deepe enough when your selfe faith you will plowe it yet deeper by a foote more if neede be and I pray you so do but take heede you meete not with those furious beasts you speake of in your book This Plough will serue to make ditches but for the danger of those beasts that will deuoure the Corne when it lieth so deepe and light for if they catch you and your Plough in most grounds of England they would surely deuoure your Plough and put your person in great hazard without speedie helpe and therefore we will not plow so deepe it is good sleeping in a whole skin But if you had been contented with halfe a foote more then ordinarie there had been some possibilitie in some places yet with much adoe therfore I pray you giue some men leaue that haue or may haue good Teemes Ploughs though not made after your fashion to goe but two or three inches more than ordinary then they may plow some ten or twelue inches with much adoe where the land will permit so if our Corne haue fiue or sixe inches to spring vpward euen from the lower most part of his roote and as much downward it shall be sufficient to content vs with the increase of eyght or sixe quarters vpon an Acre Note well doe you plowe it deeper for thirtie or twentie quarters vpon an Acre God send it you that venter so deepe for it And as for laying our ground leuell and plaine we will not follow your counsell in your booke nor feare your woodden dagger your huswife-like instructions are to rake away the grasse that the light Harrow leaueth till it be as leuell as a Garden and then to set it as though any good husband would haue his Land so out of tilth and ouergrowne with weedes that at sowing or setting time the Land should neede the raking of the grasse after a good sommer fallowe It is time for such a Ploughman to throwe his Plough in the hedge and take the Spade in hand and become one of your threescore laborers and then in the fame place you tell vs of laying it as leuell as a Garden And I pray you sir then what shall become of the Corne of the best and most grounds of England speciallie for Wheate and Rie Winter Corne cannot lie too hie in most grounds For if you leuell it so like a Garden without all question it will be drowned for the most part come to little or no good at all for all men I thinke that euer saw Husbandrie or vnderstoode naturall reason know that such Land nay most Land must be laide high and round with furrowes according to the qualitie of the soile or else the seede will be drowned And to breake the clods we may vse the Rowler as we doe for our Barlie if neede be and so much shall serue for instruction or rather perswasion of such as you haue inueigled with so many idle doubts in a matter that may be perceiued by those that are not wilfullie blinde or not skilfull at all in Husbandrie Scholler Not so sir these are not altogether so idle as you make them but I pray you how will you make this barren Land rich enough to haue such increase as will answere the charge of setting Ploughman Indeede that is not altogether so idle as the other but yet very easie to be answered and very likelie to be compassed euen in the barrenest Countries and places farre remoued from all meanes to enrich their Land Here then I would aduise all good Husband-men that intend setting to lay all their soile and foule doung that they vsed to scatter ouer thirtyAcres or there abouts being their ordinarie season I say lay it vpon ten Acres And by reason they leaue twentie Acres to rest they shall keepe more store of Sheepe either of their own or take to folde of other mens and so keep them better and by that meanes their folde will be much bigger and their Land will be folded much better and if there be any Marle of Chalke or of other sort of good molde neere to be had by any meanes they shall now haue leasure to fetch it by reason they haue so little tillage to doe or else doe this follow the example of a Gentleman that made a great quantitie of soile by the fodering of all his Cattell vpon a peece of exceeding ranke ground about an Acre which being very good and restie Land neere his house he plowed vp in the end of Aprill when his Cattell went to grasse and with two or three plowings so mixed the restie ranke ground with the doung and so fodder of his cattell that he had ten loade for one of very good soile to the fatting of other grounds then otherwise he should haue had and also there is much dounge to be made with Ferne in places where it is neere many good Husbands do prouide great store in summer that in winter will serue for cattell to sit drie vpon and make great store of soile with little cost hauing now so much leisure in this small Tillage By these and diuers other good meanes very common and easie when men haue little plowing they may so inrich their land that they shall not neede to doubt of a better increase by Gods helpe sufficient to pay the charge of setting liberally with threefold increase at Haruest Scholler Then you may fall into another inconuenience that I warned you of in my booke that is to make your land too ranke and then your Corne will ledge and euery stalke will be slender and long euery eare will be heauier and longer than ordinarie and so the Corne will fall downe and ledge and cometo little good Ploughman This inconuenience will easilie be helped Wee had first neede to helpe our barren land and make it hartie and then for falling and ledging I will set it thin enough as the qualitie of the ground requireth for it is the thicke sowing of ranke land vpon euill tillage that causeth Corne to ledge Note If the land be rich and the yeere wet the Corne ranke and the weedes many then as you say it is like to ledge few poore men in England complaine their land is too rich or desire their Corne more thin for then their purses would be more emptie I could easilie teach them such tricks as well as you with all Reason and experience teacheth and proueth that the straw will be bigger and much stronger your cunning and as for the length and slendernes of the straw I doubt not but it will be fit to beare the heauie eares which God send me and take you the light if you like them better Scholler Your reasons may proue good for sowing but for setting you will be set a ground presentlie For where will you get people enow to set a Season fit for a Teeme to be kept on All the labourers in the Countrie will scant serue you and fiue or sixe
heart with their poore cattell and themselues I shall not onely thinke my labour happely bestowed in writing but all the poore people may thank God as much for the printing of it as for any booke set foorth in our time for a matter of this qualitie and which is of no small importance for the common-wealth of this land But yet I must not yeeld that plowing and sowing will be of like profit for the common-wealth as plowing and setting seeing the same will be done yet with much lesse charge comparing tenne acres of the best land set with other tenne as good sowed which I will prooue by example and tried experience and first it is wel knowne by often triall that lesse then halfe a bushel of very choise seede wheate will set as much land as three bushels will sowe So that whereas ten or twelue great Acres of land will require some three or foure quarters to sowe them the same land may be set with sixe or seuen bushels at the most for there will be faued some three quarters of the best seede Corne euery yeere which is now worth fortie shillings a quarter and commeth to sixe poundes and exceedeth the extraordinarie charge of setting aforesaid by much Fiue or sixe thousand quarters of Graine saued euery yeare by Corne setting all obiections answered and will amount to the sauing of some three hundred thousand quarters of the best Wheate and Rie growing in this Land and much more in Barlie Pease and Beanes and so of all sorts of graine I thinke it would saue aboue fiue or sixe hundred thousand quarters euery yeere in her Maiesties Dominions And yet giue mee leaue to tell you Gentleman that I dare confidently auow seeing both reason doth teach and experience doth proue that an Acre orderly set will yeeld more increase by some three quarters than an Acre sowne which increase at Haruest being added to the other three quarters saued at seede time commeth to some sixe quarters of Corne at fortie shillings a quarter twelue pound as it is now worth in many Countries which will defray the charges of setting double though your Plowmen follow their Teemes giue vs no help And yet this I must confesse that in time of great plentie when Corne is at a low price and where chargeable seruants or labourers dwell Chargeable seruants and ill workemen a great hinderance to all good Husbandire that will not serue or worke vnder fiue pound and a fustian doublet or in such places where their land and themselues are so rich with such times places and persons this poore booke or rather booke for the poore hath yet little to say vntil such time as they be brought to consider that after great plentie may follow as great scarsitie the wealthiest Corne-master and stoutest labourer or seruant may in time become like one of their poorest neighbours Great men in this and all ages haue been subiect to their fall Lasie vsurie a capitall enemie to all industrious husbandrie lewes onely did vse it in England about the raigne of King Richard the first anno 1189. Iob. 1.1 1. Pet. 4.7 Iob was accounted as rich in his time as the greatest Corne-master or the wealthiest Vsurer that liues in our time yet the Lord made an example of his seruant Iob to all posteritie albeit hee was an vpright and iust man one that feared God and eschued euil If vengeance begin at the house of God where shall the wicked and vngodly appeare I write not this against good minded men whom it hath pleased God to blesse with plentie of Corne and yet loue their brethren and poore neighbours some such good men no doubt haue been and yet are in England who may be accounted patterns for others to followe or patrons that is fathers to their Countrie by storing vp Corne in the time of plentie with purpose to bring it forth in scarcitie to sell it at a lower rate for the good of the poore Such good men no doubt are to be praised with gracious Ioseph The murmuring of the people prouoketh Gods wrath who by laying vp of Corne in the time of plenty preserued not only the whole kingdome of Aegypt but also the whole Church of God then visible on earth for which cause his industrie is recorded and commended for the instruction of all posteritie And by the way I wish all murmuring people to consider what it is to grudge and repine against Gods works and to be more aduised how they speake against good Magistrates and such good men as carefullie respect the publike weale of the Land Exod. 16.2 Numb 11.13 Furthermore that it may yet appeare more manifestly that plowing and setting of Corne is euery way much more profitable and lesse chargeable than plowing and sowing and that euerie Farmer may easilie set the third part of his land with his owne familie and two or three of the poorest people only at setting time whereby he may yet haue more leasure to practise and performe euerie complement that shall be likelie to further his increase let him Tyll but the third part of his land as of thirtie Acres ten and so whereas he was wont to giue his thirtie Acres vpon a sommer fallow some foure or fiue plowings as some grounds will require and as most good Husbands doe for thereby they doe kill the weedes which of all things I would all men should most speciallie regard So then thirtie Acres hauing at least foure plowings amounteth to an hundred and twentie daies worke at the least and ten Acres hauing fiue plowings euerie Acre which is but fiftie daies worke at the most so here is threescore and ten daies worke spared in your winter season for Wheate or Rie and as much for Barlie which being in all one hundred and twentie daies worke or there about is very neere the third part of the whole yeere spared for your Plowes and Teemes The third part of the yeere spared from plowing by setting of corne therefore forget not therein to forue God which I wish should be otherwise imployed to some good worke as no doubt but euerie good Husband will finde worke enough for them to do But yet let them bestowe some part of this time so well gained a little to serue God in prayer morning and euening either in their priuat families or with a diligent Minister they that dwel neere the Church one halfe houre in a morning or euening or both if they haue any thing to doe at Church with God or with their neighbours it will be a good meeting place if it be done to good purposes It is a small portion of so many daies spared and no doubt but God will the rather blesse the increase of such as will serue him according as he hath promised and as the Scripture saith Paul planteth Apollo watereth but it is the Lord no doubt that giueth the increase as well in temporall as in spirituall blessings Beware
of Atheisme Thus we all must beleeue and so I hope we doe vnlesse there be any of so desperate and cursed opinion that thinks there is no God to blesse and helpe their increase which God forbid that her Maiesties dominions should beare any such detestable and cursed imps and lims of Sathan to rest on this earth that should so much as giue any cause of suspition of any such abomination so as many as doe so well begin the day with the seruice of God may cheerefullie expect from the Almightie a blessing vpon their labours who promiseth to blesse the worke of our hands if we feare him And to proceede in this argument yet a little further in our Husbandrie which no doubt may be yet exceeding lie furthered diuers waies in this time so well gained as first to make great choise of our Seede corne for as Master Plat well saith euerie corne that is within the eare is not apt to grow for God hath created some of them for the food of liuing creatures and some for seed The choise of the seede the killing of the weede and resting of the land and time so well gained to doe all this and serue God too is like to bring a good increase There be in euerie eare certaine abortiue or bastardlie cornes small and whinderlings which will hardlie grow and are vnprofitable for any good increase but there are other cornes which are bigger and fairer then the rest which no doubt God by nature hath ordained for good and great increase and therefore seeing you haue so much leisure you may spend more time in picking your Seede corne after corne if you thinke good The best way to make choise of your seede But indeed the best way and most speedie is to put the corne into a tub of water and so the most heauie corne will soonest sinke to the bottome and the lightest with other seedes which were wont to be sowen you may take presentlie away for els in a small time the lighter will also sinke by taking water to make it heauie also But you must doe this but a little before you intend to sow it and in doing whereof you may helpe your Seed corne verie much as it were with a dunging as I my selfe haue done my Seede barlie When the yeere hath prooued drie at Barlie seed time I haue caused certaine wotting fattes or tubs vsed for Malting to be filled with water and caused Cow dung and Pigeon dung to be put into the same water stirring it together and it hath stood a day or two but the longer the better with often stirring it Then haue I let or powred out the same water from the dung and put it into other cleane vessels and then I put in my Seede all day and all night and the next day tooke it out and laid it vpon a floore to dry it fit to handle and cast abroad by sowing And trulie that Barlie hath shot an eare as soone as other that was sowen some fourteene daies before it Whereof in my opinion one great commoditie dooth follow in that the corne speciallie Barlie at that time of the yeere commeth away so speedelie that it out groweth all the weedes who are the chiefe and deadlie enemies to all corne Thus the corne may flourish and be master of the field like a braue Captaine for so no doubt hee getteth better roote to begin the world with and more heart to continue and bring foorth increase more aboundantlie when it hath at first gotten the start and vpper hand of his mortall enemies One hundred and twentie daies yet spared for good Husbands to inrich their land and themselues This picking and watring worke is fittest to be performed by the good wife and her maides and children at home and our hundred and twentie daies that wee spared from plowing as aforesaid yet giueth more time to the good man and his Ploughmen with their Teemes to fetch Marle of Chalk or of any other kind of soile fit for the condition of their land if it be possible to be had as no doubt it is in most places though in some they may happen to goe farre for it but in sixe or seuen weekes part of the foresaid time a Teeme will carrie much though it be farre to fetch Further also those that haue sower barren colde grounds may in this time all by leisure follow the example of the Cornish and Deuonshire men that beate and burne their land which no doubt is an excellent peece of good Husbandrie and now vsed by good Husbands in manie places of England and Wales A commendation of Cornewall and Deuonshire And whereof Cornewall and Deuon hath so tasted the benefit that whereas of late time Cornewall was wont to haue most of their bread-corne by sea from other countries now by this meanes they haue great plentie to spare and send ouer much by sea into other countries There will be manie other profitable workes found out by manie good Husbands to keepe their people and Teemes at worke The Plow and the Spade very good frīeds allow each others worke for setting as the place requireth if it please them and such as haue a better minde to vse the Spade to set their Corne and so by experience shall finde much better increase which I will not denie but it may be so nor discommend the industrious inuention and practise of the Spade and speciallie for setting of poore people to worke which indeede is a matter of great regard which by no meanes I would hinder for as in this action by setting of Corne the chiefe and principall respect is the sauing of such a goodlie deale of Seede Corne yeerelie so fondlie cast away as before is shewed so speciallie by setting of Corne the poorest and most miserable people that can otherwise earne little or nothing shall now be set to worke because they are best cheape to be hired and are as well able to performe this worke as the lustie labourers that sometime in some countries no reasonable wages will intertaine them Middlesex Kent and places neere the mightie citie of London these are fit for rich men and to be imployed in rich land where the owners may haue rich crops to pay such great wages to such proud labourers and seruants that will serue and worke where they list and haue what wages they list and then doe what they list make what lawes and statutes her Maiestie her Councell and the Parliament can deuise I meane such seruants as intend not to serue their masters faithfullie for their masters profit but for their owne amongst whom there are manie theeues which some Gentlemen Farmers and other with their wiues and children haue dearely paid for to their great and importable losse and hindrance This proud kinde of slouens and sluts which some masters haue and doe keepe from the halter haue no need to be pitied but rather to be punished A reward for
such as you would be Ploughman Sir I wonder what you meane to talke still so idlie as though it were fit for me or any man to set our whole seasons when we haue laide all our soile and bestowed all our labour tillage and cost vpon the third part onely to the intent to make that so hartie and rich that by all reason common experience and Gods blessing it may yeeld as much and more increase than the whole would haue done Neither am I tied by any necessitie that I know of to set all my third part vnsesse I may doe it conuenientlie in all respects Note well for when I haue thus plowed my land and made it readie to set I may sowe thereof what I will if I lacke setters and it is likelie to beare three times as much being thus well handled as other poore barren land so misused for lacke of such good Husbandrie But now for setting of ten Acres of Wheate or Rie or other graine being the third part of most mens Season why should I not finde people enow to set them seeing you confesse that threescore laborers and twentie women and children will digge and set thirtie Acres in seuen weekes Why good sir if I be at the charge and can dresse my land with my Plough my selfe what haue I to doe with your threescore labourers that should haue been imployed in your digging I will spare them all for you seeing you will needes haue so many Acres digged for you might as well haue vnderstoode Master Plat the author of the first booke that he meant not to haue the whole number of euery mans season to be digged when he proposed that three Acres might beare as much as thirtie And although I am of your opinion this will seldome proue true in action yet cannot you nor the best Scholler in England disproue the principles that he grounds his proportion vpon for he addes diuers approued examples in practise to proue his arguments And for your twentie women and children poore people I am sorrie for the most of them may still want worke and liue a staruing kinde of miserable life for by your perswasions they should earne iust nothing and so none of the poore by this meanes set to worke in your Husbandrie Well yet I will propose lesse worke by the third part in my Husbandrie and so will haue but the third part of your women and children Note which being but seuen will set my ten Acres in seuen weekes whilest your threescore diggers and twentie women and children be digging and setting your thirtie Acres in the same time by your owne account and by Gods helpe if this third part of the land be imployed we shall haue worke sufficient for all our poore people and poore people enow for all our worke I will therefore spare you foure or fiue of those seuen poore people for a supplie to your companie least any should happen to faile in some hot skirmish and then I shall onely be troubled with some two or three of your poore people or some lame Souldier Prouision for lame and maimed Souldiers he will serue my turne though he want a legge or an arme and so let vs recken the charge of three poore women and children which will be hired for eighteene pence a day at most which is but nine shillings Charges of setting a weeke and for seuen weekes is three poundes three shillings for the wages of those poore people vnto whom I will ioyne our two plow-folkes for away goe our Teemes to rest and gather flesh against winter our Wiues will spare one of their maides and many of vs haue two or three children and our selues for ouer-seers of the worke all these are aboue nine persons for your seuen and all their charges is but three poundes three shillings more than ordinarie Ten Acres as soone plowed and set with seuen people as thirtie digged and set with soure score and so you see that two or three poore people at most with our owne familie shall be as well able to set our ten Acres in seuen weekes as your fourescore men women and children shall digge and set thirtie Acres in the very same time But if you thinke that Wheate or Rie will be set in the beginning of March in rich land as you say in your booke and truly I am of your opinion and the rather because you affirme that the best croppe of Corne that euer you saw was a sommer croppe of Wheate vpon a rich ground now it will be a great commoditie if we may stay to set our richest land vntill after Christide for by some meanes or other we may by that time make some of our land better than other and the nature of some land of it selfe is much better than other then will we set our poorest land first and begin about the middle of September or neere thereupon euery Countrie and place as the condition of the land requireth and so continue setting in the fairest weather vntill the middle of December or there abouts so then we shall haue some thirteene weeks at least before Christide and some seuen weekes after before March It is most certaine that this late setting or sowing being in very good ground is the best to auoide the Mildew and the smut Thus a poore Farmer may well set ten Acres in twentie weekes with his owne familie hauing wife and children as most haue and doe it all by leasure Scholler I must needes confesse that your experience Your mislike or writing will not hinder if it proue profitable hath taught you to say more in this matter than I conceiued of it before But yet seeing you looke for no more increase than sixe or eight quarters vpon an Acre it is not the admirable arte the first booke speakes of which made me mislike and write as I did for many men in diuers places haue had the like increase neither doe I yet perceiue how the charges of setting will be answered nor any matter worthie so great account as you make of it Ploughman What you see I know not or what the cause should be I cannot tell that so many men should be so blinde or so vnwilling to see how to doe themselues and their neighbours so much good but I feare me it is the iust punishment of God vpon vs the sinfull people of this good Land that we hauing so great plentie of all good things do consume with gluttonie and with drunkennesse so great blessings of God alreadie bestowed vpon vs A caueat for gluttons and drunkards and if we should by this meanes or any other expect a greater aboundance than yet we haue receiued it is to be feared that the Lord that seeth how wickedlie we would consume it will not permit such an vnthankfull people to receiue so exceeding great a benefit but euen by our owne frowardnes will quite ouerthrow it Take heede of murmuring and
vnthankfulnes ioyned with frowardnes But yet let vs see if we can possiblie be brought to discerne any thing worthie account in this noueltie as you tearme it And for example say that thirtie Acres by Rodde will require three bushels of seede Winchester measure to euerie Acre In some part of Essex their land requireth lesse seede well obserued by some good Husbands for so you say it will and so in most land it doth which is eleuen quarters and two bushels of seede to thirtie Acres What is the vsuall increase vpon an Acre in the common fields barren land Scholler The increase of an Acre of such barren land commonly is not aboue two quarters one yeere with another and one Acre with another and when they so doe there neede be no dearth in England for where one hath aboue three hath not so much and therefore you will hardlie approue that your setting will be to any great purpose in those common fields barren Land Ploughman The best setting of Corne is in the common fields barren land when by these instructions it is so amended Verie well sir I am glad you haue declared your conceite in this poynt and euen for those barren Countries and barren common fields doe I auowe this Husbandrie to be most profitable and for their sakes onlie and altogether doe I take all this paines and vse so manie perswasions against so many fond obiections as you and most men vse against this good Husbandrie of Corne setting and not for those that are occupiers of rich land either by nature or so made by soile Their increase is plentifull alreadie and therefore I thinke it no great worke of charitie to bestow much labour vpon such rich men as commonlie with good Husbandrie vse such rich land but I speake and write for poore men and desire to make their poore land and them the richer by this good Husbandrie which I will maintaine vpon equall tearmes or by practise with any Husbandman in England of what countrie or shire so euer he be or dwell in Note well And now to our purpose again and I pray you marke well what I say you confesse as the truth is that an Acre by the Rodde will beare but two quarters commonlie one yeere with another which is but threescore quarters for thirtie Acres and that such an Acre will require three bushels to sowe it which is for thirtie Acres eleuen quarters and two bushels of seede as aforesaide so then take your eleuen quarters two bushels of seede sowed at seede time out of threescore quarters reaped at haruest there will remaine fortie eight quarters and sixe bushels increase by this computation then come to our ten Acres of like measure which will be set with fiue bushels what may we looke for euerie yeere vpon an Acre set with halfe a bushell by Gods blessing we are as likelie to haue sixe or seuen quarters vpon an Acre that is well dunged tilled the seede choiselie picked and the land orderlie set as other haue had vpon an Acre sowne which is vpon ten Acres threescore and ten quarters And what is then our increase of these ten Acres if you take fiue bushels of seede set at seede time out of threescore and ten quarters reaped at haruest there will remaine some threescore and nine quarters and three bushels increase so it is manifest that our increase by setting of ten Acres with fiue bushels is more then by sowing of thirtie Acres with eleuen quarters and two bushels by some twenty quarters and fiue bushels Scholler Say that all this doe follow as you would haue it and truly I cannot deny but it may yet the charge of setting and the trouble will be so great that it will not be worth the practise Ploughman Well it is manifestlie proued that two or three poore people with the ordinarie familie of all men that sowe thirtie Acres to a season may set ten Acres and that the wages of those poore people for setting time was but three poundes three shillings at sixe pence a day and for that charge you do saue twentie Acres of land at fiue shillings an Acre fiue poundes and the Plowing of that land three plowings to euery Acre before you sowe it which is threescore plowings at two shillings euerie time is sixe poundes then you saue some twentie quarters and fiue bushels of Corne as aforesaid worth in most yeeres twenty shillings a quarter comes to twentie poundes twelue shillings sixe pence So by this reckening which in truth and substance cannot be denied you will saue some one and thirtie poundes twelue shillings sixe pence And although I doe prise the twentie Acres so spared as aforesaid at fiue shillings an Acre as it were to be let out for rent yet I rather thinke that any good Husband that so spareth twentie Acres to rest from his principall seasons or Wheate Rie or Barlie will sowe after the olde fashion if it please him some sixe eight or ten Acres with Pease Beanes Bucke otherwise called french Wheate or with Oates vpon one earth or Plowing whereby he may haue great store of strawe for his Cattell meate for his wiues Hens and prouender for his Horse ouer and besides so much increase and profite of those sixe eight or ten Acres as shall defraie all the extraordinarie charge of setting with aduantage And because I haue heard this kinde of complaint often and many men doubt their neighbours and their own seruants will not meddle with such a pidling troublesome worke whose frowardnes no doubt will doe much hurt I wish any such that dwell amongst such neighbours or haue such seruants as indeed I thinke many haue to sell some three or foure quarters of their seede corne that before was spared and allow double their wages to straungers and I will assure them workmen plentie to doe so easie and cleane a worke And yet then the charge will be but sixe pound sixe shillings which taken out of the former profits there will remaine some twentie fiue pound sixe shillings sixe pence which will helpe a poore Farmer towards the payment of his rent Scholler This obiection is none of your owne Master Scholler you had helpe of a Lawyer Your comparison betweene tenne acres passing well husbanded and made rich and then set and thirtie acres of barren land sowed no doubt will bee a matter of great difference and therefore I wish to be followed of all men But what say you to good land either by nature or helpe of soyle that will vsually beare fiue or sixe quarters vpon an acre and if your setting will amount to no more increase then after a man hath laid all his cost vpon so small quantitie of land and made it so good he will sow it and saue the charge of setting Ploughman If this booke do but perswade our countrimen that occupie much barren land to sow but the third part or halfe their land which they were wont to worke out of
faithfull and good seruants And such masters whom it pleaseth God to blesse with a good seruant let him be accompted as a precious iewell and vsed with due respect pay him his wages trulie and leaue him not a poore man It is the Lord the great Master his commaundement by the wise Salomon as you may reade in his Prouerbes As touching the Instruments to bee employed about setting of Corne although I might leaue euerie man to his owne inuention or referre them to Master Plats booke whose instructions in many things I doe commend yet because it may be that all men haue not that booke and desire some instruction therefore I will recite an example of his which he best commendeth which is a boord of three foote in length or thereabouts and twelue or tenne inches in breadth hauing diuers holes bored therein according to such distance as euerie particular man dooth best fansie through each of which holes a woodden dipper or pin to be thrust into the ground being of the bignes of ones finger and of three or foure inches in length hauing a shoulder or crosse-pin to keepe one selfe same certaintie in the depth of each hole Now my inuention is to haue two boords of some two foote broad euerie where and in the middle a staffe or handle set fast to remoue them or if any doe like better to haue them one foote broad and two or three foot long and in euerie of those boords one or two staues or handles of some two foote high set fast to remooue them and also to leaue vpon for their worships ease but for this matter of making of holes I must say with you master Scholler I professe to presse this argument no further being no part of my profession but leaue it to them that shall vse and practise this inuention Only this I doe aduise that euerie man doe well consider the qualitie of his owne ground if it bee exceeding ranke foure or fiue inches distance but most commonly three or foure inches is likely to be most fit and two or three inches deepe as the ground is heauie or light And peraduenture the clods may sometime hinder for which purpose this boorde and this handle or two be verie fit to thrust downe the clods These boords are to be directed by a line to keepe a streight course in setting hauing alwaies a Rake with thicke teeth and a broad head which at one pull will sufficiently fill all the holes And for example to such as are verie simple it is thought good to set downe the order of making of the holes in euerie boord as the same holes shall be of distance more or lesse as if your boord be tenne inches broad and three foote long and your holes fiue inches distance there must bee two rowes of holes and feuen holes in a row and at euery end and fide there must be two inches and more left and for euery scantling or distance whether it be three foure or fiue inches leaue alwaies the outside and the ends halfe the distance or lesse in euerie boord and so it will make a true continuance of one scantling throughout all the worke But if this labour by writing and printing be lost in the behalfe of plowing and setting and that men shuld continue so wilfullie blind to despise Gods blessings vpon themselues their poore neighbours and the whole Common-wealth yet it is to be wished that where men are so obstinatelie addicted to old custome they would yet follow the olde prouerbe which saith A little land well tild a little house well fild and a little wife well wild no doubt but his little land would be as profitable for his purse as his little good wife comfortable to his minde Thus I draw to an end desiring the reader to take some view of such great benefits as this action of plowing and setting may by Gods mercie bring to this our Countrie And I leaue the successe to Gods good blessing And first here I say the plowing taketh away the laborious and chargeable worke of the Spade which made setting of corne seeme vnprofitable and vnpossible to haue laborers and people sufficient to dresse and set fiftie Acres of three thousand in a Parish as the aduerse booke supposeth This now by plowing and setting is prooued that euerie third Acre may be set in all places throughout her Maiesties Dominions Secondly it prooueth plowing and setting to be lesse chargeable then plowing and sowing Prouision for lame souldiers and poore children This benefit is not lightly to be respected Thirdly wee haue prooued that this may be done by the ordinarie familie of most men with some helpe of two or three of his poorest neighbours old men and women poore children lame and distressed souldiers that now can haue no worke for their liuing Fourthly I say this these poore people that indeede ought to bee kept from a staruing kinde of life in so plentifull a Countrie as England is by the wealthie inhabitants of euerie Parish to whom now they are both chargeable and grieuous by this good meanes they may be kept from hunger cold nakednes and idlenes breeding monstrous vices against God her Maiestie and this present happie State deseruing whipping and hanging to the spoile of their bodies perill of their soules Fiftly it saueth great abundance of the best corne growing within her Maiesties Dominions which now is yeerly cast away and lost by sowing or rather burying it too deepe vnder furrow or lying too shallow aboue furrow for Crowes and Mice and other vermine to deuoure from the poore people Sixtly it spareth two parts of the land that is of thirtie Acres twentie may be spared to lie and rest to gather hart for a while and after when it is plowed againe it will bring forth increase of corne abundantly as all m̄e know Seuenthly it will increase great store of pasture in the common fields to the reliefe of all cattell and whereby Two hundred pasture sheepe well fed will dung a fould better then three hundred poore sheepe hungerly kept there may be kept both greater number and better sheep both for growth wooll and soundnes that by these meanes being plentifullie fed will inlarge the poore mans fould and also they wil dung his land much better to the like increase of corne in greater abundance Eightly it will saue great quantities of Hey and Corne for horsemeate which now is spent vpon poore working cattell tired to death with great store of worke vpon much tillage of barren land so that when by this meanes great quantities of grasse and hey is saued from working cattell then greater store maybe reserued to the fatting of cattell so that Gentlemen Farmers and other householders may feede many of their owne Oxen Cowes and Sheepe fat and need not go so often to the Butchers and then their Kine will giue much more milke to make Butter and Cheese when they are much better fed with grasse and hey