Good prouender labouring horses would haue,
good haie and good plentie, plow oxen doo craue.
To hale out the muck and to plow vp thy ground:
or else it may hinder thee many a pound.
9
Who slacketh his tillage, a carter to bee,
for grote got abrode, at home lose shall three.
And so by his dooing he brings out of hart
both land for the corne and horse for the cart.
10
Who abuseth his cattle and sterues them for meat,
by carting or plowing, his gaine is not great.
Where he that with labour can vse them aright,
hath gaine to his comfort, and cattle in plight.
11
Buie quickset at market, new gatherd and small,
buie bushes or willow, to fence it withall.
Set willowes to growe, in the steede of a stake,
for cattel in sommer, a shadow to make.
[Sidenote: ¶ Runciual peason.]
12
Stick plentie of bows among runciuall pease[7]
to climber thereon, and to branch at their ease.
So dooing, more tender and greater they wex,
if peacock[8] and turkey leaue iobbing their bex.[E188]
13
Now sowe and go harrow (where redge ye did draw[9])
the seed of the bremble, with kernell and haw.
Which couered ouerlie, soone to shut out,
goe see it be ditched and fenced about.[E189]
[Sidenote: Sowe mustard séede.]
14
Where banks be amended and newly vp cast,
sow mustard seed,[10] after a shower be past.
Where plots full of nettles be noisome to eie,
sowe therevpon hempseed, and nettle will die.
[Sidenote: Cut or set vines.]
15
The vines[11] and the osiers cut and go set,
if grape be vnpleasant, a better go get.
Feed swan, and go make hir vp strongly a nest,
for feare of a floud, good and high is the best.
[Sidenote: Catching of mowls.]
16
Land meadow that yeerly is spared for hay,
now fence it and spare it, and doong it ye may.
Get mowle catcher cunninglie mowle for to kill,
and harrow and cast abrode euerie hill.[E190]
17
Where meadow or pasture to mowe ye doo laie,
let mowle be dispatched some maner of waie.
Then cast abrode mowlhill, as flat as ye can,
for many commodities following than.
18
If pasture by nature is giuen to be wet,
then bare with the mowlhill, though thick it be set.
That lambe may sit on it, and so to sit drie,
or else to lie by it, the warmer to lie.[E191]
[Sidenote: Looke well to thy fence.]
19
Friend, alway let this be a part of thy care,
for shift of good pasture, lay pasture to spare.
So haue you good feeding, in bushets and lease,[E192]
and quickly safe finding of cattel at ease.
20
Where cattel may run about, rouing at wil,
from pasture to pasture, poor bellie to fil,
There pasture and cattel both hungrie and bare,
for want of good husbandrie worser doo fare.
21
Now thresh out thy barlie, for malt or for seed,
for bread corne (if need be) to serue as shall need.
If worke for the thresher ye mind for to haue,
of wheat and of mestlen[E193] vnthreshed go saue.
22
Now timelie for Lent stuffe[12] thy monie disburse,
the longer ye tarie for profit the wurse,
If one penie vantage be therein to saue,
of coast man or fleming be sure to haue.[E194]
Thus endeth Februaries husbandrie.
[1] with what ye like. 1577.
[2] 12th of March.
[3] "Pease and Beans sown during the Increase do run more to Hawm or
Straw, and during the Declension more to Cod, according to the common
consent of country men. And I must own I have experienced it; but I
will not aver it so as that it is not lyable to exceptions."--T.R.
[4] "This is called sowing under furrow, just before the second
ploughing, which if neatly done lays them in rows."--T.R.
[5] "Because if they lye until they are swell'd the horse-footing is
apt to endanger them."--T.R.
[6] "This regards Field Land; for in our Author's time Enclosures were
not so frequent as now."--T.R. 1710.
[7] "Runcival pease find now very little Entertainment in Gentlemen's
Gardens.... In their room are got the Egg pea, the Sugar pea, Dutch
admirals, etc."--T.R., 1710.
[8] "A Peacock, altho' a lovely Fowl to look on, ... is a very
ill-natured Bird."--T.R.
[9] "A way of quicksetting or fencing Enclosures out of the common
Field they had in the days of our Author."--T.R.
[10] "This is most in practice in Marshy Countreys."--T.R.
[11] "Those that thrive best with us are the small black Grape, the
white Muscadine, and the Parsley grape."--T.R.
[12] "This Article is very much unregarded by Farmers at present,
for fear, I suppose, of falling into Popery and Superstition; but
lay that quite aside, and let us consult our Interest, Health, and
Gratitude."--T.R. The writer of _Tusser Redivivus_ here enlarges on
the advantages, personal and national, of fish diet. Under Marches
Husbandry, stanza 3, he mentions "Salt Fish, Furmity, Gruel, Wigs,
Milk, Parsnips, Hasty-pudding, Pancakes, and twice a week Eggs," as the
Farmer's Lenten Diet.
38.
¶ _Marches abstract.
Chap._ 35.
1
White peason sowe,
scare hungry crow.
2
Spare meadow for hay,
spare marshes at May.
3[1]
Kéepe shéepe from dog,
kéepe lambes from hog.
If foxes mowse[2] them,
then watch or howse them.
4
March drie or wet,
hop ground go set.
Yoong rootes well drest
prooue euer[3] best.
Grant hop great hill
to growe at will.
From hop long gut
away go cut.
5
Here learne the way
hop rootes to lay.
6
Rootes best to prooue,
thus set I looue.
7
Leaue space and roome,
to hillock to coome.
8
Of hedge and willow
hop makes his[4] pillow.
Good bearing hop
climes vp to the top.
Kéepe hop from sunne,
and hop is vndunne.
9
Hop tooles procure
that may endure.
Iron crowe like a stake,
déepe hole to make.
A scraper to pare
the earth about bare.
A hone to raise roote,
like sole of a boote.
Sharpe knife to cut
superfluous gut.
10
Who graffing looues,
now graffing prooues.
Of euerie suite,
graffe daintie fruite.
Graffe good fruite all,
or graffe not at all.
11
Graffe soone may be lost,
both grafting and cost.
Learne here[5] take héed
what counsell doth béed.[6]
12
Sowe barlie that can,
too soone ye shall ban.
Let horse kéepe his owne,
till barlie be sowne.
Sowe euen thy land,
with plentifull hand.
Sowe ouer and vnder,
in claie is no woonder.
13[7]
By sowing in wet,
is little to get.
14
Straight folow the plough,
and harrow inough.
With sling go throwe,[8]
to scare away crowe.
15
Rowle after a deaw,
when barlie doth sheaw.
More handsom to make it,
to mowe and to rake it.
16
Learne here ye may
best harrowing way.
17[9]
Now rowle thy wheat,
where clods be too great.
18
Make readie a plot,
for séeds for the pot.
19
Best searching minds
the best waie finds.
20
For garden best
is south southwest.
21
Good tilth brings séedes,
euill tilture, wéedes.
22
For sommer sowe now,
for winter sée how.
23
Learne time to knowe,
to set or sowe.[10]
24
Yoong plants soone die,
that growes too drie.
25
In countrie doth rest,
what season is best.
26
Good peason and léekes
makes pottage for créekes.
27
Haue spoone meat inough,
for cart and the plough.
Good poore mans fare,
is poore mans care.
And not to boast,
of sod and roast.
28
Cause rooke and rauen
to séeke a new hauen.
Thus endeth Marches abstract, agréeing with Marches husbandrie.
¶ Other short remembrances.
[29]
Geld lambes now all,
straight as they fall.
Looke twise a day,
least lambes decay.
[30]
Where horse did harrow,
put stones in barrow,
And[11] laie them by,
in heapes on by.
[31]
Let oxe once fat
lose nothing of that.
Now hunt with dog,
vnyoked hog.
[32]
With Doues good luck,
reare[12] goose and duck.
To spare aright
spare March his flight.
[33] The following additional couplets are in 1577.
Saue chikins poore buttocks
from pye, crowe, & puttocks.
Some loue now best
yong rabbets nest.
Now knaues will steale
pig, lamb, and veale.
Here learne to knowe
what seedes to sowe.
And such to plant
whose seedes do want.
[1] St. 3, first couplet,
What champion useth
woodland refuseth. 1577.
[2] mouth them. 1573 (M.); mowse. 1577.
[3] the. 1573, 1577.
[4] her. 1577.
[5] to. 1577.
[6] bid, 1577; beed, 1585; breed, 1614.
[7] St. 13 is not in 1577.
[8] sling or bowe. 1577.
[9] Stanzas 17, 26, and first couplet of 27 are not in 1577.
[10] Lines transposed in 1577.
[11] or. 1577.
[12] hen. 1577.
39.
_Seedes and herbes for the Kitchen._
1 Auens.[E195]
2 Betanie.[E196]
3 Bléets or béets,[E197] white or yellow.
4 Bloodwoort[E198] [Bloodwoorth, 1577].
5 Buglas.[E199]
6 Burnet.[E200]
7 Burrage.[E201]
8 Cabage remoue in June.
9 Clarie.[E202]
10 Coleworts.[E203]
11 Cresses.
12 Endiue.
13 Fenell.[E204]
14 French Malows.
15 French Saffron set in August.
16 Langdebiefe.[E205]
17 Léekes[E206] remoue in June.
18 Lettis remoue in May.
19 Longwort.[E207]
20 Liuerwort.[E208]
21 Marigolds[E209] often cut.
22 Mercurie.[E210]
23 Mints at all times.
24 Nep.[E211]
25 Onions [Oyneons, 1577] from December to March.
26 Orach[E212] or arach, redde and white.
27 Patience.[E213]
28 Perceley.
29 Peneriall.[E214]
30 Primerose.[E215]
31 Poret.
32 Rosemary[E216] in the spring time [to growe south or west].[1]
33 Sage red and white.
34 [English][2] Saffron[E217] set in August.
35 Summer sauerie.
36 Sorell.
37 Spinage.[E218]
38 Suckerie.
39 Siethes.[E219]
40 Tanzie.[E220]
41 Time.
42 Violets of all sorts.
43 Winter sauerie.
[1] Omitted in 1577.
[2] Omitted in 1577.
40.
_Herbes and rootes for sallets and sauce._
1 Alexanders, at all times.
2 Artichoks.
3 Blessed thistle,[E221] or _Carduus benedictus_.
4 Cucumbers in April and May.
5 Cresies, sowe with Lettice in the spring.
6 Endiue.
7 Mustard séede, sowe in the spring and at Mihelmas.
8 Musk million, in April and May.
9 Mints.
10 Purslane.[E222]
11 Radish, and after remoue them.
12 Rampions.[E223]
13 Rokat,[E224] in April.
14 Sage.[E225]
15 Sorell.
16 Spinage, for the sommer.
17 Sea holie.[E226]
18 Sperage, let growe two yeares, and then remoue.
19 Skirrets, set these plants in March.
20 Suckerie.
21 Tarragon, set in slippes in March.[1]
22 Violets [of all coulors].[2]
These buie with the penie,
Or looke not for anie.
1 Capers.
2 Lemmans.
3 Oliues.
4 Orengis.
5 Rise.
6 Sampire.[E227]
[1] Tarragon, April, 1577.
[2] Omitted in 1577.
41.
_Herbes and rootes to boile or to butter._
1 Beanes, set in winter.
2 Cabbegis,[E228] sowe in March, and after remooue.
3 Carrets.
4 Citrons,[E229] sowe in May.
5 Goordes in May.
6 Nauewes sowe in June.
7 Pompions in May.
8 Perseneps in winter.
9 Runciuall pease set in winter.
10 Rapes sowe in June.
11 Turneps in March & April.
42.
_Strowing herbes of all sortes._
1 Bassel,[E230] fine and busht, sowe in May.
2 Baulme, set in March.
3 Camamel.
4 Costmarie.[E231]
5 Cousleps and paggles.[E232]
6 Daisies of all sorts.
7 Swéete fennell.
8 Garmander.[E233]
9 Isop, set in Februarie.
10 Lauender.
11 Lauender spike.
12 Lauender cotten.[E234]
13 Maierom knotted, sowe or set at the spring.
14 Mawdelin.[E235]
15 Penal riall.
16 Roses of all sorts, in Januarie and September.
17 Red mints.
18 Sage.
19 Tanzie.
20 Violets.
21 Winter sauerie.
43.
_Herbes, branches, and flowers, for windowes and pots._
1 Baies,[E236] sowe or set in plants in Januarie.
2 Batchelers buttons.[E237]
3 Botles, blew, red, and tawnie.
4 Collembines.[E238]
5 Campions.
6 Cousleps.[1]
7 Daffadondillies.[E239]
8 Eglantine,[E240] or swéet brier.
9 Fetherfew.[E241]
10 Flower armor[2][E242] sowe in May.
11 Flower de luce.[E243]
12 Flower gentle,[E244] white and red.
13 Flower nice.
14 Gileflowers,[E245] red white and carnations, set in spring, and at
Haruest in pots, pailes or tubs, or for sommer in beds.
15 Holiokes,[E246] red, white and carnations.
16 Indian eie,[E247] sowe in May, or set in slips in March.
17 Lauender of all sorts.
18 Larkes foot.
19 Laus tibi.[E248]
20 Lillium cum valium.[3][E249]
21 Lillies, red and white, sowe or set in March and September.
22 Marigolds double.
23 Nigella Romana.[E250]
24 Pauncies or hartesease.[E251]
25 Paggles, gréene and yelow.
26 Pinkes of all sorts.
27 Quéenes gilleflowers.
28 Rosemarie.
29 Roses of all sorts.
30 Snag dragons.[4]
31 Sops in wine.[E252]
32 Swéete Williams.[E253]
33 Swéete Johns.[E254]
34 Star of Bethelem.
35 Star of Jerusalem.[E255]
36 Stocke gilleflowers of all sorts.
37 Tuft gilleflowers.[E256]
38 Veluet flowers,[E257] or french Marigolds.
39 Violets, yellow and white.
40 Wall gilleflowers of all sorts.
[1] Omitted in 1577.
[2] armour. 1577; amour. 1614.
[3] convallium. 1617
[4] Snap dragons. 1577.
44.
_Herbes to still in Sommer._
1 Blessed thistle.
2 Betanie [Betonye, 1577].
3 Dill.
4 Endiue.
5 Eiebright.[E258]
6 Fennell.
7 Fumetorie.[E259]
8 Isop.
9 Mints.
10 Plantine.
11 Roses red and damaske.
12 Respies.
13 Saxefrage.
14 Strawberies.
15 Sorell.
16 Suckerie.
17 Woodrofe[E260] for swéete waters and cakes.
45.
_Necessarie herbes to growe in the garden for Physick, not rehersed
before._
1 Annis.
2 Archangel.[E261]
3 Betanie.
4 Charuiel.
5 Cinqfile.
6 Cummin.[E262]
7 Dragons.
8 Detanie,[1][E263] or garden ginger.
9 Gromel[E264] séed, for the stone.
10 Hartstong.
11 Horehound.
12 Louage[E265] for the stone.
13 Licoras.
14 Mandrake.[E266]
15 Mogwort[E267] [Mogworth, 1577].
16 Pionées.
17 Poppie.
18 Rew.[E268]
19 Rubarb.
20 Smalach, for swellings.
21 Saxefrage, for the stone.
22 Sauin, for the bots.[E269]
23 Stitchwort.[E270]
24 Valerian.
25 Woodbine.[E271]
[26]
Thus ends in bréefe,
Of herbes the chéefe,
To get more skill,
Read whom ye will,
Such mo to haue,
Of field go craue.
[1] Betany, in 1577. Thus mistakes in synonyms arise.
46.
¶ _Marches husbandrie.
Chap._ 36.
March dust to be sold,
Worth ransome of gold.
Forgotten month past,
Doe now at the last.
[Sidenote: [Sowing of white peason. 1577.]]
1
White peason, both good for the pot and the purse,[1]
by sowing too timelie, prooue often the wurse.
Bicause they be tender and hateth the cold,
prooue March er ye sowe them, for being too bold.
[Sidenote: Spare eating of meadowe.]
2
Spare meadow at Gregorie,[E272] marshes at Pask,
for feare of drie Sommer, no longer time ask.
Then hedge them and ditch them, bestow thereon pence:
corne, meadow and pasture, aske alway good fence.
[Sidenote: In Lent haue an ey to shéep biters.]
3
Of mastiues and mungrels,[E273] that manie we see,
a number of thousands too manie there bee.
Watch therefore in Lent, to thy sheepe go and looke,
for dogs will haue vittles,[2] by hooke or by crooke.[E274]
[Sidenote: Setting of hops.]
4
In March at the furdest, drie season or wet,
hop rootes so well chosen, let skilfull go set.
The goeler[3] and yonger the better I loue;
well gutted[4] and pared, the better they proue.
5
Some laieth them croswise, along in the ground,
as high as the knee they doo couer vp round.
Some prick vp a stick in the mids of the same,
that little round hillock the better to frame.
6
Some maketh a hollownes, halfe a foot deepe,
with fower sets in it, set slant wise a steepe:
One foot from another, in order to lie,
and thereon a hillock, as round as a pie.
7
Five foot from another ech hillock would stand,
as straight as a leaueled line with the hand.
Let euerie hillock be fower foot wide,
the better to come to on euerie side.
8
By willowes[E275] that groweth thy hopyard without,
and also by hedges thy meadowes about.
Good hop hath a pleasure to climbe and to spred,
if Sunne may haue passage to comfort hir bed.
[Sidenote: Hop tools.]
9
Get crowe made of iron, deepe hole for to make,
with crosse ouerthwart it, as sharpe as a stake.
A hone[5] and a parer, like sole of a boote,[6]
to pare away grasse and to raise vp the roote.
[Sidenote: Graffing.]
10
In March is good grafting, the skilfull doo knowe,
so long as the wind in the East doo not blowe.
From Moone being changed til past be the prime,[7]
for grafting and cropping is verie good time.
11
Things graffed or planted,[8] the greatest and least,
defend against tempest, the bird[9] and the beast.
Defended shall prosper, the tother is lost,
the thing with the labour, the time and the cost.
[Sidenote: Sowing of barlie.]
12
Sowe barlie in March, in April and Maie,
the latter[10] in sand, and the sooner in claie.[11]
What worser for barlie than wetnes and cold?
what better to skilfull than time to be bold?[E276]
13[12]
Who soweth his barlie too soone or in raine,
of otes[13] and of thistles shall after complaine.
I speake not of Maie weed,[E277] cockle[E278] and such,
that noieth the barlie, so often and much.
14
Let barlie be harrowed, finelie as dust,
then workmanly trench it and fence it ye must.
This season well plied, set sowing an end,
and praise and praie God a good haruest to send.
[Sidenote: Rowling of barlie.]
15
Some rowleth their barlie straight after a raine,
when first it appeareth to leauell it plaine.
The barlie so vsed, the better doth growe,
and handsome ye make it at haruest to mowe.
16
Otes, barlie and pease, harrow after you sowe,[14]
for rie harrow first, as alreadie ye knowe.[E279]
Leaue wheat little clod, for to couer the head,
that after a frost, it may out and go spread.
17[15]
If clod in thy wheat wil not breake with the frost,
if now ye doo rowle it, it quiteth the cost.
But see when ye rowle it, the weather be drie,
or else it were better vnrowled to lie.
[Sidenote: ¶ Gardening.]
18
In March and in April,[16] from morning to night,
in sowing and setting, good huswiues delight:
To haue in a garden, or other like plot,
to turn vp their house, and to furnish their pot.
[Sidenote: ¶]
19
The nature of flowers dame Physick doth shew,
she teacheth them all to be knowne to a few.
To set or to sowe, or else sowne to remoue,
how that should be practised, learne if ye loue.
[Sidenote: To know good land.]
20
Land falling or lieng full South or southwest,
for profit by tillage is lightly the best.
So garden with orchard and hopyard I finde,
that want the like benefit, growe out of kinde.
[Sidenote: ¶]
21
If field to beare corne a good tillage doth craue,
what thinke ye of garden, what garden would haue?
In field without cost[E280] be assured of weedes,
in garden be suer thou loosest thy seedes.
[Sidenote: ¶]
22
At spring (for the sommer) sowe garden ye shall,
at haruest (for winter) or sowe not at all.
Oft digging, remoouing, and weeding (ye see),
makes herbe the more holesome and greater to bee.
[Sidenote: ¶]
23
Time faire, to sowe or to gather be bold,
but set or remooue when the weather is cold.[17]
Cut all thing or gather, the Moone in the wane,
but sowe in encreasing, or giue it his bane.
[Sidenote: ¶]
24
Now set doo aske watering with pot or with dish,
new sowne doo not so, if ye doo as I wish.[E281]
Through cunning with dible, rake, mattock, and spade,
by line and by leauell, trim garden is made.
25
Who soweth too lateward, hath seldome good seed,
who soweth too soone, little better shall speed.
Apt time and the season so diuers to hit,
let aier and laier[18] helpe practise and wit.
[Sidenote: ¶]
26[19]
Now leekes are in season, for pottage full good,
and spareth the milchcow and purgeth the blood.
These hauing, with peason for pottage in Lent,
thou sparest both otemell and bread to be spent.[E282]
[Sidenote: ¶]
27
Though neuer so much a good huswife doth care,
that such as doe labour haue husbandlie fare.
Yet feed them and cram them til purse doe lack chinke,
no spoone meat, no bellifull, labourers thinke.
[Sidenote: Destroie pie, rooks, and rauens nest, etc.]
28
Kill crowe, pie and cadow, rooke, buzard and rauen,
or else go desire them to seeke a new hauen.
In scaling the yoongest, to pluck off his beck,
beware how ye climber, for breaking your neck.
Thus endeth Marches husbandrie.
[1] "The Retailer now sells them for 2¾d. the Quart."--T.R. 1710.
[2] In Lent, dog's meat was scarce, and "a mort Lamb now and then was
very apt to whet their appetite for Mutton."--T.R.
[3] goeler. 1577. goodlier. 1614. "The goeler is the yellower, which
are the best setts, old roots being red."--T.R.
[4] "Well taken off from the old Roots."--T.R.
[5] "A common Rubber or Whetstone."--T.R.
[6] "The best, in my minde, are those triangular ones used by the Fen
men and Bankers."--T.R. 1710.
[7] cf. _ante_, ch. 36, st. 4.
[8] plainted. 1577.
[9] "That impudent bird, a Tomtit, is not easily frighted."--T.R.
[10] "later."--T.R.
[11] "Barley is rarely sown in Clay, at present."--T.R. 1710.
[12] St. 13 is not in 1577.
[13] Gervase Markham says: "You shall take care that in your seede
Barly there be not any Oates, for although they be in this case amongst
Husbandmen accounted the best of weede, yet are they such a disgrace,"
etc.;... and he adds that "some grounds will ... bring forth naturally
a certaine kinde of wilde Oates."--_English Husbandman_, Pt. I. ch. v.
[14] "That is, in our Countryman's Phrase, ... above furrow, that is
upon land after the last ploughing."--T.R. Cf. _ante_, ch. 37, st. 6.
[15] St. 17 is not in 1577.
[16] In March, April, and May. 1577.
[17] "There is an old Sawe to this purpose:
"'In Gard'ning never this Rule forget,
To Sow dry, and Set wet.'"--T.R.
[18] "By _Aier_ I understand Situation, Weather, etc.... By _Laier_,
Composition, the Nature of the Soil, Heart of the Land, etc."--T.R.
[19] Sts. 26 and 27 are not in 1577; but instead--
Good peason and leekes, to make porredge in lent,
and pescods in July, saue fish to be spent.
Those hauing with other things plentifull than,
thou winnest the hart of the labouring man.
47.
¶ _Aprils abstract.
Chap._ 37.
1[1]
Some champions laie
to fallow in Maie.
2
When tilth plows breake,
poore cattle cries creake.
3
One daie er ye plow,
spred compas ynow.
4
Some fodder buieth,
in fen where it lieth.
5
Thou champion wight,
haue cow meat for night.
6
Set hop his pole,
make déepe the hole.
7
First, bark go and sell,
er timber ye fell.
8
Fence copie in,
er heawers begin.
9
The straightest ye knowe,
for staddles let growe.
10
Crab trée preserue,
for plough to serue.
11
Get timber out,
er yéere go about.
12
Som cuntries lack plowmeat,
and som doe want cowmeat.
13
Small commons and bare,
yéelds cattell ill fare.
14
Som common with géese,
and shéepe without fléese.
Som tits thither bring,
and hogs without ring.
15
Some champions agrée
as waspe doth with bée.
16
Get swineherd for hog,
but kill not with dog.
Wher swineherd doth lack,
corne goeth to wrack.
17
All goes to the Deuill,
where shepherd is euill.
18
Come home from land,
with stone in hand.
19
Man cow prouides,
Wife dairie guides.
20
Slut Cisley vntaught
hath whitemeat[E283] naught.
21
Some bringeth in gaines,
some losse beside paines.
22
Run Cisse, fault known,[2]
with more than thine own,
Such Mistris, such Nan,
such Maister, such Man.
Thus endeth Aprils abstract, agréeing with Aprils husbandrie.
* * * In 1577 st. 11 is followed by sts. 20, 21, 22; then follows--
Such Mistres such Nan,
such master such man.
By such ill gestes,
poore Cis il restes.
Such fautes as thease
good dame will ease.
These faultes all ten,
abhorreth all men.
A warning for Cysse
for doing amysse.
[1] Sts. 1-5 are not in 1577.
[2] cf. _post_, ch. 48, st. 21.
48.
¶ _Aprils husbandrie.
Chap._ 38.
Swéete April showers,
Doo spring Maie flowers.
Forgotten month past,
Doe now at the last.
1[1]
In Cambridge shire forward to Lincolne shire way,
the champion maketh his fallow in May.
Then thinking so dooing one tillage woorth twaine,
by forcing of weede, by that meanes to refraine.
2
If April be dripping, then doo I not hate,
(for him that hath little) his fallowing late,
Else otherwise fallowing timelie is best,
for sauing of cattel, of plough and the rest.
3
Be suer of plough to be readie at hand,
er compas ye spred that on hillocks did stand:
Least drieing so lieing, doo make it decaie,
er euer much water doo wash it awaie.
4
Looke now to prouide ye of meadow for hay,
if fennes be vndrowned, there cheapest ye may.[2]
In fen for the bullock, for horse not so well,
count best the best cheape,[E284] wheresoeuer ye dwell.
5
Prouide ye of cowmeate, for cattel at night,
and chiefly where commons lie far out of sight:
Where cattel lie tied without any meat,
that profit by dairie can neuer be great.
[Sidenote: Put poles to your hophils.]
6
Get into thy hopyard with plentie of poles,
amongst those same hillocks deuide them by doles.
Three poles to a hillock[3] (I pas not how long)[4]
shall yeeld thee more profit, set deeplie and strong.
[Sidenote: Felling of timber.]
7
Sell barke to the tanner er timber yee fell,
cut lowe by the ground[5] or else doo ye not well.
In breaking[6] saue crooked, for mill and for ships,
and euer in hewing saue carpenters chips.[E285]
8
First see it well fenced er hewers begin,
then see it well stadled,[7][E286] without and within;
Thus being preserued and husbandlie donne,
shall sooner raise profit, to thee or thy sonne.
[Sidenote: Stadling of woods.]