23.

O dirtie December For Christmas remember. Forgotten month past, Doe now at the last. Béetle and wedges. 1 When frost will not suffer to dike and to hedge, then get thee a heat with thy beetle and wedge Once Hallomas come, and a fire in the hall, such sliuers doo well for to lie by the wall. Grinding stone and whetston. 2 Get grindstone and whetstone, for toole that is dull, or often be letted and freat bellie full. A wheele barrow also be readie to haue at hand of thy seruant, thy compas to saue. Seruing of cattle. 3 Giue cattle their fodder in plot drie and warme, and count them for miring or other like harme. Yoong colts with thy wennels together go serue, least lurched by others they happen to sterue.[1] Woodland countrie. 4 The rack is commended for sauing of doong, so set as the old cannot mischiefe the yoong:[E129] In tempest (the wind being northly or east) warme barth[E130] vnder hedge is a sucker[2] to beast. Housing of cattel. Champion. 5 The housing of cattel while winter doth hold, is good for all such as are feeble and old: It saueth much compas, and many a sleepe, and spareth the pasture for walke of thy sheepe.[3] Champion. 6 For charges so little much quiet is won, if strongly and handsomly al thing be don: But vse to vntackle them once in a day, to rub and to lick them, to drink and to play. Ordering of cattel. 7 Get trustie to tend them, not lubberlie squire, that all the day long hath his nose at the fire.[E131] Nor trust vnto children poore cattel to feede, but such as be able to helpe at a neede. 8 Serue riestraw out first, then wheatstraw and pease, then otestraw and barlie, then hay if ye please: But serue them with hay while the straw stouer last, then loue they no straw, they had rather to fast. Forkes and yokes. 9 Yokes, forks, and such other, let bailie spie out, and gather the same as he walketh about. And after at leasure let this be his hier, to beath[E132] them and trim them at home by the fier. Going of cattel in marshes. 10 As well at the full of the moone as the change, sea rages in winter be sodainly strange. Then looke to thy marshes, if doubt be to fray, for feare of (ne forte) haue cattel away. Looke to thy ling and saltfish. 11 Both saltfish and lingfish (if any ye haue) through shifting and drieng from rotting go saue: Least winter with moistnes doo make it relent, and put it in hazard before[4] it be spent. How to vse ling and haberden. 12 Broome fagot is best to drie haberden on, lay boord vpon ladder if fagots be gon. For breaking (in turning) haue verie good eie, and blame not the wind, so the weather be drie. Remoouing of trées. 13 Good fruit and good plentie doth well in the loft, then make thee an orchard and cherish it oft: For plant or for stock laie aforehand to cast, but set or remooue it er Christmas be past. An orchard point. 14 Set one fro other full fortie foote wide, to stand as he stood is a part of his pride. More faier, more woorthie, of cost to remooue, more steadie ye set it, more likely to prooue. Orchard and hopyard. 15 To teach and vnteach in a schoole is vnmeete, to doe and vndoe to the purse is vnsweete. Then orchard or hopyard, so trimmed with cost, should not through follie be spoiled and lost. Letting horse blood. 16 Er Christmas be passed let horse be let blood, for many a purpose it doth them much good. The daie of S. Stephen old fathers did vse: if that doe mislike thee some other daie chuse. Bréeding of the bots. 17 Looke wel to thy horses in stable thou must, that haie be not foistie, nor chaffe ful of dust: Nor stone in their prouender, feather, nor clots, nor fed with greene peason, for breeding of bots. Hog and hennes meate. 18 Some horsekeeper lasheth out prouender so, some Gillian spendal so often doth go. For hogs meat and hens meat, for that and for this, that corne loft is empted er chapman hath his. 19[5] Some countries are pinched of medow for hay, yet ease it with fitchis as well as they may. Which inned and threshed and husbandlie dight, keepes laboring cattle in verie good plight. 20 In threshing out fitchis one point I will shew, first thresh out for seede of the fitchis a few: Thresh few fro thy plowhorse, thresh cleane for the cow, this order in Norfolke good husbands alow. ¶ Strawberies. 21 If frost doe continue, take this for a lawe, the strawberies looke to be couered with strawe. Laid ouerly trim vpon crotchis and bows, and after vncouered as weather allows. ¶ Gilleflowers. 22 The gilleflower also, the skilful doe knowe, doe looke to be couered, in frost and in snowe. The knot, and the border, and rosemarie gaie, do craue the like succour for dieng awaie. ¶ How to preserue bees. 23 Go looke to thy bees, if the hiue be too light, set water and honie, with rosemarie dight. Which set in a dish ful of sticks in the hiue, from danger of famine[6] yee saue them aliue. 24[7] In medow or pasture (to growe the more fine) let campers be camping[8][E133] in any of thine: Which if ye doe suffer when lowe is the spring, you gaine to your selfe a commodious thing.