14_Fiue hundred pointes of good husbandrie

A brush sithe and grasse sithe, with rifle to stand,

a cradle[E87] for barlie, with rubstone and sand:

Sharpe sikle and weeding hooke, haie fork and rake,

a meake for the pease, and to swinge vp the brake.

[Sidenote: Haruest tooles.]

15[14]

Short rakes for to gather vp barlie to binde,

and greater to rake vp such leauings behinde:

A rake for to hale vp the fitchis that lie,

a pike for to pike them vp handsom to drie.

16[15]

A skuttle or skreine, to rid soile fro the corne,

and sharing sheares readie for sheepe to be shorne:

A fork and a hooke, to be tampring in claie,[16]

a lath hammer, trowel, a hod, or a traie.

Strong yoke for a hog, with a twicher and rings,

with tar in a tarpot,[E88] for dangerous things:[17]

A sheepe marke, a tar kettle, little or mitch,

two pottles of tar to a pottle of pitch.

Long ladder to hang al along by the wal,

to reach for a neede to the top of thy hal:

Beame, scales, with the weights, that be sealed and true,[E89]

sharp moulspare with barbs, that the mowles do so rue.

19[18]

Sharpe cutting spade, for the deuiding of mow,

with skuppat and skauel, that marsh men alow:

A sickle to cut with, a didall and crome

for draining of ditches, that noies thee at home.

20[19]

A clauestock and rabetstock, carpenters craue,

and seasoned timber, for pinwood to haue:

A Jack for to saw vpon fewell for fier,

for sparing of firewood, and sticks fro the mier.

Soles, fetters, and shackles, with horselock and pad,

a cow house for winter, so meete to be had:

A stie for a bore, and a hogscote for hog,

a roost for thy hennes, and a couch for thy dog.

Here endeth husbandlie furniture.

* * * In the edition of 1577 stanzas 31-46 of Augusts Husbandrie

(_post_) are found here.

[16 _contd._]

[Sidenote: Sowing of rie.]

Thresh seed and to fanning, September doth crie,

get plough to the field, and be sowing of rie:

To harrow the rydgis, er euer ye strike,[E90]

is one peece[20] of husbandrie Suffolk doth like.

Sowe timely thy whitewheat, sowe rie in the dust,

let seede haue his longing, let soile haue hir lust:

Let rie be partaker of Mihelmas spring,

to beare out the hardnes that winter doth bring.

[Sidenote: Myslen.]

11[21]

Some mixeth to miller the rie with the wheat,

Temmes lofe on his table to haue for to eate:

But sowe it not mixed, to growe so on land,

least rie tarie wheat, till it shed as it stand.

If soile doe desire to haue rie with the wheat,

by growing togither, for safetie more great,

Let white wheat be ton, be it deere, be it cheape,

the sooner to ripe, for the sickle to reape.

[Sidenote: Sowing.]

Though beanes be in sowing but scattered in,

yet wheat, rie, and peason, I loue not too thin:

Sowe barlie and dredge,[E91] with a plentifull hand,

least weede, steed of seede, ouer groweth thy land.

[Sidenote: Kéeping of crowes.]

14[22]

No sooner a sowing, but out by and by,

with mother[23] or boy that Alarum can cry:

And let them be armed with sling or with bowe,

to skare away piggen, the rooke and the crowe.[E92]

[Sidenote: Water furrough.]

Seed sowen, draw a forrough, the water to draine,

and dike vp such ends as in harmes[24] doe remaine:

For driuing of cattell or rouing that waie,

which being preuented, ye hinder their praie.

[Sidenote: Amend marsh walles.]

Saint Mihel[25] doth bid thee amend the marsh wal,[E93]

the brecke and the crab hole, the foreland and al:

One noble in season bestowed theron,

may saue thee a hundred er winter be gon.

[Sidenote: Gelding of rams.]

Now geld with the gelder the ram and the bul,

sew ponds, amend dammes, and sel webster thy wul:

Out fruit go and gather, but not in the deaw,

with crab and the wal nut, for feare of a shreaw.

[Sidenote: Gathering of fruit.]

The Moone in the wane, gather fruit for to last,

but winter fruit gather when Mihel is past:

Though michers that loue not to buy nor to craue,

makes some gather sooner, else few for to haue.

[Sidenote: Too early gathering is not best.]

Fruit gathred too timely wil taste of the wood,

wil shrink[26] and be bitter, and seldome prooue good:

So fruit that is shaken, or beat off a tree,

with brusing in falling, soone faultie wil bee.

[Sidenote: Driuing of hiues.]

Now burne vp the bees that ye mind for to driue,

at Midsomer driue them and saue them aliue:

Place hiue in good ayer, set southly and warme,

and take in due season wax, honie, and swarme.

[Sidenote: Preseruing of bées.]

Set hiue on a plank, (not too low by the ground)

where herbe with the flowers may compas it round:

And boordes to defend it from north and north east,

from showers and rubbish, from vermin and beast.

[Sidenote: Stie up the bore.]

At Mihelmas safely go stie vp thy Bore,

least straying abrode, ye doo see him no more:

The sooner the better for Halontide nie,

and better he brawneth if hard he doo lie.[E94]

Shift bore (for il aire) as best ye do thinke,

and twise a day giue him fresh vittle and drinke:

And diligent Cislye, my dayrie good wench,

make cleanly his cabben, for measling[E95] and stench.

[Sidenote: Gathering of winter hempe.]

Now pluck vp thy hempe, and go beat out the seed,

and afterward water it as ye see need:

But not in the riuer where cattle should drinke,

for poisoning them and the people with stinke.[E96]

[Sidenote: Whitest hempe best sold.]

Hempe huswifely vsed lookes cleerely and bright,

and selleth it selfe by the colour so whight:

Some vseth to water it, some do it not,[27]

be skilful in dooing, for feare it do rot.

[Sidenote: Setting of strawberies & roses, &c.]

Wife, into thy garden, and set me a plot,

with strawbery rootes, of the best to be got:

Such growing abroade, among thornes in the wood,

wel chosen and picked prooue excellent good.

[Sidenote: Gooseberies & Respis.]

The Barbery, Respis, and Goosebery too,

looke now to be planted as other things doo:

The Goosebery, Respis, and Roses, al three,

with Strawberies vnder them trimly agree.

[Sidenote: Gathering of mast.]

To gather some mast, it shal stand thee vpon,

with seruant and children, er mast be al gon:

Some left among bushes shal pleasure thy swine,

for feare of a mischiefe keepe acorns fro kine.[E97]

[Sidenote: Rooting of hogs.]

For rooting of pasture ring hog ye had neede,

which being wel ringled the better do feede:

Though yong with their elders wil lightly keepe best,

yet spare not to ringle both great and the rest.

[Sidenote: Yoking of swine.]

Yoke seldom thy swine while the shacktime[28] doth last,

for diuers misfortunes that happen too fast:

Or if ye do fancie whole eare of the hog,

giue eie to il neighbour and eare to his dog.

[Sidenote: Hunting of hogs.]

Keepe hog I aduise thee from medow and corne,

for out aloude crying that ere he was borne:

Such lawles, so haunting, both often and long,

if dog set him chaunting he doth thee no wrong.[E98]

[Sidenote: Ringling of hogs.]

Where loue among neighbors do beare any stroke,

whiles shacktime indureth men vse not to yoke:

Yet surely ringling is needeful and good,

til frost do enuite them to brakes in the wood.

[Sidenote: Carriage of brakes.]

33[29]

Get home with thy brakes, er an sommer be gon,

for teddered cattle to sit there vpon:

To couer thy houel, to brewe and to bake,

to lie in the bottome, where houel ye make.

[Sidenote: Sawe out thy timber.]

Now sawe out thy timber, for boord and for pale,

to haue it vnshaken,[E99] and ready to sale:

Bestowe it and stick it,[30] and lay it aright,

to find it in March, to be ready in plight.

[Sidenote: Slabs of timber.]

Saue slab[31] of thy timber for stable and stie,

for horse and for hog the more clenly to lie:

Saue sawe dust, and brick dust, and ashes so fine,

for alley to walke in, with neighbour of thine.

[Sidenote: Hedge breakers.]

Keepe safely and warely thine vttermost fence,

with ope gap and breake hedge do seldome dispence:

Such runabout prowlers, by night and by day,

see punished iustly for prowling away.

[Sidenote: Learne to knowe Hew prowler.]

At noone if it bloweth, at night if it shine,

out trudgeth Hew make shift, with hooke & with line:[E100]

Whiles Gillet, his blouse, is a milking thy cow,

Sir Hew is a rigging thy gate or the plow.

[Sidenote: Black or red dogs.]

Such walke with a black or a red little cur,

that open wil quickly, if anything stur;

Then squatteth the master, or trudgeth away,

and after dog runneth as fast as he may.

Some prowleth for fewel, and some away rig

fat goose, and the capon, duck, hen, and the pig:

Some prowleth for acornes, to fat vp their swine,

for corne and for apples, and al that is thine.

Thus endeth Septembers husbandrie.[32]

* * * Many stanzas do not occur or are not in the same order in 1577.

[1] In 1577 these and similar couplets at the beginning of each month's

_Husbandrie_, precede the month's _Abstract_ instead.

[2] Sts. 1 and 2 not in 1577.

[3] Mighelmas. 1577.

[4] coefers. 1577.

[5] rakged. 1577.

[6] at hyt. 1577.

[7] Or borow with sorow as long as thou wilt. 1577.

[8] liened. 1577.

[9] To pare horse's hoofs with.-T.R.

[10] "Clouting is arming the Axle-Tree with Iron plates."--T.R.

[11] "Arming the Fellowes with Iron Strakes, or a Tire as some call

it."--T.R. Strakes are segments of a tire.

[12] "Of a tough piece of Whitleather."--T.R.

[13] "Lightest and coolest, but indeed not so comly as those of

Wadmus."--T.R.

[14] St. 15 not in 1577, but as follows:--

Rakes also for barley, long toothed in bed,

and greater like toothed for barley so shed.

and first couplet of st. 16.

[15] St. 16 not thus in 1577; see note above, and next note.

[16] In 1577 the second couplet of st. 16 makes a stanza with the

following:

Strong fetters and shakles, with horslock and pad;

Strong soles, and such other thinges, meete to be had.

[17]

Hog yokes, and a twicher, and ringes for a hog,

with tar in a pot, for the byeting of dog. 1577.

[18] St. 19 not in 1577.

[19] St. 20 not in 1577.

[20] This point of good husbandry, etc. 1577.

[21] St. 11 not in 1577.

[22] Sts. 14 and 15 not in 1577, but nine stanzas which do not occur

here.

[23] Cf. _ante_, ch. 17, st. 13 and note E85.

[24] Cf. _post_, ch. 19, st. 6.

[25] Mighel, here and in st. 18. 1577.

[26] "If Fruit stand too long it will be mealy, which is worse than

shrively, for now most Gentlemen chuse the shriveled Apple."--T.R.

[27] "Ther is a Water-retting and a Dew-retting, which last is done on

a good Rawing, or aftermath of a Meadow Water."--T.R.

[28] "After Harvest."--T.R.

[29] This is placed before st. 9 in 1577.

[30] "Laying the Boards handsomely one upon another with sticks

between."--T.R.

[31] The outermost piece.

[32] Cf. note 12, p. 33.

18.

¶ _Octobers abstract.

Chap._ 16.

Lay drie vp and round,

for barlie thy ground.

Too late doth kill,

too soone is as ill.

Maides little and great,

pick cleane séede wheat.

Good ground doth craue

choice séede to haue.

Flaies[E101] lustily thwack,

least plough séede lack.

4[1]

Séede first go fetch,

for edish or etch,

Soile perfectly knowe,

er edish ye sowe.

White wheat, if ye please,

sowe now vpon pease.

Sowe first the best,

and then the rest.

6[2]

Who soweth in raine,

hath wéed to his paine.

But worse shall he spéed,

that soweth ill séed.

Now, better than later,

draw furrow for water.

Kéepe crowes, good sonne,

sée fencing[3] be donne.

8[4]

Each soile no vaine

for euerie graine.

Though soile be but bad,

some corne may be had.

Naught proue, naught craue,

naught venter, naught haue.

One crop and away,

some countrie may say.

All grauell and sand,

is not the best land.

A rottenly mould

is land woorth gould.

Why wheat is smitten

good lesson is written.

The iudgement of some

how thistles doe come.

A iudgement right,

of land in plight.

Land, all forlorne,

not good for corne.

Land barren doth beare

small strawe, short eare.

Here maist thou réede

for soile what séede.

Tis tride ery hower,

best graine most flower.

Grosse corne much bran

the baker doth ban.

19[5]

What croppers bée

here learne to sée.

Few after crop much,

but noddies and such.

Som woodland may crake,

thrée crops he may take.

First barlie, then pease,

then wheat, if ye please.

Two crops and away,

must champion say.

24[6]

Where barlie did growe,

Laie[7] wheat to sowe.

Yet better I thinke,

sowe pease after drinke.

And then, if ye please,

sowe wheat after pease.

What champion knowes

that custome showes.

First barlie er rie,

then pease by and by.

Then fallow for wheat,

is husbandrie great.

A remedie sent,

where pease lack vent.

Fat peasefed swine

for drouer is fine.

Each diuers soile

hath diuers toile.

Some countries vse

that some refuse.

For wheat ill land,

where water doth stand.

Sowe pease or dredge

belowe in that redge.

Sowe acornes to prooue

that timber doe looue.

Sowe hastings[E102] now,

if land[8] it alow.

Learne soone to get

a good quickset.

For feare of the wurst

make fat away furst.

Fat that no more

ye kéepe for store.

Hide carren in graue,

lesse noiance to haue.

Hog measeled kill,

for flemming that will.

38[9]

With peasebolt and brake

some brew and bake.

Old corne[10] worth gold,

so kept as it shold.

Much profit is rept,

by sloes well kept.

Kéepe sloes vpon bow,

for flixe of thy cow.

Of vergis be sure,

poore cattel to cure.

Thus endeth Octobers abstract, agréeing with Octobers husbandrie.

¶ Other short remembrances.[11]

[43]

Cisse, haue an eie

to bore in the stie.

By malt ill kept,

small profit is rept.

[44]

Friend, ringle thy hog,

for feare of a dog.

Rie straw up stack,

least Thacker doe lack.

[45]

Wheat straw drie saue,

for cattell to haue.

Wheat chaffe lay vp drie,

in safetie to lie.

[46]

Make handsome a bin,

for chaffe to lie in.

[47]

(Séede thresht) thou shalt

thresh barlie to malt.

Cut bushes to hedge,

fence medow and redge.

[48]

Stamp crabs that may,

for rotting away.

Make vergis and perie,[E103]

sowe kirnell and berie.

[49]

Now gather vp fruite,

of euerie suite.

Marsh wall too slight,

strength now, or god night.

[50][12]

Mend wals of mud,

for now it is good.

Where soile is of sand,

quick set out of hand.

[51]

To plots not full

ad bremble and hull.

For set no bar

whilst month hath an R.[E104]

Like note thou shalt

for making of malt.

Brew now to last

till winter be past.

Here ends Octobers short remembrances.[13]

[1] 1577 inserts--

Plie sowing a pace,

in euery place.

[2] St. 6 is not in 1577.

[3] furrowing. 1577.

[4] Sts. 8-30 do not occur here in 1577; but sts. 32-37 follow.

[5] Sts. 19 and 20 are in Septembers Abstract in 1577.

[6] In Septembers Abstract in 1577.

[7] strike. 1577.

[8] ground. 1577.

[9] In 1577, sts. 38 to the end are much transposed.

[10] graine. 1577.

[11] Cf. note 12, p. 33.

[12] First couplet of st. 50 not in 1577.

[13] Cf. note 12, p. 33.

19.

¶ _Octobers husbandrie.

Chap._ 17.

October good blast,

To blowe the hog mast.

Forgotten month past,

Doe now at the last.

[Sidenote: Laie vp barlie land.]

Now lay vp[E105] thy barley land, drie as ye can

when euer ye sowe it so looke for it than:

Get daily aforehand, be neuer behinde;

least winter preuenting do alter thy minde.

Who laieth vp fallow[E106] too soone or too wet,

with noiances many doth barley beset.

For weede and the water so soketh and sucks,

that goodnes from either it vtterly plucks.

[Sidenote: Wheat sowing.]

Greene rie in September when timely thou hast,

October for wheat sowing calleth as fast.

If weather will suffer, this counsell I giue,

Leaue sowing of wheat before Hallomas eue.

[Sidenote: Sowe edish betimes.]

Where wheat vpon edish ye mind to bestowe,

let that be the first of the wheat ye do sowe:

He seemeth to hart it and comfort to bring,

that giueth it comfort of Mihelmas spring.

[Sidenote: Best wheat first sowen.]

White wheat vpon peaseetch doth grow as he wold,

but fallow is best, if we did as we shold:[1]

Yet where, how, and when, ye entend to begin,

let euer the finest be first sowen in.[2]

6[3]

Who soweth in raine, he shall reape it with teares,

who soweth in harmes,[4] he is euer in feares,

Who soweth ill seede or defraudeth his land,

hath eie sore abroode, with a coresie at hand.

7[5]

Seede husbandly sowen, water furrow[6] thy ground,

that raine when it commeth may run away round,

Then stir about Nicoll, with arrow and bowe,

take penie for killing of euerie crowe.

[Not in 1577.]

A digression to the usage of diuers countries, concerning Tillage.

Each soile hath no liking of euerie graine,

nor barlie and wheat is for euerie vaine:

Yet knowe I no countrie so barren of soile

but some kind of corne may be gotten with toile.

In Brantham,[E107] where rie but no barlie did growe,

good barlie I had, as a meany did knowe:

Five seame of an aker I truely was paid,

for thirtie lode muck of each aker so laid.

In Suffolke againe, where as wheat neuer grew,

good husbandrie vsed good wheat land I knew:

This Prouerbe experience long ago gaue,

that nothing who practiseth nothing shall haue.

As grauell and sand is for rie and not wheat,

(or yeeldeth hir burden to tone the more great,)

So peason and barlie delight not in sand,

but rather in claie or in rottener land.

Wheat somtime is steelie or burnt as it growes,

for pride[7] or for pouertie practise so knowes.

Too lustie of courage for wheat doth not well,

nor after sir peeler he looueth to dwell.[E108]

Much wetnes, hog rooting, and land out of hart,

makes thistles a number foorthwith to vpstart.

If thistles so growing prooue lustie and long,

it signifieth land to be hartie and strong.

As land full of tilth and in hartie good plight,

yeelds blade to a length and encreaseth in might,

So crop vpon crop, vpon whose courage we doubt,

yeelds blade for a brag, but it holdeth not out.

The straw and the eare to haue bignes and length,

betokeneth land to be good and in strength.

If eare be but short, and the strawe be but small,

it signifieth barenes and barren withall.

White wheat or else red, red riuet or whight,

far passeth all other, for land that is light.

White pollard or red, that so richly is set,

for land that is heauie is best ye can get.

Maine wheat that is mixed with white and with red

is next to the best in the market mans hed:

So Turkey or Purkey wheat[E109] many doe loue,

because it is flourie, as others aboue.

Graie wheat is the grosest, yet good for the clay,

though woorst for the market, as fermer may say.

Much like vnto rie be his properties found,

coorse flower, much bran, and a peeler of ground.

Otes, rie, or else barlie, and wheat that is gray,

brings land out of comfort, and soone to decay:

One after another, no comfort betweene,

is crop vpon crop, as will quickly be seene.

[Sidenote: Crop vpon crop.]

Still crop vpon crop many farmers do take,

and reape little profit for greedines sake.

Though breadcorne & drinkcorn[E110] such croppers do stand:

count peason or brank, as a comfort to land.

Good land that is seuerall, crops may haue three,

in champion countrie it may not so bee:

Ton taketh his season, as commoners may,

the tother with reason may otherwise say.

Some vseth at first a good fallow to make,

to sowe thereon barlie, the better to take.

Next that to sowe pease, and of that to sowe wheat,

then fallow againe, or lie lay for thy neat.

First rie, and then barlie, the champion saies,

or wheat before barlie be champion waies:

But drinke before bread corne with Middlesex men,

then lay on more compas, and fallow agen.

Where barlie ye sowe, after rie or else wheat,

if land be vnlustie,[8] the crop is not great,

So lose ye your cost, to your coresie and smart,

and land (ouerburdened) is cleane out of hart.

Exceptions take of the champion land,

from lieng alonge from that at thy hand.

(Just by) ye may comfort with compas at will,

far off ye must comfort with fauor and skill.

Where rie or else wheat either barlie ye sowe,

let codware be next, therevpon for to growe:

Thus hauing two crops, whereof codware is ton,

thou hast the lesse neede, to lay cost therevpon.

Some far fro the market delight not in pease,

for that ery chapman they seeme not to please.

If vent of the market place serue thee not well,

set hogs vp a fatting, to drouer to sell.

Two crops of a fallow enricheth the plough,

though tone be of pease, it is land good ynough:

One crop and a fallow some soile will abide,

where if ye go furder lay profit aside.

Where peason ye had and a fallow thereon,

sowe wheat ye may well without doong therevpon:

New broken vpland, or with water opprest,

or ouer much doonged, for wheat is not best.

Where water all winter annoieth too much,

bestowe not thy wheat vpon land that is such:

But rather sowe otes, or else bullimong[E111] there,

gray peason, or runciuals, fitches, or tere.

[Sidenote: Sowing of acorns.]

Sowe acornes ye owners, that timber doe looue,

sowe hawe and rie with them the better to prooue;

If cattel or cunnie may enter to crop,

yong oke is in daunger of loosing his top.

[Sidenote: Sowing of Hastings or fullams.]

Who pescods delighteth to haue with the furst,

if now he do sowe them, I thinke it not wurst.

The greener thy peason and warmer the roome,

more lusty the layer, more plenty they come.

Go plow vp or delue vp, aduised with skill,

the bredth of a ridge, and in length as you will.

Where speedy quickset for a fence ye wil drawe,

to sowe in the seede of the bremble and hawe.[E112]

[Sidenote: A disease in fat hogs.]

Through plenty of acornes, the porkling to fat,

not taken in season, may perish by that,

If ratling or swelling get once to the throte,

thou loosest thy porkling, a crowne to a grote.[E113]

[Sidenote: Not to fat for rearing.]

What euer thing fat is, againe if it fall,

thou ventrest the thing and the fatnes withall,

The fatter the better, to sell or to kil,

but not to continue, make proofe if ye wil.

[Sidenote: Burieng of dead cattell.]

What euer thing dieth, go burie or burne,

for tainting of ground, or a woorser il turne.

Such pestilent smell of a carrenly thing,

to cattle and people great peril may bring.

[Sidenote: Measeled hogs.]

Thy measeled bacon, hog, sow, or thy bore,

shut vp for to heale, for infecting thy store:

Or kill it for bacon, or sowce it to sell,

for Flemming, that loues it so deintily well.[E114]

[Sidenote: Strawwisps and peasbolts.]

With strawisp and peasebolt, with ferne and the brake,

for sparing of fewel, some brewe and do bake,

And heateth their copper, for seething of graines:

good seruant rewarded, refuseth no paines.[E115]

[Sidenote: Olde wheat better than new.]

Good breadcorne and drinkcorne, full xx weekes kept,

is better then new, that at harvest is rept:

But foisty the breadcorne and bowd eaten malt,[E116]

for health or for profit, find noysome thou shalt.

40[9]

By thend of October, go gather vp sloes,

haue thou in a readines plentie of thoes,

And keepe them in bedstraw, or still on the bow,

to staie both the flixe of thyselfe and thy cow.

[Sidenote: A medicin for the cow flixe.]

Seeith water and plump therein plenty of sloes,

mix chalke[10] that is dried in powder with thoes

Which so, if ye giue, with the water and chalke,

thou makest the laxe fro thy cow away walke.[E117]

42[11]

Be sure of vergis (a gallond at least)

so good for the kitchen, so needfull for beast,

It helpeth thy cattel, so feeble and faint,

if timely such cattle with it thou acquaint.

Thus endeth Octobers husbandrie.

[1]

White wheat upon pease etch is willing to grow:

though best upon fallow as many do knowe. 1577.

[2] After st. 5, 1577 has st. 31 _post_.

[3] St. 6 not in 1577.

[4] "In harms or harms way, whether of Roads, ill Neighbours, Torrents

of Water, Conies, or other Vermin."--T.R. Cf. _ante_, ch. 16, st. 15.

[5] In Septembers Husbandry, 1577.

[6] "Furrows drawn cross the Ridges in the lowest part of the

Ground."--T.R.

[7] "or too much Dung."--T.R.

[8] "There is a sort of Barley, called Sprat Barley, or Battledore

Barley, that will grow very well on lusty land. "--T.R.

[9] Stanza 40 is not in 1577.

[10] chawlk. 1577.

[11] Stanza 42 is not in 1577.

20.

¶ _Nouembers abstract.

Chap._ 18

Let hog once fat,

loose nothing of that.

When mast is gon,

hog falleth anon,

Still fat vp some,

till Shroftide come.

Now porke and souse,

beares tack in house.

Put barlie to malting,

lay flitches a salting.

Through follie too beastlie[E118]

much bacon is reastie.[1]

Some winnow, some fan,

some cast that can.[2]

In casting prouide,

for séede lay aside.

Thresh barlie thou shalt,

for chapman to malt.

Else thresh no more

but for thy store.

5[3]

Till March thresh wheat,

but as ye doo eat,

Least baker forsake it

if foystines take it.

No chaffe in bin,

makes horse looke thin.

7[4]

Sowe hastings now,

that hastings alow.

They buie it full déere,

in winter that réere.

Few fowles, lesse swine,

rere now, friend mine.

What losse, what sturs,

through rauening curs.