_The manner of Plowing the rich, stiffe, blacke Clay, his Earings,
Plough, and other Instruments._
Of all soyles in this our kingdome there is none so rich and fruitfull,
if it be well handled and Husbanded, as is that which we call the
stiffe, blacke, Clay, and indeed is more blacker to looke on then any
other soyle, yet some times it will turne vp very blewish, with many
white vaines in it, which is a very speciall note to know his
fruitfulnesse; for that blewish earth mixt with white is nothing else
but very rich Marle, an earth that in Cheshire, Lanckashire, and many
other countries, serueth to Manure and make fat their barrainest land in
such sort that it will beare Corne seauen yeeres together. This blacke
clay as it is the best soyle, well Husbanded, so it is of all soyles the
worst if it be ill Husbanded: for if it loose but one ardor, or
seasenable Plowing, it will not be recouered in foure yeeres after, but
will naturally of it selfe put forth wilde Oates, Thistels, and all
manner of offensiue weedes, as Cockle, Darnell, and such like: his
labour is strong, heauy, and sore, vnto the cattell that tilleth it, but
to the Husbandman is more easie then any other soyle, for this asketh
but foure times Plowing ouer at the most, where diuers other soyles aske
fiue times, and sixe times, as shalbe shewed hereafter. But to come to
the Plowing of this soyle, I hold it meete to beginne with the beginning
of the yeere, which with Husbandmen is at Plow-day, being euer the first
Munday after the Twelft-day, at which time you shall goe forth with your
draught, & begin to plow your Pease-earth, that is, the earth where you
meane to sow your Pease, or Beanes: for I must giue you to vnderstand,
that these Clayes are euer more naturall for Beanes then Pease, not but
that they will beare both alike, only the Husbandman imployeth them more
for Beanes, because pease & fitches wil grow vpon euery soyle, but
Beanes wil grow no where but on the clayes onely. This Pease-earth is
euer where barley grew the yeere before, & hath the stubble yet
remayning thereon. You shal plow this Pease-earth euer vpward, that is,
you shall beginne on the ridge of the land, & turne all your furrowes
vp, one against another, except your lands lye too high (which seldome
can be seene) and then you shall begin at the furrow, & cast downe your
land.
Now, when you haue plowed all your Pease-ground, you shall let it so
lye, till it haue receiued diuers Frosts, some Raine, and then a fayre
season, which betwixt plow-day and Saint _Valentines_ day you shalbe
sure to inioy: and this is called, _The letting of Land lye to baite_:
for without this rest, and these seasons, it is impossible to make these
Clayes harrow, or yeelde any good mould at all. After your Land hath
receiued his kindely baite, then you shall cast in your seede, of
Beanes, or Pease: but in my conceit, an equall mixture of them is the
best seede of all, for if the one faile, the other will be sure to hit:
and when your land is sowne you shall harrow it with a harrow that hath
woodden teeth.
The next Ardor after this, is the sowing of your Barley in your fallow
field: the next is the fallowing of your ground for Barley the next
yeere: the next Ardor is the Summer-stirring of that which you fallowed:
the next is the foyling of that which you Summer-stirde: and the last is
the Winter rigging of that which you foil'd: of all which Ardors, and
the manner of Plowing them, with their seasons, I haue written
sufficiently in the first Chapter of the next part; where I speake of
simple earths vncompounded.
Now whereas I told you before that these clayes were heauy worke for
your Cattell, it is necessary that I shew you how to ease them, and
which way they may draw to their most aduantage, which onely is by
drawing in beare-geares, an inuention the skilfull Husbandman hath found
out, wherein foure horses shall draw as much as sixe, and sixe as eight,
being geard in any other contrary fashion. Now because the name onely
bettereth not your knowledge, you shall heare behould the figure and
manner thereof.
{Illustration}
Now you shall vnderstand the vse of this Figure by the figures therein
contayned, that is to say, the figure
(1) presenteth the plough-cleuisse, which being ioyned to the
plough-beame, extendeth, with a chaine, vnto the first Toastree: and
touching this Cleuisse, you shall vnderstand, that it must be made with
three nickes in the midst thereof, that if the Plough haue too much land
giuen it in the making, that is, if it turne vp too much land, then the
chaine shall be put in the outwardmost nicke to the land side, that is,
the nicke towards your right hand: but if it take too little land, then
it shall be put in the nicke next the furrow, that is, towards the right
hand: but if it goe euen and well, then you shall keepe it in the middle
nicke, which is the iust guide of true proportion. And thus this
Cleuisse is a helpe for the euill making or going of a plough.
(2) Is the hind-most Toastree, that is, a broad piece of Ash woode,
three inches broad, which going crosse the chaine, hath the Swingletrees
fastned vnto it, by which the horses draw. Now you shall vnderstand that
in this Toastree is great helpe and aduantage: for if the two horses
which draw one against the other, be not of equall strength, but that
the one doth ouer-draw the other, then you shall cause that end of the
Toastree by which the weaker horse drawes, to be longer from the chaine
then the other, by at least halfe a foote, and that shall giue the
weaker horse such an aduantage, that his strength shall counterpoyse
with the stronger horse. Now there be some especiall Husbandmen that
finding this disaduantage in the Toastree, and that by the vncertaine
shortening, and lenthening of the Toastree, they haue sometimes more
disaduantaged the strong horse, then giuen helpe to the weake, therefore
they haue inuented another Toastree, with a double chaine, and a round
ring, which is of that excellent perfection in draught, that if a Foale
draw against an olde horse, yet the Foale shall draw no more then the
abilitie of his owne strength, each taking his worke by himselfe, as if
they drew by single chaines. Now because this Toastree is such a notable
Implement both in Plough, Cart, or Waine, and so worthy to be imitated
of all good husbands, I thinke it not amisse to shew you the figure
thereof.
{Illustration: The Toastree with double chaines.}
(3) The Swingletrees, being pieces of Ash wood cut in proportion
afore-shewed, to which the Treates, by which the horses draw, are
fastned with strong loopes.
(4) The Treates by which the horses draw, being strong cords made of the
best Hempe.
(5) The place betweene the Treats, where the horses must stand.
(6) The Hames, which girt the Collers about, to which the other end of
the Treats are fastned, being compassed pieces of wood, eyther cleane
Ash, or cleane Oake.
(7) The round Withes of wood, or broad thongs of leather, to put about
the horses necke, to beare the maine chayne from the ground, that it
trouble not the horses in their going.
(8) The Single-linckes of Iron, which ioyne the Swingle-trees vnto the
Toastrees.
(9) The Belly-bands, which passe vnder the belly of the horse, and are
made fast to both sides of the Treates, keeping them downe, that when
the horse drawes, his coller may not choake him: being made of good
small line or coard.
(10) The Backe-bands, which going ouer the horses backe, and being made
fast to both sides of the Treates, doe hold them, so as when the horses
turne, the Treates doe not fall vnder their feete.
{SN: How many beasts in a plough.}
Thus I haue giuen you the perfect portraiture of a well yoakt Plough,
together with his Implements, and the vse of them, being the best which
hath yet beene found out by any of our skilfullest English Husbandmen,
whose practise hath beene vpon these deepe, stiffe, blacke clayes. Now
you shall vnderstand, that for the number of Cattell to be vsed in these
ploughes, that in fallowing your land, and plowing your Pease-earth,
eight good Cattell are the best number, as being the strongest, and
within the compasse of gouernment, whereas more were but troublesome,
and in all your other Ardors, sixe good beasts are sufficient, yet if it
be so, that eyther want of abilitie, or other necessity vrge, you shall
know that sixe beasts will suffice eyther to fallow, or to plow
Pease-earth, and foure beasts for euery other Ardor or earing: and lesse
then this number is most insufficient, as appeares by daily experience,
when poore men kill their Cattell onely by putting them to ouer-much
labour. And thus much touching the plowing of the blacke clay.