon as you have cleansed any Land of Barley, you shall then immediately cause one with a great long rake, of at least thirty teeth, being in a sling bound bauticke-wise cross his body, to draw it from one end of the Land to the other, all over the Land, that he may thereby gather up all the loose Corn which is scattered, and carry it where your other Corn standeth, observing ever, as your chiefest rule, that by no means you neither lead Barley, nor any other grain whatsoever, when it is wet, no although it be but moistened with the dew only: for the least dankishnesse, more than the sweat which it naturally taketh, will soon cause it to putrific.  
Now for the gathering in of your Oats, 
The getting in of Oats.  they be a grain of such incertainty, ripening ever according to the weather, & not after any settled or natural course, that you are to look to no constant season, but to take them upon the first show of ripeness, and that with such diligence that you must rather take them before, then after they be ripe, because if they tarry but half a day too long, they will shed upon the ground, & you shall lose your whole profit. The time than fittest to cut your Oats is, assoon as they be somewhat more than half changed, but not altogether changed, that is, when they are more than two parts white, and yet the green not utterly extinguished, the best cutting of them is to mow them (albeit I have seen them shorn in some place) & being mown to let them dry and ripen in the swath, as naturally they will do, and then if you bind them up in Sheaves, as you should bind your Barley, it is best: for to carry them in the loose cock, as many do, is great loss and hindrance of profit.  

The getting in of Pulse.  After you have got in your white Corn, you shall then look unto your Pulse, as Beans, Pease, Fitches, and such like, which you shall know to be ready by the blackness of the straw: for it is a rule, whensoever the straw turns, the Pulse is ripe. If then it be clean Beans, or Beans and Pease mixed, you shall mow them, and being clean Beans rake them into heaps, and so make them up into cocks, but if they be mixed you shall with hooks fold the Beans into the Pease, and make little round reaps thereof, which after they have been turned and dried, you may put twenty reaps together, and thereof make a cock, and so lead them, and stack them: but if they be clean Pease, or Pease and Fitches, than you shall not mow them, but with long hooks cut them from the ground, which is called Reaping, and so folding them together into small reaps, as you did your Pease and beans, let them be turned and dried, and so cocked, and carried either to the Barn, stack, or hovel.  
Now having thus brought in, and finished your Harvest, you shall then immediately mow up the stubble, both of your Wheat, Rye, and Masline, and with all expedition therewith thank, and cover from Rain and weather, all such grain as for want of house-room, you are compelled to lay abroad, either in stack, or upon hovel: but if no such necessity be, and that you have not other more necessary employment for your stubble, it shall be no part of ill Husbandry to let the stubble rot upon the Land, which will be a reasonable Manuring or fatting of the earth.  
Now having brought your Corn into the Barn, it is a lesson needless to give any certain rules how to spend or utter it forth, sith every man must be ruled according to his affairs, and necessity, yet sith in mine own experience I have taken certain settled rules from those who have made themselves great estates by a most formal and strict course in their Husbandry, I think it not amiss to show you what I have noted from them, touching the utterance and expense of their grain: first, for your expense in your house, it is meet that you have ever so much of every several sort of grain threshed, as shall from time to time maintain your family: then for that which you intent shall return to particular profit, you shall from a fortnight before Michaelmas, till a fortnight after, thrash up all such Wheat, Rye, & Masline, as you intent to sell for seed, which must be winnowed, found, and dressed so clean as is possible, for at that time it will give the greatest price; but as soon as séede-time is past, you shall then thrash no more of those grains till it be near Midsummer, but begin to thrash up all such Barley as you intent to convert and make into Malt, and so from Michaelmas till Candlemas, apply nothing but Malting, for in that time grain is ever the cheapest, because every Barn being full, some must sell for the payment of rents, some must sell to pay servants wages, and some for their Christmas provisions: in which time Corn abating and growing scarce, the price of necessity must afterwards rise: at Candlemas you shall begin to thrash all those Pease which you intent to sell for seed, because the time being then, and every man, out of necessity, enforced to make his provision, it cannot be but they must needs pass at a good price and reckoning.  
After Pease séede-time, you shall then thrash up all that Barley which you mean to sell for seed, which ever is at the dearest reckoning of any grain whatsoever, especially if it be principally good and clean. After your séede-Barly is sold, you may then thrash up all such Wheat, Rye, and Masline, as you intent to sell: for it ever giveth the greatest price from the latter end of May until the beginning of September. In September you shall begin to sell your Malt, which being old and having line ripening the most part of the year, must now at the latter end of the year, when all old store is spent, and the new cannot be come to any perfection, be most dear, and of the greatest estimation: and thus being a man of substance in the world, and able to put every thing to the best use, you may by these usual observations, and the help of a better judgement, employ the fruits of your labours to the best profit, and sell every thing at the highest price, except you take upon you to give day and sell upon trust, which if you do, you may then sell at what unconseionable reckoning you will, which because such unnatural exactions neither agree with charity, nor humanity, I will forbear to give rules for the same, and refer every man that is desirous of such knowledge, to the examples of the world, wherein he shall find precedents enough for such evil customs. And thus much for the first part of this work, which containeth the manner of Ploughing and tillage only.    

THE SECOND PART OF THE FIRST BOOK OF the English Husbandman, Containing the Art of Planting, Grafting and Gardening, either for pleasure or profit; together with the use and ordering of Woods.  

CHAP. I. Of the Scyte, Model, Squares, and Fashion of a perfect Orchard.  
ALthough many authors which I have read, both in Italian, French, and Dutch, do make a diversity and distinguishment of Orchards, as namely, one for profit, which they fashion rudely and without form, the other for delight, which they make comely, decent, and with all good proportion, dividing the quarters into squares, making the alleys of a constant breadth, and planting the fruit-trees in artificial rows: yet for as much as the comeliness and well contriving of the ground, doth nothing abate, but rather increase the commodity, I will therefore join them both together, and make them only but one Orchard. Now for the scyte and placing of this Orchard, I have in the model of my Country house, or Husbandman's Farm, showed you where if it be possible it should stand, and both what Sun & air it should lie open upon: but if the scyte or ground-plot of your house will not give you leave to place your Orchard according to your wish, you shall then be content to make a virtue of necessity, and plant it in such a place as is most convenient, and nearest allied to that form before prescribed.  
Now when you have found out a perfect ground pl〈…〉 shall then cast it into a great large square, which you shall fence in either with a stone or brick wall, high, strong pale, or great ditch with a quickset hedge, but the wall is best and most durable, and that wall would have upon the inside within twelve or fourteen foot on of another, james or outshoots of stone or brick, between which you may plant and plash those fruit-trees which are of greatest tenderness, the South and West Sun having power to shine upon them.  
When you have thus fenc'st in this great square, you shall then cast four large alleys, at least fourteen foot broad, from the wall round about, and so likewise two other alleys of like breadth, directly cross overthwart the ground-plot, which will divide the great square into four lesser squares, according to the figure before set down.  
The figure 1. showeth the alleys which both compass about, and also cross over the ground-plot, and the figure 2. showeth the four quarters where the fruit-trees are to be planted.  
Now if either the true nature and largeness of the ground be sufficient, or your own ability of purse so great that you may compass your desires in these earthly pleasures, it shall not be amiss, but a matter of great state, to make your ground-plot full as big again, that is to say, to contain eight large quarters, the first four being made of an even level, the other four being raised at least eight foot higher than the first, with convenient stairs of state for ascending to the same, to be likewise upon another even level of like form, and if in the centre of the alleys, being the mid-point between the squares, might be placed any acquaint fountains or any other antic standard, the platform would be more excellent and if upon the ascent from one level to another there might be built some curious and artificial banqueting house, it would give lustre to the Orchard.  
Now for the planting and furnishing of these quarters: you shall understand that if your Orchard contain but four quarters, than the first shallbe planted with Appletrées, of all sorts, the second with Pears and Wardens of all sorts, the third with Quinces & Chesnutes, the fourth with Medlars & services. Against the North side of your Orchard wall against which the South sun reflects, you shall plant the Abricot, Uerdochio, Peach, and Damaske-plumbe: against the East side of the wall, the whit muscadine Grape, the Pescod-plumbe, and the Emperiall-plumbe: against the West side the grafted Cherries, and the Olive-trée: and against the South side the Almond, & Fig tree. Round about the skirts of every other outward or inward alley, you shall plant, the Wheate-plumbe, both yellow & red, the Rye-plumbe, the Damson, the Horse-clog, Bulleys of all kinds, ordinary french Cherries, Filberts, and Nuts of all sorts, together with the Prune-plumbe, and other such like stone fruits. But if your Orchard be of state and prospect, so that it contain eight quarters or more (according to the limitation of the earth) than you shall in every several quarter plant a several fruit, as Appletrées in one quarter, Pears in another, Quinces in another, Wardens in another, and so forth of the rest. Also you shall observe in planting your Apples, Pears, and Plumbs, that you plant your summer or early fruit by themselves, and the Winter or long lasting fruit by themselves. Of Apples, your jenitings, Wibourns, Pomederoy, and Quéene-Apples are reckoned the best early fruits, although their be divers others, and the Pippin, Pearemaine, Apple-john, and Russeting, your best Winter and long lasting fruit, though there be a world of other: for the tastes of Apples are infinite, according to there composition and mixture in grafting. Of Pears your golden Pear, your Katherine-Peare, your Lording, and such like, are the first, and your stone-Peare, Warden-Peare, and choke-pear, those which endure longest. And of Plumbs the rye-plumbe is first, your Wheate-plumbe next, and all the other sorts of plumbs ripen all most together in one season, if they have equal warmth, and be all of like comfortable standing.  
Now for the orderly placing of your trees, you shall understand that your Plumbe-trées (which are as it were a fence or guard about your great quarters) would be placed in rows one by one, above five foot distance one from another, round about each skirt of every alley: your Appletrées & other greater fruit which are to be planted in the quarters, would be placed in such artificial rows that which way soever a man shall east his eyes yet he shall see the trees every way stand in rows, making squares, alleys, and divisions, according to a man's imagination, according to the figure before, which I would have you suppose to be one quarter in an Orchard, and by it you may easily compound the rest: wherein you shall understand that the lesser pricks do figure your Plumbe-trées, & the greater pricks your Appletrées, and such other large fruit.  
Now you shall understand that every one of these great trees which furnish the main quarter, shall stand in a direct line, just twelve foot one from another, which is a space altogether sufficient enough for there spreading, without waterdropping or annoying one another; provided that the Fruiterer, according to his duty, be careful to preserve the trees upright and to underprope them when by the violence of the wind they shall serve any way. Upon the ascent or rising from one level to another, you may plant the Barberry-trées, Feberries, and Raspberries, of all sorts, which being spreading, thorny and sharp, trees, take great delight to grow thick and close together, by which means often times they make a kind of wall, hedge, or fencing, where they stand.  
Having thus showed you the ground-plot and proportion of your Orchard, with the several divisions, ascents, and squares, that should be contained therein, and the fruits which are to furnish every such square and division, and their orderly placing, it now rests that you understand that this Orchard-plot, so near as you can bring it to pass, do stand most open and plain, upon the South and West sun, and most defended from the East and North winds and bitterness, which being observed your plot is then perfect and absolute.  
Now forasmuch as where nature, fruitfulness, and situation do take from a man more than the half part of his industry, and by a direct and easy way doth lead him to that perfection which others cannot attain to without infinite labour and travel: and whereas it is nothing so commendable to maintain beauty, as to make deformity beautiful, I will speak something of the framing of Orchard-plots there where both nature, the situation, and barrenness, do utterly deny the enjoying of any such commodity, as where the ground is uneven, stome, sandy, or in his lowness subject to the overflow of waters, all being apparent enemies to these places of pleasure and delight. First, for the unevenness of the ground, if that be his uttermost imperfection, you shall first not only take a note with your eye, but also place a mark upon the best ascent of the ground to which the level is fittest to be drawn, and then ploughing the ground all over with a great common plough, by casting the furrows downward, seek to fill in and cover the lesser hollownesses of the ground, that their may not any thing appear but the main great hollows, which with other earth which is free from stones, gravel, or such like evils, you shall fill up and make level with that part where your mark standeth, and being so leveled, forthwith draw the plot of your Orchard: but if the ground be not only uneven but also barren, you shall then to every load of earth you carry to the leveling add a load of Manure, either Ox Manure, or Horse Manure, the rubbish of houses, or the cleansings of old ditches, or standing pools, and the earth will soon become fertile and perfect; but if the ground be stony, that is, full of great stones, as it is in D●rbishire about the Peake or East moors, for small pebbles or small lime-stones are not very much hurtful, than you shall cause such stones to be digged up, and fill up the places where they lay either with marvel, or other rich earth, which after it hath been settled for a year or two you shall then plough, and level it, and so frame forth the plot of your Orchard. If the ground be only a barren sand, so that it wanteth strength either to maintain or bring forth, you shall then first dig that earth into great trenches, at least four foot deep, and filling them up with Ox Manure, mix it with the sand that it may change some part of the colour thereof and then leveling it fashion out your Orchard. But lastly, and which is of all situations the worst, if you have no ground to plant your Orchard upon, but such as either through the neighbourhood of rivers, descent of Mountains, or the earths own natural quality in casting and vomiting out water and moisture, is subject to some small overflows of water, by which you cannot attain to the pleasure you seek, because fruit-trees can never endure the corruption of waters, you shall then in the dryest season of the year, after you have marked out that square or quantity of ground which you intent for your Orchard, you shall then cast therein sundry ditches, at least sixteen foot broad, and nine foot deep, and not above twelve foot betwixt ditch and ditch, upon which reserved earth casting the earth that you digged up, you shall raise the banks at least seven foot high of firm earth, and keep in the top the full breadth of twelve foot, with in a foot or little more: and in the casting up of these banks you shall cause the earth to be beaten with maules and broad béetels that it may lie firm, fast, and level, and after these banks have rested a year or more, and are sufficiently settled, you may then at the neither end of the bank, near to the verge of the water plant store of Osyers', which will be a good defence to the bank, and upon the top and highest part of the bank you shall plant your Orchard and fruit-trees, so that when any inundation of water shall happen, the ditches shallbe able enough to receive it; or else making a passage from your Orchard into some other sewer, the water exceeding his limits may have a free current or passage: besides these ditches being neatly kept, and comforted with fresh water, may make both pleasant and commodious fishponds. Also you must be careful in casting these banks that you do not place them in such sort that when you are upon one you cannot come to the other, but rather like a maze, so that you may at pleasure pass from the one to the other round about the ground, making of divers banks to the eye but one bank in substance, and of divers ponds in appearance, but one in true judgement. And thus much for the plot or situation of an Orchard.   

CHAP. II. Of the Nursery where you shall set all manner of Kernels, and Stones, for the furnishing of the Orchard.  
ALthough great persons, out of their greatness and ability, do buy their fruit trees ready grafted, and so in a moment may plant an Orchard of the greatest quantity, yet sith the Husbandman must raise every thing from his own endeavours, and that I only write for his profit, I therefore hold it most convenient to begin with the nursery or storehouse of fruits, from whence the Orchard receiveth his beauty and ●iches.  
This Nursery must be a piece of principal ground, either through Art or Nature, strongly fenced, warm, and full of good shelter: for in it is only the first infancy and tenderness of fruit-trees, because there they are first kernels, or stones, after sprigs, and lastly trees.  
Now for the manner of choosing, sowing, and planting them in this nursery, I differ some thing from the french practice, who would choose the kernels from the cider press, sow them in large beds of earth, and within a year after replant them in a wild Orchard: now for mine own part, though this course be not much faulty yet I rather choose this kind of practice, first: to choose your kernels either of Apples, Pears, or Wardens, from the best and most principallest fruit you can tasté, for although the kernel do bring forth no other tree but the plain stock upon which the fruit was grafted, as thus, if the graft were put into a Crabstock the kernel brings forth only a Crabtree, yet when you taste a perfect and delicate Apple, be assured both the stock and graft were of the best choice, and so such kernels of best reckoning. When you have then a competent quantity of such kernels, you shall take certain large pots, in the fashion of milkeboules, all full of holes in the bottom, through which the rain and superfluous moisture may avoid, and either in the Months of March or November (for those are the best seasons) fill the pots three parts full of the finest, blackest, and richest mould you can get, then lay your kernels upon the earth, about four fingers one from another, so many as the vessel can conveniently contain, and then with a siue sift upon them other fine moulds almost three fingers thick, and so let ●hem rest, filling so many pots or vessels as shall serve to receive your quantity of kernels of all sorts. Now if any man desire to know my reason why I rather desire to set my kernels rather in vessels then in beds of earth, my answer is, that I have often found it in mine experience, that the kernel of Apples, Pears, Quinces, and such like, are such a tender and dainty seed that it is great odo●● but the worms will devour and consume them before they sprout, who naturally delight in such seeds, which these vessels only do prevent: but to proceed.  
After your kernels are sprouted up and grown to be at least seven or eight inches high, you shall then within in your nursery dig up a border about two foot and an half broad, more than a foot deep, and of such convenient length as may receive all your young plants, and having made the mould fine and rich with Manure, you shall then with your whole hand gripe as much of the earth that is about the plant as you can conveniently hold, and so take both the plant and the mould out of the vessel, and replant it in the new dressed border: and you shall thus do plant after plant, till you have set every one, and made them firm and fast in the new mould: wherein you are to observe these two principles, first that you place them at least five foot one from another, and secondly, that such kernels as you set in your vessels in March, that you replant them in borders of earth in November following, and such as you set in November to replant in March following, and being so replanted to suffer them to grow till they be able to bear grafts, during which time you shall diligently observe, that if any of them chance to put forth any superfluous branches or scions, which may hinder the growth of the body of the plant, that you carefully cut them away, that thereby it may be the sooner enabled to bear a graft: for it is ever to be intended that whatsoever proceedeth from kernels are only to be preserved for stocks to graft on, and for no other purpose.  
Now for the stones of Plumbs, & other stone fruit, you shall understand that they be of two kinds, one simple and of themselves, as the Rye-plumbe, Wheate-plumbe, Damson, Prune-plumbe, Horse-clogge, Cherry, and such like, so that from the kernels of them issueth trees of like nature and goodness: the other compounded or grafted plumbs, as the Abricot, Peascod, Peach, Damask, Uerdochyo, Imperial, and such like, from whose kernels issueth no other trees but such as the stocks were upon which they were grafted. Now, for the manner of setting the first, which are simple and uncompounded, you shall dig up a large bed of rich and good earth a month or more before March or November, and having made the mould as fine as is possible, you shall flat-wise thrust every stone, a foot one from another, more than three fingers into the mould, and then with a little small rake, made for the purpose, rake the bed over and close up the holes, and so let them rest till they be of a years groat, at which time you shall replant them into several borders, as you did your Apple-trée plants and others.  
Now for the kernels of your compounded or grafted Plumbs, you shall both set them in beds and replant them into several borders, in the same manner as you did the other kernels of Plumbs, only you shall for the space of eight and forty hours before you set them steep them in new milk, forasmuch as the stones of them are more hard, and with greater difficulty open and sprout in the earth, than any other stone whatsoever: and thus having furnished your Nursery of all sorts of fruits and stocks, you shall when they come to full age and bigness graft them in such order as shallbe hereafter declared.   

CHAP. III. Of the setting or planting of the scions or Branches of most sorts of Fruit-trees.  
AS you are to furnish your nursery with all sorts of kernels and stones, for the breeding of stocks where on to graft the daintiest fruits you can compass, so shall you also plant therein the scions and branches of the best fruit trees: which scions and branches do bring forth the same fruit which the trees do from whence they are taken, and by that means your nursery shall ever afford you perfect trees, wherewith either to furnish your own grounds, or to pleasure your neighbours. And herein by the way you shall understand that some trees are more fit to be set then to be sown, as namely, the Seruice-trée, the Meddler, the Filbert and such like. Now for the Seruice-trée, he is not at all to be grafted, but set in this wise: take of the bastard scions such as be somewhat bigger than a man's thumb, and cutting away the branches thereof, set it in a fine loose mould, at least a foot deep, and it will prosper exceedingly, yet the true nature of this tree is not to be removed, and therefore it is convenient that it be planted where it should ever continue: in like manner to the Seruice-tree, so you shall plant the bastard scions of the Meblar-trée either in March or October, and at the wain of the moon.  
Now for the Filbert, or large Hassell-nut, you shall take the smallest scions or wands, such as are not above two years groat, being full of short heavy twigs, and grow from the root of the main tree, and set them in a loose mould, a foot deep, without pruning or cutting away any of the branches, and they will prosper to your contentment. Now for all sorts of Plumbe-trées, Appletrées or other fruit-trees which are not grafted, if you take the young scions which grow from the roots clean from the roots, and plant them either in the spring, or fall, in a fresh and fine mould, they will not only prosper, but bring forth fruit of like nature and quality to the trees from whence they were taken.  
Now for your grafted fruit, as namely, Apples, Plumbs, Cherries, Mulberries, Quinces, and such like, the scions also and branches of them also will take root and bring forth fruit of the same kind that the trees did from whence they were takend but those scions or branches must ever be chosen from the upper parts of the trees, betwixt the feast of all-Saints and Christmas, they must be bigger than a man's finger, smooth, strait, and without twigs: you shall with a sharp chisel cut them from the body or arms of the tree with such care, that by no means you raise up the bark, and then with a little yellow wax cover the place from whence you cut the cyon: then having digged and dunged the earth well where you intent to plant them, and made the mould easy, you shall with an Iron, as big as your plant, make a hole a foot deep or better, and then put in your cyon and with it a few Oats, long stéept in water, and so fix it firm in the mould, and if after it beginneth to put forth you perceive any young scions to put forth from the root thereof, you shall immediately cut them off, & either cast them away or plant them in other places, for to suffer them to grow may breed much hurt to the young trees. Now where as these scions thus planted are for the most part small and weak, so that the smallest breath of wind doth shake and hurt their roots, it shallbe good to prick strong stakes by them, to which, fastening the young plant with a soft hay rope it may the better be defended from storms and tempests.  
Next to these fruit-trees, you shall understand that your bush-trées, as Barberryes, Gooseberries, or Feberryes, Raspberryes, and such like, will also grow upon scions, without roots, being cut from their main roots in November, & so planted in a new fresh mould. And here by the way I am to give you this note or caveat, that if at any time you find any of these scions which you have planted not to grow and flourish according to your desire, but that you find a certain mislike or consumption in the plant, you shall then immediately with a sharp knife cut the plant off slope-wise upward, about three fingers from the ground, and so let it rest till the next spring, at which time you shall behold new scions issue from the root, which will be without sickness or imperfection; and from the virtue of this experiment I imagine the gardeners of ancient time found out the means to get young scions from old Mulberry-trées, which they do in this manner: first, you must take some of the greatest arms of the Mulberry-trée about the midst of November, and with a sharp saw to saw them into big truncheons, about fivetéene inches long, and then digging a trench in principal good earth, of such depth that you may cover the truncheons, being set up on end, with Manure and fine mould, each truncheon being a foot one from another, and covered more than four fingers above the wood, not failing to water them whensoever need shall require, and to preserve them from weeds and filthiness, within less than a years space you shall behold those truncheons to put forth young scions, which as soon as they come to any groat and be twigged, than you may cut them from the stocks, and transplant them where you please, only the truncheons you shall suffer to remain still, and cherish them with fresh dung, and they will put forth many more scions, both to furnish yourself and your friends. And thus much for the planting and setting of scions or branches.   

CHAP. FOUR Of the ordinary and accustomed manner of Grafting all sorts of Fruit-trees.  
AS soon as your nursery is thus amply furnished of all sorts of stocks, proceeding from kernels and of all sorts of trees proceeding from scions, branches or undergrowing, and that through strength of years they are grown to sufficient ability to receive grafts, which is to be intended that they must be at the least six or eight inches in compass, for although less many times both doth and may receive grafts, yet they are full of debility and danger, and promise no assurance to the workman's labour, you shall then begin to graft your stocks with such fruits as from art and experience are meet to be conjoined together, 
The mixing of Stocks and Grafts.  as thus: you shall graft Apples upon Apples, as the Pippin upon the great Costard, the Pearemaine upon the jenetting, and the Apple-john or black annet upon the Pomewater or Crabtree: to conclude, any Apple-stocke, Crabtree, or wilding, is good to graft Apples upon, but the best is best worthy. So for Pears, you shall graft them upon Pear stocks, Quinces upon Quinces or Crab-trées, and not according to the opinion of the frenchman, upon white thorn or willow, the Medlar upon the Seruice-trée, and the Service upon the Medlar, also Cherries upon Cherries, & Plumbs upon Plumbs, as the greater Apricots upon the lesser Apricots, the Peach, the Fig, or the Danison-trée, and to speak generally without wasting more paper, or making a long circumstance to slender purpose, the Damson-trée is the only principal best stock whereupon to graft any kind of plumb or stone fruit whatsoever.  
After you have both your stocks ready, 
The choice of Grafts.  and know which grafts to join with which stocks, you shall then learn to cut and choose your grafts in this manner: look from what tree you desire to take your grafts, you shall go unto the very principal branches thereof, and look up to the upper ends, and those which you find to be fairest, smoothest, and fuliest of sap, having the little knots, buds, or eyes, standing close and thick together, are the best and most perfect, especially if they grow upon the East side of the tree, whereon the Sun first looketh; these you shall cut from the tree in such sort that they may have at least three fingers of the old wood joining to the young branch, which you shall know both by the colour of the bark, as also by a little round seam which maketh as it were a distinction betwixt the several grouths. Now you shall ever, as near as you can, choose your grafts from a young tree, and not from an old, and from the tops of the principal branches, and not from the midst of the tree, or any other superfluous arm or cyon; now if after you have got your grafts you have many days journeys to carry them, you shall fold them in a few fresh moulds, and bind them about with hay, and hay ropes, and so carry them all day, and in the night bury them all over in the ground and they will contain their goodness for a long season.  

How to graft in the Cleft.  Having thus prepared your grafts, you shall then begin to graft, which work you shall understand may be done in every month of the year, except November and October, but the best is to begin about Christmas for all early and forward fruit, and for the other, to stay till March: now having all your implements and necessaries about you, fit for the Grafting, you shall first take your grafts, of what sort soever they be, and having cut the neither ends of them round and smooth without raising of the bark, you shall then with a sharp knife, made in the proportion of a great penknife slice down each side of the grafts, from the seam or knot which parts the old wood from the new, even to the neither end, making it flat and thin, chiefly in the lowest part, having only a regardful eye unto the pith of the graft, which you may by no means cut or touch, and when you have thus trimmed a couple of grafts, for more I do by no means allow unto one stock, although sundry other skilful workmen in this Art allow to the least stock two grafts, to the indifferent great three, and to the greatest of all four, yet I affirm two are sufficiently enough for any stock whatsoever, and albeit they are a little the longer in covering the head, yet after they have covered it the tree prospereth more in one year then that which containeth four grafts shall do in two, because they cannot have sap enough to maintain them, which is the reason that trees for want of prosperity grow crooked and deformed: but to my purpose. When you have made your grafts ready, you shall then take a fine thin saw, whose teeth shallbe filled sharp and even, and with it (if the stock be exceeding small) cut the stock round off within less than a foot of the ground, but if the stock be as big as a man's arm, than you may cut it off two or three foot from the ground, and so consequently the bigger it is the higher you may cut it, and the lesser the nearer unto the earth: as soon as you have sawn off the upper part of the stock, you shall then take a fine sharp chisel, somewhat broader than the stock, and setting it even upon the midst of the head of the stock somewhat wide of the pith, then with a mallet of wood you shall strick it in and cleave the stock, at least four inches deep, then putting in a fine little wedge of Iron, which may keep open the cleft, you shall tak● one of your grafts and look which side of it you intent to place inward, and that side you shall cut much thinner than the out side, with a most heedful circumspection that by no means you loosen or raise up the bark of the graft, chiefly on the out side, than you shall take the graft, and wetting it in your mouth place it in one side of the cleft of the stock, and regard that the very knot or seam which goes about the graft, parting the old wood from the new, do rest directly upon the head of the stock, and that the out side of the graft do agree directly with the out side of the stock, joining bark unto bark, and sap unto sap, so even, so smooth, and so close, that no joiners work may be discerned to join more arteficially: which done, upon the other side of the stock, in the other cleft, you shall place your other graft, with full as much care, diligence, and every other observation: when both your grafts are thus orderly and arteficially placed, you shall then by setting the haft of your chisel against the stock, with all lenity and gentleness, draw forth your wedge, in such sort that you do not displace or alter your grafts, and when your wedge is forth you shall then look upon your grafts, and if you perceive that the stock do pinch or squize them, which you may discern both by the straightness and bending of the outmost bark, you shall then make a little wedge of some green sappy wood, and driving it into the cleft, ease your grafts, cutting that wedge close to the stock. When you have thus made both your grafts perfect, you shall then take the bark of either Apple-trée, Crabtree or Willow-trée, and with that bark cover the head of the stock so close that no wet or other annoyance may get betwixt it and the stock, than you shall take a convenient quantity of clay, which indeed would be of a binding mingled earth, and tempering it well, either with moss or hay, lay it upon the bark, and daub all the head of the stock, even as low as the bottom of the grafts, more than an inch shicke, so firm, close, and smooth as may be, which done, cover all that clay over with soft moss, and that moss with some rags of woollen cloth, which being gently bound about with the inward barks of Willow, or Osyar, let the graft rest to the pleasure of the highest: and this is called grafting in the cleft.  

Notes.  Now there be certain observations or caveats to be respected in grafting, which I may not neglect: as first, in trimming and preparing your grafts for the stock: if the grafts be either of Cherry, or plumb, you shall not cut them so thin as the grafts of Apples, Quinces, or Medlars, because they have a much larger and rounder pith, which by no means must be touched but fortified and preserved, only to the neither end you may cut them as thin as is possible, the pith only preserved.  
Secondly, you shall into your greatest stocks put your greatest grafts, and into your least, the least, that there may be an equal strength and conformity in their conjunction.  
Thirdly, if at any time you be enforced to graft upon an old tree, that is great and large, than you shall not graft into the body of that tree, because it is impossible to keep it from putrefaction and rotting before the grafts can cover the head, but you shall choose out some of the principal arms or branches, which are much more slender, and graft them, as is before showed, omitting not daily to cut away all scions, arms, branches, or superfluous sprigs which shall grow under those branches which you have newly grafted: but if there be no branch, small or tender enough to graft in, than you shall cut away all the main branches from the stock, and covering the head with clay and moss, let ●t rest, and within three or four years it will put forth new scions, which will be fit to graft upon.  
Fourthly, if when you either saw off the top of your stock, or else cleave the head, you either raise up the bark or cleave the stock too deep, you shall then saw the stock again, with a little more carefulness, so much lower as your first error had committed a fault.  
Fiftly, you shall from time to time look to the binding of the heads of your stocks, in so much that if either the clay do shrink away or the other coverings do losen, by which defects air, or wet, may get into the incision, you shall presently with all speed amend and repair it.  
Lastly, if you graft in any open place where cattle do graze, you shall not then forget as soon as you have finished your work to bush or hedge in your graft, that it may be defended from any such negligent annoyance. And thus much for this ordinary manner of grafting, which although it be general and public to most men that knoweth any thing in this art, yet is it not inferior, but the principallest and surest of all other.   

CHAP. V. Of divers other ways of grafting, their uses and purposes.  
ALthough for certainty, use, and commodity, the manner of grafting already prescribed is of sufficiency enough to satisfy any constant or reasonable understanding, yet for novelty sake, to which our nation is infinitely addicted, and to satisfy the curious, who think their judgements disparaged if they hear any authorized traveler talk of the things which they have not practised, I will proceed to some other more acquaint manners of grafting, and the rather because they are not altogether unnecessary, having both certainty in the work, pleasure in the use, and benefit in the serious employing of those hours which else might challenge the title of idleness, beside they are very well agreeing with the soils and fruits of this Empire of great Britain and the understandings of the people, for whose service or benefit, I only undergo my travel.  
You shall understand therefore, that there is another way to graft, which is called grafting between the bark and tree, and it is to be put in use about the latter end of February, at such time as the saple begins to enter into the trees: and the stocks most fit for this manner of grafting are those which are oldest and greatest, whose grain being rough and uneven, either through shaking or twinding, it is a thing almost impossible to make it cleave in any good fashion, so that in such a case it is meet tha● the grafter exercise this way of grafting betwixt the bark and the tree, the manner whereof is thus.  
First, 
Graf 〈…〉 twee 〈…〉 bark.  you shall dress your grafts in such sort as was before described when you grafted in the cleft, only they shall not be so long from the knot or seam downward by an inch or more, neither so thick, but as thin as may be, the pith only preserved, and at the neither end of all you shall cut away the bark on both sides, making that end smaller and narrower than it is at the joint or s●ame, then sawing off the head of the stock, you shall with a sharp knife pair the head round about, smooth and plain, making the bark so even as may be, that the bark of your grafts and it may join like one body, then take a fine narrow chisel, not exceeding sharp, but somewhat rebated, and thrust it hard down betwixt the bark and the tree, somewhat more than two inches, according to the just length of your graft, and then gently thrust the graft down into the same place, even close unto the joint, having great care that the joint rest firm and constant upon the head of the stock, and thus you shall put into one stock not above tree grafts at the most, how ever either other men's practice, or your own reading do persuade you to the contrary. After your grafts are fixed and placed, you shall then cover the head with bark, clay, and moss, as hath been formerly shewed: also you shall fasten about it some bushes of thorn, or sharp whinnes, which may defend and keep it from the annoyance of Pye-annats, and such like great birds.  
There is another way of grafting, which is called grafting in the scutcheon, which howsoever it is esteemed, yet is it troublesome, incertain, and to small purpose: the season for it is in summer, from May till August, at what time trees are fullest of sap and fullest of leaves, and the manner is thus: take the highest and the principallest branches of the top of the tree you would have grafted, and without cutting it from the old woo●e choose the best eye and budding place of the cyon, then take another such like eye or bud, being great and full, and first cut off the leaf hard by the bud, then hollow it with your ●●●fe the length of a quarter of an inch beneath the bud, round about the bark, close to the sap, both above and below, then slit it down twice so much wide of the bud, and then with a small sharp chisel raise up the scutcheon, with not only the bud in the midst but even all the sap likewise, wherein you shall first raise that side which is next you, and then taking the scutcheon between your fingers, raise it gently up without breaking or bruising, and in taking it off hold it hard unto the wood, to the end the sap of the bud may abide in the scutcheon, for if it depart from the bark and cleave to the wood, your labour is lost, this done you shall take another like cyon, and having taken off the bark from it, place it in the others place, and in taking off this bark you must be ca●full that you cut not the wood, but the bark only, and this done you shall cover it all over with red wax, or some such glutenous matter; as for the binding of it with hemp and such trumpery it is utterly disallowed of all good grafters: this manner of grafting may be put in practice upon all manner of scions, from the bigness of a man's little fingar to the bigness of a slender arm.  

Grafting with the Leaf.  Not much unlike unto this, is the grafting with the Leaf, and of like worth, the art whereof is thus: any time betwixt midst May, until the midst of September, you shall choose, from the top of the sunne-side of the tree, the most principal young cyon you can see, whose bark is smoothest, whose leaves are greatest, and whose sap is fullest, then cutting it from the tree note the principal leaf thereof, and cut away from it all the wood more than about an inch of each side of the leaf, then cutting away the undermost part of the bark with your knife, take piece meal from the bark all the wood and sap, save only that little part of wood and sap which feedeth the leaf, which in any wise must be left behind, so that the graft will carry this figure.  
Then with your knife raise the bark gently from the tree, without breaking, cracking, or bruising: then take your graft, and putting it under the bark lay it flat unto the sap of the tree, so as that little sap which is left in the leaf, may without impediment cleave to the sap of the tree, then lay down the bark close again and cover the graft, and with a little untwound hemp, or a soft woollen list, bind down the bark close to the graft, and then cover all the incisions you have made with green wax: by this manner of grafting you may have upon one tree sundry fruits, as from one Appletree, both Pippins, Peare-maines, Russettings and such like, nay, you may have upon one tree, ripe fruit all summer long, as jenettings from one bra●●h, Cisling from another, Wibourns from another, Costar●s and Queen Apples from others, and Pippens and Russettings, from others, which bringeth both delight to the eye, and admiration to the s●n●e, and yet I would not have you imagine that this kind of grafting doth only work this effect, for as before I showed you, if you graft in the cloven (which is the safest way of all grafting) sundry fruits upon sundry arms or bows, you shall likewise have proceeding from them sundry sor●s of fruits, as either Apples, Plumbs, Pears or any other kind, according to your composition and industry; as at this day we may daily see in many great men's Orchards.  

Grafting on the tops of 〈◊〉.  There is yet another manner of grafting, and it is of all other especially used much in Italy, and yet not any thing disagreeable with our climate, and that is to graft on the small scions which are on the tops of fruit trees, surely an experience that carrieth in it both difficulty and wonder, yet being put to approbation is no less certain than any of the other, the manner whereof is thus: you shall first after you have chosen such and so many grafts as you do● intent to graft, and trimmed them in the same manner as you have been taught formerly for grafting within the cleft, you shall then mount up into the top of the tree, upon which you mean to graft, and there make choice of the highest and most principallest scions (being clean barked and round) that you can perceive to grow from the tree, then laying the graft, and the cyon upon which you are to graft, together, see that they be both of one bigness and roundness: then with your grafting knife cut the cyon off between the old wood and the new, and ●leaue it down an inch and an half, or two inches at the most: then put in your graft (which graft must not be cut thinner on one side, then on the other, but all of one thickness) and when it is in, see that the bark of the graft both above and below, that is, upon both sides, do join close, even, and firm with the bark of the branch or cyon, and then by folding a little soft tow about it, keep them close together, whilst with clay, moss, and the inmost bark of Osyars you lap them about to defend them from air, wind, and tempests. And herein you shall observe to make your graft as short as may be, for the shortest are best, as the graft which hath not above two or three knots, or buds, and no more. You may, if you please, with this manner of grafting grafted upon every several cyon, a several fruit, and so have from one tree many fruits, as in case of grafting with the leaf, and that with much more speed, by as much as a well-grown graft is more forward and able than a weak tender leaf. And in these several ways already declared, consisteth the whole Art and substance of Grafting: from whence albeit many curious brains may, from prevaricating tricks, beget shows of other fashions, yet when true judgement shall look upon their works, he shall ever find some one of these experiments the ground and substance of all their labours, without which they are able to do nothing that shall turn to an assured commodity.  
Now when you have made yourself perfect in the sowing, 
The effects of Grafting.  setting, planting and grafting of trees, you shall then learn to know the effects, wonders, and strange issues which do proceed from many acquaint motions and helps in grafting, as thus: if you will have Peaches, Cherries, Apples, Quinces, Medlars, Damsons, or any plumb whatsoever, to ripen early, as at the least two months before the ordinary time, and to contin●u at least a month longer than the accustomed course, you shall then graft them upon a Mulberry stock: and if you will have the fruit to taste like spice, with a certain delicate perfume, you shall boil Honey, the powder of Cloves and Soaxe together, and being col● anoint the grafts therewith before you put them into the cleft, if you graft Apples, Pears, or any fruit upon a Figtree stock, they will bear fruit without blooming: if you take an Apple graft, & a Pear gra●t, of like bigness, and having cloven them, join them as one body in grafting, the fruit they bring forth will be half Apple and half Pear, and so likewise of all other fruits which are of contrary tastes and natures: if you graft any fruit-tree, or other tree, upon the Holly or upon the Cypress, they will be green, and keep their leaves the whole year, albeit the winter be never so bitter.  
If you graft either Peach, plumb, or any stone-fruit upon a Willow stock, the fruit which cometh of them will be without stones.  
If you will change the colour of any fruit, you shall boar a hole slope-wise with a large a●ger into the body of the tree, even unto the pith, and then if you will have the fruit yellow you shall fill the hole with Saforn● d●ssolu●d in water: if you will have it red, then with Saunders, and of any other colour you please, and then stop the hole up close, and cover it with red or yellow wax: also if you mix the colour with any spice or perfume, the fruit will take a relish or taste of the same: many other such like conceits and experiments are practised amongst men of this Art, but sith they more concern the curious, than the wise, I am not so careful to b●stow my labour in giving more substantial satisfaction, knowing curiosity loves that best which proceeds from their most pain, and am content to refer their knowledge to the searching of those books which have only strangeness for their subject, resolved that this I have written is fully sufficient for the plain English husbandman.   

CHAP. VI Of the replanting of Trees, and furnishing the Orchard,  
AS soon as your seeds, or sets, have brought forth plants, those plants, through time, made able, and have received grafts, and those grafts have covered the heads of the stocks and put forth goodly branches, you shall then take them up, and replant them, (because the sooner it is done the better it is done) in those several places of your Orchard which before is appointed, and is intended to be prepared, both by dungging, digging, and every orderly labour, to receive every several fruit. And herein you shall understand, that as the best times for grafting are every month (except October and November) and at the change of the moon, so the best times for replanting, are November and March only, unless the ground be cold and moist and then january, or February must be the soonest all ways, excepted that you do not replant in the time of frost, for that is most unwholesome.  
Now when you will take up your trees which you intent to replant in your Orchard, 
The taking up of trees.  you shall first with a spade bore all the main branches of the root, and so by degrees dig and loosen the earth from the root, in such sort that you may with your own strength raise the young tree from the ground, which done, you shall not, according to the fashion of France, dismember, or disrobe the tree of his beauties, that is to say, to cut off all his upper branches and arms, but you shall diligently preserve them: for I have seen a tree thus replanted after the fall of the leaf to bring forth fruit in the summer following: but if the tree you replant be old than it is good to cut off the main branches with in a foot of the stock, lest the sap running upward, and so forsaking the root too suddenly do kill the whole tree.  
When you have taken your tree up, you shall observe how, and in what manner, it stood, that is, which side was upon the South and received most comfort from the sun, and which side was from it and received most shadow and bleaknesse, and in the same sort as it then stood, so shall you replant it again: this done you shall with a sharp cutting-knife, cut off all the main roots, within half a foot of the tree, only the small thriddes or twist-rootes you shall not cut at all: then bringing the plant into your Orchard, you shall make a round hole in that place where you intent to set your tree (the ranks, manner, distance and form whereof hath been all ready declared, in the first Chapter:) and this hole shallbe at least four foot overthwart every way, and at least two foot deep, then shall you fill up the hole again, fifteen inches deep, with the finest black mould, tempered with Ox dung that you can get, so that then the hole shallbe but nine inches deep, than you shall take your tree and place it upon that earth, having care to open every several branch and third of the root, & so to place them that they may all look down into the earth, and not any of them to look back and turn upward: then shall you take of the earth from whence your tree was taken, and tempering it with a fourth part of Ox dung and slekt sope-asshes (for the kill of worms) cover all the root of your tree firmly and strongly: then with green sods, cut and joined arteficially together, so sodde the place that the hole may hardly be discerned. Lastly take a strong stake, and driving it hard into the ground near unto the new planted tree, with either a soft hay rope, the broad bark of Willow, or some such like unfretting band, tie the tree to the stake, and it will defend it from the rage of wind and tempests, which should they but shake or trouble the root, being new planted, it were enough to confound and spoil the tree for ever.  
Now, although I have under the title and demonstration of replanting one tree given you a general instruction for the replanting of all trees whatsoever, yet, for as much as some are not of that strength and hardness to endure so much as some others will, therefore you shall take these considerations by the way, to fortify your knowledge with.  
First, you shall understand that all your dainty and tender grafted Plumbs, and fruits, as Apricots, Peaches, Damaske-Plumbes, Uerdochyos, Peascods, emperials, and divers such like, together with Oranges, Citrons, Almonds, Olives, and others, which indeed are not familiar with our soytes, as being nearer neighbours to the sun, do delight in a warm, fat, earth, being somewhat sandy, or such a clay whose coldness by Manure is corrected, and therefore here with us in the replanting of them you cannot bestow too much cost upon the mould: as for the Damson, and all our natural english Plumbs, they love a fat, cold, earth, so that in the replanting of them if you shall lay too much dung unto their root, you shall through the abundant heat, do great hurt unto the tree. The cherry delighteth in any clay, so that upon such soil you may use less Manure, but upon the contrary you cannot lay too much. The Medlar esteemeth all earth's alike, and therefore whether it be Manured or no it skills not, sun and shadow, wet and dryness, being all of one force or efficacy. The Pear and Apple-trée delights in a strong mixed soil, and therefore endureth Manure kindly, so doth also the Quince and Warden: lastly the Filbert, the Hasell, and the Chestnut, love cold, lean, moist, and sandy earths, in so much that there is no greater enemy unto them then a rich soil: so that in replanting of them you must ever seek rather to correct then increase fertility.  
You shall also understand that all such fruit-trees as you do plant against the walls of your Orchard (of which I have spoken already & deciphered out their places) you shall not suffer to grow as of themselves, round, and from the wall, but at the times of pruning and dressing of them (which is ever at the beginning of the spring and immediately after the fast) you shall as it were plash them, and spread them against the wall, folding the arms in loops of leather, and grailing them unto the wall: and to that end you shall place them of such a fit distance one from another, that they may at pleasure spread and mount, without interruption: the profit whereof is at this day seen almost in every great man's Orchard: and although I have but only appointed unto the wall the most acquaint fruits of foreign nations; yet there is no fruit of our own, but if it be so ordered it will prosper and bring forth his fruit better and in greater abundance. And thus much for the replanting of trees and furnishing of a well proportioned Orchard.   

CHAP. VII. Of the Dressing, Dungging, pruning, and Preserving of Trees.  
Sigh after all the labour spent of engendering by seed, of fortifying and enabling by planting, and of multiplying by grafting it is to little or no purpose if the trees be not maintained and preserved by dressing, dungging and pruning, I will therefore in this place show you what belongs to that office or duty, and first, for the dressing of trees: you shall understand that it containeth all whatsoever is meet for the good estate of the tree, as first, after your tree is planted, or replanted, if the season shall fall out hot, dry, and parching, insomuch that the moisture of the earth is sucked out by the atraction of the Sun, and so the tree wanteth the nutriment of moisture, in this case you shall not omit every morning before the rising of the sun, and every evening after the set of the sun, with a great watering-pot filled with water, to water & hath the roots of the trees, if they be young trees, and newly planted, or replanted, but not otherwise: for if the trees be old, and of long growth, than you shall save that labour, and only to such old trees you shall about the midst of November, with a spade, dig away the earth from the upper part of the roots and lay them bare until it be midde-March, and then mingling such earth as is most agreeable with the fruit and Oxedunge and soap-ashes together, so cover them again, and tread the earth close about them: as for the uncovering of your trees in summer I do not hold it good, because the reflection of the sun is somewhat too violent and drieth the root, from whence at that time the sap naturally is gone: you shall also every spring and fall of the leaf cleanse your fruit trees from moss, which proceeding from a cold and cankerous moisture, breedeth dislike, and barrenness in trees: this moss you must take off with the back of an old knife and leave the bark smooth, plain, and unraced: also if you shall dung such trees with the dung of Swine, it is a ready away to destroy the moss.  
After you have dressed and trimmed your trees, 
pruning of Trees.  you shall then prune them, which is to cut away all those superfluous branches, arms, or scions, which being either barren, bruised or misplaced, do like drones, steale-away that nutriment which should maintain the better deserving sinews, and you shall understand that the best t●me for pruning of trees, is in March and April, at which time the sap ascending upward, causeth the trees to bud: the branches you shall cut away are all such as shall grow out of the stock underneath the place grafted, or all such as by the shaking of tempests shall grow in a disorderly and ill fashioned crookedness, or any other, that out of a well tempered judgement shall seem superfluous and burdensome to the stock from whence it springs, also such as have by disorder been brooken, or maimed, and all these you shall cut away with a hook knife, close by the tree, unless you have occasion by some misfortune to cut away some of the main and great arms of the tree, and then you shall not use your knife for fear of tearing the bark, but taking your saw you shall saw off those great arms close by the tree, neither shall you saw them off downward but upward, lest the weight of the arm break the bark from the body: And herein you shall also understand that for as much as the mischances which beget these dismemberings do happen at the latter end of Summer, in the gathering of the fruit, and that it is not fit such maimed and broken boughs hang upon the tree till the Spring, therefore you shall cut them off in the Winter time, but not close to the tree by almost a foot, and so letting them rest until the spring, at that time cut them off close by the tree. Now if you find the superfivitie of branches which annoy your trees to be only small scions, springing from the roots of the trees, as it often happeneth with all sorts of Plumbe-trées, Cherry-trées, Nut-trées, and such like, than you shall in the winter, bore the roots of those trees, and cut off those scions close by the root: but if your trees be browsed or eaten by tame-Deare, Goats, Sheep, Kine, Oxen, or such like, then there is no help for such a misfortune but only to cut off the whole head and graft the stock anew.  

Of Barke-bound.  Next to the pruning of trees, is the preserving, phisicking, and curing of the diseases of trees: to which they are subject as well as our natural bodies: and first of all, there is a disease called Barke-bound, which is when the bark, through a mislike and leprous dryness, bindeth in the tree with such straightness that the sap being denied passage the body grows into a consumption: it is in nature like unto that disease which in beasts is called hidebound, and the cure is thus: at the beginning of March take a sharp knife, and from the top of the body of the tree, to the very root, draw down certain slits, or incissions, clean through the bark, unto the very sap of the tree, round about the tree, & then with the back of your knife open those slits and anoint them all through with Tar, and in short space it will give liberty unto the tree to increase & grow: this disease cometh by the rubbing of cattle against the tree, especially Swine, who are very poison unto all plants.  
There is another disease in fruit-trees, called the Gall, 
Of the Gall.  and it eateth and consumeth the bark quit away, and so in time kills the tree: the cure is to cut and open the bark which you see infected, and with a chisel to take away all that is foul and putrefied, and then to clap Ox dung upon the place, and it will help it, and this must be done ever in winter.  
The Canker in fruit trees is the consumption both of the bark and the body, 
Of the Canker.  & it cometh either by the dropping of trees one upon another, or else when some hollow places of the tree retaineth rain water in them, which fretting through the bark, poisoneth the tree: the cure is to cut away all such boughs as by dropping breed the evil, and if the hollow places cannot be smooth and made even, then to stop them with clay, wax, and soap-ashes mixed together.  
If the barks of your trees be eaten with worms, 
Of worm-eaten barks.  which you shall perceive by the swelling of the bark, you shall then open the bark and lay thereupon swine's dung, sage, and lime beaten together, and bound with a cloth fast to the tree, and it will cure it: or wash the tree with cowes-pisse and vinegar and it will help it.  
If your young trees be troubled with pismires, 
Of pismires and Snails.  or Snails, which are very noisome unto them, you shall take unsleckt lime and soap-ashes and mingling them with wine-lées, spread it all about the root of the trees so infected, and anoint the body of the tree likewise therewith, and it will not only destroy them but give comfort to the tree: the soot of a chimney or Oak sawe-dust spread about the root will do the same.  
If Caterpillars do annoy your young trees, 
Of Caterpillars, and Earwigs.  who are great devourers of the leaves and young buds, and spoilers of the bark, you shall, if it be in the summer time, make a very strong brine of water and salt, and either with a garden pump, placed in a tub, or with squirts which have many holes you shall every second day water and wash your trees, and it will destroy them, because the Caterpillar naturally cannot endure moisture, but if nevertheless you see they do continue still upon your trees in Winter, than you shall when the leaves are fallen away take dankish straw and setting it on fire smear and burn them from the tree, and you shall hardly ever be troubled with them again upon the same trees: rolls of hay laid on the trees will gather up Earewigges and kill them.  

Of the barrenness of Trees.  If your trees be barren, and albeit they flourish and spread there leaves bravely, yet bring forth no fruit at all, it is a great sickness, and the worst of all other: therefore you shall understand it proceedeth of two causes: first, of two much fertility, and fatness of the ground, which causeth the leaf to put forth and flourish in such unnatural abundance, that all such sap and nutriment as should knit and bring forth fruit, turns only unto leaf, scions, and unprofitable branches, which you shall perceive both by the abundance of the leaves and by the colour also, which will be of a more blacker and deeper green, and of much larger proportion than those which have but their natural and proper rights: and the cure thereof is to take away the earth from the root of such trees and fill up the place again with other earth, which is of a much leaner substance: but if your tree have no such infirmity of fatness, but beareth his leaves and branches in good order and of right colour and yet notwithstanding is barren and bringeth forth little or no fruit, than that disease springeth from some natural defect in the tree, and the cure thereof is thus: first, you shall vnbare the root of the tree, and then noting which is the greatest and principallest branch of all the root, you shall with a great wimble boar a hole into that root and then drive a pin of old dry Ash into the same (for Oak is not altogether so good) and then cutting the pin off close by the root, cover all the head of the pin with yellow wax, and then lay the mould upon the root of the tree again, and tread it hard and firmly down, and there is no doubt but the tree will bear the year following: in France they use for this infirmity to boar a hole in the body of the tree slope-wise, somewhat past the heart, and to fill up the hole with life honey and Rose-water mixed together, and incorporated for at least xxiv. hours, and then to stop the hole with a pin of the one wood: also if you wash the roots of your trees in the drane water which runneth from your Barley when you steep it M for alt, it will cure this disease of barrenness.  
If the fruit which is upon your trees be of a bitter and sooty taste, 
Of the bitterness of Fruit.  to make it more pleasant and sweet you shall wash your tree all over with Swine's dung and water mixed together, & to the roots of the trees you shall lay earth and Swine's dung mixed together, which must be done in the month of january and February only, and it will make the fruit taste pleasantly. And thus much for the dressing and preserving of trees.   

CHAP. VIII. Of the Vine, and of his ordering.  
FOR as much as the nature, temperature, and climate, of our soil is not so truly proper and agreeing with the vine as that of France, Italy, Spain, and such like, and sith we have it more for delight, pleasure, and prospect, then for any peculiar pofit, I will not undertake Monsiver Lybaults painful labour, in describing every curious perfection or defect that belongs thereunto, as if it were the only jewel and commodity of our kingdom, but only write so much as is fitting for our knowledge touching the maintenance, increase, and preservation thereof, in our Orchards, Gardens, and other places of recreation.  
And lay them in the earth slope-wise, at least a foot deep, leaving out of the earth, uncovered, not above four or five joints, at the most, and then cover them with good earth firmly, closely, and strongly, having regard to raise those scions which are without the earth directly upward, observing after they be set, once in a month to weed them, and keep them as clean as is possible: for nothing is more noisome unto them then the suffocating of weeds: also you shall not suffer the mould to grow hard or bind about the roots, but with a small spade once in a fortnight to loosen and break the earth, because there roots are so tender that the least straytning doth strangle and confound them. If the season do grow dry, you may use to water them, but not in such sort as you water other plants, which is to sprinkle water round about the earth of the roots, but you shall with a round Iron made for the purpose somewhat bigger than a man's fingar, make certain holes into the earth, close upon the root of the vine, and power therein either water, the dregs of strong-Ale, or the lées of Wine, or if you will you may mix with the lées of Wine either Goats-milk, or Cowes-milke, and power it into the holes and it will nourish the vine exceedingly, and not the vine only, but all sorts of dainty grafted Plumbs, especially Peaches.  
Now for pruning the vine, 
Of pruning the Vine.  you shall understand that it is ever to be done after the fall of the leaf, when the sap is descended downward: for if you shall prune, or cut him, either in the spring, or when the sap is aloft, it will bleed so exceedingly, that with great difficulty you shall save the body of the tree from dying: and in pruning of the vine you shall observe two things, the first, that you cut away all superfluous scions and branches, both above and below, which either grow disorderly above, or fruitlessly below, and in cutting them you shall observe, neither to cut the old wood with the young cyon, nor to leave above one head or leader upon one branch: secondly, you shall in pruning, plash and spread the vine thinnely against the wall, giving every several branch and cyon his place, and passage, and not suffer it to grow loosely, rudely, or like a wild thorn, out of all decency and proportion: for you must understand that your Grapes do grow ever upon the youngest scions, and if of them you shall preserve too many, questionless for want of nourishment they will lose their virtue, and you your profit. Now if your vine be a very old vine, and that his fruit doth decay, either in quantity or proportion; if then you find he have any young scions which spring from his root, then when you prune him you shall cut away all the old stock, within less than an handful of the young scions, and make them the leaders, who will prosper and continue in perfection a long time after, especially if you trim the roots with fresh earth, and fresh dung. Again, if you be careful to look unto your vine, you shall perceive close by every bunch or grapes certain small thridde-like scions, which resemble twound wyars, curling and turning in many rings, these also take from the grapes very much nutriment, so that it shall be a labour very well employed to cut them away as you perceive them.  

Experiments of the Vine.  Now from the vine there is gathered sundry experiments, as to have it taste more pleasant than the true nature of the grape, and to smell in the mouth odoriferously, or as if it were perfumed, which may be done in this sort: Take damaske-Rose-water and boil therein the powder of Cloaves, Cinnamon, three grains of Amber, and one of Musk, and when it is come to be somewhat thick, take a round goudge and make a hole in the main stock of the vine, full as deep as the heart thereof, and then put therein this medicine, then stopping the hole with Cypress, or jumper, lay gréene-waxe thereupon, and bind a linen cloth about it, and the next grapes which shall spring from that vine will taste as if they were preserved or perfumed.  
If you will have grapes without stones, you shall take your plants and plant the small ends downward and be assured your desire is attained.  
The vine naturally of himself doth not bring forth fruit till it have been three years planted: but if evening and morning for the first month you will bathe his root with Goats-milk or Cowes-milke, it will bear fruit the first year of his planting. Lastly, you may if you please grafted one vine upon another, as the sweet upon the sour, as the muscadine grape, or Greek, upon the Rochel or Bordeaux, the Spanish, or Island grape, on the Gascoigne, and the Orleans upon any at all: and these compositions are the best, and bring forth both the greatest and pleasantest grapes: therefore whensoever you will graft one grape upon another, you shall do it in the beginning of january, in this sort: first, after you have chosen and trimmed your grafts, which in all sorts must be like the grafts of other fruits, then with a sharp knife, you shall cleave the head of the vine, as you do other stocks and then put in your graft, or cyon, being made as thin as may be and see that the barks and saps join even and close together, then clay it, moss it, and cover it, as hath been before declared.  
If your vine grow too rank and thick of leaves, 
The medicining of the Vine.  so that the sap doth waste itself in them, and you thereby lose the profit of the fruit, you shall then bare all the roots of the vine, and cast away the earth, filling up the place again with sand & ashes mingled together: but if the vine be naturally of itself barren, then with a goudge you shall make a hole half way through the main body of the vine, and drive into the hole a round pebble stone, which although it go straightly in, yet it may not fill up the hole, but that the sick humour of the vine may pass thorrow thereat: then cover the root with rich earth, and Ox dung mixed together, and once a day for a month water it with old piss, or urine of a man, and it will make the tree fruitful: if the vine be troubled with Worms, Snails, Ants, Earewigges, or such like, you shall morning and evening sprinkle it over with cowes-pisse and vinegar mixed together & it will help it: & thus much for ordering the vine.   

CHAP. IX. The office of the Fruiterrer, or the Gatherer, and keeper, of Fruit.  
AFter you have planted every several quarter, ally, and border within your Orchard, with every several fruit proper unto his place, and that you have placed them in that orderly and comely equipage which may give most delight to the eye, profit to the tree, and commendations to the workman, (according to the form and order prescribed in the first Chapter) and that now the blessing of the highest, time, and your endeavours hath brought forth the harvest and recompense of your travel, so that you behold the long-expected fruit hang upon the trees, as it were in their ripeness, wooing you to pluck, taste, and to deliver them from the wombs of their parents, it is necessary then that you learn the true office of the Fruiterer, who is in due season and time to gather those fruits which God hath sent him: for as in the husbanding of our grain if the Husbandman be never so careful, or skilful, in ploughing, dungging, sowing, wéeding and preserving his crop, yet in the time of harvest be negligent, neither regarding the strength or ripeness thereof, or in the leading and mowing respects not whether it be wet or dry, doth in that moment's space lose the wages of his whole years travel, getting but dirt from dirt, and loss from his negligence: so in like case holds it with all other fruits, if a man with never so great care and cost procure, yet if he be inrespective in the gathering, all his former business is vain and to no purpose; and therefore I hold nothing more necessary than the relation of this office of the Fruiterer, which is the consummation and only hope of our cost, and diligence, teaching us to gather wisely what we have planted wearily, and to eat with contentment what we have preserved with care.  
Know then, 
Of gathering and preserving Cherries.  that of all fruits (for the most part) the Cherry is the soon ripe, as being one of the oldest children of the summer, and therefore first of all to be spoken of in this place, yet are not all Cherries ripe at one instant, but some sooner than other some, according to the benefit of the Sun, the warmth of the air, and the strength of sap in the branch on which the Cherry hangeth: they are a fruit tender and pleasant, and therefore much subject to be devoured and consumed with Birds of the smallest kinds, as Sparrows, Robins, Starlings, and such like, especially the jay, and the Bull-finch, who will devour them stones and all, even so fast as they rypen: for prevention whereof; if you have great abundance of Cherry trees, as main holts that be either one or many acres in compass, you shall then in divers places of your holts, as well in the midst, as out-corners, cause to be erected up certain long poles of fir, or other wood, which may mount somewhat above the tops of the trees, and one the tops of those poles you shall place certain clappe-milles made of broken trenchers joined together like sails, which being moved and carried about with the smallest air, may have underneath the sails a certain loose little board, against which every sail may clap and make a great noise, which will affright and scare the Birds from your trees: these mills you shall commonly see in husbandmen's yards placed on their stacks or hovells of Corn, which doth preserve them from fowl and vermin: but for want of these clap-milles you must have some boy or young fellow that must every morning from the dawning of the day till the Sun be more than an hour high, and every evening from five of the clock till nine, run up and down your ground, whooping, showtying, and making of a great noise, or now and then shooting of some Harquebus, or other Piece: but by no means to use slings or throwing of stones, lest by the miscarriage of his hand he either beat down the fruit or bruise the trees. In this sort having preserved your Cherries from destruction, you shall then know there ripeness by their colours, for ever those which are most red, are most ripe, and when you see any that are ripe, you shall take a light ladder, made either of fir or sallow, and setting it carefully against the branches, so as you neither bruise them nor the fruit, you shall gather those you find ripe, not taking the fruit from the stalk, but nipping the stalk and fruit both together from the tree: also you shall be careful in gathering to handle or touch the Cherry so little as may be, but the stalk only, especially if your hands be hot, or sweaty, for that will change the colour of your Cherries, and make them look black: if there be any ripe Cherries which hang out of the reach of your hands, than you shall have a fine small gathering hook of wood, whose bout shall be made round, and smooth, for nipping the bark of the branches, and with it you shall gently pull unto you those branches you cannot reach: you shall also have a little round basket of almost a foot deep, made with a siue bottom, having a handle thwart the top, to which a small hook being fastened, you shall with that hook hang the basket by you on some convenient cyon, and as you gather the Cherries, gently lay them down into the same, and when you have filled your basket you shall descend and empty it into larger great baskets made of the same fashion, with siue bottoms, and having underneath two broad lathes or splinters, at least three fingers broad a piece, within four inches one of the other, and going both one way cross overthwart the basket, that if either man or woman shall carry them upon their heads, which is the best manner of carriage, than the sprinters may defend the bottom of the basket from the head of the party, and keep the Cherries from hurt or bruising, and if you have occasion to carry your Cherries far, and that the quantity grow beyond the support of a man, than you shall pack them in hampers or panniers made with false bottoms like sives, and finely lined on the out side with white straw, and so being closely trust on each side a Horses-backe, to carry them whether you please. You shall by no means suffer your Cherries to lie in any great or thick heaps one upon another, but until you sell them, or use them, lay them as thin as may be, because they are apt of themselves to sweat and catch heat, and that heat doth soon deprive them of the glory of their colour. When you gather any Cherries to preserve, you shall gather those which are the greatest, the ripest, you shall pull them from their stalks one by one, and use them at furthest within xxiv. hours after the time they are gotten.  
For the gathering of Plumbs in general, 
The gathering of stone Fruit.  it is in the same manner as you did gather your Cherries, both with such a like ladder, such a like hook, and such like vessels, only some more special observations are to be observed in gathering your dainty grafted Plumbs, then of the others, which are of a more hard and enduring nature. You shall know then that for gathering of Apricots, Peaches, Date-Plumbes, and such like grafted Plumbs, you shall duly consider when they are perfectly ripe, which you shall not judge by their dropping from the tree, which is a sign of overmuch ripeness, tending to rottenness, but by the true mixture of their colour, and perfect change from their first complexion: for when you shall perceive that there is no greenness nor hardness in their outsides, no, not so much as at the setting on of the stalk, you may then judge that they are ready to be gathered, and for a perfecter trial thereof you may if you please, take one which you think ripest from the tree, and opening it if you see the stone comes clean and dry away and not any of the inpart of the fruit cleaving unto it, than you may assure yourself that the fruit is ready to be gathered, which you shall with great diligence and care gather, not by any means laying one plumb upon another, but each severally by another, for these dainty Plumbs are naturally so tender that the least touch, though of themselves, doth bruise them, and occasion rottenness. Now when you have gathered them, if either you have desire to send them any journey, as in gratulation to your friends, or for other private commodity's you shall take some close, smooth, box, answerable to the store of fruit you are to send, and first line it within all over with white paper, then lay your Plumbs one by one all over the bottom of the box, then covering them all over with white paper, lay as many more upon the top of them, and cover them likewise with paper, as before, and so lay row upon row with papers between them, until the box be sufficiently filled, and then closing it up send it whether you please, and they will take the least hurt, whereas if you should line the box either with hay or straw, the very skins are so tender that the straw would print into them and bruise them exceedingly, and to lay any other soft thing about them, as either wool or bombast, is exceeding evil, because it heateth the Plumbs, and maketh them sweat, through which they both lose their colour and rot speedily. 
Of gathering hard Plumbs.  As touching the gathering of Plumbs when they are hard, and to ripen them afterward by laying them upon nettles, to which consenteth the most of our London-Fruiterrers, I am utterly against the opinion, because I both know Nature to be the perfectest workemistris, and where she is abridged of her power there ever to follow disorders and imperfections, as also that when such things are done, as it were through an overhasty constraint, there cannot proceed any thing but abortivenesse, and a distasteful relish: from whence I think it comes to pass that in London a man shall very seldom taste a delicate or well relished plumb, unless it be from such as having fruit of their own, make no commodity thereof more than their own pleasures: 
Of keeping of Plumbs.  yet thus much I would persuade every one, that if they have more Plumbs ripe at once then they can use, or spend, that then after they are gathered, to spread them thinnely upon Nettles or Uinetrée leaves, and it will preserve them sound and well coloured a long time together, but if your store be so superabundant that in no reasonable time you can spend them, than what you do not preserve, or make Godiniake, or Maruulade of, the rest you shall take and sprinkling them over with swéet-worte, or growt, and then laying them one by one (yet so as they may not touch one another) upon hurdles or fleakes made of wands, or twigs, and put them into an Oven after bread or Pies have been ta'en thereout, and so leisurely dry them, and they will not only last, but taste pleasantly all the year after: and in this sort you may use all kinds of Plumbs, or Pears, whatsoever. Now for the gathering of the other ordinary sorts of ungrafted Plumbs, which have both much stronger rinds, and are less subject to rotting, you shall gather them, carry, or transport them, in the same manner that you did your Cherries, only in these, as in all other sorts of fruit whatsoever, you shall not omit never to gather, or pull them from the tree, till the dew be dried clean both from the grass and from the trees, and that the day be dry, fair, and full of sunshine: for the least wet or moisture doth canker and rot the fruit.  
As touching the gathering of Pears, 
Of the gathering of Pears.  though sundry Fruiterrers observe sundry ways in gathering them, as some making more haste than good-spéed, as either to have the first taste, or the first profit, some using more negligence, thinking their store so great it will never be consumed, and some so curious that they will not gather till the Pears fall into their bosoms, all which are dispraiseable fashions, yet I for my part would ever advise all diligent husbands to observe a mediocrity, and take the fittest season for the gathering of his fruit: as thus for example. If because you are unexperienced or unacquainted with the fruit you do not know the due time of his ripening, you shall observe the colour of the Pear, and if you see it do alter, either in part, or in all, you shall be assured the fruit is near ripening, for Pears do never change their colours, but when they do desire to be taken from the tree: and of all fruit the Pear may be gathered the hardest, because both his own natural heat and peculiar quality will ripen him best with lying: yet to be more strongly fortified in the knowledge of the ripeness of your fruit, and because it is better to get a day too late, than an hour too early, you shall before you gather your Pears, whether they be Summer fruit or Winter fruit, or whether you mean to spend them soon or preserve them long, take one of them from the tree, which is neither the ripest nor the gréenest, but betwixt both, and cut it through the midst with your knife, not longwise, but overthwart, and then look into the core where the kernels lie, and if it be hollow so as the kernels lie as it were hollow therein, the neither ends thereof being turned either black, or blackish, albeit the complexion of the Pear be little, or not at all altered, yet the Pears have their full growth, and may very well be gathered: then laying them either upon a bed of fern, or straw, one upon another, in great thickness, their own natural heat will in short space ripen them, which you shall perceive both by the speedy changing of their colour, & the strength of their smell, which will be exceeding suffocating, which as soon as you perceive, you shall then spread them thinner and thinner, until they be all ripe, and then lay them one by one, in such sort as they may not touch one another, and then they will last much the longer, you shall also after they be ripe, neither suffer them to have straw nor fern under them, but lay them either upon some smooth table, boards or fleakes of wands, and they will last the longer.  

Of transporting, or carrying of Pears far.  If you be to carry or transport Pears far, you shall then gather them so much the sooner, and not suffer any ripe one to be amongst them, and then lining great wicker baskets (such as will hold at least quarters a piece) finely within with white-straw, fill them up with Pears, and then cover them with straw, and cord them above, and you may either transport them by land or Sea, whether you please, for they will ripen in their carriage: but when you come to your place of residence, than you must needs unpacke them and spread them thinner, or else they will rot and consume in a sudden.  
There be sundry ways of gathering Pears, 
Of gathering diversly.  or other fruit, as namely, to climb into the tree and to have a basket with a line fastened thereto, and so when it is filled to let it down, and cause it to be emptied, which labour though some of your southern Fruiterers do not much commend, yet for mine own part I do not see much error therein, but that it is both allowable and convenient, both because it neither bruiseth the fruit, nor putteth the gatherer to any extraordinary labour, only the imaginary evil is, that by climbing up into the tree, he that gathereth the fruit may endanger the breaking, slipping, and disbranching of many of the young scions, which breedeth much hurt and damage to the tree, but judgement, and care, which ought to be apropriate to men of this quality, is a certain preuenter of all such mischiefs. Now for such as in gathering of their fruit do every time that the basket is full bring it down themselves from the tree, and empty it by pouring the fruit rudely, and boisterously forth, or for beating of fruit down with long poles, loggats, or such like, they are both most wild and preposterous courses, the first being full of too much foolish and careless trouble, the latter of too much disorder, & cruelty, ruyning in a moment what hath been many years in building: as for the climbing the tree with a ladder, albeit it be a very good way for the gathering of fruit, yet if it be never so little indiscréetly handled, it as much hazardeth the breaking and bruising both of the fruit and the small scions, as either climbing the tree, or any other way whatsoever.  
Now for the gathering of your Apples: 
The gathering of Apples.  you shall understand that your summer fruit, as your jeniting, Wibourne, and such like, are first to be gathered, whose ripeness, you may partly know by the change of colour, partly by the pecking of Birds, but chiefly by the course formerly described for your knowledge of the ripeness of the Pear, which is the hollowness of core, and liberty of the kernel only, and when you do perceive they are ripe, you shall gather them in such wise as hath been declared for the gathering of your Pears, without respecting the state of the Moon, or any such like observation, but when you come to gather your Winter-fruit, which is the Pippin, Pearemaine, Russeting, Blacke-annat, and such like, you shall in any wise gather them in the wane of the Moon, and, as before I said, in the dryest season that may be, and if it be so that your store be so great that you cannot gather all in that season, yet you shall get so much of your principal fruit, the youngest and fairest, as is possible to be gotten, and preserve it for the last which you intent either to spend, or utter. Now for the manner of gathering your Apples I do not think you can amend or approve a better way than that which hath been described for the gathering of Pears, yet some of our late practitioners (who think themselves not cunning if they be not curious) dislike that way, and will only have a gathering apron, into which having gathered their fruit, they do empty it into larger vessels: this gathering apron is a strong piece of Canvas at least an ell every way, which having the upper end made fast about a man's neck, & the neither end with three loops, that is, one at each corner, & one in the midst, through which you shall put a string, and bind it about your waste, in so much that both the sides of your apron being open you may put your fruit therein with which hand you please: this manner of gathering Apples is not amiss, yet in my conceit the apron is so small a defence for the Apples, that if it do but knock against the boughs as you do move yourself, it cannot choose but bruise the fruit very much, which ought ever to be avoided: therefore still I am of this opinion, there is no better way, safer, nor more easy, then gathering them into a small basket, with a long line thereat, as hath been before declared in the gathering of Pears. Now you shall carefully observe in empting one basket into another, that you do it so gently as may be, least in pouring them out too rudely the stalks of the fruit do prick one another, which although it do appear little or nothing at the first, yet it is the first ground, cause, and beginning of rottenness, and therefore you shall to your uttermost power gather your Apples with as small stalks as may be, so they have any at all, which they must needs have, because that as too big stalks doth prick and bruise the fruit, so to have none at all makes the fruit rot first in the place where the stalk should be: you shall also keep your fruit clean from leaves, for they being green and full of moisture, when by reason of their lying close together they begin to wither they strike such an heat into the Apples, that they mil-dew and rot instantly.  
As touching your Fall, 
Of Fall.  which are those Apples which fall from your trees, either through too much ripeness, or else through the violence of wind, or tempests, you shall by no means match them, or mix them, with your gathered fruit, for they can by no means last or endure so long, for the latter which falleth by force of wind, wanting the true nourishment of the earth and the kindly ripening upon the tree, must necessarily shrink wither, and growrivelled, so that your best course is to spend them presently, with all speed possible: for the other which hath too much ripeness from the earth, and the tree, though it be much better than the other, yet it cannot be long lasting, both because it is in the falling bruised, and also hath too much ripeness, which is the first step to rottenness, so that they must likewise be spent with all expedition. 
Of carriage and keeping Fruit.  For the carriage of your Apples, if the place be not far whether you should carry them, you shall then in those large baskets into which you last emptied them, carry them upon cole-staves, or stangs, betwixt two men, and having brought them carefully into your Apple-loft, power them down gently upon beds of fern or straw, and lay them in reasonable large heaps, every sort of Apples several by themselves, without mixture, or any confusion: and for such Apples as you would have to ripen soon, you shall cover them all over with fern also, but for such as you would have take all possible leisure in ripening, those you shall say neither upon fern, nor straw, but upon the bare boards, nay, if you lay them upon a plaster floor (which is of all floares the coldest) till Saint Andrew's tide, it is not amiss, but very profitable, and the thinner you say them so much the better. Now if you have any far journey to carry your Apples, either by land, or by water, then trimming and lining the insides of your baskets with fern, or wheate-straw woven as it were clean through the basket, you shall pack, cover, and cord up your Apples, in such sort as you did your Pears, and there is no danger in the transportation of them, be it by ship, cart, wagon, or horseback. If you be enforced to pack sundry sorts of Apples in one basket, see that betwixt every sort you lay a division of straw, or fern, that when they are unpackt, you may lay them again severally: but if when they are unpackt, for want of room you are compelled to lay some sorts together, in any wise observe to mix those sorts together which are nearest of taste, likest of colour, and all of one continuance in lasting: as for the packing up of fruit in hogsheads, or shooting them under hatches when you transport them by Sea, I like neither of the courses, for the first is too close, and nothing more than the want of air doth rot fruit, the other is subject to much wet, when the breach of every Sea endangereth the washing of the Apples, and nothing doth more certainly spoil them. The times most unseasonable for the transporting of fruit, is either in the month of March, or generally in any frosty weather, for if the sharp coldness of those airs do touch the fruit, it presently makes them look black, and riveled, so that there is no hope of their continuance.  
The place where you shall lay your fruit must neither be too open, nor too close, yet rather close then open, it must by no means be low upon the ground, nor in any place of moistness: for moisture breeds fustinesse, and such naughty smells easily enter into the fruit, and taint the relish thereof, yet if you have no other place but some low cellar to lay your fruit in, than you shall raise shelves round about, the nearest not within two foot of the ground, and lay your Apples thereupon, having them first lined, either with sweet Rye-straw, Wheate-straw, or dry fern: as th●se undermost rooms are not the best, so are the uppermost, if they be unséeld, the worst of all other, because both the sun, wind, and weather, piercing through the tiles, doth annoy and hurt the fruit: the best room than is a well seld chamber, whose windows may be shut and made close at pleasure, ever observing with straw to defend the fruit from any moist stone wall, or dusty mud wall, both which are dangerous annoyances.  
Now for the separating of your fruit, 
The separating of Fruit.  you shall lay those nearest hand, which are first to be spent, as those which will last but till Alhallontide, as the Cisling, Wibourne, and such like, by themselves: those which will last till Christmas, as the Costard, Pome-water, Quéene-Apple, and such like: those which will last till Candlemas, as the Pome●de-roy, Goose-Apple, and such like, and those which will last all the year, as the Pippin, Duzin, Russeting, Pearemaine, and such like, every one in his several place, & in such order that you may pass from bed to bed to cleanse or cast forth those which be rotten or putrefied at your pleasure, which with all diligence you must do, because those which are tainted will soon poison the other, and therefore it is necessary as soon as you see any of them tainted, not only to cull them out, but also to look upon all the rest, and divide them into three parts, laying the soundest by themselves, those which are least tainted by themselves, and those which are most tainted by themselves, and so to use them all to your best benefit.  
Now for the turning of your longest lasting fruit, you shall know that about the latter end of December is the best time to begin, if you have both got and kept them in such sort as is before said, and not mixed fruit of more early ripening amongst them: the second time you shall turn them, shall be about the end of February, and so consequently once every month, till Penticost, for as the year time increaseth in heat so fruit grows more apt to rot: after Whitsuntide you shall turn them once every fortnight, always in your turning making your heaps thinner and thinner; but if the weather be frosty then stir not your fruit at all, neither when the thaw is, for then the fruit being moist may by no means be touched: also in wet weather fruit will be a little dankish, so that then it must be forborn also, and therefore when any such moistness happeneth, it is good to open your windows and let the air dry your fruit before it be turned: you may open your window any time of the year in open weather, as long as the sun is upon the sky, but not after, except in March only, at what time the air and wind is so sharp that it tainteth and rivelleth all sorts of fruits whatsoever.  

To keep Fruit in frost.  If the frost be very extreme, and you fear the endangering your fruit, it is good to cover them somewhat thick with fine hay, or else to lay them covered all over either in Barley-chaffe, or dry Salt: as for the laying them in chests of juniper, or Cypress, it is but a toy, and not worth the practice: if you hang Apples in nets within the air of the fire it will keep them long, but they will be dry and withered, and will lose their best relish.  

Of Wardens.  Now for the gathering, keeping, ordering, and preserving of Wardens, they are in all sorts and in all respects to be used as you do use your Pears, only you are to consider that they are a fruit of a much stronger constitution, have a much thicker skin, and will endure much harder season: neither ought you to seek to ripen them in haste, or before the ordinary time of their own nature, and therefore to them you shall use neither straw, fern, nor hay, but only dry boards to lay them upon, and no otherwise.  

Of Medlars and Services.  For your Medlars, you shall gather them about the midst of October, after such time as the frost hath nipped and bitten them, for before they will not be ready, or loosen from the stalk, and then they will be nothing ripe, but as hard as stones, for they never ripen upon the tree, therefore as soon as you have gathered them, you shall pack them into some close vessel, and cover them all over, and round about, with thick woollen clothes, and about the clothes good store of hay, and some other weight of boards, or such like upon them, all which must bring them into an extreme heat, without which they will never ripen kindly, because their ripeness is indeed perfect rottenness: and after they have lain thus, at least a fortnight, you shall then look upon them, and turning them over, such as you find ripe you shall take away, the rest you shall let remain still, for they will not ripen all at once, and those which are half ripe you shall also remove into a third place, lest if you should keep them together, they should begin to grow mouldly before the other were ready; and in the self same manner as you use your Medlars, so you shall use your Services, and they will ripen most kindly: or if you please to stick them betwixt large cloven sticks, and to sprinkle a little old bear upon them, and so set them in a close room, they will ripen as kindly as any other way whatsoever.  
Now for Quinces, 
Of Quinces.  they are a fruit which by no means you may place near any other kind of fruit, because their scent is so strong and piercing, that it will enter into any fruit, and clean take away his natural relish: the time of their gathering is ever in October, and the meetest place to lay them in is where they may have most air, so they may lie dry (for wet they can by means endure,) also they must not lie close, because the smell of them is both strong & unwholesome: the beds whereon they must lie must be of sweet straw, and you must both turn them and shift them very often, or else they will rot speedily: for the transporting or carrying them any long journey, you must use them in all things as you use your Pears, & the carriage will be safe.  
For Nuts, 
Of Nuts  of what sort soever they be, you shall know they are ripe as soon as you perceive them a little brown within the husk, or as it were ready to fall out of the same, the skill therefore in preserving of them long from dryness, is all that can be desired at the Fruiterer's han●s: for as touching the gathering of them, there is no scruple to be observed, more than to gather them clean from the tree, with the help of hooks and such like, for as touching the bruising of them, the shell is defence sufficient. After they be gathered, you shall shalt them, and take them clean out of their husks, and then for preserving them from either Worms or dryness, it shall be good to lay them in some low cellar, where you may cover them with sand, being first put into great bags or bladders: some frenchmen are of opinion that if you put them into vessels made of Wal-nut-trée, and mix juy-berries amongst them, it will preserve them moist a long t●me: others think, but I have found it uncertain, that to preserve Nuts in Honey will keep them all the year as green, moist, and pleasant, as when they hung upon the tree: The Dutchmen use (and it is an excellent practice) to take the crushed Crabs (after your verdivyce is strained out of them) and to mix it with their Nuts, and so to lay them in heaps, and it will preserve them long: or otherwise if they be to be transported, to put them into barrels and to lay one layre of crushed Crabs, and another of Nuts, until the barrel be filled, and then to close them up, and set them where they may stand cool. But above all these foresaid experiments, the best way for the preserving of Nuts is to put them into clean earthen pots, and to mire with them good store of salt and then closing the pots close, to set them in some cool cellar, and cover them all over with sand, and there is no doubt but they will keep cool, pleasant, and moist, until new come again, which is a time fully convenient.  

Of Grapes.  Now to conclude, for the keeping of Grapes, you shall first understand that the best time for their gathering is in the wane of the Moon, and about the midst of October, as for the knowledge of his ripeness it is ever at such time as his first colour is clean altered, for all Grapes before they be ripe are of a deep, thick, green, colour, but after they be ripe, they are either of a bluish red, or of a bright shining pale green. Now for the preserving them for our english use, which is but only for a fruit-dish at our Tables, for neither our store, nor our soil, affords us any for the winepress, some think it good, after they are gotten, to lay them in fine dry sand, or to glass them up in close glasses, where the air cannot pierce, will keep them long, both full, plump, and sweet, but in my conceit the best course is after they are gotten to hang them upon strings bunch by bunch, in such places of your house as they may take the air of the fire, and they will last longest, and keep the sweetest.   

CHAP. X. Of the making of Cider, or Perry.  
Cider is a certain liquor or drink made of the juice of Apples, and perry the like, made of Pears, they are of great use in France, and very wholesome for man's body, especially at the Sea, and in hot Countries: for they are cool and purgative, and do prevent burning agues: with us here in England Cider is most made in the West parts, as about Devon-shire & Cornwall, & Perry in Worcester-shire, Gloucestershire, & such like, where indeed the greatest store of those kinds of fruits are to be found: the manner of making them is, after your fruit is gotten, you shall take every Apple, or Pear, by itself, and looking upon them, pick them clean from all manner of filthiness, as brui●ings, rottenness, worme-eating, and such like, neither lean upon them any stalks, or the black buds which are and grow upon the tops of the fruit, which done you shall put them in to some very clean vessel, or trough, and with béetells, made for the purpose, bruise or crush the Apples or Pears in pieces, & so remove them into other clean vessels, till all the fruit be bruised: then take a bag of haircloth, made at least a yard, or three quarters, square, and filling it full of the crushed fruit, put it in a press of wood, made for the purpose, and press out all the juice and moisture out of the fruit, turning and tossing the bag up and down, until there be no more moisture to run forth, and so baggefull after baggefull cease not until you have priest all: wherein you are especially to observe, that your vessels into which you strain your fruit be exceeding neat, sweet, and clean, and there be no place of ill savour, or annoyance near them, for the liquor is most apt, especially Cider, to take any infection. As soon as your liquor is priest forth and hath stood to settle, about twelve hours, you shall then turn it up into sweet hogsheads, as those which have had in them last, either White-wine or Claret, as for the Sack vessel it is tolerable, but not excellent: you may also if you please make a small long bag of fine linen cloth, and filling it full of the powder of Cloves, Mace, Cinnamon, Ginger, and the dry pills of Lemons, and hang it with a string at the bunghole into the vessel, and it will make either the Cider, or Perry, to taste as pleasantly as if it were Rhenish-wine, and this being done you shall clay up the bunghole with clay and salt mixed together, so close as is possible. And thus much for the making of Perry or Cider.   

CHAP. XI. Of the Hoppe-garden, and first of the ground and situation thereof.  
THat the Hoppe is of great use and commodity in this kingdom, both the Bear, which is the general and perfect drink of our Nation, and our daily traffic, both with France, the low-Countries, and other nations, for this commodity, is a continual testimony, 
Fit ground for Hops.  wherefore the first thing to be considered of in this work, is the goodness and aptness of the ground for the bringing forth of the fruit thereof, wherein I thus far consent with Master Scot, that I do not so much respect the writings, opinions, and demonstrations, of the Greek, Latin, or French authors, who never were acquainted with our soils, as I do the daily practice and experience which I collect, both from my own knowledge, and the labours of others my Countrymen, best seen and approved in this Art: therefore to come to my purpose, you shall understand that the light sand, whether it be red or white, being simple and unmixed is most unfit for the planting of Hops, because that through the barrenness, it neither hath comfort for the root, nor through his separate lightness, any strong hold to maintain and keep up the poles: likewise the most fertile rich, blackeclay, which of all soils is the best and most fruitful, is not to be allowed for a Hoppe garden, because his fatness and juice is so strong that the root being as it were over-fedde, doth make the branches bring forth leaves in such infinite abundance that they leave neither strength nor place for the fruit, either to knit, or put forth his treasure, as I have seen by experience in many places: as for the earth which is of a morish, black, wet nature, and lieth low, although I have often times seen good Hops to grow thereupon, being well trenched, and the hills cast high to the best advantage, yet it is not the principal ground of all others, because it is never long lasting, but apt to decay and grow past his strength of bearing. The grounds then which I have generally seen to bear the best Hops, and whose natures do the longest continue with such fruit, are those mixed earths whi●h are calies with calies, as black with white, or calys and sands of any sorts, wherein the soil is so corrected as neither too much fatness doth suffocate, nor too much leanness doth pine: for I had ever rather have my Hoppe-garden desire increase, then contiunally labour in abatement. And although some do exceedingly condemn the chauke-ground for this use, yet I have not at any time seen better Hops, or in more plenty, then in such places, as at this day may be seen in many places about Hartford-shire. To conclude, though your best mixed earths bring forth the best Hops, yet there is no soil, or earth, of what nature soever it be (if it lie free from inundation) but will bring forth good Hops, if it be put into the hands of an experienced workman.  

Of the Situation.  Now, for the situation or site of your Hoppe-garden: you shall so near as you can place it near some cover or shelter, as either of hills, houses, high-walles, woods or trees, so those woods or trees be not so near that th●y may drop upon your Hoppe hills, for that will kill them: also the nearer it is planted to your dwelling house it is somuch the better, both because the vigilance of your own eye is a good guard thereunto, and also the labours of your workmaister will be more careful and diligent. A Hop-garden as it delighteth much in the pleasantness of the sun, so it cannot endure by any means, the sharpness of the winds, frosts, or Winter weather, and therefore your only care is your defence and shelter. For the bigness of your ground, it must be ordered according to your ability or p●ace of trade for that commodity, for if you shall have them but for your own use, than a roo●e or two roods will be enough, albeit your house keeping match with Nobility: but if you have them for a more particular profit, than you may take an Acre, two or three, according to your own discretion; wherein you shall ever keep these observations: that one man's labour cannot attend above two thousand five hundred hills, that every rood will bear two hundred and fifty hills, every hill bear at least two pounds and an half of Hops, (which is the just quantity that will serve to brew one quarter of Malt) and that every hundred weight of Hops, is at the least, in a reasonable year, worth four-nobles the hundred: so that every rood of ground thus employed, cannot be less worth, at the meanest reckoning, then six pounds by the year: for if the ground be principal good for the purpose, and well ordered, the profit will be much greater, in as much as the bells of the Hops will be much greater, full, and more weighty: And thus much for the ground and situation.   

CHAP. XII. Of the ordering of the Garden, and placing of the Hills.  
AS soon as you have chosen out your platform of ground, you shall either by ploughing, or digging, or by both, make it as flat & level as is possible, unless it be any thing subject unto water, and then you shall give it some small descent, and with little tr●●●●es convey the water from annoying it: you shall also the year before you either make hill or plant it with Hoppe-rootes, sow it all over with hemp, which will not only kill, and stifle all sorts of weeds, but also rot the gréene-swarth, and make the mould mellow, and apt to receive the roots when they come to be planted.  
Now, as soon as your ground is thus prepared, you shall then take a line, and with it measure your ground overthwart, and to every hill allow at least three foot of ground every way, and betwixt hill and hill, at the least six foot distance: and when you have marked thus the number of thirty or forty places, where your hills shall be placed, intending ever that the time of year for this work must be about the beginning of April, you shall then in the centre, or mid part of these places made for the site of your hills, dig small square holes of a foot square each way, and a full foot deep, and in these holes you shall set your Hoppe-rootes, that is to say, in every hole at least three roots, and these three roots you shall join together in such wise that the tops of them may be of one equal height, and agreeing with the face or upper part of the earth, you shall set them strait and upright, and not separating them, as many do, and setting at each corner of the hole a root, neither shall you twist them, and set both ends upward, nor lay them flat or crosswise in the earth, neither shall you make the hills first and set the roots after, nor immediately upon the setting cast great hills upon them, all which are very wild ways for the setting of Hops, but, as before I said, having joined your roots together, you shall place them strait and upright, and so holding them in one hand, with the other put the moulds close, firm, and perfectly about them, especially to each corner of the hole, which done you shall likewise cover the sets themselves all over with fine moulds, at least two fingers thick, and in this sort you shall plant all your garden quite over, making the sites for your hill to stand in rows and ranks, in such order that you may have every way between the hills small alleys and passages, wherein you may go at pleasure from hill to hill, without any trouble or annoyance, according to that form which I have before prescribed touching the placing of your Appletrées in each several quarter in your Orchard: and herein you are to understand, that in this first year of planting your Hoppe-garden you shall by no means fashion or make any great hills, but only raise that part of the earth where your plants are set, some two or three fingers higher than the ordinary ground.  
Now before I proceed any further, 
The choice of roots.  I think it not amiss to speak some thing touching the choice, gathering and trimming of Hoppe-rootes: wherefore you shall understand that about the latter end of March is the best gathering of Hoppe-rootes, which so near as you can you shall select out of some garden of good reputation, which is both carefully kept, and by a man of good knowledge, for there every thing being preserved in his best perfection, the roots will be the greatest and most apt to take: and in the choice of your roots you shall ever choose those which are the greatest, as namely, such as are at the least three or four inches about, & ten inches long, let every root contain about three joints, and no more, and in any case let them be the scions of the last years growth: if they be perfectly good they have a great green stalk with red streaks, and a hard, broad, long, green, bell; if they be otherwise, as namely, wilde-Hoppes, than they are small and slender, like thriddes, their colour is all red, even when it is at least three yards high, whereas the best Hoppe carrieth his reddish colour not three foot from the earth. Now having gotten such roots as are good and fit for your purpose, if the season of the weather, or other necessity hinder you from presently setting them, you shall then either lay them in some puddle, near to your garden, or else bury them in the ground, until fit time for their planting: and of the two it is better to bury them then lay them in puddle, because if you so let them lie above xxiv. hours, the roots will be spoiled.  
Now after you have in manner aforeshewed, planted your garden with roots, it shall not be amiss, if the place be apt to such annoyance, to prick upon the site of every hill a few sharp Thorns to defend them from the scratching of poultry, or such like, which ever are busy to do mischief: yet of all house-fowle Geese be the worst, but if your fence be as if aught, high, strong, and close, it will both prevent their harm and this labour.  

Of Po●les.  Next unto this work is the placing of Poles, of which we will first speak of the choice thereof, where●● if I descent from the opinion of other men, yet imagine I set down no Oracle, but refer you to the experience o● the practice, and so make your own discretion the arbiter between our dissensions. It is the opinion of some● that Alder-poales are most proper and fit for the Hoppe-garden, both that the Hoppe taketh, as they say, a certain natural love to that wood, as also that the roughness of the rind is a stay & benefit to the growth of the Hoppe: to all which I do not disagree, but that there should be found Alder-poales of that length, as namely, xuj. or xviij. foot long, nine, or ten, inches in compass, and with all rush-growne, strait, and fit for this use, seemeth to me as much as a miracle, because in my life I have not beheld the like, neither do I think our kingdom can affords it, unless in some such especial place where they are purposely kept and maintained, more to show the art of their maintenance, than the excellency of their natures: in this one benefit, and doubtless where they are so preserved, the cost of their preservation amounteth to more than the goodness of their extraordinary quality, which mine author defends to the contrary, giving them a larger prerogative, in that they are cheaper to the purse, more profitable to the plant, and less consumption to the commonwealth: but I greatly doubt in the approbation, and therefore mine advise is not to rely only upon the Alder, and for his pre-eminence imagine all other poles insufficient: but be assured that either, the Oake-poale, the Ash, the beech, the Asp, or Maple, are every way as good, as profitable, and by many degrees much longer lasting.  
Now, if it be so that you happen to live in the champain Country, as for the most part Northampton●shire, Oxfordshire, some parts of Leycester and Rutland are, or in the wet and low Countries, as Holland, and Kesten in Lyncolneshire, or the I'll of Elye in Cambridge-shire, all which places are very barren of wood, and yet excellent soils to bear Hops, rather than to lose the commodity of the Hoppe-garden I wish you to plant great store of Willows, which will afford you poles as sufficient as any of the other whatsoever, only they are not so long lasting, and yet with careful and dry keeping, I have seen them last full out seven years, a time reasonably sufficient for any young wood, 
The proportion of the Pole.  for such a use. Thus you see the curiosity is not very great of what wood so ever your pole be, so it be of young and clean growth, rush-growne, (that is to say, biggest at the neither end) eighteen foot in length, 
Of cutting and erecting Poles.  and ten inches in compass. These poles you shall cut and prepare betwixt the feast of Al-Saints, and Christmas, and so pile them up in some dry place, where they may take no wet, until it be midde-Aprill, at which time (your Hops being shot out of the ground at least three quarters of a yard, so that you may discern the principal scions which issue from the principal roots) you shall then bring your poles into the garden, and lay them along in the alleys, by every hill so many poles as shall be sufficient for the main branches, which happily the first year will not be above two or three poles at the most to a hill, but in process of time more, as four or five, according to the prosperity of the plants, and the largeness of the hills. After you have thus laid your poles, you shall then begin to set them up in this sort: first, you shall take a gave-locke, or crow of iron, and strike it into the earth so near unto the root of the Hoppe as is possible, provided always that you do not bruise, or touch the root, and so stroke after stroke, ●ease not striking till you have made a hole at least two foot deep, and make them a little slantwise inward towards the hill, that the poles in their standing may shoot outwards and hold their greatest distance in the tops: this done you shall place the poles in those holes, thus made with the iron crow, and with another piece of wood, made rammer-wise, that is to say, as big at the neither ●nd as the biggest part of the pole, or somewhat more, you shall ram in the poles, and beat the earth firm and hard about them: always provided, that you touch not any branch, or as little as you may beat with your rammer within between the poles, only on the outside make them so fast that the wind, or weather, may not disorder or blow them down: then lay to the bottom of every pole the branch which shall ascend it, and you shall see in a short space, how out of their own natures, they will embrace and climb about them.  
This instrument is not to be discommended, but to be held of good use, either in binding grounds where the earth hardeneth and holdeth the pole more than fast, or in the strength and heat of summer, when the dryness of the mould will by no means suffer the pole to part from it: but otherwise it is needless and may without danger be omitted.  
As soon as you have sufficiently set every hill with poles, and that there is no disorder in your work, you shall when the Hops begin to climb, note if their be any scions or branches which do forsake the poles, and rather shoot alongst the ground then look up to their supporters, and all such as you shall so find, you shall as before I said, either with soft green rushes, or the green bark of Elder, tie them gently unto the poles, and wind them about, in the same course that the sun goes, as oft as conveniently you can: and this you shall do ever after the dew is gone from the ground, and not before, and this must be done with all possible speed, for that cyon which is the longest before it take unto the pole is ever the worst and brings forth his fruit in the worst season.  
Now, 
Of the Hills.  as touching the making of your hills, you shall understand that although generally they are not made the first year, yet it is not amiss if you omit that scruple, and begin to make your hills as soon as you have placed your poles, for if your industry be answerable to the desert of the labour, you shall reap as good profit the first year, as either the second or the third. To begin therefore to make your hills, you shall make you an instrument like a stubbing Hoe, which is a tool wherewith labourer's stub roots out of decayed woode-land grounds, only this shall be somewhat broader and thinner, somewhat in fashion (though twice so big) unto a Cooper's Adds, with a shaft at least four foot long: some only for this purpose use a fine paring spade, which is every way as good, and as profitable, the fashion of which is in this figure.  
With this paring spade, or ho, you shall pair up the gréene-swarth and uppermost earth, which is in the alleys between the hills, and lay it unto the roots of the Hops, raising them up like small Molehills, and so monthly increasing them all the year through, make them as large as the site of your ground will suffer, which is at least four or five foot overthwart in the bottom, and so high as conveniently that height will carry: you shall not by any means this first year decay any scions or branches which spring from the hills, but maintain them in their growth, and suffer them to climb up the poles, but after the first year is expired you shall not suffer above two or three scions, at the most, to rise upon one pole. After your hi●s are made, which as before I said would be at least four or five foot square in the bottom, and three foot high, you shall then diligently every day attend your garden, and if you find any branches that being risen more than half way up the poles, do then forsake them and spread outward, dangling down, than you shall either with the help of a high stool, on which standing you may reach the top of the pole, or else with a small forked stick, put up the branch, and wind it about the pole: you shall also be careful that no weeds or other filthiness grow about the roots of your Hops to choke them, but upon the first discovery to destroy them.   

CHAP. XIII. Of the gathering of Hops, and the preserving of the Poles.  
TOuching the gathering of Hops you shall understand that after Saint Margaret's day they begin to blossom, if it be in hot and rich soils, but otherwise not till Lammas: likewise in the best soils they bell at Lammas, in the worst at Michaelmas, and in the best earth they are full ripe at Michaelmas, in the worst at Martillmas; but to know when they are ripe indeed, you shall perceive the seed to lose his green colour, and look as brown as a Hares back, wherefore then you shall with all diligence gather them, and because they are a fruit that will endure little or no delay, as being ready to fall as ●oone as they be ripe, and because the exchange of weather may breed change in your work, you shall upon the first advantage of fair weather, even so soon as you shall see the dew exhaled and drawn from the earth, get all the aid of Men, Women, and children which have any understanding, to help you, and then having some convenient empty barn, or shed, made either of boards or canvas, near to the garden, in which you shall pull your Hops, you shall then begin at the nearest part of the garden, and with a sharp garden knife cut the stalks of the Hops asunder close by the tops of the hills; and then with a strait fork of ●●on, made broad and sharp, for the purpose, shone up all the Hops, and leave the p●a●es naked. Then having labouring persons for the purpose, ●●t them carry them unto the place where they are to be pulled; and in any ●ase cut no more than presently is carried away as fast as they are cut, lest if a shower of rain should happen to fa●l, and those being cut and taking wet, are in danger of spoiling. You shall provide that those which pull your Hops be persons of good discretion, who must not pull them one by one, but stripe them roundly through their hands into baskets, mixing the young buds and small leaves with them, which are as good as any part of the Hoppe whatsoever. After you have pulled all your Hops and carried them into such convenient dry rooms as you have prepared for that purpose, you shall then spread them upon clean floares, so thin as may be, that the air may pass thorrow them, lest lying in heaps they sweat, and so mould, before you can have leisure to dry them. After your Hops are thus ordered, you shall then cleanse your garden of all such Hoppe-straw, and other trash, as in the gathering was scattered therein: then shall you pluck up all your Hoppe-poales, in manner before showed, and having either some dry boarded house, or shed, made for the purpose, pile then one upon another, safe from wind or weather, which howsoever some that would have their experience, like a Collessus, seem greater than it is, do disallow, yet it is the best manner of keeping of poles, and well worthy the charge: but for wan● of such a house, it shall not be amiss to take first your Hoppe-straw, and lay it a good thickness upon the ground, and with six strong stakes, driven slant-wise into the earth, so as the uppermost ends may be inward one to another, lay then your Hoppe-poales between the stakes, and pile them one upon another, drawing them narrower and narrower to the top, and then cover them all over with more Hoppe-straw, and so let them rest till the next March, at which time you shall have new occasion to use them.  
As soon as you have piled up your Hoppe-poales, 
Winter business.  dry and close, than you shall about mid-november following throw down your hills, and lay all your roots bare, that the sharpness of the season may nip them, and keep them from springing too early: you shall also then bring into the garden old Cow-dunge, which is at least two years old, for no new dung is good, and this you shall lay in some great heap in some convenient place of the garden until April, at which time, after you have wound your Hops about your poles, you shall then bestow upon every hill two or three spade-full of the Manure mixed with earth, which will comfort the plant and make it spring pleasantly.  
After your hills are pulled down, you shall with your garden spade, or your ho, undermine all the earth round about the root of the Hoppe, till you come to the principal roots thereof, and then taking the youngest roots in your hand, and shaking away the earth, you shall see how the new roots grow from the old sets, then with a sharp knife cut away all those roots as did spring the year before, out of your sets, within an inch and an half of the same, but every year after the first you shall cut them close by the old roots. Now, if you see any roots which do grow strait downward, without joints, those you shall not cut at all, for they are great nourishers of the plant, but if they grow outward, or sideways, they are of contrary natures, and must necessarily be cut away. If any of your Hops turn wild, as oft it happens, which you shall know by the perfect redness of the branch, than you shall cut it quite up, and plant a new root in his place. After you have cut and trimmed all your roots, than you shall cover them again, in such sort as you were taught at the first planting them, and so let them abide till their due time for poaling.   

CHAP. XIIII. Of drying, and not drying of Hops, and of packing them when they are dried.  
ALthough there be much curiosity in the drying of Hops as well in the temperature of heat (which having any extremity, as either of heat, or his contrary, breedeth disorder in the work) as also in the framing of the Ost or furnace after many new moulds and fashions, as variable as men's wits and experiences, yet because innovations and incertainty doth rather perplex then profit, I will shun, as much as in me lieth, from loading the memory of the studious Husbandman with those stratagems which disable his understanding from the attaining of better perfection, not disallowing any man's approved knowledge, or thinking that because such a man can mend smoking Chimneys, therefore none but he shall have licence to make Chimneys, or that because some men can melt metal without wind, therefore it shall be utterly unlawful to use bellows: these violent opinions I all together disacknowledge, and wish every one the liberty of his own thoughts, and for mine English Husband, I will show him that way to dry his Hops which is most fit for his profit, safe, easy, and without extraordinary expenses.  
First then to speak of the time which is fittest for the drying of your Hops, it is immediately as soon as they are gotten, if more urgent occasions do not delay the business, which if they happen, than you have a form before prescribed how to preserve them from mouldiness and putrefaction till you can compass fit time to effect the work in. The manner of drying them is upon a Kilne, of which there be two sorts, that is to say, an English Kilne, and a French Kilne: the English Kilne being composed of wood, lath, and clay, and therefore subject to some danger of fire, the French, of brick, lime, and sand, and therefore safe, close, and without all peril, and to be preferred much before the other: yet because I have hereafter more occasion to speak of the nature, fashion, and edifice of Kilnes in that part of this Uolumne where I entreat of Malting, I will cease further to mention them then to say that upon a Kilne is the best drying your Hops, after this manner, having finely bedded your Kilne with Wheate-straw, you shall lay on your hair cloth, although some disallow it, but give no reason therefore, yet it cannot be hurtful in any degree, for it neither distasteth the Hops, nor defendeth them from the fire, making the work longer than it would, but it preserveth both the Hops from filthiness, and their seed from loss: when your haircloth is spread, you sh●ll cause one to deliver you up your Hops in baskets, which you shall spread upon the cloth, all over the Kilne, at the least eight inches thick, and then coming down, and going to the hole of the Kilne, you shall with a little dry straw kindle the fire, and then maintaining it with more straw, you shall keep a fire a little more fervent then for the drying of a kilne-full of Malt, being assured that the same quantity of fuel, heat, and time, which drieth a kilne-full of Malt, will also dry a kilne-full of Hops, and if your Kilne will dry twenty strikes, or bushels of Malt at one drying, than it will dry forty of Hops, because being laid much thicker the quantity can be no less then doubled, which is a speed all together sufficient, and may very well serve to dry more Hops th●n any one man hath growing in this kingdom.  
Now, for as much as some men do not a●ow to dry Hops with straw, but rather prefer woo●e, and of woo●e still to choose the gréen●st, yet I am of a contrary opinion, for I know by experience that the smoke wh●ch proceedeth from wood, (especially if it be gr●en● wood) being a strong and sharp vapour, doth so taint 〈◊〉 infect the Hops that when those Hops come to be brewed with, they give the drink a smoky taste, even as if the Malt itself had been woode-dryed: the unpleasantness whereof I leave to the judgement of them that have traveled in Yorkshire, where, for the most part, is nothing but wood dried Malt only.  
That you may know when your Hops are dry enough, you shall take a small long stick, and stirring the Hops too and fro with it, if the Hops do russell and make a light noise, each as it were separating one from another, than they are altogether dry enough, but if in any part you find them heavy or glowing one to another, than they have not enough of the fire: also when they are sufficiently and moderately dried they are of a bright-browne colour, little or nothing altered from that they hold when they were upon the stalk, but if they be over dried, than their colour will be red: and if they were not well ordered before they were dried, but suffered either to take wet or mould, than they will look black when they are dry.  

Of the drying Hops.  There be some which are of opinion that if you do not dry your Hops at all, it shall be no loss, but it is an error most gross, for if they be not dried, there is neither profit in their use, nor safety in preserving them.  
As soon as your Hops are sufficiently dried, you shall by the plucking up of the four corners of your haircloth thrust all your Hops together, and then putting them into baskets, carry them into such dry places as you have prepared of purpose to lay them in, as namely, either in dry-fats, or in garners, made either of plaster, or boards: and herein you shall observe to pack them close and hard together, which will be a means that if any of them be not dry, yet the heat they shall get by such lying will dry them fully and make them fit for service.  

Of packing Hops.  Now to conclude, if your store of Hops be so great that you shall trade or make Merchandise of them, then either to convey them by land or Sea, it is best that you pack them into great bags of canvas, made in fashion of those bags which woole-men use, and call them pockets, but not being altogether so large: these bags you shall open, and either hang up between some crosse-beames, or else let down into some lower floor, and then putting in your Hops cause a man to go into the bag and tread down the Hops, so hard as is possible, pressing down basket-full after basket-full, till the bag be filled, even unto the top, and then with an extraordinary packe-thridde, sowing the open end of the bag close together, let every hollow place be crammed with Hops, whilst you can get one hand-full to go in, and so having made every corner strong and fast, let them lie dry till you have occasion either to ship or cart them. And thus much for the ordering of Hops, and their uses.   

CHAP. XV. The office of the Gardener, and first of the Earth, Situation, and fencing of a Garden for pleasure.  
THere is to be required at the hands of every perfect Gardener three especial virtues, that is to say, Diligence, Industry, and Art: the two first, as namely, Diligence (under which word I comprehend his love, care, and delight in the virtue he professeth) and Industry (under which word I conclude his labour, pain, and study, which are the only testimonies of his perfection) he must reap from Nature: for, if he be not inclined, even from the strength of his blood to this love and labour, it is impossible he should ever prove an absolute gardener: the latter, which containeth his skill, habit, and understanding in what he professeth, I doubt not but he shall gather from the abstracts or rules which shall follow here after in this Treatise, so that where nature, and this work shall concur in one subject, there is no doubt to be made, but the professor shall in all points, be able to discharge a sufficient duty.  
Now, for as much as all our ancient and foreign writers (for we are very slightly beholding to ourselves for th●se endeavours) are exceeding curious in the choice of earth, and situation of the plot of ground which is meet for the garden: yet I, that am all English Husbandman, and know our soils out of the worthiness of their own nature's do as it were rebel against foreign imitation, thinking their own virtues are able to propound their own rules: and the rather when I call into my remembrance, that in all the foreign places I have seen, there is none more worthy than our own, and yet none ordered like our own, I cannot be induced to follow the rules of Italy, unless I were in Italy, neither those of France, unless I dwelled in France, nor those of Germany except in Germany I had my habitation, knowing that the too much heat of the one, or the too much coldness of the other, must rather confound then help in our temperate climate: whence it comes, that our english booke-knowledge in these cases is both disgraced and condemned, every one failing in his experiments, because he is guided by no home-bredde, but a stranger; as if to read the english tongue there were none better than an Italian Pedant. This to avoid, I will neither beg aid nor authority from strangers, but reverence them as worthies and fathers of their own Countries.  

Of the ground.  To speak therefore first of the ground which is fit for the garden, albeit the best is best worthy, the labour left, and the profit most certain, yet it is not meet that you refuse any earth whatsoever, both because a garden is so profitable, necessary, and such an ornament and grace to every house and housekéeper, that the dwelling place is lame and maimed if it want that goodly limb, and beauty. Besides, if no gardens should be planted but in the best and richest soils, it were infinite the loss we should sustain in our private profit, and in the due commendations, fit for many worthy workmen, who have reduced the worst and barrainest earths to as rare perfection and profit as if they had been the only soils of this kingdom: and for mine own part, I do not wonder either at the work of Art or Nature, when I behold in a goodly, rich, and fertile soil, a garden adorned with all the delights and delicacies which are within man's understanding, because the natural goodness of the earth (which not enduring to be idle) will bring forth whatsoever is cast into her: but when I behold upon a barren, dry, and dejected earth, such as the Peake-hils, where a man may behold Snow all summer, or on the East-mores, whose best hearbage is nothing but moss, and iron stone, in such a place, I say, to behold a delicate, rich, and fruitful garden, it shows great worthiness in the owner, and infinite Art and industry in the workman, and makes me both admire and love the begetters of such excellencies.  
But to return to my purpose touching the choice of your earth for a garden, sith no house can conveniently be without one, and that our English Nation is of that great popularity, that not the worst place thereof but is abundantly inhabited, I think it meet that you refuse no earth whatsoever to plant your garden upon, ever observing this rule, that the more barren it is, the more cost must be bestowed upon it, both in Manuring, digging, and in trenching, as shall be showed hereafter, and the more rich it is, less cost of such labour, and more curiosity in wéeding, pruning, and trimming the earth: for, as the first is too slow, so the latter is too swift, both in her increase and multiplication.  
Now, for the knowledge of soils, which is good, and which is bad, I have spoken sufficiently already in that part which entreateth of Tillage, only this one caveat I will give you, as soon as you have marked out your garden-plot, you shall turn up a sodde, and taking some part of the fresh mould, champ it between your teeth in your mouth, and if it taste swéetish then is the mould excellent good and fit to receive either seeds or plants, without much Manuring, but if it taste salt or bitter, than it is a great sign of barrenness, and must of necessity be corrected with Manure: for saltness showeth much windiness, which choketh and stifleth the seed, and bitterness that unnatural heat which b●asteth it before it sprout.  

Of the situation.  Now, for the situation of the garden-plot for pleasure, you shall understand that it must ever be placed so near unto the dwelling house as is possible, both because the eye of the owner may be a guard and support from inconveniences, as also that the especial rooms and prospects of the house may be adorned, perfumed, and enriched, with the delicate proportions, odorifferous smells, and wholesome airs which shall ascend and vaporate from the same, as may more amply be seen in that former Chapter, where modeling forth the Husbandman's house, I show you the site and place for his Garden, only you must diligently observe, that near unto this garden do not stand any h●uells, stacks of hay, or Corn, which over-pearing the walls, or fence, of the same, may by reason of wind, or other occasion, annoy the same with straw, chaff, seeds, or such like filthiness, which doth not only blemish the beauty thereof, but is also naturally very hurtful and cankerous to all plants whatsoever. Within this garden plot would be also either some Well, Pump, Conduit, Pond, or Cistern for water, sith a garden, at many times of the year, requireth much watering: & this place for water you shall order and dispose according to your ability, and the nature of the soil, as thus: if both your reputation, and your wealth be of the lowest account, if then your garden afford you a plain Well, comely covered, or a plain Pump, it shall be sufficient, or if for want of such springs you dig a fair Pond in some convenient part thereof, or else (whi●h is much better) erect a Cistern of lead, into which by pippes may descend all the rain-water which falls about any part of the house, it will serve for your purpose: but if God have bestowed upon you a greater measure of his blessings, both in wealth & account, if then instead of either Well, Pump, Pond, or Cistern, you erect Conduits, or continual running Fountains, composed of antic works, according to the curiosity of man's invention, it shall be more gallant and worthy: and these Conduits or watercourses, you may bring in pippes of lead from other remote or more necessary places of water springs, standing above the level of your garden, as every Artist in the profession of such works can more amply declare unto you, only for me let it be sufficient to let you understand that every garden would be accompanied with water.  
Also you shall have great care that there adjoin not unto your garden-plot any common-shewers, stinking or muddy dikes, dunghills, or such like, the annoyance of whose smells and evil vapours doth not only corrupt and breed infection in man, but also cankereth, killeth and consumeth all manner of plants, especially those which are most pleasant, fragrant, and odorifferous, as being of tenderest nature and quality: and for this cause divers will not allow the moating of garden-plots about, imagining that the over great moistness thereof, and the strong smells which do arise from the mud in the Summer season, do corrupt and putrefy the herbs and plants within the compass of the same, but I am not altogether of that opinion, for if the water be sweet, or the channel thereof sandy or gravelly, then there is no such scruple to be taken: but if it be contrary, than it is with all care to be avoided, because it is ever a Maxim in this case, that your garden-plot must ever be compassed with the pleasantest and sweetest air that may be.  
The winds which you shall generally defend from your garden, are the Eastern winds and the Northern, because they are sharpest, coldest, and bring with them tempers of most unseasonableness, & albeit in Italy, Spain, and such like hot Countries, they rather defend away the Western and Southern wind, giving free passage to the East and North, yet with England it may not be so, because the natural coldness of our Climate is sufficient without any assistance to further bitterness, our best industry being to be employed rather to get warmth, which may nourish and bring forth our labours, than any way to diminish or weaken the same.  
This plot of ground also would lie, as near as you can, at the foot or bottom of an hill, both that the hill may defend the winds and sharp weather from the same, as also that you may have certain ascents or risings of state, from level to level, as was in some sort before showed in the plot for the Orchard, and shall be better declared in the next Chapter.   

CHAP. XVI. Of the fashion of the garden-plot for pleasure, the Alleys, Quarters, Digging and Dungging of the same.  
AFter you have chosen out and fenced your garden-plot, according as is before said, you shall then begin to fashion and proportion out the same, sith in the conveyance remaineth a great part of the gardiner's art. And herein you shall understand that there be two forms of proportions belonging to the garden, 
The fashion.  the first, only beautiful, as the plain, and single square, containing only four quarters, with his large Alleys every way, as was described before in the Orchard: the other both beautiful and stately, as when there is one, two or three leveled squares, each mounting seven or eight sleppes one above another, and every square containing four several Quarters with their distinct and several Alleys of equal breadth and proportion; placing in the centre of every square, that is to say, where the four corners of the four Quarters do as it were neighbour and meet one another, either a Conduit of antic fashion, a Standard of some unusual devise, or else some Dial, or other Piramed, that may grace and beautify the garden. And herein I would have you understand that I would not have you to cast every square into one form or fashion of Quarters or Alleys, for that would show little varytie or invention in Art, but rather to cast one in plain Squares, another in Tryangulars, another in roundalls, & so a fourth according to the worthiness of conceit, as in some sort you may behold by these figures, which questionless when they are adorned with their ornaments, will breed infinite delight to the beholders.  
The Plain Square.  
The Square Triangular or circular.  
The Square of eight Diamonds.  
From the model of these Squares, Tryangles, and Rounds, any industrious brain may with little difficulty derive and fashion to himself divers other shapes and proportions, according to the nature and site of the earth, which may appear more acquaint and strange than these which are in our common use, albeit these are in the truth of workmanship the perfect father and mother of all proportions whatsoever.  

The ordering of Alleys.  Now, you shall understand that concerning the Alleys and walks in this garden of pleasure, it is very meet that your ground, being spacious and large, (which is the best beauty) that you cut through the midst of every Alley an ample and large path or walk, the full depth of the root of the gréene-swarth, and at least the breadth of seven or eight foot: and in this path you shall strew either some fine redde-sand, of a good binding nature, or else some fine small gravel, or for want of both them you may take the finest of your pit-coale-dust, which will both keep your Alleys dry and smooth, and also not suffer any grass or green thing to grow within them, which is disgraceful, if it be suffered: the French men do use, to cover their Alleys, either with the powder of marble, or the powder of slate-stone, or else pave them either with Pit-stone, Fréestone, or Tiles, the first of which is too hard to get, the other great cost to small purpose, the rather sith our own gravel is in every respect as beautiful, as dry, as strong, and as long lasting: Only this héedfulnesse you must diligently observe, that if the situation of your garden-plot be low and much subject to moisture, that then these middle-cut paths or walks must be heightened up in the midst, and made in a proportional bent or compass: wherein you shall observe that the out most verdges of the walk must be level with the gréene-swarth which holded in each side, and the midst so truly raised up in compass, that the rain which falls may have a passage to each side of the gréene-swarth. Now, the less this compass is made (so it avoid the water, and remain hard) the better it is, because by that means both the eye shall be deceived (which shows art in the workman) and the more level they are, the more ease unto them which shall continually walk upon them.  
Now, if any shall object, 
Objection.  why I do not rather covet to have these Alleys or walks rather all green, then thus cut and divided, sith it is a most beautiful thing to see a pleasant green walk, my answer is this, that first the mixture of colours, is the only delight of the eye above all other: for beauty being the only object in which it joyeth, that beauty is nothing but an excellent mixture, or consent of colours, as in the composition of a delicate woman the grace of her cheek is the mixture of red and white, the wonder of her eye black and white, and the beauty of her hand blue and white, any of which is not said to be beautiful if it consist of single or simple colours: and so in these walks, or Alleys, the all green, nor the all yellow cannot be said to be most beautiful, but the green and yellow, (that is to say, the untroade graff, and the well knit gravel) being equally mixed, give the eye both lustre and delight beyond all comparison.  
Again, to keep your walks all green, or grassy, you must of force either forbear to tread upon them, (which is the use for which they were only fashioned,) or treading upon them you shall make so many paths and ill-favoured ways as will be most ugly to the eye: besides the dew and wet hanging upon the grass will so annoy you, that if you do not select especial hours to walk in, you must provide shoes or boots of extraordinary goodness: which is half a deprivement of your liberty, whereas these things of recreation were created for a contrary purpose.  
Now, you shall also understand that as you make this sandy and smooth walk through the midst of your Alleys, so you shall not omit but leave as much gréene-swarth, or grass ground of each side the plain path as may fully countervail the breadth of the walk, as thus for example: if your sandy walk be six foot broad, the grass ground of each side it, shall be at least six foot also, so that the whole Alley shall be at least eighteen foot in breadth, which will be both comely and stately.  

Of the Quarters.  Your Alleys being thus proportioned and set forth, your next work shall be the ordering of your Quarters, which as I said before, you may frame into what proportions you please, as into Squares, Tryangles and Rounds, according to the ground, or your own invention: and having marked them out with lines, and the garden compass, you shall then begin to dig them in this manner: first, with a paring spade, the fashion whereof is formerly showed, you shall pair away all the gréene-swarth, fully so deep as the root of the grass shall go, and cast it away, then with other digging spades you shall dig up the earth, at least two foot and a half, or three foot deep, in turning up of which earth, you shall note that as any roots of weeds, or other quickes shall be raised or stirred up, so presently with your hands to gather them up, and cast them away, that your mould may (as near as your diligence can perform it) be clean from either wild roots, stones, or such like offences: & in this digging of your Quarters you shall not forget but raise up the ground of your Quarters at least two foot higher than your Alleys, and where by means of such reassure, you shall want mould, there you shall supply that lack by bringing mould and clean earth from some other place, where most conveniently you may spare it, that your whole Quarter being digged all over, it may rise in all parts alike, and carry an orderly and well proportioned level through the whole work.  

Of Dunging.  The best season for this first digging of your garden mould is in September: and after it is so digged and roughly cast up, you shall let it rest till the latter end of November, at what time you shall dig it up again, in manner as afore said, only with these additions, that you shall enter into the fresh mould, half a spade-graft deeper than before, and at every two foot breadth of ground, enlarging the trench both wide and deep, fill it up with the oldest and best Ox or Cow-Manure that you can possibly get, till such time that increasing from two foot to two foot, you have gone over and Manured all your quarters, having a principal care that your dung or Manure lie both deep and thick, in so much that every part of your mould may indifferently partake and be enriched with the same Manure.  
Now, 
Diversity of Manures.  you shall understand that although I do particularly speak but of Ox or Cow-Manure, because it is of all the fattest and strongest, especially being old, yet their are divers respects to be had in the Manuring of gardens: as first, if your ground be naturally of a good, fat, black, and well tempered earth, or if it be of a barren, sandy, hot, yet firm mould, that in either of these cases your Ox, Cow, or beast Manure is the best & most sufficient, but if it be of a cold, barren, or spewing mould than it shall be good to mix your Oxedunge with Horse-dunge, which shall be at least two years old, if you can get it, otherwise such as you can compass: if your ground be good and fertile yet out of his dryness in the summertime it be given to rive and chap as is seen in many earth's; you shall then mix your Oxedunge well with Ashes, orts of Lime, and such like: lastly, if your earth be too much binding and cold therewithal, then mix your Oxedunge with chalk or marvel and it is the best Manure. And thus much for the general use of earths.  
Now, for particular uses you shall understand that for Herbs or Flowers the Ox and Horse-dunge is the best, for roots or Cabbages, man's ordure is the best, for Harty-chockes, or any such like thisly-fruit, Swines-dunge is most sufficient, and thus according to your settled determination you shall severally provide for every several purpose, and so, God assisting, seldom fail in your profit. And this dung you shall bring into your garden in little drumblars or whéelebarrowes, made for the purpose, such as being in common use in every Husbandman's yard it shall be needless here either to show the figure or proportion thereof. And thus much for the fashion, digging, and dunging of gardens.   

CHAP. XVII. Of the adornation and beautifying of the Garden for pleasure.  
THe adornation and beautifying of gardens is not only divers but almost infinite the industry of men's brains hourly begetting and bringing forth such new garments and embroidery for the earth, that it is impossible to say this shall be singular, neither can any man say that this or that is the best, sith as men's tastes so their fancies are carried away with the variety of their affections, some being pleased with one form, some with another: I will not therefore give pre-eminence to any one beauty, but describing the faces and glories of all the best ornaments generally or particularly used in our English gardens, refer every man to the election of that which shall best agree with his fancy.  

Of Knots and Mazes.  To begin therefore with that which is most ancient and at this day of most use amongst the vulgar though lest respected with great ones, who for the most part are wholly given over to novelties: you shall understand that Knots and Mazes were the first that were received into admiration, which Knots or Mazes were placed upon the faces of each several quarter, in this sort: first, about the verge or square of the quarter was set a border of Primpe, Box, Lavandar, Rosemary, or such like, but Primpe or Box is the best, and it was set thick, at least eighteen inches broad at the bottom & being kept with cliping both smooth and level on the top and on each side, those borders as they were ornaments so were they also very profitable to the housewife for the drying of linen clothes, yarn, and such like: for the nature of Box and Primpe being to grow like a hedge, strong and thick, together, the Gardiner, with his shears, may keep it as broad & plain as himself listeth. Within this border shall your knot or maze be drawn, it being ever intended that before the setting of your border your quarter shall be the third time digged, made exceeding level, and smooth, without clot or stone, and the mould, with your garden rake of iron, so broken that it may lie like the finest ashes, and then with your garden mauls, which are broad boards of more than two foot square set at the ends of strong staves, the earth shall be beaten so hard and firm together that it may bear the burden of a man without shrinking. And in the beating of the mould you shall have all diligent care that you preserve and keep your level to a hair, for if you fail in it, you fail in your whole work.  
Now for the time of this labour, it is ever best about the beginning of February, and indifferent, about the midst of October, but for the setting of your Primpe, or Boxe-border, let the beginning of November be your latest time, for so shall you be sure that it will have taken root, and the leaf will flourish in the spring following: at which time your ground being thus artificially prepared, you shall begin to draw forth your knot in this manner: first, with lines you shall draw the form of the figure next before set down, and with a small instrument of iron make it upon the earth.  
Which done, from the order and proportion of these lines you shall draw your single knots or plain knots of the least curiosity, as may appear by this figure, being one quarter of the whole Knot: ever proportioning your Trails and windings according to the lines there described, which will keep your work in just proportion.  
But if you desire to have knots of much more curiosity being more double and intricate, than you shall draw your first lines after this proportion here figured, pinning down every line firm to the earth with a little pin made of wood.  
Which done you shall draw your double and curious knots after the manner of the figure following, which is also but one quarter of the whole knot, for look in what manner you do one knot in like sort will the other three quarters succeed, your lines keeping you in a continual even proportion.  
And in this manner as you draw these knots, with the like helps and lines also you shall draw out your Mazes, and labyrinths, of what sort or kind soever you please, whether they be round or square. But for as much, as not only the Country-farme, but also divers other translated books, do at large describe the manner of casting and proportioning these knots, I will not persist to write more curiously upon them, but wish every painful gardener which coveteth to be more satisfied therein, to repair to those authors, where he shall find more large amplifications, and greater diversities of knots, yet all tending to no more purpose than this which I have all ready written.  
Now, as soon as you have drawn forth and figured your knot upon the face of your quarter, you shall then set it either with Germander, Issoppe, Time, or Pinkegilly-flowers, but of all herbs Germander is the most principal best for this purpose: divers do use in knots to set Thrift, and in time of need it may serve, but it is not so good as any of the other, because it is much subject to be slain with frost, and will also spread upon the earth in such sort that, without very painful cutting, it will put your knot out of fashion.  
Now there is another beautifying or adorning of Gardens, and it is most generally to be seen in the gardens of Noblemen and Gentlemen, which may bear coat armour, and that is, instead of the knots and mazes formerly spoken of, to draw upon the faces of your quarters such Arms, or Ensigns, as you may either bear yourself, or will preserve for the memory of any friend: and these arms being drawn forth in plain lines, you shall set those plain shadowing lines either with Germander, Issop, or such like herbs: and then for the more ample beauty thereof, if you desire to have them in their proper and lively colours (without which they have but one quarter of their lustre) you shall understand that your colours in Armoury are thus to be made. First, for your metals: you shall make your Yellow, 
Yellow.  either of a yellow clay, usually to be had almost in every place, or the yeallowest sand, or for want of both, of your Flanders Tile, which is to be bought of every Ironmonger or Chandelor; and any of these you must beat to dust: 
White.  for your White you shall make it of the coarsest chalk beaten to dust, or of well burnt plaster, or, for necessity, of lime, but that will soon decay: your Black is to be made of your best and purest coale-dust, 
Black.  well cleansed and sifted: 
Red.  your Red is to be m●de of broken useless bricks beaten to dust, and well cleansed from spots: your Blue is to be made of white-chalke, 
Blue.  and black coal dust mixed together, till the black have brought the white to a perfect blewnes: lastly your Green, 
Greene.  both for the natural property belonging to your Garden, as also for better continuance and long lasting, you shall make of Camomile, well planted where any such colour is to be used, as for the rest of the colours, you shall sift them, and strew them into their proper places, and then with a flat beating-Béetell you shall beat it, and incorporate it with the earth, and as any of the colours shall decay, you shall diligently repair them, and the lustre will be most beautiful.  
There is also another beautifying of gardens, which although it last not the whole year, yet it is most acquaint, rare, and best eye-pleasing, and thus it is: you shall upon the face of your quarter draw a plain double knot, in manner of billet-wise: for you shall understand that in this case the plainest knot is the best, and you shall let it be more than a foot betwixt line and line (for in the largeness consists much beauty) this knot being scored out, you shall take Tiles, or tileshreds, and fix them within the lines of your knot strongly within the earth, yet so as they may stand a good distance above the earth and this do till you have set out all your knot with Tile: then precisely note the several passages of your knot, and the several thirds of which it consisteth, and then betwxit your tiles, (which are but as the shadowing lines of your knot) plant in every several third, flowers of one kind and colour, as thus for example: in one third plant your carnation Gillyflower, in another your great white Geli flower, in another your mingle-coloured Gillyflower, and in another your blood-red Gillyflower; and so likewise if you can compass them you may in this sort plant your seueral● coloured Hyacinths, as the red, the blue, and the yellow, or your several coloured Dulippos, and many other Italian and french flowers: or you may, if you please, take of every several plant one, and place them as afforesaid; the grace of all which is, that so soon as these flowers shall put forth their beauties, if you stand a little remote from the knot, and any thing above it, you shall see it appear like a knot made of divers coloured ribans, most pleasing and most rare.  
Many other adornations and beautifyings there are which belong to the setting forth of a curious garden, but for as much as none are more rare or more esteemed than these I have set down, being the best ornaments of the best gardens of this kingdom, I think them tastes sufficient for every husbandman, or other of better quality which delighteth in the beauty and well trimming of his ground.   

CHAP. XVIII. How for the entertainment of any great Person, in any Park, or other place of pleasure, where Sommer-bowers are made, to make a complete Garden in two or three days.  
IF the honest English husbandman, or any other, of what quality soever, shall entertain any Noble parsonage, to whom he would give the delight of all strange contentment, either in his Park, or other remote place of pleasure, near unto Ponds, River, or other waters of clearness, after he hath made his arbours and Summer-bowers to feast in, the fashion whereof is so common that every labourer can make them, he shall then mark out his garden-plot, bestowing such sleight fence thereon as he shall think fit: then he shall cast forth his alleys, and divide them from his quarters, by paring away the gréene-swarth with a paring spade, finely, and even, by a direct line (for a line must ever be used in this work) then having store of labourers (after the upper-most swarth is taken away) you shall cast up the quarters, and then breaking the mould and leveling it, you shall make sad the earth again, then upon your quarters you shall draw forth either Knots, Arms, or any other devise which shall be best pleasing to your fancy, as either knots with single or double tray●es, or other emblemical devise, as Birds, Beasts, and such like: and in your knots where you should plant herbs, you shall take gréene-sods of the richest grass, and cutting it porportionably to the knot, making a fine trench, you shall lay in your sod, and so joining sod to sod close and arteficially, you shall set forth your whole knot, or the portraiture of your arms, or other deuise● and then taking a clean broom that hath not formerly been swept withal, you shall brush all uncleanness from the grass, and then you shall behold your knot as complete, and as comely as if it had been set with herbs many years before. Now for the portraiture of any living thing, you shall cut it forth, joining sod unto sod, and then afterward place it into the earth. Now if within this plot of ground which you make your garden piece there be either natural or artificial mounts or banks upon them, you may in this self-same manner with green sods set forth a flight, either at field or river, or the manner of hunting of any chase, or any story, or other devise that you please, to the infinite admiration of all them which shall behold it: only in working against mounts or banks you must observe to have many small pings, to stay your work and keep your sods from slipping one from another, till such time as you have made every thing fast with earth, which you must rame very close and hard: as for Flowers, or such like adorments, you may the morning before, remove them with their earth from some other garden, and plant them at your best pleasure. And thus much for a garden to be made in the time of hasty necessity.   

CHAP. XIX. How to preserve Apricots, or any kind of curious outlandish-stone-fruit, and make them bear plentifully be the Spring or beginning of Summer never so bitter.  
I Have known divers Noblemen, Gentlemen & men of under quality, that have been most laborious how to preserve these tender stonefruits from the violence of storms, frost and winds, and to that end have been at great cost and charges yet many times have found much loss in their labours, wherefore in the end, through the practice of many experiments, this hath been found (which I will here set down) the most approvedst way to make them bear without all kind of danger. After you have planted your Abricot, or other delicate fruit, and plashed him up against a wall in manner as hath been before declared, you shall over the tops of the trees all along the wall, build a large pentisse, of at least six or seven foot in length: which pentisse overshaddowing the trees, will, as experience hath found out, so defend them, that they will ever bear in as plentiful manner as they have done any particular year before. There be many that will scoff, or at least, give no credit to this experiment, because it carrieth with it no more curiosity, but I can assure thee that art the honest English Husbandman, that there is nothing more certain and unfallible, for I have seen in one of the greatest noblemen's gardens in the kingdom, where such a pentisse was made, that so far as the pentisse went, so far the trees did prosper with all fruitfulness, and where the pentisse ended, not one tree bare, the spring-time being most bitter and wonderful unseasonable.  
Now I have seen some great Personages whose purses may buy their pleasures at any rate) which have in those pentisses fixed divers strong hooks of Iron, and then made a canvas of the best Poldavie, with most strong loops, of small cord, which being hung upon the Iron hooks, hath reached from the pentisse to the ground, and so laced with cord and small pulleys, that like the sail of a ship it might be trust up, and let down at pleasure: this canvas thus prepared is all the Spring and latter end of Winter to be let down at the setting of the Sun, and to be drawn up at the rising of the Sun again. The practice of this I refer to such as have ability to buy their delight, without loss, assuring them that all reason and experience doth find it most probable to be most excellent, yet to the plain English Husbandman I give certain assurance that the pentisse only is sufficient enough and will defend all storms whatsoever. And thus much for the preservation and increase of all tender Stone-fruit, of what nature, or climb bred, soever.   

CHAP. XX. How to make Grapes grow as big, full, and as naturally, and to ripen in as due season, and be as long lasting as either in France or Spain.  
divers of our English gardiner's, and those of the best and most approued'st judgements, have been very industrious to bring Grapes, in our kingdom, to their true nature and perfection: and some great persons I know, that with infinite cost, and I hope prosperous success, hath planted a Uineyard of many Acres, in which the hands of the best experienced frenchmen hath been employed: but for those great works they are only for great men, and not for the plain English Husbandman, neither will such works by any means prosper in many parts of our kingdom, especially in the North parts: and I that write for the general use, must treat of universal Maxims: therefore if you desire to have Grapes in their true and best kind, most early and longest lasting, you shall in the most convenient part of your garden, which is ever the centre or middle point thereof, build a round house, in the fashion of a round Dovecoate, but many degrees lower, the ground work whereof shallbe above the ground two or three bricks thickness, upon this ground-plot you shall place a groundsel, and thereon, fine, yet strong studs, whi●h may reach to the roof: these studs shallbe placed better then four foot one from another, with little square bars of wood, such as you use in glass windows, two betwixt every two studs, the roof you may make in what proportion you will, for this house may serve for a delicate banqueting house, and you may either cover it with Lead, Slate or Tile, which you please. Now, from the ground to the top, between the studs, you shall glaze it, with very strong glass, made in an exceeding large square pane, well leaded and cemented. This house thus made, you shall observe that through the brick work there be made, between every two studs, square holes, clean through into the house; then on the outside, opposite against those holes, you shall plant the root of your vine, having been very careful in the election and choice thereof: which done, as your vine groweth you shall draw it through those holes, and as you use to plash a vine against a wall, so you shall plash this against the glass window, on the inside, and so soon as it shall begin to bear Grapes you shall be sure to turn every bunch, so that it may lie close to the glass, that the reflection of the Sun heating the glass, that heat may hasten on the ripening, & increase the groat of your Grapes: as also the house defending off all manner of evil weather, these Grapes will hang ripe, unrotted or withered, even till Christmas. Thus have I given you a taste of some of the first parts of English Husbandry, which if I shall find thankfully accepted, if it please God to grant me life, I will in my next Uolumne, show you the choice of all manner of Garden Herbs and Flowers, both of this and other kingdoms, the seasons of their plantings, their florishing and orderings: I will also show you the true ordering of Woods, both high and low, as also the breeding and feeding of all manner of cattle, with the cure of all diseases incident unto them, together with other parts of Husbandry, never before published by any Author: this I promise, if God be pleased: to whom be only ascribed the glory of all our actions, and whose name be praised for ever. Amen.   
FINIS.