This is an extract from Markham's _Farewell to Husbandry, or the
Enriching of all Sorts of barren and Steril grounds in our Kingdome_,
a well-known book on farming as carried on in England in the early
years of the 17th century; it is presented here in order to show what
the daily tasks of a farmer were at that time, and what might be
expected, according to this standard, of a settler coming to
Virginia. The author, Gervase Markham, issued several editions of the
work. This extract is from the fourth edition, printed in 1638, of
which a title-page is reproduced in this booklet, from the copy in
the William and Mary College Library. Markham's book has an
additional interest, for the reason that in the supplies sent by ship
_Supply_ in 1620 to Berkeley Hundred, a copy of the current edition
was included.
Having thus generally runne over (in a short computation) the
labours of the husbandman, I will now briefly as I can, goe over
the particular daies labours of a farmer or plowman, shewing the
particular expence of every houre of the day, from his first
rising, till his going to bed, as thus for example: We will
suppose it to be after Christmas, and about plow-day (which is
the first letting out of the plough) and at what time men either
begin to fallow, or to break up pease earth, which is to lie to
bait, according to the custome of the country; at this time the
plough-man shall rise before foure of the clocke in the morning,
and after thankes given to God for his rest, and the successe of
his labours he shall go into his stable, or beaste-house, and
first he shall fodder his cattell, then cleanse the house, and
make the booths cleane, rub downe the cattell, and cleanse their
skins of all filth, then he shall curry his horses, rub them
with clothes and wisps, and make both them and the stable as
cleane as may be, then he shall water both his oxen and horses,
and housing them againe, give them more fodder, and to his horse
by all meanes provender, as chaffe and dry pease or beanes, or
oat-hulls, pease or beanes or cleane oates, or clean garbage
(which is the hinder ends of any kinde of graine but rye) with
the straw chop'd small amongst it, according as the ability of
the husbandman is. And whilst they are eating their meat, he
shall make ready his collars, hames, treats, halters, mullens,
and plough-geares, seeing everything fit, and in his due place,
and to these labours I will also allow full two houres, that is,
from foure of the clocke till sixe, then hee shall come in to
breakfast, and to that I allow him halfe an houre; and then
another halfe houre to the gearing and yoaking of his cattell,
so that at seven of the clocke hee may set forward to his
labour, and then he shall plow from seven of the clock in the
morning, till betwixt two and three in the afternoone, then he
shall unyoke, and bring home his cattell, and having rubb'd
them, drest them, and cleansed away all durt and filth, he shall
fodder them, and give them meate, then shall the servants goe in
to their dinner, which allowed halfe an houre; it will then be
towards foure of the clocke, at what time hee shall goe to his
cattell againe, and rubbing them downe, and cleansing their
stalls, give them more fodder, which done, he shall go into the
barnes, and provide and make ready fodder of all kinds for the
next day, whether it be hay, straw, or blend fodder, according
to the ability of the husbandman: this being done, and carried
into the stable, oxe-house, or other convenient place, he shall
then goe water his cattell, and give them more meate, and to his
horse provender, as before shewed; and by this time it will draw
past sixe of the clocke, at which time he shall come in to
supper, and after supper, he shall either by the fire side, mend
shooes both for himselfe and their family, or beat and knock
hemp, or flaxe, or picke and stampe apples, or crabs for cider
or verdjuce, or else grind malt on the quernes, picke candle
rushes, or do some husbandly office within dores, till it be
full eight a clocke: then shall he take his lanthorne and
candle, and goe to his cattell, and having cleansed the stalls
and plankes, litter them downe, looke that they be safely tied,
and then fodder and give them meate for all night, then giving
God thankes for benefits received that day, let him and the
whole household goe to their rest till the next morning.
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