37.

Feb, fill the dike[E187] With what thou dost like.[1] Forgotten month past Doe now at the last. 1 Who laieth on doong er he laieth on plow, such husbandrie vseth as thrift doth alow. One month er ye spred it, so still let it stand, er euer to plow it, ye take it in hand. 2 Place doong heape a low by the furrough along, where water all winter time did it such wrong. So make ye the land to be lustie and fat, and corne thereon sowen to be better for that. 3 Go plow in the stubble, for now is the season, for sowing of fitchis, of beanes, and of peason. Sowe runciuals timelie, and all that be gray, but sowe not the white till S. Gregories day.[2] 4 Sowe peason and beanes in the wane of the Moone,[3] who soweth them sooner, he soweth too soone. That they with the planet may rest and arise, and flourish with bearing most plentifull wise. 5 Friend, harrow in time, by some maner of meanes, not onely thy peason, but also thy beanes. Unharrowed die, being buried in clay, where harrowed florish, as flowers in May. 6 Both peason and beanes sowe afore ye doo plow,[4] the sooner ye harrow, the better for yow.[5] White peason so good for the purse and the pot: let them be well vsed else well doo ye not. 7 Haue eie vnto haruest what euer ye sowe, for feare of mischances, by riping too slowe. Least corne be destroied, contrarie to right, by hogs or by cattel, by day or by night.[6] 8 Good prouender labouring horses would haue, good haie and good plentie, plow oxen doo craue. To hale out the muck and to plow vp thy ground: or else it may hinder thee many a pound. 9 Who slacketh his tillage, a carter to bee, for grote got abrode, at home lose shall three. And so by his dooing he brings out of hart both land for the corne and horse for the cart. 10 Who abuseth his cattle and sterues them for meat, by carting or plowing, his gaine is not great. Where he that with labour can vse them aright, hath gaine to his comfort, and cattle in plight. 11 Buie quickset at market, new gatherd and small, buie bushes or willow, to fence it withall. Set willowes to growe, in the steede of a stake, for cattel in sommer, a shadow to make. ¶ Runciual peason. 12 Stick plentie of bows among runciuall pease[7] to climber thereon, and to branch at their ease. So dooing, more tender and greater they wex, if peacock[8] and turkey leaue iobbing their bex.[E188] 13 Now sowe and go harrow (where redge ye did draw[9]) the seed of the bremble, with kernell and haw. Which couered ouerlie, soone to shut out, goe see it be ditched and fenced about.[E189] Sowe mustard séede. 14 Where banks be amended and newly vp cast, sow mustard seed,[10] after a shower be past. Where plots full of nettles be noisome to eie, sowe therevpon hempseed, and nettle will die. Cut or set vines. 15 The vines[11] and the osiers cut and go set, if grape be vnpleasant, a better go get. Feed swan, and go make hir vp strongly a nest, for feare of a floud, good and high is the best. Catching of mowls. 16 Land meadow that yeerly is spared for hay, now fence it and spare it, and doong it ye may. Get mowle catcher cunninglie mowle for to kill, and harrow and cast abrode euerie hill.[E190] 17 Where meadow or pasture to mowe ye doo laie, let mowle be dispatched some maner of waie. Then cast abrode mowlhill, as flat as ye can, for many commodities following than. 18 If pasture by nature is giuen to be wet, then bare with the mowlhill, though thick it be set. That lambe may sit on it, and so to sit drie, or else to lie by it, the warmer to lie.[E191] Looke well to thy fence. 19 Friend, alway let this be a part of thy care, for shift of good pasture, lay pasture to spare. So haue you good feeding, in bushets and lease,[E192] and quickly safe finding of cattel at ease. 20 Where cattel may run about, rouing at wil, from pasture to pasture, poor bellie to fil, There pasture and cattel both hungrie and bare, for want of good husbandrie worser doo fare. 21 Now thresh out thy barlie, for malt or for seed, for bread corne (if need be) to serue as shall need. If worke for the thresher ye mind for to haue, of wheat and of mestlen[E193] vnthreshed go saue. 22 Now timelie for Lent stuffe[12] thy monie disburse, the longer ye tarie for profit the wurse, If one penie vantage be therein to saue, of coast man or fleming be sure to haue.[E194]