within doores honestly then by running rogueing up and down why should they not compell them to it and though some may think the Parishes will lose much by this way because that the stock wrought will not be put off but with losse as perhaps 10 l will be brought to 8 l yet let them consider how much they shall save at their doors how many inconveniencies they are freed from their hedges in the Countrey shall not be pulled their fruits stolne nor their Corne purloined and further that the poor will be trained up to worke and therefore fit for any service yea and in their youth learn a calling by the which they may get an honest livelyhood and I dare say their Assessements for the poor would not be so frequent nor the poor so numerous and the benefit which redounds to the Nation would be very great 4 The charitable deeds of our forefathers ought to be enquired after that they be not misplaced as usually they are but be really bestowed for the good of the poor that are laborious as in London is begun and if there be any that will not work take Saint Pauls rule who best knew what was best for them I dare not advise to take in part of Commons Fens c. and to improve them for this use least I should too much provoke the rude mercilesse multitude But to return to my discourse I say that sowing Hempe and Flax will be very beneficiall 1 To the Owners of land for men usually give in divers places 3 l per Acre to sowe Hempe and Flax as I have seen at Maidstone in Kent which is the onely place I knovv in England where thread is made and though nigh a thousand hands are imployed about it yet they make not enough for this Nation and yet get good profit How advantageous will this be to those who have drained the Fens where questionlesse Hempe will flourish and exsiccate the ground for Hempe desireth stiffe moist land as Flax light and dry and likewise to those in the North of England where land is very cheape I hope in a little time Ireland will furnish us with these commodities if we be idle for there land is very cheap and those seeds need no inclosure for cattle will not touch them neither doth it fear the plunderer either in the field or barn 2 It 's profitable to the sower I know that they usually value an Acre at 10 or 12 l which costeth them usually but half the money Whether there be Flax that will yield 30 or 40 l per Acre as some report I know not 3 To the place where it is sown because it sets many poor to work I wish it were encouraged more in the North than it is because there is many poor who could willingly take pains and though spinning of linnen be but a poor work yet it is light and may be called Womens recreation and in France and Spain the best Citizens wives think it no disgrace to go about spinning with their Rocks and though in some part the poor think it nothing to earn 4 or 6 d er day and will as soon stand with their hands in their pockets as worke cheap yet in the North they account it well to earne 3 d or 4 d by spinning which they may do Lastly it would be very beneficiall to this Nation and save many thousand pounds I may say 100 thousands which are exported either in cash or good Commodities and we should not be beholding to Holland for fine linnen and Cordage nor to France for Poldavices Locrams Canvases nets nor to Flaunders for thread but might be supplyed abundantly with these necessary commodities even at our own doors There is no small Deficiency in dunging and manuring lands both because that all manner of manuring and amending lands is not known to every one and also that they do not imploy all they know to the best use I will therefore set down most of the wayes I have seen here in England and beyond Seas by which land is improved and the best wayes to use the same 1 To begin with Chalke which is as old a way as Julius Caesars time as he himself reporteth in his Commentaries Chalke is of 2 sorts 1 A hard strong dry Chalke with which in Kent they make walls burn lime c. 2 Kind is a small unctuous Chalke this is the Chalke for land the other helpeth little onely it maketh the Plough go easier in stiffe lands broomy land is accounted the best land for Chalke and Lime but it helpeth other lands also especially if you Chalke your ground and let it lye a year or two which is the way used in Kent that it may be matured and shattered by the sunne and raine otherwise if it be turned in presently it is apt to lye in great clods as I have seene it twenty years after Chalke also sweetneth pasture but doth not much increase it and killeth rushes and broom 2 Lime which is made of divers sorts of stones is an excellent thing for most Lands and produceth a most pure grain 160 bushels is usually laid on an Acre but I suppose that if men did lay but half the dung on the ground as they usually do as also lime and Chalk and dung and lime it oftener it would be better Husbandry for much dung causeth much weeds and causeth Corn to lodge and too much Chalke doth too much force the land so that after some good crops it lyeth barren many years It 's good Husbandry likewise to lay down lands before they be too much out of heart for they will soon recover otherwise not 3 Ordinary Dung which every one knoweth but let it not be exposed to the Sun too much nor let it lye in an high place for the rain wil waste away it's fatnesse It 's observable that earth the more it is exposed to the Sun it 's the better as we see that land is much bettered by oft ploughings for the Sun and dew engender a nitrous fatnesse which is the cause of fertility but dung is exhausted by the Sun as it appeareth by the folding of Sheep which profit little if it be not presently turned in therefore a Shepherd if his time would permit should turne up the ground with an howe for to sowe Turneps as Gardiners do I have seen Ordinary Dung on dry lands in dry years to do hurt and it oft causeth vveeds and trumpery to grovv 4 Marle It 's of divers kinds some stony some soft some vvhite some yellovvish but most commonly blew It 's in most places in England but not known by all the best markes to know it is to expose it to the Aire and to see if the Sun or Rain cause it to shatter and if it be unctuous or rather to take a load or two and lay it on the midst of your fields and to try how it mendeth your lands It 's excellent for Corne and Pasture especially on dry lands
admire and to esteem even as miraculous ordinary and trivial things as for example how it cometh to passe that in one Meddow an Horse thriveth very much and speedily and yet a Bullock will not in that place and contrariwise in a Medow close by the former the Bullock will thrive and the Horse not so also how it commeth to passe that Conies and Sheep will thrive well where there is scarcely any Pasture and yet come to nothing on Commons where there is a greater quantity of Pasture which proceedeth from this cause that some kind of Plants are more agreeing and sweeter to one sort of Cattel then to another and every Beast almost hath some Plant or other which they love exceedingly I suppose that the observances of this kind might be very usefull in Husbandry These Deficiencies I will draw to three Heads 1. I say that divers Plants not to speak of Fruits because we have already spoken of them that grow naturally in our Island may be very serviceable to the Husbandman both for his Pastures and corn-Corn-lands To instance in some few we see that divers sorts of wild Vetches Chiches Tares c. grow wild in divers places which though they bear not so great and large crops as some others already used yet who knoweth what they would do if they were manured as other grains and in land proper for them for we see that the transplanting of Plants into gardens doth very much meliorate or better them and without doubt all those grains which are in use with us were at first picked out of the fields and woods and by ingenious men found useful for man or beast and of late divers have been found not known to our forefathers as Saint Foin Lucern and why may not we find divers Grasses Vetches Medicaes Wild Pease c. which as yet are scarce taken notice of 2. There grow divers sorts of wild Pease but to speak of two onely 1. Sort which groweth on the stony beaches of the sea where there is little or no earth the roots are many foot deep in the ground In Queen Maries days in a dearth the poor people gathered divers sacks full of them and they were no small relief to to them who hath tried whether they would thrive better on better land 2. Sort groweth on dry barren land and is commonly called the everlasting Pease which continually groweth out of the same root In Gardens I have seen it grow 10 years together and larger at the 10 years end then at the first I have also seen it flourish on barren grounds where Oats were burned away who knoweth but these and other Plants may be serviceable if not for man at least for beasts or Pigeons for in New-England the great flights of Pigeons are much maintained by these I am sure it were good to make experiments of these and divers others 2. Head is the Ignorance of the MechanicaI uses of Herbs and Trees for even for these uses most Plants have some peculiar propriety To instance in a few We know that Elm is for wheels and tbe best wood to make Herrings red Oak is for the Shipwright Joyner Tanner Horn-beams Beech for the Milwright Line-tree for bass-ropes old Elder without pith is very tough and fit for Cogs of Wheels Tooth-pickers Pear-tree for Mathematical instruments and ingravers c. Osiers for baskets Walnut for Gunstocks Asp for Hoops Box Ash for a 100 uses and much more might be spoken of this kind if time would permit So likewise divers Plants are for Painters as you may see in Battees experiments some for the Dyers but as yet we know but four viz. Woad Would Green-wood and Madder amongst 1200 Plants upward which grow wild with us I could wish some ingenious man would take the pains to search out the Mechanical uses of Plants surely it were a good way to advance Mechanicks who in their callings usually go round as horses in a mill and endeavour very little to advance or know the causes of their operations I know a Gentleman who promiseth some things in this kind and I hope will be as good as his word 3. Head is the ignorance of the very Physical uses of Plants for though many hundred Plants do grow amongst us yet but few of them are used Physically whereas there is scarce any one but may be usefull in this kind And truly in my opinion it is a great fault that we so much admire those things that are far fetched and dear bought when as oft-times they are gathered in unseasonable times and corrupted by long voyages by sea counterfeited by Merchants yea we have very oft quid pro quo and rank poysons and do neglect those medicines which God hath given us here at home I am credibly informed that in former times Virga aurea was in great use with us and usually sold for eight pence per ounce and brought from France but so soon as it was found growing plentifully in our hedges it was cast forth of the Apothecaries shops as of little vertue And though some will object that our Plants have little vertue I say its false for God hath tempered them for our complexions and we see very oft that one simple medicine doth more good then the great compositions of the ancients which are rather ad pompam then for health and seem to savour somewhat of the Mountebank because Opium is alwayes an ingredient And further we see that where any Endemicall or National disease reigneth their God hath also planted a specifique for it As the Cochleare or Scurvy-grasse for the Scurvy in the Baltick Sea where it is very frequent and also in Holland England So in the West-Indies from whence the great Pox first came and where it reigneth very much that not only man but other Creatures are infected with it so that even Dogs die of that disease in our Northern Plantations perhaps catching this infection by mingling with Indian Dogs there grow the specifiques for this Disease as Gujacum Salsaperilla Sassafras and the Salvages do easily cure these distempers Further we see that even the irrational Creatures can find not only meat but also Medicines for themselves as the Dog Couchgrass for a vomit the Dove Vervein the Weasel Kue the Swallow Celandine the Toad Plantine and where is our reason that we cannot I therefore desire all Countrey people to endeavour to know these Plants which grow at their doores for God hath not planted them there for no purpose for he doth nothing in vain and to collect together the plain simple Medicaments of their Grandâ—mâ— by this means they may save many a 40. pence I mean preserve themselves and Families and Neighbours in good health Some small Treatises have of late been written to shew the use of our Plants in Physick and I hope ingenious men will dayly more and more communicate the secrets of this kind which they have in their hands for the publique good They that write
course of things you will find that Husbandry is the End which Men of all estates in the world do point at For to what purpose do Souldiers Scholars Lawyers Merchants and men of all Occupations and Trades toyl and labour with great affection but to get Money and with that money when they have gotten it but to purchase Land and to what end doe they buy that land but to receive the fruits of it to live and how shall one receive the fruits of it but by his own Husbandry or a Farmers so that it appears by degrees that what course soever a man taketh in this world at last he commeth to Husbandry which is the most common Occupation amongst men the most naturall and Holy being commanded by the mouth of God to our First Fathers There is care diligence requisite in Husbandry as there is in all the Actions of the World and therefore as a Captain hath a Lieutenant to command his Souldiers in his absence or for his ease So must you provide some able honest man to whom you will commit the execution of such things as you your selves cannot do without too much labour whereof you must often take an account and confer with him as occasion shall require about your businesse that nothing may be left undone for want of providence To such a man you must give good wages with intent to advance your own gain and take the more ease by reason of his honesty and knowledge You will finde this Husbandry after you have once had experience of it to be very pleasing to you and so exceeding profitable that it will make you diligent For no man of any Art or Science except an Alchymist ever preteÌ„ded so much gain any other way as you shall see demonstrated in this ensuing Treatise The Usurer doubles but his principall with Interest upon Interest in 7 years but by this little Treatise you shall learn now to doe more then treble your principle in one years compass And you shall see how an Industrious man in Brabant Flaunders would bring 500 acres of barren heathy land that was not worth at the most above 5. l a year to be worth 700. l a year in lesse time then 7 years I know no reason why the like may not be done in England for we are under as good a Climate as they are Our heathy Land that is neither Sand nor Loam is as good a soile as their barren ground is We have not only Dung to enrich our Land but also Lime and Marle of which they know not the use where they sowe their gainfullest Commodities mentioned in this ensuing Treatise nor of any other Manure but only Dung. In fine I am certain there is none of their Commodities but grow in England as they doe in Brabant and Flaunders but ours are not of the same kinde as theirs nor put to the same use What cannot be vented at home may as well be vented from hence into Holland as the like commodities are from Flaunders thither I will say no more of this Subject in the Preface only it remains to tell you that you must not expect either Eloquence or Method in this ensuing Treatise but a true Story plainly set forth in the Last Will Testament of your Father which he would have you execute but before all things to be sure you lay the Foundation of your Husbandry upon the Blessing of Almighty God continually imploring his divine aid assistance in all your labours for it is God that gives the increase and believing this as the Quintessence and soul of Husbandry Primum quaerite Regnum Dei postea haec omnia adjicientur vobis These things being briefly promised I will leave the rest to this short ensuing Treatise and commit you all with a Fathers Blessing to the Protection and Providence of Almighty God Thus far Sir RICHARD VVESTONS Introduction to the discouâ—se of BRABANT HUSBANDRY which is shortly to be published in a Sâ—cond Edition corrected and enlarged A large Letter concerning the Defects and Remedies of English Husbandry written to Mr. Samuel Hartlib SIR ACcording to your desires I have sent you what I have observed in France about the sowing of a seed called commonly Saint-Foine which in English is as much to say as Holy-Hay by reason as I suppose of the excellency of it It 's called by Parkinson in his Herball where you may see a perfect description of it Onobrychis Vulgaris or Cocks head because of it's flower or Medick Fetchling By some it is called Polygala because it causeth cattel to give abundance of milke The plant most like unto it and commonly known being frequently sowne in gardens is that which is called French Honey-suckle and is a kind of it though not the same France although it be supposed to want the fewest things of any Province in Europe yet it hath no small want of Hay especially about Paris which hath necessitated them to sowe their dry and barren lands with this seed Their manner of sowing it is done most commonly thus When they intend to let their Corn-lands ly because they be out of heart and not situate in a place convenient for manuring then they sowe that land with Oats and these seeds together about equall parts the first year they onely mowe off their Oates leaving the Saint Foine to take root and strength that year Yet they may if they please when the year is seasonable mowe it the same year it is sowne but it 's not the best way to do so the year following they mowe it and so do seven years together the ordinary burthen is about a load or a load a halfe in good years upon an Arpent which is an 100 square Poles or Rods every Pole or Rod being 20 foot which quantity of ground being nigh a 4th part lesse than an English Acre within a league of Paris is usually Rented at 6 or 7 s After the land hath rested 7 years then they usually break it up and sowe it with corn till it be out of heart and then sowe it with Saint Foine as formerly for it doth not impoverish land as Annual Plants do but after seven years the roots of this plant being great and sweet as the roots of Licorish do rot being turned up by the Plough and enrich the land I have seen it sown in divers places here in England especially in Cobham-Park in Kent about 4 miles from Gravesend where it hath thriven extraordinary well upon dry Chalky banks where nothing else would grow and indeed such dry barren land is most proper for it as moist rich land for the great Trefoile or great Glover-Grasse although it will grow indifferently well on all lands and when the other grasses and plants are destroyed by the parching heat of the Sun because their roots are small and shallow this flourisheth very much having very great root and deep in the ground and therefore not easily to be exsiccated
In Essex the scourings of their ditches they call Marle because it looketh blew like it it helpeth their lands vvel 5 Snaggreet vvhich is a kind of earth taken out of the Rivers ful of small shels It helpeth the barren lands in divers parts of Surrey I beleeve it 's found in all Rivers It vvere vvell if in other parts of England they did take notice of it 6 Owse out of marsh ditches hath been found very good for vvhite Chalky land as also Sea-mud and Sea-Owse is used in divers parts of Kent and Sussex 7 Sea-weeds 8 Mr. Carew in his Survey of Cornwall relateth that they use a fat Sea-sand vvhich they carry up many miles in sacks and by this they have very much improved their barren lands It vvere vvorth the vvhile to try all manner of Sea-sands for I suppose that in other places they have a like fertilizing fatnesse 9 Folding of Sheep especially after the Flaunders manner viz. under a covert in vvhich earth is strevved about 6 inches thick on vvhich they set divers nights then more earth must be brought and strevved 6 inches thick and the Sheep folded on it and thus they do continually Winter and Summer I suppose a shepheard vvith one horse vvil do it at his spare houres and indeed sooner then remove his fold and this folding is to be continued especially in Winter and doth the Sheep good because they lye vvarme and dry and truly if I am not mistaken by this means vve may make our Sheep to enrich all the barren dry lands of England 10 Ashes of any kind Seacoale-ashes vvith horsedung the Gardiners of London much commend for divers uses It 's great pitty that so many thousand loads are throvvn into vvast places and do no good 11 Soote is also very good being sprinkled on ground but it 's too dear if it be of wood for it 's vvorth 16 d or 2 s a bushel 12 Pigeons or Hens-dung is incomparable one load is vvorth 10 loads of other dung and therefore it 's usually sovvne on Wheate that lyeth afarre off and not easie to be helped it 's extraordinary likevvise on a Hop-garden 13 Male-dust is exceedingly good in corn-Corn-land blood for trees also shavings of hornes 14 Some commend very much the sweeping of a ship of salt or drossey salt and brine it 's very probable because it killeth the vvormes and all fertility proceedeth from salt 15 I have seen in France poore men cut up Heath and the Turffe of the ground and lay them on an heape to make mould for their barren lands Brakes laid in a moist place and rotted are used much for Hop-grounds and generally all things that vvill rot if they vvere stones vvould make dung 16 In New-England they fish their ground vvhich is done thus In the spring about April there cometh up a fish to the fresh Rivers called an Alewife because of it's great belly and is a kind of shade full of bones these are caught in vviers and sold very cheap to the planters vvho usually put one or tvvo cut in pieces into the hill vvhere their Corne is planted called Virginia-Wheate for they plant it in hils 5 graines in an hill almost as we plant Hops in May or June for it wil not endure frosts and at that distance it causeth fertility extraordinary for two years especially the first for they have had 50 or 60 bushels on an Acre and yet plough not their land and in the same hils do plant the same Corne for many years together and have good crops besides abundance of Pompions and French or Kidney beanes In the North parts of New England where the fisher-men live they usually fish their ground with Cods-heads which if they were in England would be better imployed I suppose that when sprats be cheap men might mend their Hop-grounds with them and it would quit cost but the dogs will be apt to scrape them up as they do in New-England unlesse one of their legs be tyed up 17 Vrine In Holland they as carefully preserve the Cowes urine as the dung to enrich their land old urine is excellent for the Roots of trees Columella in his book of Husbandry saith that he is an ill husband that doth not make 10 loads of dung for every great beast in his yard and as much for every one in the house and one load for small beasts as hogs This is strange husbandry to us and I believe there are many ill husbands by this account I know a vvoman who liveth 5 miles South of Canterbury who saveth in a pail all the droppings of the houses I meane the urine and when the pail is full sprinkleth it on her Meadow which causeth the grasse at first to look yellovv but after a little time it grovves vvonderfully that many of her neighbours vvondered at it and vvere like to accuse her of vvitch-craft 18 Woollen raggs vvhich Hartford-shire-men use much and Oxford-shire and many other places they do very vvell in thinne Chalky land in Kent for tvvo or three years It 's a fault in many places that they neglect these as also Linnen raggs or Ropes-ends of the vvhich vvhite and brovvn paper is made for it 's strange that vve have not Linnen-raggs enough for paper as other Nations have but must have it from Italy France and Holland 19 Denshyring so called in Kent where I onely have seen it used though by the vvord it should come from Denbigh-shire is the cutting up of all the turffe of a Meadow vvith an instrument sharpe on both sides vvhich a man vvith violence thrusts before him and then lay the turffe on heapes and vvhen it is dry they burn it and spread it on the ground The charge is usually four Nobles vvhich the goodnesse of a crop or tvvo repayeth 20 Mixture of lands Columella an old vvriter saith that his Grandfather used to carry sand on clay and on the contrary to bring clay on sandy grounds and vvith good successe the Lord Bacon thinking much good may be done thereby for if Chalke be good for loamy land vvhy should not loame be good for Chalky banks 21 I may adde Enclosure as an Improvement of land not onely because that men vvhen their grounds are enclosed may imploy them as they please but because it giveth vvarmth and consequently fertiliey There is one in London vvho promised to mend lands much by vvarmth onely and vve see that if some fevv stickes lye together and give a place vvarmth hovv speedily that grasse vvil grovv 22 Steeping of Graines The Ancients used to steep Beanes in salt-water and in Kent it 's usual to steep Barly when they sow late that it may grovv the faster and also to take away the soile for vvild Oates Cockle and all save Drake vvil svvimme as also much of the light Corne vvhich to take avvay is very good If you put Pigeons-dung into the vvater and let it steep all night it may be as it vvere halfe a
peculiar propriety to every kinde of earth to produce some peculiar kinds of Plants which it wil observe even to the worlds end unlesse by Dung Marle Chalke you alter even the very nature of the earth In Gallitia in Spaine where such barren lands do very much abound they do thus first they grub them up as clean as they can of the greater Roots and branches they make fire-wood the smaller sticks are either imployed in fencing or else are burnt on the ground afterwards the land being ploughed twice at least they sowe Wheate and usually the crop is great which the Landlord and Tenant divide according to a compact then the ground resteth and in 3 or 4 yeares the Furze or broom wil recover their former growth which the painful Husband-man grubbeth and doeth with it as formerly I set this down that you may see how laborious the Spaniard is in some places the poverty of the countrey compelling him to it 7 There are other Inconveniencies in land besides weeds and trumpery viz. Ill tenures as coppy-hold Knight-service c. so that the Possessor cannot cut any Timber downe without consent of the Lord and when he dyes must pay one or two yeares rent But these are not in the power of the poor Husbandman to remedy I therefore passe them by yet hope that in little time we shal see these Inconveniencies remedied because they much discourage Improvements and are as I suppose badges of our Norman slavery To conclude it seemeth to me very reasonable and it wil be a great encouragement to laborious men to improve their barren lands if that they should have recompence for what they have done according as indifferent men should judge when they leave it as is the custome in Flaunders I have likewise observed some Deficiencies in Woods which I shall briefly declare with the best way to Remedy the same 1 It 's a great fault that generally through the Island the Woods are destroyed so that we are in many places very much necessitated both for fuel also for timber for building and other uses so that if we had not Coales from New-castle and Boards from Norwey Plough-staves and Pipe-staves from Prussia we should be brought to great extremity and many Mechanickes would be necessitated to leave their callings 2 Deficiency is that our Woods are not ordered as they should be but though Woods are especially preserved for timber for building and Shipping yet at this time it 's very rare to see a good Timber-tree in a Wood. 3 That many of our Woods are very thinne and not replenished with such sorts of Wood as are convenient for the place 4 That we sell continually and never plant or take care for posterity These Deficiencies may be thus Remedyed 1 To put in execution the Statutes against grubbing of Woods which are sufficiently severe It s well known we have good lawes but it 's better knowne they are not executed In the Wilde of Kent and Sussex which lies far from the Rivers and Sea and formerly have been nothing but Woods liberty is granted for men to grub what they please for they cannot want firing for themselves and they are so seated that neither firewood nor timber can be transported elsewhere I know a Gentleman who proffered their good Oak-timber at 6 s 8 d per tun and the land in those parts in general is very good About Tunbridge there is land which formerly was Wood is now let for 30 s per Are so that to keep such lands for Wood would be both losse to the owner and to the Island But in other parts of the Island it is othervvise and men are much to be blamed for destroying both timber and fuel I have seen at Shooters-hill near London some Woods stubbed up vvhich vvere good ground for Wood but novv are nothing but furze vvhich is a great losse both to the owner and to the Countrey For the land is made vvorse then it vvas formerly I conceive there are Lands vvhich are as naturally ordained for Woods viz. Mountainous Craggy uneven land as small hils for the Vines and Olives plain lands for Corne and low moist lands for Pasture vvhich lands if they be stubbed do much prejudice the Common-wealth 2 That all Woods should have such a Number of Timber-trees per Acre according to the Statute There is a good lavv for that purpose but men delude both themselves and the lavv that they every felling cut dovvn the standers vvhich they left the folling before least perchance they should grovv to be Timber and leave 12 small standers that they might seem to fulfil in some measure the Statute but it 's a meer fallacie and causeth the Statute to fail of it's principal end vvhich is to preserve Timber 3 The best Remedy against thinnesse of woods is to plash them and spread them abroad and cover them partly in the ground as every Countreyman can direct by this meanes the wood vvil soone grovv rough and thick It 's good Husbandry likevvise to fil your woods vvith swift growers as Ashes Sallow Willow Aspe which are also good for Hop-poles Hoopes Sycamore is also a swift grower In Flaunders they have a kinde of Salix called by them Abell-tree which speedliy groweth to be timber 4 That some law be made that they which fel should also plant or sowe In Biscay there is a law if that any cut down a Timber-tree he must plant three for it which law is put into execution with severity otherwise they would soon be undone for the Countrey is very mountainous and barren and dependeth wholly on Iron Mines and on Shipping their Woods are not copsed there but onely Pollards which they lop when occasion serveth I know one who was bound by his Land-Lord to plant so many trees yearly which according he did but alwayes in such places that they might not grow In France near to the borders of Spaine they sowe Ashkey which when they grow to such a greatnesse that they may be slit into four quarters and big enough to make Pikes then they cut them down and I have seen divers Acres together thus planted hence come the excellent Pikss called Spanish-Pikes Some Gentlemen have sowen Acornes and it 's a good way to encrease Woods Though the time is long I doubt not but every one knoweth that it 's excellent to plant Willowes along the waters side and Ashes nigh their houses for firing for they are good pieces of Husbandry and it 's pitty that it 's not more put in practise There is a Gentleman in Essex who hath planted so many Willowes that he may lop 2000 every year if others were as Ingenious we should not want fire-wood Osiers planted in low morish grounds do advance land from 5 s per Acre to 40 s 50 s 3 l and upward it 's much used Westward of London these Osiers are of great use to Basket-makers There is a sort of small Osier or Willow at Saint Omars in
with the parching Sun in Summer neither with the Flie nor do they over-heat themselves or spoil half so much meat and are always as fat as their Masters or Bacon-hogs The Dung and Urine they charily preserve and thereby keep their meadows of Clover-grasse which are constantly mowen twice or thrice yearly in good heart and indeed Cattel ought not to go amongst Clover-grasse because it usually groweth with long Haum as they call it like Pease which if it be broken will not thrive In Bermudas they have a peculiar way of fattening their Cattel not used any where else that I know which is with Green Fennel that groweth in that Island plentifully There is a plant in Essex called Myrchis or Cow-pursley which groweth fast and early in the spring which they give their Cattel at the beginning of the year and they eat it well It is an ill custome that is used almost every where to let Hogs lie in their dirt and dung when they are fattening for all creatures generally do hate and abhor their own dung and an hog is the eleanliest of all creatures and will never dung nor stale in his stie if he can get forth which other creatures will and though he tumble in the dirt in Summer yet that is partly to cool himself and partly to kill his lice for when the dirt is dry he rubbeth it off and destroyeth the lice thereby Sir Hugh Platts in his writings setteth down divers ingenious ways of fattening Poultry c. and more may be found out dayly The Jews have a peculiar way of fattening Geese with Milk Figs Raisins and other sweet things by which they make the liver of an extraordinary greatnesse and is a dish much valued by them In Moor-fields there is one that keepeth many hundreds of Coneys with grains and bran and some others who keep the great laying Ducks with these things and bloud to their great advantage I have seen a book translated out of French which teacheth how to gain divers hundred pounds per annum by fifty pound stock in hens I suppose about London where Eggs are so dear great profit might be made by them Turkeys may be kept with good profit where there are many Meadows as in Suffolk In Bark-shire many keep tame Pheasants and have gained well thereby 3. We do not know how to improve the comodities proceeding from Cattel to the highest as for example our ordinary butter might be better scented and tasted some Ladies have fine ingenuities in this kind We cannot make Cheese comparable to the Parmisan nor so good as the Angelots of France our ordinary Cheese is not comparable to the Holland Cheeses where also divers sorts of Cheeses are made of divers Colours but I cannot much commend their green Cheeses which are made of that colour by Sheeps-dung c. but I hope in short time our good Hous-wifes wil scorn that any shall excel them 20. Deficiency Is the want of divers things which are necessary for the accomplishment of Agriculture As 1. That we have not a Systema or compleat book of all the parts of Agriculture Till the latter end of Queen Elizabeths days I suppose that there was scarce a book wrote of this subject I never saw or heard of any About that time Tusser made his verses and Scot wrote about a Hop-garden Gouge translated some things Lately divers small Treatises have been made by divers as Sir Hugh Platts Gab. Platts Markham Blith and Butler who do well in divers things but their books cannot be called compleat books as you may perceive by divers particular things not so much as mentioned by them The Countrey Farmer translated out of French is enough bt it s no ways framed or squared for us here in England and I fear the first Authors went on probabilities and hear-says rather then experience I hope some ingenious man will be incouraged to undertake a work so necessary and commendable 2. Deficiency is that Gentlemen try so few experiments for the advance of this honest and labourious calling when as many experiments might be made for a smaller matter for half a Pole square will give as certain a demonstration as an Acre and a pottle as a Hogshead I hope in time there will be erected a Colledge of experiments not onely for this but also all other Mechanicall Arts. 3. Deficiency is That Gentlemen and Farmers do not meet and communicate secrets in this kind but keep what they have experimented themselves or known from others as Sybils leaves I mean as rare secrets not to be communicated I hope that we shal see a more communicative spirit amongst us ere long And Sir I cannot but desire you if you have any things more in your hands of Gabriel Platts or any mens else that you would with speed publish them 4. Deficiency is That we want a place to the which men may resort for to find such ingenious men as may be serviceable for their ends and purposes and also know where to find such seeds and plants as they desire as the great Clover-grasse Saint Foin La Lucern c. 5. Deficiency is That men do usually covet gteat quantities of land yet cannot manage a little well There were amongst the ancient Romans some appointed to see that men did Til their lands as they should do and if they did not to punish them as enemies to the publick perhaps such a law might not be amisse with us for without question the publick suffereth much by private mens negligences I therefore wish men to take Columel's Councel which is Laudato ingentia Rura Exiguum Colito For melior est culta exiguitas c. as another saith or as we say in English A little Farm well tilled is to be preferred for then we should not see so much wast land but more industry greater crops and more people imployed then are at this present to the great profit of the Common-wealth 21. Deficiency is That by reason of our sins we have not the blessing of the Lord upon our Labours And this the reason that although the Husbandman hath been laborious and diligent in his calling these last years yet our Crops have been thin his Cattel swept away and scarcity and famine hath seized on all parts of this Land and if we had not been supplyed from abroad we had quire devoured all the Creatures of this Island for our sustenance and yet we could not be satisfied but must have devoured one another And therefore to conclude though I desire the Husbandman to be diligent and laborious in his calling yet I counsel him to break off his sins by Repentance to have his eys towards him who is the Giver of every good thing and to pray daily to him for his blessings who giveth freely to them that ask and upbraideth not And although all callings ought to look up to him that is on high yet rhe Countrey-man especially for he hath a more immediate dependance on him
their fawning-time and how long they are with fawne Red herrings Whether any made in Ireland where what store Reeds What sorts of them in Ireland and where what use made of them Rhubarb Where it groweth in what quantitie Rie In what parts of Ireland most sown on what grounds how much to an Acre and what increase Ring-doves Rivers Rinnet Particular description of all rivers in each Province and Countie where they rise where they fall into the sea or other rivers through what Locks they passe what sorts of fish is in them what fishing and at what times a year how far they ebb and flow Ships of what burden may come into them and how far how far they are portable at all what towns of note great hils woods great bogs they passe close by how long how deep and broad where at the broadest and deepest what time a year they use to swell most what weres and falls are in them and where-abouts Roads What roads of note upon any parts of the coasts how neer to the shore ships may come to an Anchor there in how much water and for what winds lay Landlockt Robin-red-brests Roches Where any are what store when in season Rooks. Where any are what store whether any eat them of their nature and properties wherein they differ from Crows Rot of sheep Roses Rushes The severall sorts of them and to what uses they are put Russetings Whether any grow in Ireland in whose gardens when brought in S Saffron Whether any groweth in Ireland where what store Salmons Salmon-fishing Where any are taken what quantities in what times of the year Salmon-salting The Manner of them what Salt best Sallows Salt Whether any made or refined in any part of Ireland and the whole manner of doing it Salt-peter Whether any made in Ireland where what store the whole manner on 't Sampier Where any groweth and what store Sand. Whether there be any sandy places in the land altogether barren where of what extent and what kinde of sand Savin Whether any groweth in Ireland where what store to what height Sea aire What hath been observed in the severall parts of the coasts Concerning the sea-aire what good or hurt it doth to men beasts trees Corne and grounds Sea-coales See coales Seales Where any are what store how taken of their nature and properties Service-trees Whether any grow in Ireland and bear ripe fruit and where Shad. Whether any be taken upon the coasts of Ireland what quantities where and what season their shape and nature Sheepe Sham-rocks What grounds best for them how to be ordered according to the several seasons of the yeare how to be provided for in Winter during frost and snow What diseases incident to them and the ways to prevent and cure them things to be observed in the rearing of flocks Names of all the great Sheepe-matters that were throughout the kingdome at the breaking out of the Rebellion what flocks they had and what profits they yielded them yearely Sheldrakes Where any be what numbers when in season their shape bignesse Colour nature dyet Shel-fish What several sorts of them the Irish sea affordeth and in what parts in most abundance When every sort in season and where best Shelves upon the coasts Where any lay and what observable things can be said about them Shrimps Where any are taken what bignesse what store what seasons Silk-wormes Where and by whom any have been kept what store what quantities of silk they made Silver Silver-mines Skirrets Where any store in whose Gardens since when who brought them first into Ireland Slate Where any quarries of them are how deep it lyeth what kinde of slate it is for colour brittlenesse c. what charges Black-slate Where digged what store the vertues of it how found out first when and by whom Smelts Whether any be taken in the Irish-sea where what store what seasons Snailes Whether ever any such abundance of them any where as to do any great harme to gardens or fields and what wayes are used to destroy them Snites Where any be what store what seasons their nature and properties Snow In which parts most snow useth to fall which is the longest that it continueth upon the Mountaines in any part of Ireland Soales Where any taken what store when in season Soape Whether any made in Ireland where what quantitie the whole manner of making it Sows See Swine Soile The different kinds of soiles in Ireland what use every kinde is best for the excellencies of every kinde as also the defects and how to be remedied Black sows a kind of vermin Spaes Where any in Ireland of what nature and propertie when and by whom found out Spanniels What different kinds of them in Ireland with the properties and excellencies of each kind Sparagus In whose Gardens any grow what store and since when Sparrows The different kinds of them in Ireland with the peculiar properties of each kind Sparrow-hawks Where any breed what store how to be taken and ordered their nature and properties Sponges Whether any grow upon the coasts of Ireland where what store of what goodnesse Springs Description of all springs in the severall parts of the Land that have any thing rare or observable in them Sprats Whether any taken in Ireland where what store what seasons Squirrels Where any be what store their nature properties diet breeding how a dozen of their skins useth to be sold at first hand Stags Starch Whether any be made in Ireland where what store Sares. Where any great numbers of them Their nature properties dyet Steele Where any made what store in what manner Storks Whether ever any have been seen in Ireland when and where Stronds The different kinds of them where high where flat where rockie where faire and sandy where none at all so as the sea is very deep close by the Land Sturgeon Whether ever any seen in the irish-Irish-seas when and where Straw The different uses made of straw for dung thatch c Swallows Strawberries In what parts they grow of themselves in any plenty Swans Where any numbers of tame ones have been kept Where any store of wild ones their season nature and properties Swine The whole manner of ordering herds of swine and what profits to be made of them Diseases incident to swine the causes preventions and cures of them Swords Where any made and where the best Sycomores Whether any grow of themselves any where T. Talbots Where any are taken of what bignesse and goodnesse in what seasons Tallow What store every year useth to be made and transported at Dublin and other ports Tanneries Where any great ones when and by whom erected Teales Where any great store of them when in season Thunder Thornbacks Where any store taken when in season observations of their nature and properties Thrushes In what parts to be had in any store when in season their nature and properties Thrushels Where to be had what store when in season
THE COMPLEAT Husband-man OR A discourse of the whole Art OF HUSBANDRY BOTH Forraign and Domestick Wherein many rare and most hidden secrets and experiments are laid open to the view of all for the enriching of these NATIONS Unto which is added A Particular discourse of the Naturall History and Hubandry of IRELAND By SAMUEL HARTLIB Esq LONDON Printed and are to be sold by Edward Brewster at the Crane in Paul's Church-yard 1659. TO THE READER Courteaus Reader THe Discourse which I did formerly publish concerning the Brabant-Husbandry was somwhat imperfect nor was the Author thereof then known unto me but since I have learned who the Author was I have also lighted upon a more perfect Copie which I intend to offer to the Publique in a Second Edition that such as have entertained that first offer with liking and acceptance may finde the benefit of a clearer and fuller satisfaction in that which shall further be imparted unto them And to the end that Ingenuity and Industry may want no encouragement in the mean time accept of these Enlargements upon the same Subject wherein you wil finde diverse other wayes and no lesse if not more profitable then that which was left by Sir RICHARD WESTON the Author of the Brabant-Husbandry as a Legacie to his Sons whose Introduction to that Discourse I have here premised to this to bespeak thee in his words to his Sons and to gain thy affections more fully to these ways of advantaging both thy selfe and the Publique And I could wish that God would put it in the heart of those Worthies that manage the Publique Trust that by their Influence and Authority these and such like Meanes of Industry may not be left wholly to the uncertain disorderly lazy undertakings of private men so as not to have an eye over them and over that which in their proceedings doth so mainly appeare to be a Publique Concernment Therefore let us all joine to intreat and petition them that in order to the Publique and Generall Welfare of this Common-wealth these two things at least may bee thought upon and setled 1 In respect of the known untowardnes of the major part of the people who being wonderfully wedded to old customes are not easily wonne to any new course though never so much to their own profit that two or more fit persons of approved skill and integrity may be made Publique Stewards or Surveyors one of the Husbandry the othet of the Woods of this Common-wealth and impowered to oversee and take care of the preservation of what is and by all good improvement to procure and provide for what is wanting to the present age and except some such Expedients be used it is more then likely will be wanting to succeeding ages 2 That according to the usual custome of Flaunders a Law may be made of letting and hiring Leases upon improvement where the manner is That the Farmer covenanteth on his part to improve the land to such or such a greater Rent by an orderly and excellent management of Husbandry as well as building The Landlord on the other side covenanteth on his part at the expiration of the said Lease to give so many years purchase of the Improvement according to the agreement which is 3 or 4 years or somtimes more or to give out of it such a parcell or moity of Ground As if land formerly going for 6. s an Acre be upon improvement worth 10. s or 13. s 4. d an Acre The Landlord is to give 4. or 5. s upon every Acre more or lesse according to the agreement If it please God to blesse these Motions and that accordingly the Nationall Husbandry of this Common-wealth be improved we may hope through Gods blessing to see better dayes and to be able to beare necessary and Publique burdens with more ease to our selves and benefit to Humane Society then hitherto we could attain unto Which more and more to advance in reference to a Publique and Universal Interest as subordinate to Higher things and which though lesse visible and sensible are more permanent and to truly Rationall and Spirituall Husbandmen as perceptible shall be the uncessant prayers and endeavours of Thy faithfull Servant Samuel Hartlib Sir RICHARD WESTON late of Sutton in the County of Surrey his Legacie to his Sons c. Anno Dom. 1645. My Sonnes I Have left this short ensuing Treatise to you as a Legacy if I shall not live my self to shew you what therein is written by examples which I know instruct far more then precepts yet precepts from a dying Father instructing of his Children what he hath seen and known and received information of from witnesses free from all exceptions should make such an impression on them as at least to believe their Father writ what he thought was true And therfore suppose those things worthy to be put in practise by them which he himselfe would have done if it had pleased God to have granted him life and liberty especially seeing the matter it self which is required by him to be done is in shew so profitable and so easie to be effected with so little charge considering the great gain that is proposed by it that not any thing can restrain a rational man from triall thereof but not giving credit to the Relator The whole Discourse shews you how to improve barren heathy land how to raise more then ordinary profit thereof by such wayes and means as are not practised in England but as commonly in some parts of Brabant Flaunders as the Husbandry of Wheat Rie is here By that means you may nobly augment your estates and will receive so much the more profit praise by how with more industry diligence you govern your affairs and wil not only be imitated but also honoured by your Neighbours when they shal see your labours prosper so far as to convert barren heathy ground left un-husbanded for many ages into as commodious arable land with Pastures and Meadows as any be in this Kingdome And certainly that man is worthy of praise and honour who being possessed of a large barren Demeasne constrains it by his labour and industry to produce extraordinary fruits which redounds not only to his own particular profit but also to the Publique benefit Cato saith It is a great shame to a man not to leave his Inheritance greater to his Successors then he received it from his Predecessors and that he despiseth the liberality of God who by slothfulnesse loseth that which his land may bring forth as not seeming willing to reap the fruits which God hath offered him Nay he threatens the crime of high treason to those that do not augment their Patrimony so much as the Increase surmounts the Principall It is a thing much celebrated by Antiquity thought the noblest way to gather Wealth for to employ ones Wit Money upon his Land and by that means to augment his estate If you observe the cōmon
As we have observed Ononis or Rest-Harrow commonly to do on dry lands but if you sowe this on wet land the water soon corrupts the root of it This plant without question would much improve many of our barren lands so that they might be mowen every year once at least seven years together and yield excellent fodder for cattel if so be that it be rightly managed otherwise it cometh to nothing as I have seen by experience I therefore councel those who sowe this or the great Trefoile or Clover-Grasse or any other sort of grasses that they observe these Rules 1 That they do make there ground fine and kill all sorts of other grasses and plants otherwise they being native English will by no meanes give way to the French ones especially in this moist climate and therefore they are to be blamed who with one ploughing sowe this or other seeds for the grasse presently groweth up and choaketh them and so by their negligence and ill Husbandry discourageth themselves and others 2 Let them not be too sparing of their seeds for the more they sowe the closer and thicker they will grow and presently fully stock the ground that nothing else can grow And further the seeds which come from beyond the Seas are oftentimes old and much decayed and therefore the more seed is required 3 Not to expect above 7. years profit by it for in that time it will decay and the naturall grasse will prevaile over it for every plant hath his period some in one yeare some in 2. others in 3. as the common Thistle and therefore after 7. years let them either plough the land up and sowe it with that same seed again or with other Graine as they do in France 4 Let not sheepe or other cattel bite them the first year that they may be well rooted for these grasses are farre sweeter then the ordinary grasses and cattel will eat them down leaving the other and consequently discourage their growth 5 The best way if men will be at the charge is to make their ground very fine as they do when they are to sowe Barly and harow it even and then to howe these seeds in alone without any other grain as the Gardiners do Pease yet not at so great a distance but let them make the ranges about a foots breadth one from another and they shall see their grasses flourish as if they were green Pease especially if they draw the howe through them once or twice that summer to destroy all the weeds and grasses And if they do thus the great Clover and other seeds may be mowen even twice the first year as I have experimented in divers small plots of ground There is at Paris likewise another sort of fodder which they call La Lucern which is not inferior but rather preferred before this Saint Foine for dry barren grounds which hath bin lately brought thither and is managed as the former and truly every day produceth some new things not onely in other Countreys but also in our owne And though I cannot but very much commend these plants unto my Countrymen knowing that they may be beneficial to this Nation yet I especially recommend unto them a famous kind of grasse growing in Wiltshire 19 miles from Salisbury at Maddington which may better be called one of the wonders of this land then the Hawthorne-tree at Glassenbury which superstition made so famous for divers of the same kind are found elswhere You may find this grasse briefly described in a Book called Phytologia Britannica which lately came forth and set down even all the plants which have been found naturally growing in England Gramen Caninum Supinum Longissimum which groweth 9 miles from Salisbury Mr Tuckers at Madington where with they fat hogs and which is 24 foot long a thing almost incredible yet commonly known to all that shire Now without question if the seed of this grasse be sown in other rich Meadowes it will yeeld extraordinarily though perchance not so much as in its proper place I wonder that those that live thereabouts have not tryed to fertilize their other Meadowes vvith it for it is a peculiar species of grasse and though some ingenious men have found about 90 species of grasses in this Island yet there is none like to this that can by any meanes be brought to such an height and svveetnesse And truly I suppose that the through examination of this grasse is a thing of very great importance for the improvement of Meadows and Pastures and it may excel the great Trefoile Saint Foine La-Lucern or any exotick plant vvhatsoever And though I am very unvvilling to exceed the bounds of an Epistle yet I cannot but certifie you wherein the Husbandry of this Nation in other particulars as I suppose is greatly deficient which I will do as briefly as may be and likewise how ingenious men may finde Remedies for these deficiencies First he would do the honest and painful Husbandman a very great pleasure and bring great profit to this Nation who could facilitate the going of the plough and lighten our ordinary Carriages I wonder that so many excellent Mechanicks who have beaten their brains about the perpetual Motion and other curiosities that they might finde the best ways to ease all Motions should never so much as to honour the Plough which is the most necessary Instrument in the world by their labour and studies I suppose all know that it would be an extraordinary benefit to this Countrey if that 1 or 2 horses could plough and draw as much as 4 or 6 and further also that there is no small difference in ploughs and waggons when there is scarce any sâ—â—e rule for the making them and every Countrey yea almost every County differs not onely in the ploughs but even in every part Some with wheels others without some turning the Rest as they call it as in Kent Picardy and Normandy others not some having Coulters of one fashion others of another others as the Dutch having an Iron wheele or circle for that purpose some having their sheares broad at point some not some being round as in Kent others flat some tying their horses by the taile as in Ireland So likewise Waggons and Carts differ some using 4 wheeles others 2 onely some carrying timber on a wheels in a Cart others with 4 wheels a long pole onely between which is the best way some plough with 2 horses onely as in Norfolke and beyond seas in France Italy where I never saw above 3 horses in a plough and one onely to hold and drive But in Kent I have seen 4 6 yea 12 horses and oxen which variety sheweth that the Husband-man who is ordinarily ignorant in Mechanicks is even at his wits end in this Instrument which he must necessarily use continually Surely he should deserve very well of this Nation and be much honored by all that would set down exact Rules for the making of this
2 or 3 Acres of land maintain themselves and family and imploy other about their ground and therefore their ground must yield a vvonderfull increase or else it could not pay charges yet I suppose there are many Deficiencies in this calling 1 Because it is but of fevv years standing in England and therefore not deeply rooted About 50 years ago about vvhich time Ingenuities first began to flourish in England This Art of Gardening began to creep into England into Sandwich and Surrey Fulham and other places Some old men in Surrey where it flourisheth very much at present report That they knew the first Gardiners that came into those parts to plant Cabages Colleflowers and to sowe Turneps Carrets and Parsnips to sowe Raith or early ripe Rape Pease all which at that time were great rarities we having few or none in England but what came from Holland and Flaunders These Gardiners with much ado procured a plot of good ground and gave no lesse then 8 pound per Acre yet the Gentleman was not content fearing they would spoil his ground because they did use to dig it So ignorant were we of Gardening in those dayes 2 Many parts of England are as yet ignorant Within these 20 years a famous Town within lesse then 20 miles of London had not so much as a messe of Pease but what came from London where at present Gardening flourisheth much I could instance divers others places both in the North and West of England where the name of Gardening and Howing is scarcely known in which places a few Gardiners might have saved the lives of many poor people who have starved these dear years 3 We have not Gardening-ware in that plenty and cheapnesse unlesse perhaps about London as in Holland and other places where they not onely feed themselves with Gardiners ware but also fat their Hogs and Cows 4 We have as yet divers things from beyond Seas which the Gardiners may easily raise at home though nothing nigh so much as formerly for in Queen Elizabeths time we had not onely our Gardiners ware from Holland but also Cherries from Flaunders Apples from France Saffron Licorish from Spain Hopps from the Low-Countreys And the Frenchman who writes the Treasure Politick saith that it 's one of the great Deficiencies of England that Hopps wil not grow whereas now it is known that Licorish Saffron Cherries Apples Peares Hopps Cabbages of England are the best in the world Notwithstanding we as yet want many things as for example We want Onnions very many coming to England from Flaunders Spain Madder for dying cometh from Zurick-Sea by Zealand we have Red Roses from France Anice-seeds Fennel-seeds Cumine Caraway Rice from Italy which without question would grow very well in divers moist lands in England yea Sweet Marjorame Barley and Gromwell seed Virga Aureae though they grow in our hedges in England Lastly Gardening is deficient in this particular that we have not Nurceries sufficient in this land of Apples Pears Cherries Vines Chestnuts Almonds but Gentlemen are necessitated to send to London many hundred miles for them Briefly for the advancement of this ingenuous calling I onely desire that Industrious Gentlemen would be pleased to encourage some expert workmen into the places where they live and to let them land at a reasonable rate and if they be poor and honest to lend a little stock they will soon see the benefit that will redound not onely to themselves but also to all their neighbours especially the poor who are not a little sustained by the Gardiners labours and Ingenuities 4 Our Husbandry is deficient in this that we know not how to remedy the infirmities of our growing Corne especially Smut and Mildew to instance in these two onely which oftentimes bring great calamities to these Nations Smut in wet years Mildews in dry These distempers in Corne are not onely in our Countrey but also in other places A learned Authour saith that Smuttynesse of corne which maketh it smell like a Red Herring was not known in France till about 1530 at which time the great foul disease began to break forth which he conceiveth from hence to have some originall as also the camp-disease Mildews are very great in the Kingdome of Naples which oft stick to the sithes of those that mowe grasse Corn and God be thanked we are not troubled with Locusts which is a great flying Grasse-hopper nor Palmer-worms which is a kind of great black Cater-piller nor with great hail in summer nor with great drought which stifleth the eare in the stalk which Calamities in hot Countreys do very oft totally destroy the honest and patient Husbandman's labours neither are we troubled with extream colds which in New-England and other cold Countreys do oft destroy the Corne. But to return to our purpose And first briefly to shew you my opinion concerning the Causes of Smuttynesse I desire not to fetch Causes afarre off and to tell you of the sad Conjunctions of Mars and Saturn for I think Quae suprae nos belong not to us when as we have enough at home This is certain that there are many evident causes of this corruption of Corn. 1 A moist season about Kerning-time which moisture either corrupteth the roots of the Plant or the nourishment of it or the seed in its Embrio or perhaps in some measure all these 2 Low moist foggy ground for the reasons above mentioned 3 Dung'd land In Vineyards it 's observed that dung causeth more increase in quantity but lesse in goodnesse so that the ill-tast of the dung may easily be discerned because wine hath an high taste vvithout question the same happeneth to other Plants although it be not so easily discerned for the ferment or ill odour of the dung cannot be over-mastered by the Plants as vve see also in Animals that corrupt diet causeth unsavory tasts in the flesh so hogs in New-found-land where they are nourished by fish may by their tasts be called rather Sea-porpusses then Land-swine 4 The sovving of Smutty Corne oft produceth Smuttynesse the son like unto the father I account Smutty Corn an imperfect or sick Graine and suppose that by a Microscope the imperfection may be discerned Lastly the sovving of the same seed oft on the same field causeth Smuttynesse because that nitrous jewce vvhich is convenient for the nourishment of the Grain hath been exhasted in the precedent years and therefore it is excellent Husbandry every year to change the species of Grain and also to buy your Seed-Corn from places farre distant I am informed of a Gentleman vvho did sovve some Wheat which came from Spain vvhere the Grain is usually very hard and flinty and as it vvere transparent and farre vveightier than ours as it appeareth by a measure at Amsterdam vvhich holdeth about 3 bushels and if our Wheat in the Northern parts vveigheth 160. the Southern Corn weigheth sometimes 180 200 220 and had a crop beyond expectation The
dunging take heed of steeping Pease too long for I have seen them sprout in three or four houres 23 Is the sowing of Course and cheap Graine and vvhen they are grovvne to plough them in For this purpose the Auncients did use LUPINES a plant vvel knovvne to our Gardiners and in Kent sometimes Tares are sovven vvhich vvhen the Cattel have eaten a little of the tops they turn them in vvith very good Improvement for their ground I wil not deny but that we have good Husbands who dung and Marle their Meadowes and pasture-Pasture-land and throw down all Mole and Ant-hils and with the their spud-staffe cut up all thistles and weeds and that they likewise straw ashes on their grounds to kil the Mosse and salt for the wormes and they do very well but yet there are many who are negligent in these particulars for the which they are blame-worthy but the Deficiencies of which I intend to speak of are these following Cato one of the wisest of the Romans saith that Pratum est quasi paratum alwayes ready and prepared and preferreth Meadowes before the Olive-Gardens although the Spaniards bequeath Olive-trees to their children as vve do cottages or Vines or Corn because Meadows bring in a certain profit without labour and paines but the other requireth much cost and paines and are subject to Frosts Mildew Haile Locusts to the which for the honour of Meadowes I may adde that the stock of Meadows is of greater value and the Commodities which arise from them are divers and of greater value than Corne as Butter Cheese Tallow Hides Beef Wool and therefore I may conclude that England abounding in Pastures more than other Countreys is therefore richer and I know what others think I care not that in France Acre for Acre is not comparable to it Fortescue Chancelor of England saith that we get more in England by standing still than the French by working but to speak of the Deficiencies amongst us 1 We are to blame that we have neglected the great Clover-grasse Saint Foine Lucerne 2 That we do not float our lands as they do in Lumbardy where they mowe their lands three or four times yearly which consist of the great Clover-grasse Here are the excellent Parmisane Cheeses made and indeed these Pastures farre exceed any other places in Italie yea in Europe We here in England have great opportunities by brooks and Rivers in all places to do so but we are negligent yet we might hereby double if not treble our profits kill all rushes c. But he that desireth to know the manner how to do this and that profit that wil arise thereby let him read Mr. Blithes Book of Husbandry lately printed 3 That when we lay down land for Meadow or Pasture we doe not sowe them with the seeds of fine sweet grasse Trefoiles and other excellent herbes Concerning this you may read a large Treatise of the Countrey-Farmer for if the land be rich it will put forth weeds and trumpery and perhaps a kind of soure grasse little worth if it be poor ye shal have thistles May-weed and little or no grasse for a year or two I know a Gentleman who at my entreaty sowed with his Oates the bottome of his Hay-mowe and though his land were worne out of heart and naturally poor yet he had that year not onely a crop of Oates but he might if it had pleased him have mowen his grasse also but he spared it which was wel done til the next year that it might make a turffe and grow stronger By this Husbandry lands might be wel improved especially if men did consider the diversity of grasses which are 90 sorts and 23 of Trefoile I know a place in Kent which is a white Chalky downe which ground is sometimes sowen with Corn a year or two and then it resteth as long or longer when it is laid down it maintaineth many great Sheep and very lusty so that they are even fit for the Butcher and yet there doth scarce appear any thing that they can eate which hath caused divers to wonder as if they had lived on Chalke-stones but I more seriously considering the matter throughly viewed the ground and perceived that the ground naturally produceth a small Trefoile which it seemeth is very sweet and pleasant it 's commonly called Trifolium luteum or Lupilinum that is yellow or Hop-Trefoile and I am perswaded if that the seed of this Trefoile were preserved and sowen with dates when they intend to lay it down it would very much advance the Pasture of that place therefore I desire all Ingenious men seriously to consider the nature of the Trefoiles which are the sweetest of grasses and to observe on vvhat grounds they naturally grovv and aso the nature of other grasses which as I have said before are no lesse than 90 sorts naturally growing in this Isle some on watry places some on dry some on clay others on sand chalk c some on fruitful places others in barren by the which meanes I suppose a solid foundation might be laid for the advancing the Paesture-lands of all sorts through this Island for I know some plants as the Orchis call'd Bee-flower c. which wil thrive better on the Chalky barren banks than in any garden though the mould be never so rich and delicate and the Gardiner very diligent in cherishing of it and why may not the same propriety be in grasses for we see diverse benty grasses to thrive especially on barren places where scarce any thing else wil grow I must againe and againe desire all men to take notice of the wonderful grasse which groweth near Salisbury and desire them to try it on their Rich Meadowes It 's a common saying that there are more waste lands in England in these particulars than in all Europe besides considering the quantity of land I dare not say this is true but hope if it be so that it it will be mended For of late much hath been done for the advancement of these kinds of land yet there are as yet great Deficiencies In the times of Papistry all in this Island were either Souldiers or Scholars Scholars by reason of the great honours privileges and profits the third part of the Kingdome belonging to them and Souldiers because of the many and great warres with France Scotland Ireland Wales And in those times Gentlemen thought it an honour to be carelesse and to have houses furniture diet exercises apparell c. yea all things at home and abroad Souldier-like Musick Pictures Perfumes Sawces unlesse good stomacks were counted perhaps unjustly too effeminate In Queen Elizabeth's dayes Ingenuities Curiosities and Good Husbandry began to take place and then Salt Marshes began to be fenced from the Seas and yet many were neglected even to our dayes as Hollhaven in Essex Axtel-holme Isle in York-shire many 1000 of Acres have lately been gained from the Sea in Lincolne-shire and as yet more are to be taken in there
and in other places Rumsey-marsh in Kent consisting of 45000 Acres and upwards as Cambden relateth is of some antiquity where the land is usually let for 30 s per Acre and yet 1 d per week constantly is pay'd through the whole levil for the maintenance of the wall and now and then 2 d whereas ordinary salts are accounted dear at 5 s or 6 s per Acre so that the improvement is very considerable the same I may say of Fens especially that great Fen of Lincoln-shire Cambridge Huntingdon consisisting as I am informed of 380000 Acres which is now almost recovered and a friend of mine told me very lately that he had profered a marke per Acre for 900 Acres together to sowe Rape on which formerly was scarcely valued at 12 d per Acre very great therefore is the improvement af draining of lands and our negligence very great that they have been wast so long and as yet so continue in divers places for the improving of a Kingdome is better than the conquering of a new one 2 I see likewise no small faults in this land by having so many Chases and Forrests where brambles brakes furzes do grow when as these trumperies might be cut up and pot-ashes made of them and the ground imployed profitably for Corne or Pasture I know a Forrest by Brill in Buckingham-shire taken in and the land is usually let being now wel enclosed for 4 or 5 Nobles per Acre 3 Sort of waste-land is dry heathy Commons I know that poor people wil cry out against me because I call these waste lands but it 's no matter I desire Ingenious Gentlemen seriously to consider whether or no these lands might not be improved very much by the Husbandry of Flaunders viz. by sowing Flax Turneps great Clover-Grasse if that Manure be made by folding Sheep after the Flaunders way to keep it in heart 2 Whether the Rottennesse and Scabbinesse of Sheepe Murrein of Cattel Diseases of Horses and in general all diseases of Cattel do not especially proceed from Commons 3 If the rich men who are able to keep great stocks are not great gainers by them 4 Whether Commons do not rather make poore by causing idlenesse than maintain them and such poor who are trained up rather for the Gallowes or beggery than for the Common-wealths service 5 How it cometh to passe that there are fewest poor where there are fewest Commons as in Kent where there is scarce six Commons in the County of a considerable greatnesse 6 How many do they see enriched by the Commons and if their Cattel be not usually swept away by the Rot or starved in some hard winters 7 If that poor men might not imploy 2 Acres enclosed to more advantage than twice as much in a Common And Lastly if that all Commons were enclosed and part given to the Inhabitants and part rented out for a stock to set all the poor on work in every County I determine nothing in this kind but leave the determination for wiser heads 4 Parkes Although I cannot but reckon Parks amongst lands which are not improved to the full but perceive considerable waste by them by brakes bushes brambles c. growing in divers places and therefore wish there were fewer in this Island yet I am not so great an enemy to them as most are for there are very great Uses of them as 1 For the bringing up of young cattel 2 For the maintaining of Timber so that if any have occasion to use a good piece of Timber either for a Mil-post or a Keel of a Ship or other special uses whither can they go but to a Parke 3 The skins of the Deere are very useful and their flesh excellent Food Not to speak of the Medicinall Uses nor of Acorns for hogs c. But some wil object that the plough never goeth there To the which I answer It 's no matter for I cannot but say as Fortescue Chancellor to Henry 6 doth That God hath given us such a fruitful land that without labour we have plenty whereas France must digge and delve for vvhat they have And I suppose that I could maintaine two things vvhich are thought great Paradoxes viz. that it were no losse to this Island if that we should not plough at all if so be that we could certainly have Corne at a reasonable rate and likewise vent for all our Manufactures of Wool 1 Because that the Commodities from Cattel are farre more stable than Corne for Cloth Stuffes Stockins Butter Cheese Hides Shoes Tallow are certain even every where Corne scarcely in any place constantly in none 2 Pasture imployeth more hands which is the second Paradox and therefore Pasture doth not depopulate as it is commonly said for Normandy and Picardy in France where there are Pastures in a good measure are a populous as any part of France and I am certain that Holland Friezeland Zealand Flaunders and Lombardy which rely altogether on Pastures are the most populous places in Europe But some wil object and say that a shepheard and a dog formerly hath destroyed divers villages To this I answer that we wel knovv vvhat a shepheard and a dog can do viz. look to tvvo or three hundred sheep at the most and that tvvo or three hundred Acres vvil maintain them or the land is extreamly barren and that these tvvo or three hundred Acres being barren wil scarcely maintaine a Plough vvhich is but one man and tvvo boys vvith the horses and that the mowing reaping and threshing of this Corne and other vvorke about vvil scarcely maintaine three more vvith work through the vvhole yeare But hovv many people may be employed by the Wool of tvvo or three hundred Sheepe in Picking Sorting Carding Spinning Weaving Dying Fulling Knitting I leave to others to calculate And further if the Pastures be rich Meadowes and go on dairing I suppose all know that 100 Acres of such land imployeth more hands than 100 Acres of the best Corne-Land in England and produceth likewise better exportable Commodities And further if I should grant that formerly the shepherd and his dog did depopulate yet I wil deny that it doth so now for formerly we were so unwise as to send over our Wool to Antwerpe and other places where they were Manufactured by which meanes one pound oft brought 10 unwrought to them but we set now our own poor to work and so save the depopulation Yet I say it 's convenient to encourage the plough because that we cannot have a certainty of Corne and carriage is dear both by sea and land especially into the Inland-Countreys and our Commodities by Wool do cloy the Merchants 5 Rushy-lands Blith telleth us good Remedies for these Inconveniencies viz. making deep trenches oft mowings Chalking Liming Dunging and Ploughing I know where hungry guests Horses soone make an end of them 6 Furze broom heath these can hardly be so destroyed but at length they wil up againe for God hath given a
Flaunders which groweth on Islands which floate up and downe it 's farre lesse than that which the Westerne men call Eights with this they make their curious fine Baskets this plant is worth the procuring being so nigh John Tredescat hath some plants of it There is a plant likewise in England called the sweet Willowes it 's not onely good for shade and firing but as I am inform'd the leaves do not soure the grasse but that the cattel wil eat them sooner than Hay if this be so it may be of singular use for Meadowes 5 That those things which mightily destroy Woods may be restrained as Iron-workes are therefore the State hath very wel done to pul downe divers Iron-workes in the Forrest of Deane that the timber might be preserved for Shipping which is accounted the toughest in England and when it is dry as hard as Iron the Common-people did use to say that in Queen Elizabeths dayes the Spaniard sent an Ambassador purposely to get this Wood destroyed how true this is I know not but without question it 's admirable Wood for Shipping and generally our English Oake is the best in the world for Shipping because it 's of a great graine and therefore strong but the Oakes of other Countreys have a finer graine and more fit for Wainscot and in this kinde our Forefathers have been very provident for we have an Act of long standing prohibiting Iron-workes within 20 miles of London and within 3 miles of the River of Thames though you may finde Iron-stone in divers places as in the great gravel-pit at Woolwhich There are some Ingenious men who lately have got a Patent for making Iron with Sea-coale I hope they wil accomplish their desires for it would wonderfully advance this Island and save Wood. There are two faults in Sea-coale in respect of melting Iron-oare 1 That it is apt to bake together or cake 2 It hath a sulphureous fume in it which is an enemy to Metal and consumeth it as we see by our Iron-Bars in Windowes at London so that the Metalline nature of the Iron-stone is much wasted by it and that which remaineth is very brittle and wil be Could-shire I know that by the mixture of Coale beaten with loame and throughly dryed one if not both of these Inconveniencies may be taken away In the Duke of Cleveland's Countrey they use have Turffe half Charcoale There is a way by making a kinde of Barter with Loame Urine c. vvhich vvil cause Charcoale to last very long as I am informed but these discourses belong to another place It 's a great Deficiency here in England vvithout question that vve have no more Bees considering that they are neither chargeable requiring onely a fevv stravves for an house nor troublesome and this Island may maintaine ten times as many for though a place may be over-stocked vvith these Animals as vvith the greater yet I knovv no part of this land that is so and I know divers places which vvould maintain many hundred hives yet scarce one to be seen 2 Our Honey is the best in the vvorld and Wax a staple Commodity Further we know that that cold Countreys not comparable to ours as Moscovia have farre greater quantity than vve have so that it 's incredible vvhat quantity is found in the Woods if the story of the man be true vvho fel up even to the eares in Honey and had there perished had not a Bear on vvhich he caught hold pulled him out Novv I have enquired hovv it commeth to passe that there is so great store of Honey in Moscovia considering the Winters are extreame cold and also very long and I am credibly informed that first the spring vvhen it beginneth cometh extraordinary fast that the dayes are very long and the Summers farre dryer than ours here in England so that the Bees are not hindered by continual showers as they are some yeares here in this Isle and lastly that the Countrey aboundeth much vvith Firs and Pine-trees vvhich the Inhabitants usually cut that the Gumme Rosinous or Turpentine substance may sweat forth to which places the Bees do come and presently fil themselves and returne laden and perhaps for these very reasons Bees thrive very much in New-England 2 We are Deficient in the ordering of them Not to speak of the negligence of particular men which is very frequent nor to write a general story of the ordering of them because it requireth much paper and Mr. Leveret and Butler especially the latter hath written so exactly and upon his own experience that little can be added to it onely in a point or two I differ from him of the which I wil speake briefly 1 That we must take and destroy all the Bees for their Honey and not drive them as they do in Italy once or twice yearly 2 That if a swarme be poor with little Honey that that swarme ought to be taken because it is poore so that the rich stockes are destroyed because they be rich and the poor swarmes because they be poor so that be they rich or be they poore they must be destroyed An Italian reporteth that in the City of Askaly there was a law made that none should destroy a swarme of Bees unlesse he had a just cause accounting it a part of extream injustice and cruelty to take away without cause both the goods and lives of such good and faithful servants I am credibly informed that an English Gentleman beyond the Seas getteth many 100 l yearly by keeping Bees after a new and Ingenious Manner which is thus He hath a roome made very vvarm and close yet vvith glasse-vvindovves vvhich he can open at his pleasure to let the Bees fly abroad vvhen he pleaseth vvhere he keepeth his Bees and feedeth them all vvinter vvith a sweet Composition made of Molossoes Flowers sweet Wine Milke Raisins c. for vvith such things as these they usually feed the Bees in Italy and oftentimes in summer vvhen the vveather is rainy vvindy or so disposed that the Bees cannot conveniently go abroad he feedeth them at home vvith divers svveet things and gathereth divers flovvers and layeth them amongst them and sticketh up many fresh boughes in divers places of his Roomes that in swarming-time they may settle on them by these meanes he preserveth all his svvarmes and gathereth an incredible quantity of Honey and wax and truly this vvay seemeth to me very probable for 1 We knovv the Bees even as vve say of the Aunts vvil vvorke continually even night and day vvinter and summer if that they were not hindered by darkenesse cold and moisture 2 That Bees do not onely make Honey for I suppose that they have a peculiar propriety of making Honey as the Silk-wormes Silk out of Mildewes or Honey but also out of all sweet things as Sugar Molossoes c. 3 That many sweet things may be had far cheaper than Honey which I suppose the Bees wil transmute into perfect Honey This
grievance to the Subject viz. to comand every one to plant or sow so many Mulberry seeds which may easily be procured from beyond Seas c. But I leave States matters to States men I am none A Copy of King James's Letter to the Lords Lieutenants of the several Shires of England for the increasing of Mulberry-Trees and the breeding of Silk-Worms for the making of Silk in England JAMES REX Right Trusty and Wel-beloved we greet you well IT is a principal part of that Christian care which appertaineth to Soveraignity to endeavour by all means possible as well to beget as to encrease among their people the knowledge and practise of all Arts and Trades whereby they may be both weaned from idlenesse and the enormities thereof which are infinite and exercised in such industries and labours as are accompanied with evident hopes not onely of preserving people from the shame and grief of penury but also raising and increasing them in wealth and abundance the Scope which every free-born spirit aime that not in regard of himself onely and the ease which a plentifull estate bringeth to every one in his particular but also in regard of the honour of their Native Countrey whose commendations is no way more set forth then in the peoples Activenesse and Industry The consideration whereof having of late occupied our minde who alwayes esteeme our peoples good our necessary contemplations We have conceived as well by the discourse of our own reason as by information gathered from others that the making of Silk might as well be effected here as it is in the Kingdome of France where the same hath of late years been put in practice For neither is the climate of this Isle so far distinct or different in condition from that Countrey especially from the hither parts thereto but that it is to be hoped that those things which by industry prosper there may by like industry used here have like successe and many private persons who for their pleasure have bred of those worms have found no experience to the contrary but that they may be nourished and maintained here if provision were made for planting of Mulberry-trees whose leaves are the food of the worms And therefore we have thought good thereby to let you understand that although in suffering this invention to take place we do shew our selves somewhat an adversary to our profit which is the matter of our customes for silk brought from beyond the seas will receive some dimunition Neverthelesse when there is question of so great and publick utility to come to our Kingdome and Subjects in general and whereby besides multitudes of people of both sexes and all ages such as in regard of impotency are unfit for other labour may be set on work comforted and relieved we are content that our private benefit shall give way to the publick and therefore being perswaded that no well-affected subject will refuse to put his helping hand to such a work as can have no other private end in us but the desire of the welfare of our people we have thought good in this form onely to require you as a person of greatest authority in that County and from whom the generality may receive notice of our pleasure with more conveniency then otherwise to take occasion either at the Quarter-Sessions or at some other publick place of meeting to perswade and require such as are of a ability without descending to trouble the poor for whom we seek to provide to buy and distribute in that County the number of ten thousand Mul-berry plants which shall be delivered unto them at our City of c. at the rate of two farthings the plant or at 6 s the hundred containing five score plants And because the buying of the said plants at this rate may at the first seem chargeable to our said Subjects whom we would be loath to burthen we have taken order that in March or April next there shal be delivered at the said place a good quantity of Mulberry-seeds there to be sold to such as will buy them by means whereof the said plants will be delivered at a smaller rate then they can be afforded being carried from hence having resolved also in the mean time that there shal be published in print a plain instruction and direction both for the increasing of the said Mulberry-trees the breeding of the Silk-worms and all other things needfull to be understood fur the perfecting of a work every way so commendable and profitable as well to the planter as to those that shall use the trade Having now made known unto you the motives as they stand with the publick good wherein every man is interessed because we know how much the example of our own Deputy Lievtenants and Justices will further this cause if you and other your neighbours will be content to take some good quantities hereof to distribute upon your own lands we are content to acknowledge thus much more in this ditection of ours that all things of this nature tending to Plantation increase of science and works of industry are things so naturally pleasing to our own disposition as we shall take it for an argument of extra-ordinary affection towards our person besides the judgement we shall make of the good dispositions in all those that shall expresse in any kind their ready minds to further the same and shall esteem that in furthering the same they seek to further our honour and contentment having seen in few years space past that our brother the French King hath since his comming to that crown both begun and brought to perfection the making of silks in his Country where he hath won to himself honour and to his subjects a marvellous increase of wealth would account it no little happinesse to us if the same work which begun among our people with no lesse zeal to their good then any Prince can have to the good of theirs might in our time produce the fruits which there it hath done whereof we nothing doubt if ours will be found as tractable and apt to further their own good now the way is shewed them by us their Soveraign as those of France have been to conform themselves to the directions of their King Given under our Signet at our Pallace of Westminster the sixteenth of November in the sixth year of England France and Ireland and of Scotland the two and fortieth 15. Deficiency is the ignorance of the Husbandry of other places viz. what seeds what fruits what grasses they use what Ploughs Harrows Gardening-tools they have how still they manage and improve their lands what cattel they have how they feed and fatten them and how they improve their commodities c. For there is no Countrey where they are such ill Husband-men but in some particular or other they excel as we see even in the several Counties of this Island every County hath something or other wherein they out-strip their neighbours And that much
seriously to be considered for altough we have plenty of Oaks yet what will it profit for Shipping without Masts and how difficult it is to get great Masts above 22. inches diameter is very well known Many things I might add of this kind but for brevities sake I refer you to Master Iohn Tredescan who hath taken great pains herein and daily raiseth new and curious things 3. Consider that these new Ingenuities may be profitable not onely to the Publick but also to Private men as we see by those who first planted Cherries Hops Liquorice Saffron and first sowed Rape-seeds Colliflowers Woad Would Early Pease Assparagus Melons Tulips Gilliflowers c. and why may we not find some things beneficial to us also 16. Deficiency is the ignorance of those things which are taken from the Earth and Waters of this Island Although it may seem to many that these things do little concern the Husbandman who usually is not a Naturalist but onely indeavoureth to know his own grounds and the seeds proper for it and seldome pierceth into the bowels of the earth yet if we consider that out of the earth he hath Marle Lime Stone Chalk for the inriching his lands and also Loam and Sand for his buildings oftentimes fuel for fire c. it will plainly appear that it is necessary for him to know all subterrany things and to be a Petty-Phylosopher and that the knowledge of these things will be very beneficial for him And here I cannot but take notice of a great deficiency amongst us viz. that we have not the natural history of all the Sands Earth Stones Mines Minerals Metals c. which are found in this Island it would not onely advance Husbandry but also many other Mechanick Arts and bring great profit to the publick I hope some ingenious man will at length undertake this task for the Lord hath blessed this Island with as great variety as any place that is known as shall in part appear anon and it may be proved by that great variety which is found near the Spaw-waters in Knaresborough as Dr. Dean relateth in his Book called the English Spaw Or the glory of Knaresbrough springing from several famous fountains there adjacent called the Vitriol sulphurous and dropping Wels and also other Mineral waters whose words are these Here is found not onely white and yellow Marle Plaister Oker Rudd Rubrick Freestone an hard Greet-stone a soft Reddish stone Iron stone Brimstone Vitriol Niter Allum Lead and Copper and without doubt divers mixtures of these but also many other Minerals might perhaps be found out by the diligent seach and industry of those who would take pains to labour a little herein Printed at York by Tho Broad being to be sold in his shop at the lower end of stone-gate near to Common-Hall-Gates 1649. This Letter will not permit me to make a compleat Natural History of the things of this Isle yet I shal relate divers things which may be as hints to set some others to work which I have found in Mr. Cambden and others and shall briefly instruct the Husbandman what he ought to take notice of for his own and others good And first if he live nigh the Sea let him take notice of those things the Sea casteth up for it hath even with us cast up Ambergreece which is worth so much Gold with the which not long since a Fisherman of Plymouth greased his boots not knowing what it was sometimes it casteth up Jet and Amber as at Whitbey oftentimes In former times we had Oysters which had very fair great Pearls in them of good worth and at this time some of them are found in Denbigh-shire Coperas-stone likewise is found along by the Sea-Coasts of Kent Essex Sussex Hampshire out of the which Copperas is made a thing very useful for Dâ—ers Curriers c. further Sea-weeds are not to be sleighted for in Iersey they have no other fuel amongst them and here in England it is burnt to make Kelpe for Glassemen and is also very good manure for divers Lands also Sea-owse is not only good to lay on Land but at Dover and other places the Inhabitants make Brick thereof called Flaunders-Bricks c. Sea-sands in Cornwall do very much enrich their Lands and in Cumber-land out of a certain kind of sand they extract Salt c. 2. Let him take notice of all sorts of Waters which issue forth of the earth differing from the ordinary in Colour Odour Taste for it is well known how advantagious these waters are oftentimes not only to particular men but also to the Countrey about yea to the whole Island as appeareth by the waters of Tunbridge in Kent and of Epsham in Surrey Knaresborough Spaw in York-shire and by the Allum-waters in Newenham in Warwick-shire like Milk in taste and colour and are excellent for the Stone and wounds and also it appeareth by the salt Fountains in Worcester-shire and Cheshire which furnish all those parts with an excellent fine white salt by the hot Bath's in Summer-setshire and the luke-warm waters by Bristol c. At Pitchford in Shropshire is a fountain which casteth forth liquid Bitumen which the people use for Pitch c. 3. Let him not despise the sorts of Sands which he findeth for some Sands are for buildings as the rough sorts others for scowring others for casting fine metals as Highgate sand others for the Glasse mex as a sand lately found in Sussex In Scotland there is a sand which containeth a considerable quantity of Gold and in divers Countries fine Gold aboundeth very much in sands and if we may believe an excellent Dutch Chymist there is scarce any sand without it 4. Let him take notice of the Earth Loames Clayes c. which have divers and necessary uses as first the stiffest Clayes as New-Castle and Nonsuch are for the Glassemens Pots for Crucibles melting pots the lesse stiffe for ordinary Earthen wares Brewers Tiles Bricks c. white Clay is for Tobacco-pipes Marle of divers colours and stiffness is excellent for Husband-men Fuller's-Earth is found in Kent Surrey and lately in divers other places for the great benefit of the Clothier Rub and Rubrick in York-shire as also divers other in Oxford and Glocester-shire excellent for Painters c. Turffe for firing may be found in most parts of this Isle if people were industrious necessity now and then compelleth them to be inquisitive as it did lately at Oxford and Kent where it is found in good quantity in Holland they have little fuel save what is taken out of their ditches and therefore it is truly said that their firing is as it were fish'd out of the water and its indifferent good fuel Coales are found in very many places yet divers places are in great want of them 5. Let him take notice of the several stones found in this Isle as of Freestones for building Cobbels and rough hard stones for paving Tomb-stones soft sandy stones commonly called
sands before or vvithin them the shape of them Hawks What sorts of Havvks in Ireland where they breed vvhat store hovv and vvherin they differ from each other the manner of the slights of each of them and at vvhat games each of them best and hovv to be nurtured Heads Capes Description of all the principal heads of the Coast their height spaciousnesse vvhether of bare rock heathie grassie vvhether steep or vvith a strand before them hovv far distant from the next places of note Herbs What gardens stored vvith rare and choice herbs and vvith vvhat store Heaths Where any grear Heaths vvhat extent vvhether in Champion or Mountain vvhether altogether barren or some vvays improvable vvho hath reduced Heaths into profitable lands vvhat scopes vvith vvhat helps and to vvhat advantages Heath-cocks See Growses Hedge-hogs Where they breed in any great numbers vvhat they feed on vvhat harm they do vvhat vvays used to take them hovv they ingender and hovv numerously vvhether their flesh eaten by any vvhat use made of their skins Hedging Hempe Where any great quantities sovvn upon vvhat ground and hovv manured vvhat hurt or good it doth to the ground the vvhole manner of ordering hempe Hernshaws Hens Where any be what store when in season what paticulars have been observed about their nature breeding feeding c. Herrings On what places of the Coast taken what time a year what quantities how sold the mease the whole manner of salting and re-salting them what are the signes of their being out of season what windes and weather best for taking them Hides What quantities yearly used to be sent forth at what rates Hills What Countreys all hillie Hoary-frosts What hurt done by them to fruit corne grasse c. Hobbies What their peculiar quality size what store of the race left and where Hogs Hollie Where any great store groweth and to a perfect bignesse what use made of the wood of the rind Honey What quantities made in such or such a Countie what sorts what goodnesse Hops Where any hop gardens when and by whom planted what yearly profit they yield Of what goodnesse the Irish hops Horses What good races in Ireland where and whose where any great steeds kept by whom upon what grounds how long Mares are with foale vvhether ever they foale more then one at once at vvhat years they use to give over Diseases ordinarily incident to horses the causes prevention and cures of them Horseleeches Hounds I. Iackdaws What store of them in Ireland where most vvhat harm they do their nature and breeding Ice Islands Description of the Islands upon the coast and in the Loghs their number bignesse vvhat kind of soile and vvhat they bear vvhat trees on them vvhat hills brooks rocks in them Iron Iron-mines Where any Iron-mines are of vvhat sorts rock-mâ—ne vvhite-mine or bog-mine hovv found out and hovv digg'd especially the bog-mine and rock-mine vvhich mines the richest and hovv much oare vvill yield a tun of iron vvhat kind of iron each sort of Mine giveth Iron-works Where any are and vvhose vvhen and by whom made the charges of making one and of maintaining one vvhat yearly profit they yield hovv much iron they melt in tvventy foure houres what proportion of charchoale is laid to the oare in vvhat order they are put into the furnace hovv far the furnace is filled vvhat store of men imployed about one work and in what several offices The manner of melting and hammering the iron at the forges and with how much waste Juniper-trees Whether any grow in Ireland and where K. Kine See Cows What the best grounds and grasse for Kine to feed on what dâ—seases incident to Kine and the ways to prevent and cure them Kites What store in Ireland what places they breed what ways used to destroy them Knives Where any good ones made where they have the steel how they temper them what waters best for to harden them c. L. Lambs The manner of rearing them Lampreys Where any be what store how taken when in season how they breed and ingender Lands Leeks Larks Observations concerning their nature and properties when in season Leather Lettice Leeches See Horse-leeches Licoris Leeks Where any groweth what quantity what goodnesse Lice Lime Limestone What several sorts of kilnes used for lime and what sorts of fiering the whole manner of burning lime and the charges of it whether any differences of limestone in colour brittlenesse c. where they use lime for the inriching of the ground what quantity to an Acre what time a yeare Lightning Lind-trees Whether any grow in Ireland where and by whom planted Ling. Where any taken what quantity what time a year the manner of salting it the shape of the fish Lisards Observations of their nature and properties Loghs What Loghs in every Province and County of what depth length breadth compasse what Islands in them and what sorts of fish Lobsters In what places they are plentiful when in season what time of the year they cast their coat and how long it is before they get a new one M. Maccamboy Whether there be such a thing at all that this herb should purge the body meerly by external touch or whether it be a fable what particular observations have been taken for or against it the shape of the herb and in what place it groweth Macarels On what parts of the coasts they are taken in any great plenty when they come to be in season and how long Madder Whether any be planted in Ireland where what quantities how manured and ordered Maggot apies See Pies Maggots Maids A kind of scate or thorn-back In what parts to be had what quantity what time a year their nature and properties Mallards See Ducks Malt. Manuring The several ways of manuring the ground with all the particulars of each kind and where used Marble What sorts are found in what places in what ground champion mountain or hill vvhat soile over head how deep they dig for it the charges of digging it Marle Where any is found in what County and Baronie of each Province how long since it was found and by whom what ground over head and how deep the depth of the Marle it self the nature and colour on 't upon what grounds they use it what time a year how many loads to an Acre and at what charges what grains marled land wilt bear and how many years together how to be used afterwards and whether it may be used more then once upon the same piece of ground and with what effect Marshmallows Whether any grow of themselves where what store Mastiffs What store of them in Ireland their several natures and properties Match Where any made in Ireland of the whole manner of making it Measures What several measures usuall in Ireland for the measuring of Land Corne Beere Wine Fish c. Meaws sea-meaws Where any store what use made of them their nature and properties whether there be any different kinds of