Chapter 8. ¶ How a man should plough all manner of Lands all times

of the yeare.

Now that I haue prescribed the manner to make and temper the most or all the sorts of Ploughs, it shall next seeme expedient for me to show the manner and time of the yeare in which a man ought to Plough, and for the better vnderstanding of the ignorant, I will begin at the beginning of the yeare, and so succeede downe-ward: After the feast of _Epiphanie_ it is time for a Husbandman to goe to Plough, to wit, if your ground be a stiffe and a tough clay, then shall you begin and Plough your Pease-earth, which is, where you had your Wheate, Rye, and Barley, the yeere before: this ground being ploughed, you shall let it so lye, which is called bayting some fiue or sixe dayes, that it may receaue a frost or two, which frost will so lighten and deuide the earth, that when you shall come to harrow it, it will runne to a very good mold, that otherwise it would neuer doe. If your ground be naturally light and sandy, then may you immediatly vpon your ploughing sowe without giuing your ground any bayte at all. When your Pease earth is sowne, and the Spring is creeping on: then if you will follow _Virgils_ famous principles, begin to fallow your ground which must rest that yeare. In the beginning of Lent sow your Barley upon clay grounds, but in hote sandy grounds, if you stay a moneth or more longer it will be much the better. At mid-sommer stirre vp a-new, that is, Plow againe your fallow ground: & before the rising of the North-starre, which is eleuen dayes before the _Æquinoctial Autumnal_, or the thirteenth of September, then sow your Wheate and Rye, and these be the seasons and the graynes to sow, except Oates, which is alwayes to be vsed in like manner as Barley is. If you haue any ley ground to fallow or breake vp for to sowe Oates vpon, then let that be the first thing you take in hand, that the grasse and the mosse may be rot in it, and let your Plough runne a deepe square furrow, and in all manner of ploughing, see that your eye, your hand, and your foote agree, and be alwaies ready one to serue another, and to turne vp so much mold and to lay it flatte that it reare not an edge: for if it stand vp vpon an edge, the grasse and mosse can neuer kindly rotte, which being vsed as it should, is an excellent manuring.

If you sowe Winter-corne, as eyther Wheate or Rye vpon swarth ground, looke how much Corne toucheth the mosse, so much will be drowned and cannot spring, the mosse in his owne nature dooth keepe so much wette in it selfe. In some Countries, if a man plow deepe, hee shal plough past the good ground, and so haue little Corne, but that Country in my iudgement is not fitte for tyllage, but rather thereto to reare and breede Cattell, as Oxen, Kine, or Sheepe, or els they must goe beate their lands with Mattocks, as they doo in many places of Cornwall, and in some places of Deuonshiere. The manner of plowing land is in three formes: eyther they be great Lands, as with high ridges and deepe furrowes, as in all the North parts of this Land, and in some sotherne parts also, or els flatte and plaine, without ridge or furrow, as in most parts of Cambridge-shiere: or els in little Lands, no Land containing aboue two or three furrowes, as in Midlesex, Essex, and Hartfordshiere.

For the first, it is needfull, where the grounde is stife, tough, and binding, beeing alwaies capable of much wette, that if the Lands did not lie hie, not onely would the fatnesse choake the Corne ere it could come foorth, but also the colde soaking wette, would confound the vigor and strengthe of the seede. For the second, that is good where the ground is somewhat light, and giuen to barrennesse: so that what forcst [_read_ forct] vertue soeuer you thrust into the ground, either by manure or otherwise, the Land lying flatte and plaine, shall still retaine it, not suffering it as els it would to wash away with euery shower. For the last, that is, where the grounde is both barren, cold, and stiffe: if there you plough in large Lands, the wether and season will so binde it together, that the seede shall burst, but not finde any passage to sproute. Againe, such ground is subiect to much weede, besides, if your lands should be any greater, you should neuer possibly come to weede them, eyther as they would or they should be done.

=9.= I. R. alters this section, noting--“Neuer sowe Pease or Beanes on a light, hote sand ground, for that will neuer beare them, but for the Beane, the extreamest and the stiffest ground is the best. If it bee lesse stiffe, then the mingled ware[38] is best, as Pease and Beanes well sorted. If it bee neither stiffe nor light, then cleane Pease is the best, for they wil prosper most kindliest.”

13. I. R. adds--“Pease are an excellent seede, and inrich ground as much as the light manuring: which is the reason, that in many places of Lincoln-shiere, and els where, sowing their inam Wheate where theyr Pease grew, they haue the finest Corne.”

=10.= 1-9. Varied by I. R.

13. _kedlokes_] Kellocks (_but elsewhere_ Kedlocks).

41. I. R. adds--“because the freshnes of the molde is to the seede very comfortable.”

=11.= 11. _wonders_] wonderous (which is the later form). The whole of this section is re-written, merely to alter the language. Fitzherbert speaks again of ‘the seed of discretion’ in the Book of Surveying, c. 39.

=12.= 8. _strykes in other places_] two Northerne strikes. And as the measure Northward is greater, so are their Akers larger.

13. _quarter_] quarter, or halfe a seame.

31. _Christmasse_] Christmas, as for the most part Northward, or generally vpon fat clay grounds.

=13.= 7. _landes_] land and the balke.

18. _sprot-barleye_] sport-Barley. So also in l. 19.

28. _lyke pecke-whete_] like to an eare of Wheate.

40. I. R. adds--“but how so euer the season of the yeare is, that Barley naturally of it selfe is a withered, deepe, yellow Corne, that yeldeth much bran, & but litle flower. Barley for the most part chiefly in clay grounds would be sown vnder furrow, that is, a cast or two about the Land, then ploughed, then sowne agayne, and so harrowed.”

=14.= 15. I. R. adds--“These are for the most barranest Heath or forrest ground that may be, as in Darbishiere, where they call them Skeyggs, and not Oates.”

*** After section =14=, I. R. introduces section =34=, to bring all the kinds of sowing together.

=15.= This is section =17= in the edition of 1598.

7. _moche_] bigge (which is a gloss). So also in l. 24.

8. _shotes_] flores. But this can hardly be right. See below.

11. _slote_] slope. But this can hardly be right. It is clear that the right word is _slote_, with the sense of ‘cross-bar,’ the _bulls_ being the thicker bars of the harrow.

13. _withe_] withy.

24. _sloted and tinded_] floted and tyned.

27. _about Ryppon_] in Notinghamshire and more Northward.

28. _bulder-stones_] bolder-stones. Also spelt _bulder-stones_ in the Book on Surveying, c. 40.

41. _hombers_] humbers. _withed_] writhed.

42. _tresses_] traces (in both places).

50. _after a shoure_, &c.] with great roles of wood, which _Virgill_ much commends, and doubtless is very good after a shower of raine, to make the ground euen to mow. And note that the dryer your Lands be when you clot them, the sooner wil your clots break, and the more mold you shall haue.

=16.= 3. _for whete, &c._] on which fallowes the next yeare following, you shall sow your Rye, Wheat and Barly.

24. _stere_] stirre (which is a later form).

35. I. R. adds--“To fallow withall, sixe Oxen, or sixe Horses are no more then sufficient.”

=17.= 29. I. R. adds--“Also let not your heapes stand too long ere they be spread, for if they doo, the goodnesse of your manure, chiefely if it take a shower of raine, will runne into the ground where the heape stands, and the rest when it is spread will little profit.”

29-35. I. R. makes a new section of this, headed “Chapter 20. Of the diuers kindes of Manure, and which is the best.” It is as follows.

There be diuers sorts of Manures, and first of those that bee worst, as Swines dunge, which Manure breedeth and bringeth vp thistles; the scourings of Hay-barnes or Corne barnes, which bringeth vp sundry weedes and quirks [quicks?]; and rotten Chaffe, which diuers vse, but brings little good. The shoueling of highwayes and streetes is very good, chiefely for Barley. Horse-dunge is reasonable. The dunge of all maner of Cattel that chew the cudde is most excellent. Doues dunge for colde ground is best of all, but it must be spred very thinne. For grounds that are giuen to riue and chap, ashes is excellent, for they will binde and knit together. Also for such grounds it is most singular to burne the stubble on the ground, which is worth tenne manurings: for it fatneth (saith _Virgill_) the soyle, and yeeldeth a secrete force of nourishment vnto the seede. Also, euery euill is tryed out by the fire, and the vnprofitable moisture is forced to sweat out, it giueth a vent and passage for the iuyce that quickeneth the Corne, and it closeth the gaping vaines and holes of the earth, through which, eyther extreame moysture, extreame heate, or wind, would blast the Corne. Also in Cheshiere, Lankishiere, and other Countreys, they vse for manure a kinde of blewe Marble-like earth, which they call Marle. This is for those Countries an excellent manure, and though it be exceeding chargeable, yet through good neighbour-hood it quiteth the cost: for if you manure your groundes once in seauen or twelue yeares, it is sufficient, and look how many yeares he beareth Corne, so many yeares he will beare grasse, and that plenty. Straw layd to rot in the Winter, is good dung.

30. _sholynges_; _i.e._ shovellings. Note “the _shoueling_ of highwayes” in the extract given just above.

=18.= 3. _flyte_] shift (which is a gloss). So also in l. 28.

10. _kelles begonne_] kells be gone. This shews that the reading _begonne_ in the original is a misprint for _be gone_.

17. _appeyreth them sore_] abateth them much.

23. _goynge vppon_] treading or going upon with their feete.

31. _appeyre_] abate or diminish.

33. _for_] from. This shews that the old idiomatic use of _for_ (= against) was obsolescent in 1598.

=19.= 5. _charte_] Cart. And perhaps we should read _carte_ in the text; the meaning of _charte_ is, of course, _cart_.

8. Here I. R. inserts--“And for this purpose of carrying, I take the Horse-Cart to be best, because they be most nimble, and goe with best speede; & if the Horses be good, they will not at any time loose company with his neighbours.”

=20.= 3. _cocledrake_] Cockell, Drake. And such should be the reading; for see ll. 13, 17.

4. _darnolde_] Darnell. _gouldes_] Golds. _haudoddes_] Hadods.

6. _roughe_] tough.

23. _sterte_] stalke (a gloss).

32. _is_] are. Fitzherbert makes _is_ agree with _one_.

47. _dee-nettles_] Dee, Nettels (wrongly).

=21.= 15. _in the reane_] away. I. R. omits the rest, down to _wyddre_.

=22.= 10. _at-after none_] in the after-noone. But _at-after_ is an old form, signifying much the same as _after_. See Glossary.

12. _beytynge_] resting. At the end of the section, I. R. adds--“For this stirring foure horses are sufficient.”

=23.= 8. _wyddrynge_] withering (the later form).

11. _chowe_] chewe.

16. _swathe_] swaithe.

17. _mane_] man (!). The sense is, I suppose, a ridge of grass, which is likened to a horse’s mane.

20. _moldywarpe-hilles_] Mole-hills. _styckes_] sticks and stones.

In the Book on Surveying, c. 25, we are told that the best way to spread _mouldy-warpe hilles_] is by bush-harrowing.

=24.= 3. _beyked_] keyked (which I suspect to be nonsense). In line 12, _beykyng_ is altered to _baking_.

15. _hasell and withee_] Hassell or Withy.

19. _and let his warke_] wherby he shall hinder his worke.

21. _and_] if (a gloss of an obsolescent conjunction). So again in sect 25, 1. 16.

=25.= 7. _ouer_] vpper. See the Glossary.

22. _crofote_] Crow-foote.

27. After _wyll_, I. R. inserts “as they say.”

32. _twon_] twined (the weak form).

=26.= 5. I. R. alters this so as to give a different sense--“when it is mowne, it will be so fast bound that no man can gather it so cleane but there wil be great losse.” This is contradictory, and probably he missed the word _not_.

=27.= 17. I. R. omits the phrase--“about Zelcestre and Martok.”

=28.= 13. _And whan the barley_, &c.] and when the Barley is lead away, the Land must be raked with a great Rake with yron teeth, made fast about a mans necke with a string, and so drawne vp and downe the Lande, or els much Barley wil be lost. If Barley or Oates be layd through winde or ill weather, then it must needes be shorne, els not. The binding of barley in sheaues is very profitable, yet many that haue great crops will not attend so great trouble, but as soone as it is mowne make it in cocks like hay, and so carry it home: yet must they haue good respect vnto it, for if it bee full of weede and greeues (_sic_, _for_ greenes), then must it lye till they be withered, or els it will burne in the mow.

=29.= 2. _sickles_] steeles. After _staffe-hokes_, I. R. adds--“and some mow downe with Sythes.”

4. _on repes_] in reaps.

11. _codde_] codds. This is a better reading.

=30.= 7. _to pervse_] peruse. This early use of _peruse_ in the sense of go through, lit. use up thoroughly, should be noted. It occurs again in the Book of Surveying, capp. 19, 24; see note to 33. 7.

18. As to the fall of the tenth part of the angels, see my notes to P. Plowman.

21. After _truely_, I. R. adds--“but how eyther of the sayings hold with vnconscionable impropriations, adiudge the learned, let me imagine.”

=31.= 3. _halfe-throne_] halfe-theame (_sic_).

=32.= 5. _reke_] Reeke, stack, or houell.

6. _scaffolde_] houell; and in 11. 9, 11.

7. _hedged for_] hedged or paled from.

11. _shepe or catel_] Sheep, Cattel, Horse, Carts, Wains, or Ploughs.

=33.= 3. _meane_] reasonable.

4. _ebbe_] shallow.

6. _reane_] raine of balke.

=33.= 7. So also in the Book of Surveying, c. 24. “And if it so be, than take thy ploughe, and begyn to plowe a forowe in the myddes of the syde of the land, and cast it downe as yf thou shulde falowe it, and so pervse both sydes tyl the rygge be cast down, and than take thy plough agayn, and begyn to plowe where thou dyddest plowe fyrste, and rygge all the remeynant upwarde, and so shalt thou bothe cast thy landes, and rigge them, and all at one plowyng. And this wyl make the lande to lye rounde, the whyche is good bothe for corne and grasse.”

=34.= This is Chapter 15 in I. R.’s edition. After _rye_ (l. 2), I. R. adds--“chiefely, if your ground be rich, clayie, and cold, but if it be dry and hote, then may you stay the latter season, as till the latter end of October.”

6. After _falowe_, I. R. adds--“and plow it vnder without harrowing.”

8. After _yere_, I. R. adds--“as in other places euery third yeere, for the one haue four fieldes, the other three.”

23. _whyte wheate_] Oygrane Wheate. So in l. 31 below, he has “Oygrane or white Wheate.”

25. _anis_] anns; so also in l. 29, and again in ll. 33, 36, 40, 42; we should rather have expected the spelling _auns_.

33. _and wyll make white breed_] it yeeldeth the finest flower of all. These three sorts of Wheat must euer bee sowne eyther on the Pease stubble, or on a fallow ground that is not very proud or rich, for too rich ground for these Wheats wil make them mildewe and not prosper.

35. After _whyte wheate_, I. R. adds--“but they are deceaued.”

38. _rudeste_] ruddiest. This is clearly the right sense.

43. _flyntered_] flintred. At the end of the section I. R. adds a long piece, as follows.

Lastly, there is another Wheat, which is called hole-straw Wheat; it hath the largest eare of al Wheats, the boldest Corne, and yeeldeth the most, the finest, though not the whitest floure; it is foure-square, and hath short anns; the straw is not hollow, but hath a strong pith throughout, by reason wherof in his growth no weather whatsoeuer can beare him downe, but still he will stand and prosper; his straw yeeldeth as good thatch as Reeds, a singular profit for a Husbandman: and it is an excellent fewell to bake or brew with, euen as good as Gorsse or Whins: Onely Cattell will not eate it, nor is it good for litter; this of all Wheats is the best: these last named are to be sowne on the fallow ground, and the better the ground is, the better they will prosper.

When you sowe your Rye choose a dry season, for small wet killeth Rye. Rie, as the old husbands say, will drowne in the Hopper, that is, if in the Hopper hee catch a shower, his vigor is slaine. Wherfore the drier his mold, is the better, which is the cause that the hote, dry, and light sand is onely for Rye most excellent: his mold must harrow small like a Garden-bed, for the smallest clot hindereth his comming vp; his sprout is so small and tender.

Here I. R. inserts a whole chapter, as follows.