The Book of Husbandry

¶ The table.

Reading edition

PAGE

1.First wherby husbande-men do lyue. fo. i.[19]9

2.Of dyuers maner of plowes. fol. eod.9

3.To knowe the names of all the partes of the ploughe. fol. ii.10

4.The temprynge of plowes. fo. iii.12

5.¶ The necessary thynges that belonge to a plowe, carte, or wayne. fol. iiii.14

6.¶ Whether is better, a plowe of oxen or a plowe of horses. fol. v.15

7.¶ The dylygence and the attendaunce that a husbande shulde gyue to his warke, in maner of an other prologue, and a specyall grounde of all this treatyse. fol. vi.16

8.¶ Howe a manne shulde plowe all maner of landes all tymes of the yere. fo. vii.17

9.To plowe for pees and beanes. fol. viii.18

10.Howe to sowe bothe pees and beanes. fol. viii.18

11.Sede of Discrecyon. fol. ix.20

12.Howe all maner of corne shulde be sowen. folio eodem21

13.To sowe barley. fol. x.22

14.To sowe otes. fol. xi.23

15.To harowe all maner of cornes. fol. xii.24

16.To falowe. fol. xiii.25

17.To carry out donge or mucke, and to sprede it. fol. xiiii.27

18.To set out the shepe-folde. fol. xv.28

19.To cary wode and other necessaries. fol. xvi.29

20.To knowe dyuers maner of wedes. fol. eod.29

21.To wede corne. fol. xvii.31

22.The fyrste sturrynge: and (23) to mowe grasse. foli. xviii.32

24.How forkes and rakes shuld be made. fo. xix.33

25.To tedde and make hey. fol. eod.33

26.Howe rye shulde be shorne. fol. xx.35

27.Howe to shere whete. fol. xxi.35

28.To mowe or shere barley and otes. fol. eod.36

29.To repe or mowe pees and beanes. fol. xxii.36

30.Howe all maner of corne shoulde be tythed. folio eodem37

31.Howe all maner of corne shoulde be couered. fol. xxiii.38

32.To lode corne and mowe it. fol. eod.38

33.The seconde sturrynge. fo. xxiiii.39

34.To sowe whete and rye. fol. eodem39

35.To thresshe and wynowe corne. fol. xxv.41

36.To seuer beanes, pees, and fetches. fol. eod.41

37.Of shepe, and what tyme of the yere the rammes shulde be put to the ewes. fol. xxvi.42

38.To make a ewe to loue her lambe. fol. xxvii.43

39.What tyme lambes shulde be wayned. fo. eod.44

40.To drawe shepe and seuer them in dyuerse partes. fol. xxviii.44

41.To belte shepe. fol. xxix.45

42.To grece shepe. fol. eod.46

43.To medle terre. fol. eodem46

44.To make brome salue. fol. eod.46

45.If a shepe haue mathes. fol. xxx.47

46.Blyndenes of shepe and other dyseases, and remedyes therfore. fo. eod.47

47.The worme in a shepes fote, and helpe therfore. fol. xxxi.48

48.The bloudde, and remedye if he comme betyme. fol. eodem48

49.The pockes, and remedy therfore. fol. eod.49

50.The wode euyl, and remedy therfore. fol. xxxii.49

51.To washe shepe. fol. eod.49

52.To shere shepe. fol. eod.50

53.To drawe and seuer the bad shepe frome the good. fol. eod.50

54.What thynge rotteth shepe. fol. xxxiii.50

55.To knowe a rotten shepe dyuerse maner ways, wherof some of them wyll not fayle. fol. xxxiiii.51

56.To by leane cattell. fol. eod.52

57.To bye fatte cattell. fol. xxxv.53

58.Dyuerse sickenesses of cattell, and remedies therfore, and fyrste of murren. fol. eod.53

59.Long sought, and remedy therfore. fo. xxxvi.54

60.Dewbolue,[20] and the harde remedye therfore. fol. eod.55

61.Ryson vppon, and the remedye therfore. fol. xxxvii.55

62.The turne, and remedy therfore. fol. eod.56

63.The warribred, & remedy therfore. fol. xxxviii.56

64.The foule, and remedy therfore. fol. eod.57

65.The goute without remedy. fol. eod.57

66.To rere calues. fol. eod.57

67.To gelde calues. fol. xxxix.58

68.Horses and mares to drawe. fol. xl.59

69.¶ The losse of a lambe, a calfe, or a foole. fol. xli.61

70.What cattell shulde go together in oone pasture. fol. xlii.62

71.The properties of horses. fol. xliii.63

72.The two propertyes that a horse hath of a man. fol. eod.63

73.The ii. propertyes of a bauson. fol. eod.64

74.The iiii. properties of a lyon. fol. eod.64

75.The ix. properties of an oxe. fol. xliiii.64

76.The ix. properties of an hare. fol. eod.64

77.The ix. properties of a foxe. fol. eod.64

78.The ix. properties of an asse. fol. eod.65

79.The x. properties of a woman. fol. eod.65

80.The diseases and soraunce of horses. fol. xlv.65

81.The lampas. fol. eod.65

82.The barbes. fo. eod.66

83.Mournynge on the tonge. fol. eod.66

84.Pursye. fo. eod.66

85.Broken wynded. fol. eod.66

86.Glaunders. fo. eod.66

87.Mournynge on the chynne. fol. eod.66

88.Stranguelyon. fol. eod.67

89.The hawe. fol. eod.67

90.Blyndnesse. fol. xlvi.67

91.Uyues. fol. eod.67

92.The cordes. fol. eod.67

93.¶ The farcyon. fol. eod.67

94.¶ A malander. fol. eod.68

95.¶ A salander. fol. eod.68

96.¶ A serewe. fol. eod.68

97.¶ A splent. fo. eod.68

98.¶ A ryngebone. fol. xlvii.69

99.¶ Wyndgall. fol. eod.69

100.¶ Morfounde. fol. eod.69

101.¶ The coltes euyll. fol. eod.69

102.¶ The bottes. fo. eod.70

103.¶ The wormes. fol. eod.70

104.¶ Affrayd. fo. eod.70

105.¶ Nauylgall. fo. eod.70

106.¶ A spauen. fol. eod.70

107.¶ A curbe. fol. eod.71

108.¶ The strynge-halte. fol. eod.71

109.¶ Enterfyre. fo. eod.71

110.¶ Myllettes. fol. eod.71

111.¶ The paynes. fol. eod.71

112.¶ Cratches. fol. eod.72

113.¶ Attaynt. fol. xlix.72

114.¶ Grauelynge. fol. eod.72

115.¶ Acloyd. fol. eod.72

116.¶ The scabbe. fol. eod.72

117.¶ Lowsy. fol. eod.72

118.¶ Wartes. fol. eod.73

119.¶ The sayenge of the frenche man. fo. eod.73

120.¶ The dyuersitie bytwene a horse mayster, a corser, and a horse leche. fol. l.74

121.¶ Of swyne. fo. eod.74

122.¶ Of bees. fol. li.75

123.¶ How to kepe beastes & other catel. fol. lii.76

124.¶ To get settes and set them. fol. liii.78

125.¶ To make a dyche. fol. liiii.79

126.¶ To make a hedge. fol. eod.79

127.¶ To plasshe and pleche a hedge. fol. eod.80

128.¶ To mende a hye waye. fo. lv.81

129.¶ To remoue and sette trees. fo. lvi.82

130.¶ Trees to be sette without rootes and growe. fol. lvii.83

131.¶ To fell woode for houssholde or to sell. fol. eodem.83

132.¶ To shrede, lop, or crop trees. fol. lviii.84

133.Howe a man shoulde shrede loppe or croppe trees. fol. eod.85

134.To sell woode or tymbre. fol. lix.85

135.To kepe sprynge woode. fo. lx.86

136.Necessary thynges belongynge to graffynge. fol. eod.87

137.What fruyte shulde be first graffed. fol. lxi.88

138.Howe to graffe. fol. eod.88

139.To graffe bytwene the barke and the tree. fol. lxii.89

140.To nourysshe all maner of stone fruyte and nuttes. fol. lxiii.90

141.A shorte information for a yonge gentyllman that entendeth to thryue. fol. eod.90

142.A lesson made in Englysshe verses, that a gentylmans seruaunte shall forget none of his gere in his inne behynde hym. fo. lxv.93

143.A prologe for the wyues occupation. fo. eod.93

144.A lesson for the wyfe. fol. eod.94

145.What thynges the wyfe of ryghte is bounde to do. fol. lxvi.94

146.What warkes the wyfe oughte to doo generally. fo. eod.95

147.To kepe measure in spendynge. fo. lxvii.98

148.To eate within thy tedure. fo. lxviii.99

149.A shorte lesson vnto the husbande. fol. lxix.101

150.Howe menne of hye degree do kepe measure. fol. eodem101

151.Prodygalytie in outragyous and costelye araye. fol. lxx.102

152.Of delycyous meates and drynkes. fol. eod.103

153.Of outragious playe and game. fo. lxxi.104

154.A prologue of the thyrde sayinge of the philosopher. fo. lxxii.105

155.A dyuersytie bytwene predycation and doctryne. fol. eodem105

156.What is rychesse. fo. lxxiii.106

157.What is the propertie of a rych man. fo. lxxiiii.108

158.What ioyes & pleasures are in heuen. fo. lxxv.109

159.What thynge pleaseth god most. fol. lxxvi.109

160.What be goddes commaundementes. fo. eod.110

161.Howe a man shulde loue god and please hym. fol. eodem110

162.Howe a man shoulde loue his neyghbour. fol. lxxvii.111

163.Of prayer that pleaseth god verye moche. folio lxxviii.112

164.What thynge letteth prayer. fol. eod.112

165.Howe a man shulde praye. fo. lxxix.113

166.A mean to put away ydle thoughtes in prayenge. fol. lxxx.115

167.A meane to auoyde temptation. fol. lxxxi.116

168.Almes-dedes pleaseth god moche. fo. lxxxii.118

169.The fyrst maner of almes dede. fo. lxxxiii.119

170.The ii. maner of almes dede. fo. lxxxiiii.120

171.The iii. maner of almes dede. fol. lxxxv.121

172.What is the greattest offence that a man maye doo and offende god in. fo. lxxxvi.122

Thus endeth the table.

The Book of Husbandry

[Fol. 1.]

1. ¶ Here begynneth the boke of husbandry, and fyrste where-by husbande-men do lyue.

Husbandmen live by the plough and by cattle.

The mooste generall lyuynge that husbandes can haue, is by plowynge and sowyng of theyr cornes, and rerynge or bredynge of theyr cattel, and not the one withoute the other. Than is the ploughe the moste necessaryest

instrumente that an husbande can occupy. Wherfore it is conuenyent to be knowen, howe a plough shulde be made.

2. ¶ Dyuers maners of plowes.

Different kinds of ploughs.

There be plowes of dyuers makynges in dyuers countreys, and in lyke wyse there be plowes of yren of dyuers facyons. And that is bycause there be many maner of groundes and soyles. Some whyte cley, some

redde cley, some grauell or chylturne, some sande, some meane erthe, some medled with marle, and in many places heeth-grounde, and one ploughe wyll not serue in all places. Wherfore it is necessarye, to haue dyuers

[Fol. 1b.] Somersetshire.

maners of plowes. In Sommersetshyre, about Zelcester, the sharbeame, that in many places is called the ploughe-hedde, is foure or fyue foote longe, and it is brode and thynne. And that is bycause the lande is verye toughe,

and wolde soke the ploughe into the erthe, yf the sharbeame

Kent.

were not long, brode, and thynne. In Kente they haue other maner of plowes, somme goo with wheles, as they doo in many other places, and some wyll

tourne the sheldbredth at euery landes ende, and plowe

Buckinghamshire.

all one waye. In Buckynghamshyre, are plowes made of an nother maner, and also other maner of ploughe-yrons, the whyche me semeth generally good, and lykely

to serue in many places, and specially if the ploughbeame and sharbeame be foure ynches longer, betwene the shethe and the ploughe-tayle, that the sheldbrede myght come more a-slope: for those plowes gyue out to sodeinly,

and therfore they be the worse to drawe, and for noo

Leicestershire, &c.

cause elles. In Leycestershyre, Lankesshyre, Yorkeshyre, Lyncoln, Norfolke, Cambrydge-shyre, and manye other countreyes, the plowes be of dyuers makinges, the whyche

were to longe processe to declare howe, &c. But how so euer they be made, yf they be well tempered, and goo well, they maye be the better suffred.

[Fol. 2.]

3. ¶ To knowe the names of all the partes of the plowe.

Parts of the plough.

Men that be no husbandes maye fortune to rede this boke, that knowe not whiche is the ploughe-beame, the sharebeame, the ploughe-shethe, the ploughe-tayle, the stilte, the rest, the sheldbrede, the fenbrede, the roughe

staues, the ploughe-fote, the ploughe-eare or coke, the share, the culture, and ploughe-mal. Perauenture I gyue them these names here, as is vsed in my countre, and yet

Plough-beam.

in other countreyes they haue other names: wherfore ye

shall knowe, that the ploughe-beame is the longe tree

Share-beam.

aboue, the whiche is a lytel bente. The sharbeame is the

Plough-sheath.

tre vnderneth, where-vpon the share is set; the ploughe-sheth 1is a thyn pece of drye woode, made of oke, that is

set fast in a morteys in the plough-beame, and also in to the share-beame, the whiche is the keye and the chiefe

Plough-tail.

bande of all the plough. The plough-tayle is that the husbande holdeth in his hande, and the hynder ende of

the ploughebeame is put in a longe slyt, made in the same tayle, and not set faste, but it maye ryse vp and go dow[n]e, and is pynned behynde, and the same ploughe-tayle is set faste in a morteys, in the hynder ende of the

[Fol. 2b.] Plough-stilt.

sharebeame. The plough-stylte is on the ryghte syde of the ploughe, whervpon the rest is set; the rest is a lyttell

Rest.

pece of woode, pynned fast vpon the nether ende of the stylt, and to the sharebeame in the ferther ende. The

Shield-board.

sheldbrede is a brode pece of wodde, fast pinned to the ryghte side of the shethe in the ferther ende, and to the

Fen-board.

vtter syde of the stylte in the hynder ende. The fenbrede is a thyn borde, pynned or nayled moste commonly

to the lyft syde of the shethe in the ferther ende, and to the ploughe-tayle in the hynder ende. And the sayde sheldbrede wolde come ouer the sayde shethe and fenbrede an inche, and to come past the myddes of the

share, made with a sharpe edge, to receyue and turne the

Rough staves.

erthe whan the culture hath cut it. There be two roughe staues in euery ploughe in the hynder ende, set a-slope betwene the ploughe-tayle and the stilt, to holde out

and kepe the plough abrode in the hynder ende, and the

Plough-foot.

one lenger than the other. The plough-fote is a lyttell pece of wodde, with a croked ende set before in a morteys in the ploughe-beame, sette fast with wedges, to

dryue vppe and downe, and it is a staye to order of

Plough-ear.

what depenes the ploughe shall go. The ploughe-eare is made of thre peces of yren, nayled faste vnto the ryght

[Fol. 3.]

syde of the plough-beame. And poore men haue a

croked pece of wode pynned faste to the ploughbeame.

Share.

The share is a pece of yren, sharpe before and brode behynde, a fote longe, made with a socket to be set on

Coulter.

the ferther ende of the share-beame. The culture is a

bende pece of yren sette in a morteys in the myddes of the plough-beame, fastened with wedges on euery syde, and the backe therof is halfe an inche thycke and more, and three inches brode, and made kene before to cutte

the erthe clene, and it must be wel steeled, and that shall cause the easyer draughte, and the yrens to laste

Plough-mall.

moche lenger. The plough-mal

[21]

is a pece of harde woode, with a pynne put throughe, set in the plough-beame,

in an augurs bore.

4. ¶ The temprynge of plowes.

Tempering of ploughs.

Nowe the plowes be made of dyuers maners; it is necessarye for an housbande, to knowe howe these plowes shulde be tempered, to plowe and turne clene, and to

Rest-baulk.

make no reste-balkes. A reste-balke is where the plough

byteth at the poynte of the culture and share, and cutteth not the ground cleane to the forowe, that was plowed laste

[Fol. 3b.]

before, but leaueth a lyttell rydge standynge betwene, the whiche dothe brede thistyls, and other wedes. All

these maner of plowes shulde haue all lyke one maner of temperyng in the yrens. Howe-be-it a man maye temper for one thynge in two or thre places, as for depnes. The fote is one: the setting of the culture of

a depnes, is a-nother: and the thyrde is at the ploughe-tayle,

Slot wedges.

where be two wedges, that be called slote-wedges: the one is in the slote above the beame, the other in the saide slote, vnder the plough-beame; and other whyle

he wyll set bothe aboue, or bothe vndernethe, but alway let hym take good hede, and kepe one generall rule, that the hynder ende of the sharebeme alway touche the erthe, that it may kyll a worde,

[22]

or elles it goth not truly. The

Narrow and broad tempering.

temperynge to go brode and narowe is in the settyng of the culture: and with the dryuinge of his syde-wedges, forewedge, and helewedge, whiche wolde be made of

Setting on of the share.

drye woode, and also the settynge on of his share helpeth

well, and is a connynge poynte of husbandry, and mendeth and payreth moch plowyng: but it is so narowe a point to know, that it is harde to make a man to vnderstande it by wrytynge, without he were at the operation

[Fol. 4.]

therof, to teache the practyue: for it muste leane moche in-to the forowe, and the poynt may not stande to moch vp nor downe, nor to moche in-to the lande, nor in-to

Setting of the coulter.

the forowe. Howe-be-it, the settynge of the culture

helpeth moche. Somme plowes haue a bende of yron tryanglewise, sette there as the plough-eare shulde be, that hath thre nyckes on the farther syde. And yf he

Seed-furrow.

wyll haue his plough to go a narowe forowe, as a sede-forowe

shulde be, than he setteth his fote-teame in the

Mean furrow.

nycke nexte to the ploughe-beame; and yf he wyll go a meane bredth, he setteth it in the myddell nycke,

Broad furrow.

that is beste for sturrynge; and if he wolde go a brode

forowe, he setteth it in the vttermoste nycke, that is beste for falowynge: The whyche is a good waye to kepe the bredthe, and soone tempered, but it serueth not the depenesse. And some men haue in stede of the plough-fote,

a piece of yron set vpryghte in the farther ende

‘A coke.’

of the ploughe-beame, and they calle it a coke, made with ii. or thre nyckes, and that serueth for depenes.

Wheel-ploughs.

The plowes that goo with wheles, haue a streyghte

beame, and maye be tempred in the yron, as the other be, for the bredth; but their most speciall temper is at the bolster, where-as the plough-beame lyeth, and that serueth both for depnes and for bredth. And they be

[Fol. 4b.]

good on euen grounde that lyeth lyghte, but me semeth they be farre more costly than the other plowes. And thoughe these plowes be well tempred for one maner grounde, that tempre wyll not serue in an other maner

of grounde; but it muste reste in the dyscretion of the housbande, to knowe whanne it gothe well.

5. ¶ The necessary thynges that belonge to a ploughe, carte, and wayne.

Bows, yokes, &c.

Bvt or he begyn to plowe, he muste haue his ploughe and his ploughe-yren, his oxen or horses, and the geare that belongeth to them; that is to say, bowes, yokes, landes, stylkynges, wrethynge-temes. And or he shall

lode his corne, he muste haue a wayne, a copyoke, a payre of sleues, a wayne-rope, and a pykforke. This

The wain.

wayne is made of dyuers peces, that wyll haue a greate reparation, that is to saye, the wheles, and those be made

of nathes, spokes, fellyes, and dowles, and they muste be well fettred with wood or yren. And if they be yren bounden, they are moche the better, and thoughe they

[Fol. 5.]

be the derer at the fyrst, yet at lengthe they be better

Iron-bound wheels.

cheape; for a payre of wheles yren bounde wyl weare vii. or viii. payre of other wheles, and they go rounde and lyght after oxen or horses to draw. Howbeit on marreis ground and soft ground the other wheles be better,

bycause they be broder on the soule, and will not go so

Axle-tree, linch-pins, and axle-pins.

depe. They must haue an axiltre, clout with .viii. waincloutes of yren, ii. lyn-pinnes of yren in the axiltre-endes, ii. axil-pynnes of yren or els of tough harde

wodde. The bodye of the wayne of oke, the staues, the nether rathes, the ouer rathes, the crosse somer, the keys and pikstaues. And if he go with a hors-ploughe, than muste he haue his horses or mares, or both his hombers or

collers, holmes whyted, tresses, swyngletrees, and togwith.

The cart.

Alsoo a carte made of asshe, bycause it is lyghte, and lyke stuffe to it as is to a wayne, and also a cart-sadel, bakbandes, and belybandes, and a carte-ladder behinde,

whan he shall carye eyther corne or kyddes, or suche

Cart-ladders.

other. And in many countreys theyr waynes haue carte-ladders bothe behynde and before. Also an husbande

Axe, hatchet, &c.

muste haue an axe, a hachet, a hedgyngebyll, a pyn-awgur,

a rest-awgur, a flayle, a spade, and a shouell. And howe-be-it that I gyue theym these names, as is most comonly

[Fol. 5b.]

vsed in my contrey, I knowe they haue other names in other contreyes. But hereby a manne maye perceyue

Expense of husbandry.

many thynges that belonge to husbandry, to theyr greate costes and charges, for the mayntenance and vpholdyng of the same. And many moo thynges are belongynge to husbandes than these, as ye shall well perceyue, er I

haue made an ende of this treatyse. And if a yonge husbande shulde bye all these thynges, it wolde be

It is better to make than buy.

costely for hym: wherfore it is necessarye for hym to lerne to make his yokes, oxe-bowes, stooles, and all

maner of plough-geare.

6. ¶ Whether is better, a plough of horses or a plough of oxen.

Ox-plough and horse-plough.

It is to be knowen, whether is better, a plough of horses, or a plough of oxen, and therin me semeth oughte to be made a distinction. For in some places an oxe-ploughe is better than a horse-plough, and in somme

places a horse-ploughe is better: that is to say, in euery place where-as the husband hath seueral pastures to put his oxen in whan they come fro theyr warke, there the oxe-ploughe

The ox.

is better. For an oxe maye nat endure his

[Fol. 6.]

warke, to labour all daye, and than to be put to the commons, or before the herdman, and to be set in a folde all nyghte without meate, and go to his labour in the mornynge. But and he be put in a good pasture all

nyghte, he wyll labour moche of all the daye dayely.

And oxen wyl plowe in tough cley, and vpon hylly grounde, where-as horses wyll stande st[i]ll. And where-as

The horse.

is noo seuerall pastures, there the horse-plowe is better,

for the horses may be teddered or tyed vpon leys, balkes, or hades, where as oxen maye not be kept: and it is not vsed to tedder them, but in fewe places.

And horses wyl goo faster than oxen on euen grounde

or lyght grounde, & be quicker for cariage: but they be ferre more costly to kepe in winter, for they must haue both hey and corne to eate, and strawe for lytter; they must be well shodde on all foure fete, and the gere that they

shal drawe with is more costely than for the oxen, and

Oxen are cheap,

shorter whyle it wyll last. And oxen wyll eate but straw, and a lyttell hey, the whiche is not halfe the coste that horsis must haue, and they haue no shoes, as horses haue.

And if any sorance come to the horse, or [he] waxe olde, broysed, or blynde, than he is lyttell worthe. And if any sorance come to an oxe, [and he] waxe olde, broysed, or

[Fol. 6b.]

blinde, for ii.

he maye be fedde, and thanne he is mannes

and they can be eaten.

meate, and as good or better than euer he was. And the horse, whan he dyethe, is but caryen. And therfore me semeth, all thynges consydered, the ploughe of oxen is moche more profytable than the ploughe of horses.

7. ¶ The dylygence and attendaunce that a husbande shulde gyue to his warke, in maner of an other prologue, and the speciall grounde of all this treatyse.

Take pains, keep measure, and be rich.

Thou husbande, that intendeste to gette thy lyuynge by husbandry, take hede to the sayenge of the wyse phylosopher, the which sayth,

Adhibe curam, tene mensuram, et eris diues

. That is to saye, Take hede to thy charge,

kepe measure, and thou shalt be ryche. And nowe to speke of the fyrste artycle of these .iii. s[cilicet]

Adhibe curam

. He that wyll take vpon hym to do any thinge, and be slouthefull, recheles, and not diligent to execute

and to performe that thynge that he taketh vpon hym, he shall neuer thryue by his occupation. And to the same entente saythe our lorde in his gospell, by a parable.

[Fol. 7.] Luke ix. 62.

Nemo mittens manum suam ad aratrum respiciens retro, aptus

est regno dei.

The spirytuall constructyon of this texte, I remytte to the doctours of dyuynitie, and to the greate clarkes; but to reduce and brynge the same texte to my

No man, putting his hand to the plough, &c.

purpose, I take it thus. There is noo man, puttynge his

hande to the plough, lokyng backewarde, is worthy to haue that thynge that he oughte to haue. For if he goo to the ploughe, and loke backewarde, he seeth not whether the plough go in rydge or rayne, make a balke,

or go ouerthwarte. And if it do so, there wyll be lyttell

Be not idle.

corne. And so if a man attende not his husbandrye, but goo to sporte or playe, tauerne or ale-house, or slepynge at home, and suche other ydle warkes, he is not than

Do what you came to do.

worthy to haue any corne. And therfore,

Fac quod venisti

, Do that thou comest fore, and thou shalte fynde that thou sekest fore, &c.

8. ¶ Howe a man shulde plowe all maner of landes all tymes of the yere.

Times of the year.

Nowe these plowes be made and tempered, it is to be knowen howe a man shoulde plowe all tymes of the yere. In the begynnynge of the yere, after the feast of the Epiphany, it is tyme for a husbande to

[Fol. 7b.] Plough leas early.

go to the ploughe. And if thou haue any leys, to falowe or to sowe otes vpon, fyrste plowe them, that the grasse and the mosse may rotte, and plowe them a depe square forowe. And in all maner of plowynge,

se that thy eye, thy hande, and thy fote do agree, and be alwaye redy one to serue a-nother, and to turne

Lay the mould flat.

vp moche molde, and to lay it flat, that it rere not on edge. For if it rere on edge, the grasse and mosse

wyll not rotte. And if thou sowe it with winter-corne, as whete or ry, as moche corne as toucheth the mosse wyll be drowned, the mosse dothe kepe such wete in it self. And in some countreys, if a man plowe depe,

he shall passe the good grounde, and haue but lyttel corne: but that countrey is not for men to kepe husbandry vppon, but for to rere and brede catell or shepe, for

Beeting land with mattocks.

elles they muste go beate theyr landes with mattockes,

as they do in many places of Cornewayle, and in som places of Deuonshyre.

9. ¶ To plowe for pease and beanes.

Peas and beans.

Howe to plowe for pees and beanes, were necessarye to knowe. Fyrst thou muste remember, whiche is

[Fol. 8.]

mooste cley-grounde, and that plowe fyrste, and lette it lye a good space, er thou sowe it: bycause the

froste, the rayne, the wynde, and the sonne may cause it to breake smalle, to make moche molde, and to

Plough a square furrow.

rygge it. And to plow a square forowe, the bredthe and the depenes all one, and to laye it close to his

felow. For the more forowes, the more corne, for a generall rule of all maner of cornes. And that may be proued at the comynge vp of all maner of corne, to stande at the landes ende and loke toward the other

ende; And than may ye se, howe the corne groweth.

10. Howe to sowe bothe pease and beanes.

Sowing of peas and beans.

Thou shalt sowe thy peas vpon the cley-grounde, and thy beanes vpon the barley-grounde: for they wolde haue ranker grounde than pease. How-be-it some husbandes holde opynion, that bigge and styffe

grounde, as cley, wolde be sowen with bigge stuffe, as beanes; but me thynke the contrary. For if a dry sommer come, his beanes wil be shorte. And if the grounde be good, putte the more beanes to the pease,

and the better shall they yelde, whan they be thresshed.

[Fol. 8b.]

And if it be very ranke grounde, as is moche at euery towne-syde, where catel doth resort, plowe not that lande, tyll ye wyll sowe it; for if ye do, there wyll

In rank ground sow beans.

come vppe kedlokes and other wedes. And than sowe it with beanes; for if ye sowe pees, the kedlokes wyll hurte them; and wha

ye se seasonable time, sow both pees and beanes, so that they be sowen in the

begynnynge of Marche. Howe shall ye knowe seasonable

If the land sing, it is too wet to sow.

tyme? go vppon the lande, that is plowed, and if it synge or crye, or make any noyse vnder thy fete, than it is to wete to sowe: and if it make no noyse, and

wyll beare thy horses, thanne sowe in the name of god.

How to sow peas.

But howe to sowe? Put thy pees in-to thy hopper, and take a brode thonge, of ledder, or of garthe-webbe of an elle longe, and fasten it to bothe endes of the

hopper, and put it ouer thy heed, lyke a leysshe; and stande in the myddes of the lande, where the sacke lyethe, the whiche is mooste conueniente for the fyllynge of thy hopper, and set thy lefte foote before, and take

an handefull of pees: and whan thou takeste vp thy ryghte foote, than caste thy pees fro the all abrode; and whan thy lefte fote ryseth, take an other handeful, and whan the ryght fote ryseth, tha

cast them fro the.

[Fol. 9.]

And so at euery ii. paces, thou shalte sowe an handful of pees: and so se that the fote and the hande

Cast them wide.

agree, and than ye shal sowe euen. And in your castynge, ye muste open as well your fyngers as your hande,

and the hyer and farther that ye caste your corne, the better shall it sprede, excepte it be a greatte wynde. And if the lande be verye good, and wyll breke small in the plowynge, it is better to sowe after the ploughe

thanne tarye any lenger.

11. ¶ Sede of discretion.

Seed of Discretion.

There is a sede, that is called Discretio

, and if a husband haue of that sede, and myngle it amonge his other cornes, they wyll growe moche the better; for that sede wyll tell hym, how many castes of corne

euery lande ought to haue. And a yonge husbande, and may fortune some olde husbande, hath not sufficyente

Borrow discretion, if you have it not.

of that sede: and he that lackethe, let hym borowe of his neyghbours that haue. And his neyghbours

be vnkynde, if they wyll not lende this yonge housbande parte of this sede. For this sede of Discretion hath a wonders property: for the more that it is taken of or lente, the more it is. And therfore me semeth,

[Fol. 9b.]

it shoulde be more spyrituall than temporall, wherin

Temporal things, when divided, wane.

is a greate dyuersitie. For a temporall thynge, the more it is deuyded, the lesse it is: and a spirytuall thynge, the more it is deuided, the more it is.

Verbi

gratia.

For ensaumple, I put case a wyfe brynge a lofe of breade to the churche, to make holy breade of; whan it is cut in many smal peces, and holy breade made therof, there may be so many men, women,

and children in the churche, that by that tyme the priest hath delte to euery one of them a lyttell pece, there shall neuer a crume be lefte in the hamper. And a

Spiritual things, when divided, wax.

spiritualle thynge as a

Pater-noster

, or a prayer, that any

man can say, let hym teache it to .xx., a

.C.

, or to a

.M.

, yet is the prayer neuer the lesse, but moche more. And so this sede of Discrecio

is but wisdome and reason: and he that hath wysedome, reason, and discretion may teche

it, and enforme other men as he is bounde to do. Wherein he shall haue thanke of god: and he doth but as god hath

Matt. x. 8.

commaunded hym in his gospell,

Quod gratis accepistis, gratis date

: That thynge that ye toke frely, gyue it frely

again, and yet shall ye haue neuer the lesse.

12. ¶ Howe all maner corne shoulde be sowen.

[Fol. 10.]

Bvt yet me thynkethe it is necessarye to declare, howe all maner of corne shuld be sowen, and howe moch vpon an acre most comonly, and fyrste of pease and

An acre of ground.

beanes. An acre of grounde, by the statute, that is to say

xvi. fote and a half to the perche or pole, foure perches to an acre in bredth, and fortye perches to an acre in

London bushels.

lengthe, may be metelye well sowen with two London busshelles of pease, the whyche is but two strykes in

other places. And if there be the .iiii. parte beanes, than wylle it haue halfe a London bushelle more: and yf it be halfe beanes, it wyll haue thre London bushels: and if it be all beanes, it wyll haue foure London busshelles fullye,

and that is half a quarter; bycause the beanes be gret, and grow vp streight, & do not sprede and go abrode as

Beans worth more than peas.

pease do. An acre of good beanes is worth an acre & a half of good pees, bycause there wylle be more busshelles.

And the beste propertie that belongeth to a good husband is, to sowe all maner of corne thycke ynough, and specially beanes and barley. For commonly they be sowen vpon ranke ground, and good grounde wylle haue

the burthen of corne or of wede. And as moche plowynge and harowynge hath an acre of grounde, and

[Fol. 10b.]

sowe thervppon but oone busshelle, as yf he sowed .iiii. busshelles. And vndoutedly .i. busshell may not gyue so

moche corne agayne, as the .iiii. busshels, though the .iii. bushels, that he sowed more, be alowed and set aparte.

White, green, and grey peas.

And i. busshel and an halfe of white or grene pees, wyll sowe as moche grounde, as two busshels of gray pees:

and that is bycause they be so smal, and the husband nedeth not to take so great an handful. In some countreys they begyn to sowe pees soone after Christmasse: and in some places they sowe bothe pees and

beanes vnder forowe: and those of reson must be sowen

Feb. 2.

betyme. But moste generally, to begyn sone after Candelmasse is good season, so that they be sowen ere the begynnynge of Marche, or sone vpon. And specially let

them be sowen in the olde of the mone. For thopinion of olde husbandes is, that they shoulde the better codde, and the sooner be rype. But I speke not of hasty pees, for they be sowen before Christmasse, &c.

13. ¶ To sowe barley.

Barley.

Every good housbande hath his barleye-falowe well dounged, and lyenge rygged all the depe and colde of wynter; the whiche ryggynge maketh the lande to be

[Fol. 11.]

drye, and the dongynge maketh it to be melowe and

ranke. And if a drye season come before Candelmasse, or sone after, it wolde be caste downe and waterforowed bytwene the landes, that the wete rest not in the raine: and in the begynnynge of Marche, rydge it vppe agayne,

Sow five bushels to the acre.

and to sowe in euery acre fyue London bushelles, or foure at the leaste. And some yeres it maye so fortune, that there cometh no seasonable wether before Marche, to plowe his barley-erthe. And as soone as he hath

sowen his pees and beanes, than let hym caste his barley-erthe, and shortly after rygge it agayne: soo that it be sowen before Apryll. And if the yere-tyme be paste, than sowe it vpon the castynge.

¶ It is to be knowen that there be thre maner of barleys, that is to say, sprot-barleye, longe-eare, and beare-barley,

Sprot-barley.

that some menne call bigge. Sprot-barley hath a flat eare most comonly, thre quarters of an inche brode,

and thre inches long, and the cornes be very great

Long-ear.

and white, and it is the best barley. Long-eare hath a flatte eare, halfe an inche brode, and foure inches and more of length: but the corne is not so greate

nor soo whyte, and sooner it wyll turne and growe

Bear-barley.

to otes. Bere-barleye or bygge wolde be sowen vppon

[Fol. 11b.]

lyghte and drye grounde, and hathe an eare thre ynches of lengthe or more, sette foure-square, lyke pecke-whete,

small cornes, and lyttel floure, and that is the worste barley, and foure London bushels are suffycient for an acre. And in some countreyes, they do not sowe theyr barley tyll Maye, and that is mooste commonly vpon

grauel or sandy grounde. But that barley generally is

Sow in March.

neuer soo good as that that is sowen in Marche. For if it be verye drie wether after it be sowen, that corne that lyeth aboue, lyeth drie, and hath noo moysture, and that

that lyeth vndernethe, commeth vp: and whan rayne cometh, than sprutteth that that lyeth aboue, and often-tymes it is grene whan the other is rype: and whan it is thresshen, there is moche lyghte corne, &c.

14. To sowe otes.

Oats.

And in Marche is tyme to sowe otes, and specially vpon lyght grounde & drie, howe-be-it they wylle grow on weter grounde than any corne els: for wete grounde is good for no maner of corne; and thre London bushels

wyl sowe an acre.

[Fol. 12.]

And it is to be knowen, that there be .iii. maner of otes,

Red oats.

that is to saye, redde otes, blacke otes, and roughe otes. Red otes are the beste otes, and whan they be thresshed,

they be yelowe in the busshell, and verye good to make

Black oats.

otemele of. Blacke otes are as great as they be, but they haue not so moche floure in them, for they haue a thycker huske, and also they be not so good to make otemele.

Rough oats.

The roughe otes be the worste, and it quiteth not the coste to sowe them: they be very lyghte, and haue longe tayles, wherby they wyll hange eche one to other. All these maner of otes weare the grounde very sore, and

Observe how thick to sow.

maketh it to beare quyche. A yonge housbande ought to take hede, howe thycke he sowethe all maner of corne, two or three yeres: and to se, howe it cometh vp, and whether it be thycke ynoughe or not: and if it be thynne,

sowe thycker the nexte yere: and if it be well, holde his hande there other yeres: and if it be to thynne, let hym remember hym selfe, whether it be for the vnseasonablenes of the wether, or for thyn sowynge. And so

his wysedome and discretion muste discerne it.

15. ¶ To harowe all maner of cornes.

[Fol. 12b.]

Nowe these landes be plowed, and the corne sowen, it is conuenient, that they be well harowed; or els crowes,

Harrowing.

doues, and other byrdes wyll eate and beare awaye the cornes. It is vsed in many countreys, the husbandes to

The ox-harrow.

haue an oxe-harowe, the whiche is made of sixe smal peces of timbre, called harowe-bulles, made eyther of

Harrow-bulls.

asshe or oke; they be two yardes longe, and as moche as the small of a mannes legge, and haue shotes

[23]

of wode

put through theym lyke lathes, and in euery bull are syxe sharpe peces of yren called harowe-tyndes, set some-what a-slope forwarde, and the formes[t] slote

[24]

must be bygger than the other, bycause the fote-teame shall be fastened

to the same with a shakyll, or a withe to drawe by. This

The horse-harrow.

harrowe is good to breake the greatte clottes, and to make moche molde, and than the horse-harowes to come after, to make the clottes smaller, and to laye the grounde euen.

It is a greate labour and payne to the oxen, to goo to

‘The ox is never woe, Till he to the harrow go.’

harowe: for they were better to goo to the plowe two dayes, thanne to harowe one daye. It is an olde saying, ‘The oxe is neuer wo, tyll he to the harowe goo.’ And

it is bycause it goeth by twytches, and not alwaye

[Fol. 13.]

after one draughte. The horse-harrowe is made of fyue bulles, and passe not an elne of lengthe, and not soo moche as the other, but they be lyke sloted and tinded.

And wha

the corne is well couered, than it is harowed ynough. There be horse-harowes, that have tyndes of wodde: and those be vsed moche about Ryppon, and

Boulder-stones.

suche other places, where be many bulder-stones. For

these stones wold weare the yren to soone, and those

Tines of the harrow made of ash.

tyndes be mooste commonly made of the grounde ende of a yonge asshe, and they be more thanne a fote longe in the begynnynge, and stande as moche aboue the harowe

as benethe.

And as they weare, or breake, they dryue them downe lower; and they wolde be made longe before, ere they be occupied, that they maye be drye; for than they shall

endure and last moche better, and stycke the faster.

Horses for harrows.

The horses that shall drawe these harowes, muste be well kepte and shodde, or elles they wyll soone be tyred, and sore beate, that they may not drawe. They must haue

hombers or collers, holmes withed about theyr neckes,

Swingle-tree.

tresses to drawe by, and a swyngletre to holde the tresses abrode, and a togewith to be bytwene the swyngletre and the harowe. And if the barleye-grounde wyll not breake

with harrowes, but be clotty, it wolde be beaten with

[Fol. 13b.]

malles, and not streyght downe; for than they beate the corne in-to the erthe. And if they beate the clot on the syde, it wyll the better breake. And the clot wyll lye

lyghte, that the corne maye lyghtely come vp. And they

Rolling the ground.

vse to role theyr barley-grounde after a shoure of rayne, to make the grounde euen to mowe, &c.

16. ¶ To falowe.

Nowe these housbandes haue sowen theyr pees, beanes, barley, and otes, and harowed them, it is the beste tyme,

Fallow in April.

to falowe, in the later ende of Marche and Apryll, for whete, rye, and barley. And lette the husbande do the

Plough broad and deep.

beste he can, to plowe a brode forowe and a depe, soo that he turne it cleane, and lay it flat, that it rere not on the edge: the whiche shall destroy all the thistils and wedes. For the deper and the broder that he gothe,

the more newe molde, and the greatter clottes shall he haue, and the greatter clottes, the better wheate. For the clottes kepe the wheate warme all wynter, and at Marche they wyll melte and breake, and fal in manye

small peces, the whiche is a newe dongynge, and refresshynge

[Fol. 14, misprinted 16.]

of the corne. And also there shall but lyttell wedes growe vpon the falowes, that are so falowed. For the plough goth vndernethe the rootes of all maner of

Never fallow in winter; else

wedes, and tourneth the roote vpwarde, that it maye not growe. And yf the lande be falowed in wynter tyme, it is farre the worse, for three principall causes. One is, all the

(1) rain will wash the land;

rayne that commeth, shal washe the lande, and dryue

awaye the dounge and the good moulde, that the lande

(2) rain will beat it flat;

shall be moche the worse. An other cause is, the rayne shall beate the lande so flat, and bake it so hard to-gyther, that if a drye Maye come, it wyll be to harde to stere in

(3) the weeds will take deep root.

the moneth of June. And the thyrde cause is, the wiedes shall take suche roote, er sterynge-tyme comme, that they wylle not be cleane tourned vndernethe, the whiche shal be great hurte to the corne, whan it shall be sowen, and

specially in the weding-tyme of the same; and for any other thynge, make a depe holowe forowe in the rydge of

Do not rest-baulk.

the lande, and loke wel, thou rest-balke it nat; for if thou do, there wyll be many thystels: and than thou

shalte not make a cleane rydge at the fyrste sterynge, and therfore it muste nedes be depe plowed, or elles thou shalt nat tourne the wiedes cleane.

[Fol. 14b.]

17. ¶ To cary out donge or mucke and to sprede it.

And in the later ende of Apryll, and the begynnynge of

Carry out dung.

Maye, is tyme to cary out his dounge or mucke, and to lay it vppon his barley-grounde. And where he hath barley this yere, sowe it with whete or rye the next

tyme it is falowed, and so shal he mucke all his landes ouer at euerye seconde falowe. But that husbande that can fynd the meanes to cary oute his donge, and to laye

Lay dung on the land after the first stirring,

it vpon his lande after it be ones sturred: it is moche

better than to laye it vppon his falowe, for dyuer causes. One is, if it be layde vpon his fallowe, all that fallethe in the holowe rygge shall do lyttell good; for whan it is rygged agayne, it lyeth soo depe in the erthe, that

it wyll not be plowed vp agayne, excepte that whan he hath sprede it, he wyll with a shouell, or a spade, caste out all that is fallen in the rygge. And if it be layde

and soon after stirring.

vpon the sturrynge, at euery plowynge it shall medle

the donge and the erthe togyder, the whiche shall cause the corne moche better to growe and encreace. And in somme places, they lode not theyr donge, tyll harvest be done, & that is vsed in the farther

[Fol. 15.]

syde of Darbyshyre, called Scaresdale, Halomshyre, and so northewarde towarde Yorke and Ryppon: and that I calle better thanne vppon the falowe, and specyally for barley: but vppon the fyrste sturrynge, is beste

for wheate and rye, and that his dunge be layde vpon

Spread it evenly.

smal hepes nygh together, and to sprede it euenly, and to leue no dounge there-as the mucke-hepe stode, for the moystnes of the dounge shall cause the grounde to

Mix it with earth.

be ranke ynoughe. And if it be medled with erthe, as sholynges and suche other, it wyll laste the longer, and better for barley than for whete or rye, bycause of wedes. Horse-donge is the worste donge that is. The

donge of all maner catell, that chewe theyr cudde,

Doves’ dung.

is verye good. And the dounge of douues is best, but it must be layde vppon the grounde verye thynne.

18. ¶ To set out the shepe-folde.

The sheep-fold.

Also it is tyme to set out the shepefolde in May, and to sette it vppon the rye-grounde, if he haue any, and to flyte it euery mornynge or nyght: and in the mornynge, whan he cometh to his folde, let not his

[Fol. 15b.]

shepe out anone, but reyse theym vp, and let them stande stylle good season, that they may donge and

See if the sheep have maggots.

pysse. And go amonge them to se whether any of them haue any mathes, or be scabbed: and se them

thre or foure tymes on the oone syde, and as ofte on the other syde. And whan the kelles begonne besyde the grounde, than lette theym out of the folde, and dryue theym to the soundest place of the felde. But

Folding sheep is not a good plan.

he that hath a falowe felde, seueral to hym-selfe, let hym occupie no folde. For foldynge of shepe maketh them scabbed, and bredeth mathes; and whanne a storme of yll wether commeth in the night, they can

nat flee nor go awaye, and that appeyreth them sore of their flesshe. But lette that man that hath such a

Drive stakes in the field.

seueral falowe-felde, driue twentie, thyrty, or forty stakes, accordynge to the nombre of his shepe, vpon his falowe,

where he wolde sette his folde, and specially in the farthest parte of the fyelde frome thense as they comme in, for the goynge vppon dothe moche good. And lette the sheparde brynge his shepe to the stakes, and

The sheep will rub against them.

the sheepe wylle rubbe them on the stakes. And lette the sheparde goo aboute them, tyll they be sette, and thus serue theym two or three nyghtes, and they wyll folowe those stakes, as he flytteth them, and syt by

[Fol. 16, misprinted 14.]

them. And if any yll wether come, they will ryse vp, and go to the hedge. And this maner of foldynge shall brede noo mathes nor scabbe, nor appeyre theym of theyr flesshe, and shall be a greate sauegarde to the

shepe for rottynge: and in the mornynge put them out of theyr pasture, and thou shalte not nede to bye any

Use no hurdles.

hurdels nor shepe-flekes; but howe ye shall salue them or dresse them, ye shall vnderstande in the chaypter of

shepe after.

19. ¶ To cary wodde and other necessaryes.

In May carry wood.

And in May, whan thou hast falowed thy grounde, and set oute thy shepefolde, and caryed oute thy dounge or mucke, if thou haue any wodde, cole, or tymbre to cary, or suche other busynes, that muste nedes be doone,

with thy charte or wayne, than is it tyme to do it. For

The days are then long.

than the waye is lyke to be fayre and drye, and the days longe, and that tyme the husbande hath leeste to doo in husbandry. Perauenture I set one thynge to be done at

one tyme of the yere, and if the husbande shulde do it, it shulde be a greatter losse to hym in an other thynge.

[Fol. 16b.]

Wherefore it is moste conuenient to do that thynge fyrst, that is moste profytable to hym, and as soone as he

can, do the other labour.

20. ¶ To knowe dyuers maner of wedes.

In June weed the corn.

In the later ende of Maye, and the begynnynge of June, is tyme to wede thy corne. There be diuers maner of wedes, as thistyls, kedlokes, dockes, cocledrake, darnolde, gouldes, haudoddes, dogfenell, mathes, ter,

and dyuers other small wedes. But these be they that

Thistles.

greue mooste: The thistyll is an yll wede, roughe and sharpe to handell, and freteth away the cornes nygh it, and causeth the sherers or reapers not to shere cleane.

Charlock.

Kedlokes hath a leafe lyke rapes, and beareth a yelowe floure, and is an yll wede, and groweth in al maner corne, and hath small coddes, and groweth lyke mustard sede.

Docks.

Dockes have a brode lefe, and diuers high spyres, and

Cockle.

very small sede in the toppe. Cockole hath a longe small lefe, and wyl beare fyue or vi. floures of purple colour, as brode as a grote, and the sede is rounde and blacke, and maye well be suffred in a breade-corne, but not in sede,

‘Drake.’

for therin is moche floure. Drake is lyke vnto rye, till it

[Fol. 17.]

begynne to sede, and it hath many sedes lyke fenell-sedes, and hangeth downewarde, and it maye wel be suffred in breade, for there is moche floure in the sede: and it is an

Darnel.

opinion that it commeth of rye, &c. Dernolde groweth vp streyght lyke an hye grasse, and hath longe sedes on eyther syde the sterte, and there is moche floure in that sede, and growethe moche amonge barley: and it is

Golds.

sayde, that it cometh of small barley. Golds hath a shorte iagged lefe, and groweth halfe a yarde hygh, and hath a yelowe floure, as brode as a grote, and is an yll wede, and

Hawdod.

groweth commonlye in barleye and pees. Hawdod hath

a blewe floure, and a fewe lyttell leues, and hath .v. or syxe braunches, floured in the toppe: and groweth comonly in

Dog-fennel.

rye vpon leane grounde, and dothe lyttel hurte. Dogge-fenell and mathes is bothe one, and in the commynge vp

is lyke fenell and beareth many white floures, with a yelowe sede: and is the worste wede that is, excepte terre, and it commeth moste commonly, whan great wete commeth

Tares.

shortly after the corne is sowen. Terre is the

worste wede, and it neuer dothe appere tyll the moneth of June, and specyallye whanne there is great wete in that mone, or a lyttell before, and groweth mooste in rye, and it groweth lyke fytches, but it is moche smaller, and

[Fol. 17b.]

it wyll growe as hyghe as the corne, and with the weyght therof it pulleth the corne flatte to the erth, and freteth the eares away; wherfore I haue seene housbandes mowe downe the corne and it together: And also with sharp

hokes to repe it, as they doo pees, and made drye, and than it wyll be good fodder.

Dee-nettles.

There be other wedes not spoken of, as dee-nettylles,

Dodder.

dodder, and suche other, that doo moche harme.

21. ¶ Howe to wede corne.

How to weed.

Nowe it wolde be knowen, howe these cornes shulde be weded. The chyefe instrument to wede with is a paire of tonges made of wode, and in the farther ende it is nycked, to holde the wed faster; and after a shoure of

raine it is beste wedynge, for than they maye be pulled vp by the rotes, and than it cometh neuer agayne. And

Weeding-hook.

if it be drye wether, than muste ye haue a wedynge-hoke with a socket set vpon a lyttel staffe of a yarde longe, and

this hoke wolde be well steeled, and grounde sharpe bothe

Forked stick.

behynde and before. And in his other hande he hath a forked stycke a yarde longe, and with his forked stycke

[Fol. 18.]

he putteth the wede from hym, and he putteth the hoke

beyond the rote of the wede, and pulleth it to hym, and cutteth the wede fast by the erthe, and with his hoke he taketh up the wede, and casteth it in the reane, and if the reane be full of corne, it is better it stande styll,

whan it is cut, and wyddre: but let hym beware, that he trede not to moche vppon the corne, and specyallye after

Cut not the corn.

it is shotte, and whan he cutteth the wede, that he cut not the corne: and therefore the hoke wolde not passe

an inche wyde. And whanne the wede is soo shorte, that he can not with his forked stycke put it from hym, and with the hoke pull it to hym, thanne muste he set his hoke vppon the wede, fast by the erthe, and put it

from hym, and so shall he cutte it cleane. And with

Stoop not.

these two instruments, he shall neuer stoupe to his warke. Dogfenell, goldes, mathes, and kedlokes are yll to wede after this maner, they growe vppon so many braunches,

Pull up darnel.

harde by the erthe: and therfore they vse most to pul them vppe with theyr handes; but loke well, that they pull not vppe the corne with all; but as for terre, there wyll noo wedynge serue.

22. ¶ The fyrst sturrynge.

[Fol. 18b.]

Also in June is tyme to rygge vppe the falowe, the whiche is called the fyrst sturrynge, and to plowe it as depe as thou canste, for to tourne the rotes of the wedes vpwarde, that the sonne and the drye wether maye kyll

them. And an housbande can not conuenyentelye plowe

How to plough and load out dung.

his lande, and lode out his dounge bothe vppon a daye, with one draughte of beastes: but he maye well lode oute his dounge before none, and lode heye or corne at-after

none: or he maye plowe before none, and lode hey or corne at-after none, with the same draughte, and noo hurte to the cattell: bycause in lodynge of hey or corne, the cattel is alwaye eatynge or beytynge, and soo they

can not doo in lodynge of dounge and plowynge.

23. ¶ To mowe grasse.

End of June.

Also in the later ende of June is tyme to begyn to mowe, if thy medowe be well growen: but howe-so-euer

July.

they be growen, in July they muste nedes mowe, for diuers causes. One is, it is not conuenient to haue hey

Mow hay early.

and corne bothe in occupation at one tyme. An other is, the yonger and the grener that the grasse is, the softer

[Fol. 19.]

and the sweter it wyll be, whan it is hey, but it wyll haue the more wyddrynge; and the elder the grasse is, the

harder and dryer it is, and the worse for al maner of cattell: for the sedes be fallen, the whiche is in maner of prouander, and it is the harder to eate and chowe. And an other cause is, if drye wether come, it wyll drye

and burne vpon the grounde, and waste away. Take

How to mow.

hede that thy mower mow clene and holde downe the hynder hand of his sith, that he do not endent the grasse, and to mowe his swathe cleane thorowe to that that

was laste mowen before, that he leaue not a mane bytwene, and specyallye in the common medowe: for in the seuerall medowe it maketh the lesse charge, and that

Mole-hills.

the moldywarpe-hilles be spredde, and the styckes cleane

pycked out of the medowe in Apryll, or in the beginnynge of Maye.

24. ¶ Howe forkes and rakes shulde be made.

Forks and rakes.

A Good husbande hath his forkes and rakes made redye in the wynter before, and they wolde be gotte bytwene Mighelmasse and Martylmasse, and beyked, and

[Fol. 19b.]

sette euen, to lye vpryght in thy hande: and than they

wyll be harde styffe and drye. And whan the housbande sytteth by the fyre, and hath nothynge to do, than maye he make theym redye, and tothe the rakes with drye wethy-wode,

Bore holes for the teeth of the rakes.

and bore the holes with his wymble, bothe aboue

and vnder, and driue the tethe vpwarde faste and harde, and than wedge them aboue with drye woode of oke, for that is hard, and wil driue and neuer come out. And if he get them in sappe-tyme, all the beykyng and drienge

that can be had shal not make them harde and styffe,

Use hazel and withy.

but they woll alwaye be plyenge: for they be moste comonly made of hasell and withee, and these be the trees that blome, and specially hasell: for it begynneth

Use no green wood.

to blome as sone as the lefe is fallen. And if the rake be made of grene woode, the heed wyll not abyde vppon the stele, and the tethe wyll fall out, whan he hath mooste nede to them, and let his warke, and lose

Make all evenly.

moche heye. And se that thy rake and forke lye vpryghte in thy hand, for and the one ende of thy rake, or the syde of thy forke, hang downe-warde, than they be not handsome nor easy to worke with.

25. ¶ To tedde and make hay.

[Fol. 20.]

Whan thy medowes be mowed, they wolde be well

Tedding hay.

tedded and layde euen vppon the grounde: and if the grasse be very thycke, it wolde be shaken with handes,

Ted hay carefully.

or with a shorte pykforke. For good teddynge is the

chiefe poynte to make good hey, and than shall it be wyddred all in lyke, or elles not: and whan it is wel wyddred on the ouer syde, and dry, than turne it cleane before noone, as soone as the dewe is gone: And yf thou

dare truste the wether, lette it lye so all nyghte: and on the nexte daye, tourne it agayne before none, and towarde nyght make it in wyndrowes, and than in smal

Hay-cocks.

hey-cockes, and so to stande one nyghte at the leaste, and

sweate: and on the nexte fayre day caste it abrode agayne, and tourne it ones or twyse, and than make it

Larger hay-cocks.

in greatter hey-cockes, and to stande so one nyght or more, that it maye vngiue and sweate. For and it sweate

not in the hey-cockes, it wyll sweate in the mowe; and than it wyll be dustye, and not holsome for hors, beastes, nor shepe. And whan it standeth in the cockes, it is better to lode, and the more hey maye be loded at a lode,

Quich-hay.

and the faster it wyll lye. Quyche-hey commeth of a grasse called crofote, and groweth flatte, after the erthe,

[Fol. 20b.]

and bearethe a yelowe floure halfe a yarde hygh and more, and hath many knottes towarde the roote, and it

is the beste hey for horses and beastes, and the sweteste, if it be well got; but it wyll haue moch more wyddrynge than other hey, for els he wyll be-pysse hym-selfe and

How to know when hay is dry.

waxe hote, and after dustye. And for to knowe whanne

it is wyddred ynoughe, make a lyttell rope of the same, that ye thinke shulde be moste greneste, and twyne it as harde to-gether bytwen your handes as ye canne, and soo

Twist a wisp, and then cut it.

beynge harde twon, let one take a knyfe, and cut it faste

by your hande; and the knottes wyll be moyste, yf it be not drye ynough. Shorte hey, and leye-hey, is good for shepe, and all maner of catell, if it be well got. A man maye speke of makynge of hey, and gettynge of corne,

but god disposeth and ordreth all thynge.

26. ¶ Howe rye shulde be shorne.

In July, shear rye.

In the later ende of July, or in the begynnynge of Auguste, is tyme to shere Rye, the whiche wolde be shorne cleane, and faste bounden. And in somme places they mowe it, the whiche is not soo good to the

housbandes profytte, but it is the sooner done. For

[Fol. 21.]

whan it is mowen, it wyll not be so fast bounden: and he can not gather it soo cleane, but there wyll be moche losse, and taketh more rowme in the barne than shorne

corne dothe. And also it wyll not kepe nor saue it selfe from rayne or yll wether, whan it standeth in the couer, as the shorne corne wyll do.

27. ¶ Howe to shere wheate.

Shear wheat clean.

Wheate wolde be shorne cleane, and harde bounden in lyke maner; but for a generall rule, take good hede, that the sherers of all maner of whyte corne cast not vppe theyr handes hastely, for thanne all the lose corne,

and the strawes, that he holdeth not fast in his hande, flieth ouer his heed, and are loste: and also it wyll pull of the eares, and specyallye of the cornes that be verye

Shear wheat clean.

rype. In somme places they wyll shere theyr cornes

hyghe, to the entente to mowe theyr stubble, eyther to thacke or to bren: if they so do, they haue greate cause to take good hede of the sherers. For if the eares of corne croke downe to the erthe, and the sherer take

not good hede, and put up the eare er he cut the strawe: as many eares as be vnder his hoke or sicle

Fol. 21b.

fall to the erthe, and be loste; and whan they mowe the stubble, it is great hyndraunce to the profytte of

Near Ilchester and Martock they shear low.

the grounde. And in Sommersetshire, about Zelcestre and Martok, they doo shere theyr wheate very lowe, and all the wheate-strawe that they pourpose to make thacke of, they do not thresshe it, but cutte of the

eares, and bynde it in sheues, and call it rede: and therwith they thacke theyr houses. And if it be a

Best kind of thatching.

newe house, they thacke it vnder theyr fote: the whiche is the beste and the surest thacking that can

be of strawe, for crowes and douues shall neuer hurte it.

28. To mowe or shere barley and otes.

Mow barley and oats.

Barley and otes be moste commonly mowen, and a man or woman folowythe the mower with a hande-rake halfe a yarde longe, with .vii. or .viii. tethe, in the lyfte hande, and a syckle in the ryghte hande, and

with the rake he gethereth as moche as wyll make a shefe. And thanne he taketh the barley or otes by the toppes, and pulleth out as moche as wil make a band, and casteth the band from him on the land, and with his

rake and his syckle taketh vp the barley or otes, &

[Fol. 22.]

layeth them vppon the bande, and so the barley lyeth vnbounden .iii. or .iiii. dayes, if it be fayre wether, and than to bynde it. And whan the barley is ledde

Rake afterwards.

away, the landes muste be raked, or els there wyll be moche corne loste, and if the barley or otes lye, they muste nedes be shorne.

29. ¶ To repe or mowe pees and beanes.

Reap or mow peas and beans.

Pees and benes be moste commonly laste reped or mowen, of diuers maners, some with sickles, some with hokes, and some with staffe-hokes. And in some places they lay them on repes, and whan they be dry,

they laye them to-gether on heapes, lyke hey-cockes, and neuer bynde them. But the beste way is, whan

Bind them together.

the repes be dry, to bynde them, and to set theym on the rydge of the landes three sheues to-gether; and

loke that your sherers, repers, or mowers geld not

Cut beans low.

your beanes, that is to saye, to cutte the beanes so hye, that the nethermoste codde growe styll on the stalke; and whan they be bounden, they are the more redyer

to lode and vnlode, to make a reke, and to take fro the mowe to thresshe. And soo be not the repes.

[Fol. 22b.]

30. ¶ Howe all maner of cornes shulde be tythed.

How to tithe.

Nowe that all these cornes before specyfyed be shorne, mowed, reped, bounden vp, and layde vppon the rydge of the lande, lette the housbande take hede of goddes commaundemente, and let hym goo

Count 9 sheaves, and cast out the tenth.

to the ende of his lande, and begynne and tell .ix. sheues, and let hym caste out the .x. shefe in the name of god, and so to pervse fro

lande to lande, tyll he haue trewely tythed all his corne. And beware,

and take hede of the sayinge of our lorde by his

Malachi iii. 8, 9.

prophete Malachias, the whiche saythe,

Quia michi non dedisti decimas et primitias, id circo in fame et penuria maledicti estis

. That is to saye, Bycause ye haue not

gyuen to me your tythes, and your fyrste-fruytes, therefore ye be cursed, and punysshed with honger and

Augustine.

penury. And accordynge to that saynte Austyn saythe:

Da decimas, alioqui incides in decimam partem angelorum

Give tithes truly.

qui de celo corruerunt in infernum

. That is to say, Gyue thy tythes truely, or els thou shalt fall amonge the tenthe parte of aungelles that felle from heuen in-to hell, the whiche is an harde worde to euery man, that oughte to

[Fol. 23.]

gyue tythes, and doth not gyue them truely. But saynte

Augustine.

Austyne saythe a comfortable worde again, to them that gyue theyr tythes truely, that is to saye:

Decimæ sunt

Tithes are tributes to the needy.

tributa egentium animarum

: Tythes are tributes or

rewardes to nedye soules. And ferther he saythe:

Si decimam dederis, non solum abundantiam fructum recipies, sed etiam sanitatem corporis et animæ consequeris

, That is to saye, If thou haue gyuen thy tythes truely, thou

shalte not onely receyue the profite, and the abundaunce of goodes, but also helthe of bodye and soule shall folowe. Wolde to god, that euerye man knewe the harde worde of our lorde by his prophete Malachias,

and also the comfortable wordes of the holy saynte Austyn. For than wolde I truste verely, that tythes shulde be truely gyuen.

31. ¶ Howe all maner of corne shulde he couered.

How to cover corn.

Nowe these cornes be shorne and bounden, and the tithes cast out, it is tyme to couer theym, shoke theym, or halfe-throne them, but couerynge is the beste waye

[Fol. 23b.]

of all maner of whyte corne. And that is, to set foure

sheues on one syde, and .iiii. sheues on the other syde,

Set ten sheaves together.

and two sheues aboue, of the greatteste, bounden harde nyghe to the nether ende, the whiche must be set vpwarde, and the top downewarde spredde abrode to couer all the

other sheues. And they wyll sta

d beste in wynde, and saue theym-selfe beste in rayne, and they wolde be set on the rydge of the lande, and the sayde sheues to leane to-gether in the toppes, and wyde at the grounde, that

For peas and beans set three together.

the winde may go through, to drye them. Pees and beanes wolde be set on the rydge of the lande, thre sheues together, the toppes vpwarde, and wrythen to-gether, and wyde benethe, that they maye the better

wyddre.

32. ¶ To lode corne, and mowe it.

To load corn.

Whanne all these cornes be drye and wyddred ynoughe, than lode theym in-to the barne, and laye euerye corne

Make many mows, if it be wet.

by it-selfe. And if be a wete haruest, make many mowes: and if thou haue not housynge ynoughe, thanne it is

better to laye thy pees and benes without vppon a reke, than other corne, and it is better vppon a scaffolde than vppon the grounde: for than it muste be well hedged

[Fol. 24.]

for swyne and catel, and the grounde wyll rotte the

bottom, and the scaffolde saueth both hedgynge and rottynge: but they must be well couered bothe. And the

The scaffold.

husband may set shepe or catel vnder the same scaffold and wyll serue hym in stede of an house, if it be well

and surely made, &c.

33. ¶ The second[25] sturrynge.

August.

In August, and in the begynnyng of September, is

Second stirring.

tyme to make his seconde sturrynge, and most commonly it is cast downe and plowed a meane forowe, not to depe nor to ebbe, so he turne it clene. And if it be caste, it

Water-furrow the land.

wolde be water-forowed bytwene the landes, there-as the reane shulde be, and it wyll be the dryer, whan the lande shall be sowen. And if the landes lie high in the ridge, & highe at the reane, & lowe in the

myddes of the side, that the water may not ronne easely in-to the reane, as I se dayly in many places: than let the husband set his plough .iii. or .iiii. fote fro

the

How to ridge it up.

rydge, and cast all the rydge on bothe sydes, and whan

the rydge is cast, set his plough there-as he began, and rydge vp the remenant of the lande, and so is the land bothe cast and rydged, and all at one plowynge. And this

[Fol. 24b.]

shall cause the lande to lye rounde, whan it is sowen

at the nexte tyme, and than shall it not drowne the corne.

34. To sowe wheat and rye.

Michaelmas.

Aboute Myghelmasse it is tyme to sowe bothe wheate

Sow wheat and rye.

and rye. Wheate is mooste commonlye sowen vnder the forowe, that is to saye, caste it vppon the falowe, and than plowe it vnder. And in some places they sowe theyr

Pease stubble.

wheate vppon theyr pees-stubble, the whiche is neuer soo good, as that that is sowen vppon the falowe: and that is vsed, where they make falowe in a fyelde euery

In Essex a child sows.

fourthe yere. And in Essex they vse to haue a chylde,

to go in the forowe before the horses or oxen, with a bagge or a hopper full of corne: and he taketh his hande full of corne, and by lyttel and lytel casteth it in the

He ought to have much discretion.

sayde forowe. Me semeth, that chylde oughte to haue

moche dyscretion.

Howe-be-it there is moche good corne, and rye is

Sow 2 London bushels to an acre.

mooste commonlye sowen aboue and harrowed, and two London busshelles of wheate and rye wyll sowe an acre.

Some grounde is good for wheate, some for rye, and some is good for bothe: and vppon that ground sowe

[Fol. 25.]

blend-corne, that is both wheate and rye, the whyche is the surest corne of growyng, and good for the husbandes

Wheat and rye mixed.

houshold. And the wheate, that shall be medled with rye, muste be suche as wyll soone be rype, and that is flaxen wheate, polerd wheate, or whyte wheate. And ye shall vnderstande, that there be dyuers maners of wheates.

Flaxen wheat.

Flaxen wheate hath a yelowe eare, and bare without anis, and is the bryghtest wheate in the busshell, and wyll make the whytest breed, and it wyll weare the grounde sore, and is small strawe, and wyll growe very thycke,

Pollard wheat.

and is but small corne. Polerde wheate hath noo anis, thycke sette in the eare, and wyll soone fall out, and is

White wheat.

greatter corne, and wyll make whyte breed. Whyte wheate is lyke polerde wheate in the busshell, but it

hath anis, and the eare is foure-square, and wyll make white breed: and in Essex they call flaxen wheate

Red wheat.

whyte wheate. Red wheate hath a flat eare, an inche brode, full of anis, and is the greatteste corne, and

the brodeste blades, and the greatteste strawe, and wyl make whyte breed, and is the rudeste of colour in the busshell.

English wheat.

Englysshe wheate hath a dunne eare, fewe anis or none,

and is the worste wheate, saue peeke-wheate. Peeke-wheete

Peek-wheat.

hath a red eare, ful of anis, thyn set, and ofte

[Fol. 25b.]

tymes it is flyntered, that is to saye, small corne wrynkeled and dryed, and wyll not make whyte breade, but it wyl

growe vpon colde grounde.

35. ¶ To thresshe and wynowe corne.

Carefully clean seed-corn.

This wheate and rye, that thou shalte sowe, ought to be very cleane of wede, and therfore, er thou thresshe thy corne, open thy sheues, and pyke oute all maner of wedes, and than thresshe it, and wynowe it cleane,

and so shalt thou haue good clene corne an other

In Essex and Kent they fan the corn.

yere. And in some countreys, aboute London specyallye, and in Essex and Kente, they do fan theyr corne, the whiche is a verye good gise, and a great saueguarde for

shedynge of the corne. And whan thou shalte sell it, if it be well wynowed or fande, it wyll be solde the derer, and the lyghte corne wyll seme the husbande in his house.

36. ¶ To seuer pees, beanes, and fytches.

Sift your peas and beans.

Whan thou haste thresshed thy pees, and beanes, after they be wynowed, and er thou shalte sowe or selle them, let theym be well reed with syues, and seuered in

[Fol. 26.]

thre partes, the great from the small, and thou shalte gette

in euerye quarter a London busshell, or there about. For

Separate small from large.

the small corne lyeth in the holowe and voyde places of the greate beanes, and yet shall the greate beanes be solde as dere, as if they were all together, or derer, as a man

may proue by a famylier ensample. Let a man bye

120 herrings, at 2 a penny, cost 5 shillings;

.C. hearynges,

[26]

two hearynges for a penye, and an other .C. hearynges, thre for a peny, and let hym sell these .CC. hearinges agayne .v. heringes for .ii. d.; nowe hath

he loste .iiii. d. For C. hearinges, .ii. for i. d., cost v. s.,

120 herrings, at 3 a penny, cost 3s. 4d.; or 8s. 4d. in all.

and C. hearynges, .iii. for a peny, coste .iii s. and .iiii d., the whiche is .viii. s and .iiii. d.; and whan he selleth .v. herynges for .ii. d., xx. heringes cometh but

to .viii. d. and there is but .xii. score heringes, and that

20 herrings, at 5 for 2d., cost 8d.; 12 times as much are 24 groats, or 8s.

is but .xii. grotes, and xii. grotes, and that cometh but to .viii. s. and so he hath lost .iiii. d. and it is bicause there be not so many bargeins, for in the bienge of these .CC.

heringes there be .v. score bargeins, and in the sellinge of the same there be but .xlviii. bargeyns, and so is there lost .x. hearinges, the whiche wolde haue ben .ii.

Always buy by gross sale, and sell by retail.

bargeyns moo, and than it had ben euen and mete. And

therfore he that byeth grosse sale, and retayleth, muste nedes be a wynner. And so shalt thou be a loser, if thou sell thy pees, beanes, and fytches together: for than

[Fol. 26b.]

thou sellest grosse sale. And if thou seuer them in thre

partes, than thou doest retayle, wherby thou shalte wynne.

37. ¶ Of shepe, and what tyme of the yere the rammes shulde be put to the ewes.

An housbande can not well thryue by his corne, without he haue other cattell, nor by his cattell, without corne. For els he shall be a byer, a borower, or

Sheep are the most profitable cattle.

a begger. And bycause that shepe in myne opynyon is

the mooste profytablest cattell that any man can haue, therfore I pourpose to speake fyrst of shepe. Than fyrst is to be knowen, what tyme thou shalt put thy

Rams and ewes.

rammes to thy ewes; and therin I make a distinction, for

euery man maye not put to theyr rammes all at one tyme; for if they doo, there wyll be greate hurte and losse; for that man, that hath the best shepe-pasture for wynter, and soone spryngynge in the begynnynge of the

yere, he maye suffre his rammes to goo with his ewes all tymes of the yere, to blyssomme or ryde whan they wyll: but for the comon pasture, it is tyme to put to his

Sept. 14.

rammes at the Exaltation of the holye crosse: for than

[Fol. 27.]

the bucke goth to the rut, and so wolde the ra

me. But for the common husbande, that hath noo pasture but the common fieldes, it is tyme ynoughe at the feste of

Sept. 29.

saynt Mychaell the archangel. And for the poore

housbande of the Peeke, or suche other, that dwell in hylly and hyghe groundes, that haue no pastures, nor common fieldes, but all-onely the comon hethe, Symon

Oct. 28.

and Jude daye is good tyme for theym, and this is the

reason why. An ewe goth with lambe .xx. wekes, and shall yeane her lambe in the .xxi. weke; & if she haue not conueniente newe grasse to eate, she maye not gyue her lambe mylke: and for wante of mylke, there be

manye lambes perysshed and loste: and also for pouertye, the dammes wyll lacke mylke, and forsake theyr lambes, and soo often tymes they dye bothe in suche harde countreys.

38. ¶ To make an ewe to loue her lambe.

If thy ewe haue mylke, and wyll not loue her lambe, put her in a narowe place made of bordes, or of smothe trouse, a yarde wyde, and put the lambe to her, and

If a ewe

socle it, and yf the ewe smyte the lambe with her

heed, bynd her heed with a heye-rope, or a corde, to

[Fol. 27b.] smite her lamb, tie up her head.

the syde of the penne: and if she wyl not stande syde longe all the lambe,

[27]

than gyue her a lyttell hey, and tye a dogge by her, that she maye se hym: and

this wyll make her to loue her lambe shortely. And if thou haue a lambe deed, wherof the damme hath

Put a dead lamb’s skin on a live lamb, and so change its dam.

moche mylke, fley that lambe, and tye that skynne vpon an other lambes backe, that hath a sory damme, with

lyttell mylke, and put the good ewe and that lambe to-gether in the penne, and in one houre she wyll loue that lambe; & than mayst thou take thy sory weyke ewe awaye, and put her in an other place: and by this

meanes thou mayste fortune to saue her lyfe, and the lambes bothe.

39. ¶ What tyme lambes shulde be wayned.

In some places they neuer seuer their lambes from theyr dammes, and that is for two causes: One is, in the beste pasture where the rammes goo alwaye with

In the best pastures, lambs wean themselves.

theyr ewes, there it nedeth not, for the dammes wil

waxe drye, and wayne theyr lambes theym-selfe. An other cause is, he that hath noo seuerall and sounde

[Fol. 28.]

pasture, to put his lambes vnto whan they shoulde be wayned, he muste eyther sell them, or let them sucke

as longe as the dammes wyll suffre theym; and it is a common sayinge, that the lambe shall not rotte, as longe as it souketh, excepte the damme wante meate.

Lambs to be weaned at 16 weeks, or 18.

But he that hath seueral and sounde pasture, it is tyme

to wayne theyr lambes, whanne they be .xvi. wekes old, or .xviii. at the farthest, and the better shall the ewe take the ramme agayne. And the poore man of the peeke countreye, and suche other places, where as

they vse to mylke theyr ewes, they vse to wayne theyr

In the Peak, lambs are weaned at 12 weeks.

lambes at xii. wekes olde, and to mylke theyr ewes fiue or syxe wekes, &c. But those lambes be neuer soo good as the other that sucke longe, and haue

meate ynoughe.

40. ¶ To drawe shepe, and seuer them in dyuers places.

Than thou grasier, that hast many shepe in thy

Have a large sheep-fold;

pastures, it is conuenient for the to haue a shepefolde made with a good hedge or a pale, the whiche wyll receyue all thy shepe easyly that goo in one pasture,

sette betwene two of thy pastures, in a drye place;

[Fol. 28b.]

and adioynynge to the ende of the same, make an

another to hold 90 sheep;

other lyttell folde, that wyll receyue lxxxx. shepe or moo, and bothe those foldes muste haue eyther of

theym a gate in-to eyther pasture, and at the ende of that folde make an other lyttell folde, that wyll

and another for 40 sheep.

receyue .xl. shepe or mo, and betwene euery folde a gate. And whan the shepe are in the greate folde,

let .xl. of them, or there about, come into the myddle

Let the shepherd examine them in the middle fold.

folde, and steke the gate. And than let the shepeherde turne them, and loke them on euery syde, and if he se or fynde any shepe, that nedeth any helpynge or mending

for any cause, lette the shepeherde take that shepe with his hoke, and put hym in the lyttell folde. And whan he hath taken all that nedeth any mendyng, than put the other in-to whether pasture he wyll, and let in as

Put the sick ones in the little fold.

many out of the greate folde, and take those that nede any handling, and put them into the lyttell folde. And thus peruse them all tyll he haue doone, and than let the shepeherde go belte, grese, and handel all those that he

hath drawen, and than shall not the great flocke be taryed nor kepte from theyr meate: and as he hath mended them, to put them into theyr pasture.

41. ¶ To belte shepe.

[Fol. 29.]

If any shepe raye or be fyled with dounge about the

How to belt sheep.

the tayle, take a payre of sheres and clyppe it awaye, and cast dry muldes thervpon: and if it be in the heate of the sommer, it wolde be rubbed euer with a lyttell terre, to

Have a board to lay a sheep upon.

kepe awaye the flyes. It is necessarye that a shepeherde haue a borde, set fast to the syde of his lyttell folde, to laye his shepe vpon when he handeleth theym, and an hole bored in the borde with an augur, and therin a

grayned staffe of two fote longe, to be set fast, to hang

A shepherd wants a dog, a hook, shears, and a tar-box.

his terre-boxe vpon, and than it shall not fall. And a shepeherde shoulde not go without his dogge, his shepe-hoke, a payre of sheres, and his terre-boxe, eyther with

hym, or redye at his shepe-folde, and he muste teche his dogge to barke whan he wolde haue hym, to ronne whan he wold haue hym, and to leue ronning whan he wolde haue hym; or els he is not a cunninge shepeherd. The

dogge must lerne it, whan he is a whelpe, or els it wyl not be: for it is harde to make an olde dogge to stoupe.

42. ¶ To grease shepe.

How to grease sheep.

If any sheepe be scabbed, the shepeherde maye perceyue it by the bytynge, rubbyng, or scratchynge with

[Fol. 29b.]

his horne, and mooste commonly the woll wyll ryse, and be thyn or bare in that place: than take hym, and shede

the woll with thy fyngers, there as the scab is, and with thy fynger laye a lyttell terre thervpon, and stroke it a lengthe in the bottom of the woll, that it be not seen

Part the wool and put tar on.

aboue. And so shede the woll by and by, and laye a

lyttell terre thervppon, tyll thou passe the sore, and than it wyll go no farther.

43. ¶ To medle terre.

How to mix tar.

Let thy terre be medled with oyle, gose-grease, or capons grease, these three be the beste, for these wyll make the terre to ronne abrode: butter and swynes grease, whan they be molten, are good, soo they be not salte; for

terre of hym-selfe is to kene, and is a fretter, and no healer, without it be medled with some of these.

44. ¶ To make brome salue.

¶ A medicyne to salue poore mennes shepe, that thynke terre to costely: but I doubte not, but and ryche men

[Fol. 30.]

knowe it, they wolde vse the same. Take a shete ful of

Chop broom small, and boil it;

brome, croppes, leaues, blossomes, and all, and chop

them very smal, and than sethe them in a pan of .xx. gallons with rennynge water, tyll it begyn to waxe thycke like a gelly, than take two pounde of shepe suet molten,

add suet and brine;

and a pottell of olde pysse, and as moche bryne made

with salte, and put all in-to the sayde panne, and styrre it aboute, and than streyne it thorowe an olde clothe, and putte it in-to what vessell ye wyll, and yf your shepe be

use it warm with a sponge.

newe clypped, make it luke-warme, and than washe your

shepe there-with, with a sponge or a pece of an olde mantell, or of faldynge, or suche a softe cloth or woll,

It can be used at any time.

for spendynge to moche of your salue. And at all tymes of the yere after, ye may relent it, and nede require: and

make wyde sheydes in the woll of the shepe, and anoynt them with it, & it shal heale the scabbe, and kyll the shepe-lyce, and it shall not hurte the woll in the sale therof. And those that be washen wyll not take scabbe

after (if they haue sufficient meate); for that is the beste

Good meat in the mouth

grease that is to a shepe, to grease hym in the mouthe with good meate; the whiche is also a greate saueguarde to the shepe for rottynge, excepte there come myldewes,

[Fol. 30b.] is the best grease for sheep.

for he wyl chose the beste, if he haue plentye. And he that hath but a fewe shepe moderate this medicyne accordynge.

45. ¶ If a shepe haue mathes.

Maggots in sheep.

If a shepe haue mathes, ye shall perceyue it by her bytynge, or fyskynge, or shakyng of her tayle, and mooste commonlye it is moyst and wete: and if it be nyghe vnto the tayle, it is ofte tymes grene, and fyled with his

How cured.

dounge: and than the shepeherde muste take a payre of sheres, and clyppe awaye the woll bare to the skynne, and take a handfull of drye moldes, and cast the moldes thervpon to drye vp the wete, and then wype the muldes

away, and lay terre there as the mathes were, and a lyttell farther. And thus loke theym euery daye, and mende theym, if they haue nede.

46. ¶ Blyndenes of shepe, and other dyseases, and remedies therfore.

Blindness in sheep.

There be some shepe that wyll be blynd a season, and yet mende agayn. And if thou put a lytel terre in his eye, he will mende the rather. There be dyuers waters, &

[Fol. 31.]

other medicyns, that wolde mende hym, but this is

[the] mooste common medicyne that shepeherdes vse.

47. ¶ The worme in the shepes fote, and helpe therfore.

There be some shepe, that hath a worme in his foote,

Worms in a sheep’s foot.

that maketh hym halte. Take that shepe, and loke betwene his clese, and there is a lyttell hole, as moche as a greatte pynnes heed, and therin groweth fyue or syxe

blacke heares, lyke an inche long and more; take a sharpe poynted knyfe, and slytte the skynne a quarter of an inche long aboue the hole and as moche benethe, and put thy

How cured.

one hande in the holowe of the fote, vnder the hinder

clese, and set thy thombe aboue almooste at the slytte, and thruste thy fyngers vnderneth forward, and with thy other hand take the blacke heares by the ende, or with thy knyues poynte, and pull the heares a lyttell and a

lyttell, and thruste after thy other hande, with thy fynger and thy thombe, and there wyll come oute a worme lyke a pece of fleshe, nygh as moche as a lyttel fynger. And whan it is out, put a lyttel tarre into the hole, and it wyll

be shortely hole.

[Fol. 31b.]

48. ¶ The blode, and remedy if one come betyme.

There is a sicknes amo

g shepe, and is called the

‘The blood’ in sheep.

bloude; that shepe, that hath that, wil dye sodeinly, and er he dye, he wil stande stil, and hange downe the heed, & other-while quake. If the shepeherde can espye

hym, let him take and rubbe hym about the heed, & specyally about his eares, and vnder his eyen, & with

Cut off the sheep’s ears.

a knyfe cut of his eares in the middes, & also let hym blode in a veyne vnder his eien: and if he blede wel,

he is lyke to lyue; and if he blede not, than kil him, and saue his fleshe. For if he dye by hym-selfe, the flesshe is loste, and the skyn wyll be ferre ruddyer, lyke blode, more than an other skynne shall be. And it taketh

mooste commonly the fattest and best lykynge.

49. ¶ The pockes, and remedy therfore.

Pocks in sheep.

The pockes appere vppon the skyn, and are lyke reed pymples, as brode as a farthynge, and therof wyll dye many. And the remedy therfore is, to handle all thy shepe, and to loke on euery parte of theyr bodyes: and

[Fol. 32.]

as many as ye fynde taken therwith, put them in fresshe newe grasse, and kepe them fro theyr felowes, and to loke thy flocke ofte, and drawe theym as they nede. And

Wash them.

if it be in sommer tyme, that there be no froste, than

washe them. Howe be it some shepeherdes haue other medycines.

50. ¶ The wode euyll, and remedy therfore.

There is a sickenes among shepe, and is called the

‘Wood-evil’ in sheep.

wode euyll, and that cometh in the sprynge of the yere, and takethe them moste commonly in the legges, or in the necke, and maketh them to halt, and to holde theyr

necke awry. And the mooste parte that haue that sicknes, wyl dye shortely in a day or two. The best remedy is,

Wash them and change their pasture.

to wasshe theym a lyttell, and to chaunge theyr grounde, and to bryng them to lowe grounde and freshe grasse.

Notes in this chapter

Note 1 · The references are to the folios of the original edition. That the reader may find his place more readily, I have numbered each section. The Note 2 · Read Dewbolne.Note 3 · Misprinted ‘blough-mal.’Note 4 · Sic; ed. 1598 has ‘worme’.Note 5 · ‘slotes’?Note 6 · Misprinted ‘flote.’Note 7 · Misprinted fyrst.Note 8 · Note that the symbol “C.” here does not mean 100, but the great hundred, i.e. 120.Note 9 · Printed ewe, which gives no sense.