TO MY WORTHY-HONEST FRIEND, Mr. BENEDICT WEBBE, THAT TRUE PATRIOT.  
SIR,  
THere be two things necessary for this life, Food and Raiment. For Raiment you have much travailed to the public good, by adding to our Old Draperies, the making of Perpetuanaes', Spanish clothes, etc. And lastly, by bringing Rape Oil to the use of Clothing: whereby you have exceedingly well deserved of the Commonwealth. For Food, that other and greater necessary, The New Invention for Fertiling and Enriching of Arable Grounds, the Argument of the ensuing Treatise, must acknowledge you as the first Author; So to have been by yourself, and others by you directed, the prime Experimentors of the certainty and reality thereof: Then which, I scarcely know, whether any thing hath been Invented of more great and general use. Yet have you not so busied yourself about many things with Martha, as to neglect that one necessary of necessaries, Mary's good part, which hath the blessing of both lives: which your often praying, frequent hearing, much reading, and meditating of the best things, well testify: But hereof enough. This Book of Direction, being your own, and for the main, framed out of your tried directions, desires to pass into the world underthe protection of your credit, and name: Until by approved experience it shall have gained credit unto itself, and returned credit unto you; mean while, it shall rest contented with that old Motto:  
Try, and Trust.   

A DIRECTION TO THE Husbandman, in a new, cheap, and easy way of Fertiling and Enriching Arable Grounds, etc.  
WHereas the King's Majesty, upon the humble Petition of Charles Mowet, Edward Keeling, and Nathanael Waterhouse Gent' on the behalf of themselves, and partners, by His Letters Patents under the Great Seal of England, bearing date at Westminster the first day of March, in the ninth year of his Reign, of his especial grace, certain knowledge, and mere motion, Hath given, and granted for him, his Heirs, and Successors, unto the said Charles Mowet, Edward Keeling, and Nathanael Waterhouse, full and free Liberty, Licence, Power, and Authority, that they, and the Survivor and Survivors of them, their and every of their Executors, Administrators, and Assigns, by themselves, and their Deputies, Servants, Factors, Workmen or Agents, and none other, should and might at all and every time and times hereafter from time to time, during the Term of Fourteen Years next ensuing the Date of the said Letters Patents, use, excercise, practice and put in use, within His Kingdoms of England, Ireland, and Dominion of Wales, at every of their wills, and pleasures, the Mystery, Art, way and means, of fertiling and enriching of Arable Grounds, by a mixture in a small quantity, of certain native Materials with the Seed; farther signifying that His will and pleasure was, and by the said Letters Patents, of His more especial grace, certain knowledge, and mere motion, for Him, his Heirs and Successors, straight charging and inhibiting all and every other Person & Persons whatsoever, of what Estate, Degree, or Condition, he or they, or any of them be, that none of them, other than the said Patentees, and the Survivor and Survivors of them, their and every of their Executors and Administrators, Substitutes, Deputies, Workmen, or Assigns, or any of them, do or should, during the said Term of Fourteen years, use, or practise, directly or indirectly the said Art, way or means for fertiling and enriching of Arable Grounds, without the Licence, Consent, and agreement of them the said Patentees, their Executors, Administrators, or Assigns, or some, or one of them, first had and obtained; And hath by the said Letters Patents for Him, his Heirs, and Successors, willed and commanded all and singular Majors, Sheriffs, justices of Peace, Bailiffs, Constables, Headboroughes, and other Ministers and Subjects of Him, his Heirs and Successors, that they and every of them, be from time to time during the term aforesaid, helping and assisting to the said Patentees, the Survivor and Survivors of them, their and every of their Executors, Administrators, Deputies, and Assigns, in all things in and about the accomplishment of His pleasure therein declared, and in the exercise and execution of the same; And that they nor any of them do at any time hinder, molest, or interrupt the said Patentees, or the Survivor or Survivors of them, their or any of their Executors, Administrators, Deputies, or Assigns, or any of them, in any wife concerning the Premises, as they tender His pleasure, and would avoid the contrary at their peril, as in and by the said Letters Patents more at large appeareth.  
In which Letters Patents, the particular naming of the said Materials, the Preparations of them, the proportions, and manner of mixture, and application of them, aswell to the Seed, as to the Ground, and many other incidents, were wittingly omitted, as reserved to the ensuing discourse, purposely intended for a full Direction of the Husbandman in the use, exercise, and practise of the said new Invention.  
Wherein although the Composition, hereafter described consist of ingredients, endowed with qualities so specifical, and powerful, in the fruitfulling and enriching of Arable Grounds; and the manner of application thereof both to the Seed, and Ground, so proper for the endeaymed at; as it might well hope upon the very reading of the same, to gain belief amongst the ingenious and judicious Husbandmen, without further proof; yet because many things in discourse, and reason so concluding, as convince most understandings, fall out oftentimes to fail in the practice, it desireth no further faith or acceptance from any, than such, as a Demonstrative, experimented successful truth shall wrest from the most incredulous.  
Which experiment that it may be made without any the least error or mistaking, the Instructions following are set down in such plainness, and so distinctly in the materials, preparation, proportion, application, and all other requisite particulars, as none (not too carelessly negligent) can possibly err.  
FIrst then, the Soil being supposed to be such, as with the usual Husbandries of Dunging, Marleing, Lyming, Folding, etc. will return in some good measure in his season a multiplied Cropp of the Grain therein sowed; you must give unto it the ordinary Tillage, according to the Nature of the Sun, and use of the Country.  
Your Seed being Wheat, Rye, Barley, or of what other sort soever, must be well chosen, and cleansed from light Corn, and whatso-else mixture of any Damagefull thing, with an abatement of the fourth part of the Seed, you usually gave in your former courses of Husbandry, and yet you shall (by the blessing of God) find your Corn as thick and strong, as if you had given the whole proportion of Seed.  
Upon every Bushel of Winchester measure, containing eight Gallons, being laid upon a Table or Course sheet Bedwise, power (as on a Bed of Wool) so much of Rapeseed Oil, as will well moisten the said Seed, stirring and tossing the Corn so oiled to and fro, until it be well moistened and made fit to receive and join itself with any dry materials, which shall be added thereto, in Flower or powders.  
A Bushel of seed will take about a quart of Oil.  
Then take one Quart of the Flower of Beanes, being first Moulted. One quart of the powder of Rapeseed Cakes after the Oy●e is pressed out; One quart of burnt Lyme new from the Kilne, quenched with Urine, and sifted; or so much of each of them in equal parts, as may well cover and encompass the said Seed.  
The Flower and Powders aforesaid must be very well stirred and mingled together one with another, which done, strew them upon your Bushel of Oiled Corn, tumbling and tossing them and the grain one with another, or shaking them together upon the said course sheet, until the Corn have licked up, and united itself with the Flower and Powders, which will soon be done.  
Your Seed thus ordered, and (as it were) clothed with the Flower and Powders aforesaid, may presently be sowed, or kept unsowed, Ten, Fifteen, or Twenty days, before it will grow, or take other harm, as hath been tried.  
In, on after your sowing, if your ground be poor, and you have plenty of the said dry Materials, you may strow or throw upon one Acre of Ground about two Bushels more or less of the said Flower and Powders, as you conceive your Ground better or worse.  
This mixture aforesaid, employed as here described with the Seed, and upon the Ground, will really alone perform the intention without any further addition, as hath been often experienced.  
But that the Husbandman may be fully furnished with all such experimented helps, as tend to this end. And because, for the present, there may be in some places want of the said Materials, or some of them; let him further know, that in lieu of them (though not so powerful) may be used the materials following.  
As in want of the Oil, you may use so much of the strongest Woort.  
In stead of the Flower of Beanes, so much of the Flower of Barley Malt ground very small; and for your Powder of Rape Oil Cakes, as much of the powder of Pigeons dung dried and sifted, or of the powder of Sheep's Turdles dry: or so much of your Kilp Ashes, or Berillia, where it may be had; or so much of Pot Ashes; or where Woad is set for dying of Wool, so much of Woad past dry and brought into Powder: these in equal proportions mingled all or some of them, with all or some of the former first described Flower and Powders, may be successfully used, either in the dressing of the Oiled Seed, or in the strowing the ground sowed therewith, as aforesaid. But the Sheep's Turdles must be thus prepared.  
Take so much of the said Turdles as you purpose to use, and lay them bedwise in such a thickness, as being moistened lightly with Urine, it may gather a heat, and grow inclinable to Putrefaction or Rottenness; and so let it rest, until it become somewhat dry. Then with a Rake, or some other fitting instrument, stir and toss your bed well, and being again laid Bedwise, moisten it with Urine as before, and let it so rest until it grow again dry: then stir and toss it again, and lay it as before Bedwise, and moisten it with Urine. So continuing from time to time this course of moistening, drying, and stirring the said Bed, until the Turdles be throughly putrified and rotten; so as they fall into powder: then let them dry, and take the powder for your use. The elder and more rotten the Turdles be, the more effectually they work.  
So much of the aforesaid Materials as be necessary, are every where to be had, though in some parts further of, and dearer than in other.  
That which may seem most difficult to be got in some places, is the Rape Oil and Rape Cakes, which yet by the late dispersing of that Husbandry into most Shires, is not hard to be had. But if it be found any where lacking, any wealthy Husbandman may (hiring of a servant from some of the Oil Works) Convert some of his Greenesword to that use, and so furnish himself, and neighbours abundantly, and cheap, and to his own very great profit; and in the mean time, some other of the former Ingredients may be used in stead thereof.  
And this may suffice for Direction.  
The skilful Husbandman by what hath been said, will take occasion as experience shall guide him, to fit and accommodate things, as he shall find most behooveful, though now and then varying from what is formerly prescribed.  
There be sundry other Materials which are known to be of great force in the fruitfulling of Arable Grounds; and might be easily drawn to this employment, whereunto the former Flowers, Ashes, and Powders be applied. But because these are to be had but in small proportions, and but in few places, they are purposely omitted, as not answering the universality of this Intention.  
There be other moistures to supply that of Rape Oil, or of the Woort, for moistening the Seed, and other Ashes and Powders for clothing the Seed, and strowing upon the Ground, which prepared according to Art, are upon no light presumptions, conceived as powerful in fruitfulling and enriching Arable Grounds, as the other formerly named: But because as yet they have not been so far, and fully experimented, as to be offered as a certainty, their mention is now forborn; but shall (God willing) upon some further trials, be communicated for the public good.  
Although by that which hath before been said by way of Direction in this new Course of Manuring, the Husbandman cannot but observe many benefits arising thereby, above those growing by the ordinary Tillages used; yet shall it not be amiss to say something in particular of that also.  
In this way, the trouble of Folding, the labour of carrying great quantities of Dung, Lyme, Marle, etc. and the spreading thereof is spared, and the fetching of some of them diverse miles, and at great prices; Whereas the quantities of these Materials used in this way are so small, as will cost little, and so light as the carriage will be easy, and the applying them to the Seed and ground, asks little more trouble than the very sowing of the Seed itself.  
The Dunging, Folding, Marling, Lyming, etc. formerly bestowed upon the Arable Grounds, may now be converted to the fruitfulling of the Greenesword.  
A fourth part of your Seed is saved, which will near, if not wholly, countervail the charge of the Materials.  
The Flowers, Ashes, and Powders encompassing the Seed, moistened as aforesaid, defendeth it from the devouring of Fowl, Miso, Worms, etc.  
The poorer sort, who want cattle to breed, and money to buy Soil, shall in this course, with little or no charge supply that want.  
In this husbandry, you may Sow the same Ground every year, and so spare the more to Meadow and Pasture.  
Besides the general good to the Common wealth, it will better all Tithes of Grain, to the benefit of Incumbents, and others to whom the Tithes be due.  
A few years' experience will (no doubt) bring to light many other Commodities arising by this invention, not now thought of, but for the present these may serve.  
For Conclusion, when you have carefully and exactly followed the Directions aforesaid, and (it may be) in some things bettered them, take heed you do not so depend upon these outward means, though never so good, as to forget the Cause of Causes.  
Sacrifice not unto your Net, nor burn Incense unto your Drag, etc.  Habak. 1. 16. 
Trust not in your way.  Hosea 10, 13. 
But look up unto God, from whom all good, for a blessing upon your Labours; and know that rebelling against him, all things will rebel against you  
Heaven will be as Iron, and your Earth as Brass.  Levit. 26. 19 Deut. 28. 23. 
The Rain will be made to your Land as Powder and Dust.  Deut. 28. 14. 
The Seed shall rot under their Clods, the Garners lie desolate, etc.  joel 1. 17. 
He shall give your increase to the Caterpillar, and your labour to the Locust.  Psal. 78. 46. 
Whereas if you obey, all the good blessings of God shall come upon you, and overtake you.  
He will give you the first and the later rain in due season, and the Land shall yield her Increase.  Levit. 26. 3. 4. Deut. 11. 14. & 28. 12. 
He will hear the Heavens, and they shall hear the Earth, and the Earth stall hear the Corne.  Hosea 2. 21. 22. 
You shall be blessed in the Field, blessed in the fruit of your Ground; blessed in your basket, and in your store.  Deut. 28. 3. 4. 5. 
He shall restore to you the years that the Locust hath eaten, the Cankerworm, and the Caterpillar, and the Palmerworm, his great Army which he sent amongst you.  joel 2. 25. 
Break up your Fallow Grounds, and Sow not among Thorns; Sow to yourselves in Righteousness: Reap in Mercy: For it is time to seek the Lord, till he come and rain Righteousness upon you.  jer. 4. 3. Hosea 10. 12. 
FINIS.