Chapter 5, Item 151a
Good husbandman
Observations of Husbandmen.
The way to Thrive is to get a good Housewifely and careful Wife.
Careful Husbands are at Labour when others Sleep, and spend according to their getting and income.
It is a Blessing to have a good Land-lord, for under a bad, a Man shall never thrive.
In Bargains of buying and Selling be careful and wise.
Unthriftiness, Slothfulness, Carelesness, and Rashness in Business, are 4 Beggars that must be Lasht from the Door.
The Officers of a good Husbands House, is Money the Drudge, Work the Servant, Wisdom the Controller, good Order the Clark, Provision the Caterer, Skill the Cook, and Steward of all is Pen, Ink and Book, Hunger the Physician, Thirst the Butler, the Masters Eye the Usher, and Bolt and Lock the Porter, Husbandry the Bayliff to provide a broad, and Housewifery the Master and Mistress to guide all daily at Home.
The Armory of good Husbandry, a sure House in good repair is his Castle, a Coffer fast Lockt his Store house and Treasury; a Ban-Dog the Scout Watch, to give notice of a Thief; Gun, Arrows and Bell, to give notice that the Chieftain is within.
The Enemies to Thriftiness, are too much credit given to Servants, ill usage of Goods, a bad, destroying and a scolding Wife, graceless Children, Wretched Servants, a ravening Mastive, Hogs that eat Poultry, and a giddy Brained Master, to be each day Feasting, and Building Houses for Glory, spending faster than it comes in, and delighting in Parasites, Harlots, and such like as Borrow but never pay.
Friends to Thriftiness, is good Husbandry to get and gain, good Housewifery to keep and save, to be seldom Surety, but never for much, to be pinching in lending and spending, never to crave but live of their own, if they Borrow to be just in keeping their time.
For, those who lives but Lends? or Lent too he must,
Else Buying and Selling must ly in the Dust.
Not to Trust the Borrower if once or twice he
hath cracked his Credit, except he bring his Surety; if
he be Angry for asking, make even with him, and trust
not anew.
Take Weekly and Monthly Accounts of thy Expences, first Reckon, then Write before you Pay, and
Receive before you Write; Be sure to receive good Money.
Keep not two Houses for Pleasure, for that is
double Charges, for the Rolling Stone can gather no
Moss.
The Masters Eye makes the Horse Fat, and Work
to go forwards, and the Mistresses Eye doth as much,
which if they govern with Skill and Reason, their Servants are ever at their Will and Pleasure.
To seek Revenge for every Trespass or Wrong, shall
not long live quiet.
Go not to Law, except on urgent occasions.
Say little to Hawkers and Hunters, neither be Rude,
but rather open them a Gap then let them do it themselves.
Keep the Sabbath, and thy Servants from gadding
abroad, observe Fish days and Fast days according to
the Custom of the Church, pay thy Tythes and Offerings freely.
Pay Workmen weekly, to feed their Household,
and Servants Quarterly, to Buy what they need, and be
Charitable to the Poor, and give to cover the Naked.
Keep out Rascals and Vagabonds that are Slothful and will not Work, Purloiners and Filchers that lurk
about Houses, and Lubbers that are loth to take pains.
Give thy Children good Nurture and Learning,
and teach them how to live in the Fear of God, for
this is the best Portion that can be given.
Do not pinch or spare, nor pine thy self to Chest
Bags for thy Wife, for after thy Death, they shall be open
to such as sooth her, and so come to waste; but good
Husbandry to prevent these frailties in some; take
part of Gods Blessings, and leave the rest to Wife and
Children each one their part, as he thinks best.
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Chapter 5, Item 151b
Farmers year
Januaries Husbandry Observations.
When Christmas is gone, we must begin our Work to renew.
If the Weather serve bring Muck to your Field, and dig
your Gardens, and break up Ground.
Ewes ready to Yean put in clean ground free from Stubble,
Mire and Briers, and keep them from Dogs, Rear Lambs
that are Twins, and they will breed Twins.
Rear Calves, and geld them, let them be likely and fair,
and Calved between Christmas and Lent, Sell such as fall
between the Change and prime of the Moon.
A good Farrowing Sow is as profitable as a Cow, rear
Pigs that are largest.
Geld all Cattel young, as Calves, Colts, Lambs and Pigs.
Lambs soon sold, is best for old Ewes, but if you will have
Milk from the Dam, let it suck till May, the like observe in
the Goat.
Good to Lop and Prune Trees, and fall Wood.
Set or remove young Trees and Stocks, Vines and Grafts,
set Willows, Muck Hop-yards with Pigeon Dung.
Set Chestnuts, Walnuts, Nuts, Filberds, Apricocks, Peaches, Plums and Cherries, with all other Stone Fruit; set the
young Bay and Laurel, or the Berries.
Set the Kernels of Apples and Pears, and all other Trees
that bear Gums.
In ridding of pastures, fill every hole up, for that will be
profitable.
Break up ground where Barly is sowed, and give the Land
good Tillage.
Sow Oats now where you intend Pasture ground, and it
will come the sooner, and the Oats better, for he that sows
them in May gets but little by them.
House the Rearing Calf, and suckle it twice a day, and
after a while set by him Water and Hay, and a ragged Stake
to rub on, and at 50 days end Wean it, so the older Weaned will teach the younger to drink and eat.
Februarys Observations.
Keep your Cattel well, if you will have them work.
Lay Muck a Month in the Field before it be spread from
the Dung heap.
Make good Fence and Ditches about your Fields; but for
want of Pasture, let Fields for a time be laid open for Cattel
to feed and run about to fill their Bellies.
Dung Meadow Land, and cast abroad Molehills; But if
Meadows be given to wet, the more Molehills the better, that
Lambs may sit on.
Yoke Swine, Mew Hawks, and let Shepherds look to their
Flocks, for now is busie both Wild Dogs, Wolf and Fox.
Sow Kernels of Haws, Mustard seed, and all sorts of Pot
Herbs and Sallet Herbs.
Set all sorts of Flowers that can be got; Trim all sorts
of Fruit Trees from Moss, Canker, and superfluous Branches.
Plow and Sow Pease the Moon past the Full, but sow fine
Seed the Moon increasing.
Sow on Stubble for Fitches, Bean, Pease, and Runcivals;
but sow not white Pease till St Gregories day, all in the wain
of the Moon, and Harrow them well.
Sow Hemp amongst Nettles, and the Nettles will die.
Set Clapper and Scare Crow, with Gun, Bow and Arrow,
where such Seed and Cod-ware is sowed.
And now he that stacks his Tillage to follow a Cart, for
a Groat gotten abroad, loseth three at home.
March Observations.
Sow White Pease, and Barley when the Hathorns are
white, be it dry or wet, and follow the Plough with the Harrow,
viz. March, April and May: And roul the Barley after a Rain when first it appeareth, and it will grow better
and Mow.
If Clods in Wheat Land break not in Frost, roul it, or
break them in dry Weather.
March dry or wet, set Hop roots; it is also a fit Month
for Grafting from Change of the Moon to the prime, regarding Wind and Weather.
Set Quick-sets, and cut those of growth, cover the Roots
of Trees (opened in December and January) with fat
Earth.
In this Month also sow Garden Roots and Pot-herbs, slip
Artichokes and Sage.
Spare the Meadow from eating, if you expect good Hay.
Spare the Mores and Marshes till May if you expect good Pasturing.
Kill on the Clod the Pye, Rook, Crow, and Raven, and
Pigeons fright away if you expect a good Crop.
Aprils Observations.
Make Fens, and spread Hillocks in Meadows for Hay.
Set Poles for Hops deep and strong.
Sow Flax and Hemp, set and sow all kind of Garden
Herbs, yet this Rule do not forget, to Sow dry, and set
wet.
Restore the liberty of the Laborious Bee by opening her
Hive.
Now let good Wives look to their Gardens, and begin to
think of their Dairies, for from April to St Andrews tide
Dairies do last.
May Observations.
This Month commands the Provident Wife and the
prudent Artist to set their Skill on Work; in the beginning
of this Month set and sow those tender Herbs that would not
endure the former cold; also Buck, Pease, Hemp, Flax.
Weed your Hop-yards and Gardens, and Corn fields,
Poultry are their ill Neighbours.
Put Lambs from Ewes that are to be Milked, and Kids
from the Goats; and keep Sheep Tails from Maggots and
Mads; put Calves to Grass.
If Corn be rank turn in Sheep to Wood-lands, never to
Champion ground or Mow it.
Drain Ditches and Fens, and twice Fallow thy Land, and
gather up Stones.
Watch swarming of Bees, and thrash up thy Barn.
Fetch home Fuel, as Coals, Billets, Faggots and Turf,
but Crop not till Michaelmas.
June Observations.
Wash Sheep to Shear, and Shear them the Moon increasing.
Repair thy Barn and Floor, keep all dry over head.
Marle and Slice thy ground, and mow thy Meadows.
Plow early, and have Cart and all things in order to
bring in Fuel and Fodder.
At the Full of the Moon this Month, and next gather
your Herbs to keep dry for all the Year.
Set Rosemary and Gillifowers, and sow Lettice and Radish 3 or 4 days after the Full, and they will not run to seed.
Distilling of Roses and other Herbs, and making Syrups
and Conserves are now in prime.
July Observations.
Get Rue, Wormwood, and Gall to strew on your Floors
to destroy Fleas.
Now is the time for Hay-making, and make Hovels and
Stacks for want of Barning.
Pull up thy Hemp, and dry Flax get in, Mow or pluck
up thy Buck and Branke.
Thrice Fallow thy ground.
Gather ripe Pease and Beans to eat from the Garden.
At the Full of the Moon gather Flowers and Seeds, dry
your Flowers rather in the Shade than in the Sun, but to a void Corruption let the Suns heat a little visit them.
August Observations.
Gather Saffron and Mustard seed; and now with Thank fulness Reap your Harvest by day, and gather and Cart it
dry in.
Get Gorse, Hawme, Heath, Turf and Furzin for Firing.
Break and Swingle Hemp and Flax.
Thrice Fallow Ground, sow Winter Herbs in Full of the
Moon, and muck for Barly ground.
Esteem of fair Weather as precious, and mispend it not.
After Harvest Havock thy ground, let it lie Common if
Town Fields.
Mend High ways, and provide Milch Cows for Lent,
and Salt fish.
September Observations.
Sow Rye in the Dust, the cleaner the Rye the better the
Crop; Sow before Michaelmas.
Muncorn, mix Rye with Wheat to sow, and sow it neither too thick nor too thin, for Weeds grow where Seed is
wanting; and endeavour to keep off Pigeon, Rook and
Crow.
Now is the time to Trench, Hedg, Ditch, repair Mud walls, scour Ponds, and mend Dams.
Geld Bulls and Rams, Sty the Hog and Boar, and ring
the Swine.
Mast and Acorns for Hogs gather now.
Gather Crabs, pull Grapes, with other Michaelmas
Fruit.
Karle Hemp up clean which before was green, beat out
the Seed, and lay it to steep in a Pit.
The beginning of this and end of the last Month gather
Hops in fair Weather, and new Dew.
Set Quick Sets, remove Trees from this time to February
in the New of the Moon, and the Weather warm.
Sow Parsnips and Carrots, Set Roses, Raspes, Barberries,
Gooseberries and Strawberries.
Now Old and New Farmers make Bargains and take
Farms.
October Observations.
Plow up ground for Barley.
Sow the best Wheat upon Pease; Edish is also good to sow
Wheat.
Woodland and Manured Land will bear three good Crops,
1. Barley, 2. Pease, 3. Wheat.
Champion Land will abide but two Crops, 1. Barley and
Wheat, or Barley and Rye, 2. Pease.
Fallow ground (to lye faugh) is good for Wheat, but
Waterish Fields bad.
Gravel and Sandy ground is not the best, but rotten black
Land is worth Gold.
Hard Barren Land doth bear a small Straw and Ear.
If Weather prevent not, Sow Wheat before Hallowmas
Eve.
Much Wet causeth Thistles and Weeds.
Gravel and Sandy ground is good for Rye, Clay and rottener Land for Pease and Barley.
Lusty and strong Land for Wheat, which makes the Straw
and Ear big and strong.
Light Land for White and Red Wheat.
Heavy Land is best for white and red Pollard, and Turkey and French Wheat.
Crop upon Crop of the same Grain, will bring Land soon
to decay; therefore some use 1. To Fallow. 2. Barly. 3. Pease
4. Wheat. 5. Fallow again, or ly Lay for Cattel.
Upland new broken up or over Dunged is not best for
Wheat.
Pease Sowed, and a Fallow after, requires no Dunging
for Wheat.
Ground that hath Winter Water upon it, sow with Oats,
Pease, Runcivals and Fitches.
In this Month sow Acorns and Hastings, set Quick-sets,
sow Kernels and Berries.
November Observations.
Set Crab-tree stocks to graft on, and in the beginning of
this Month remove young Plants and Trees about the new
Moon, observing this as a seasonable secret, that in setting,
you carefully place that side to the South and West, which
were so before you took the Plant up.
In the old of the Moon set Pease, and Bean, sow Parsnips,
and Carrots, and Garlick.
Trench Gardens with Dung, and uncover the Roots of
Apple-trees, and so let them remain till March.
Kill Swine in or near the full of the Moon, and the Flesh
will prove the better, for now Hoggs, Pork and Souce, is good
fare in a Country Farm, but much Bacon and long kept
groweth Reasty.
If thou have it, Thresh Barley for Malt, but for thy own
store, no more then is to be used.
Till March Thresh not Wheat but as you Eat it, for
fear of Pusting and Fustiness.
Rear no young Cattle in the Winter.
Lay Muck and Straw in a Muck-hill to Rott.
Fay foul and full Privies, and Rid Chimneys by good
sweeping of Soot.
Spread Mold-hills, and Ring Swine.
And in Conclusion be careful of the Barn, for Threshers
both early and late are apt to pilfer and fill their Bag and
Bottle.
December Observations.
In the later quarter of the Moon this Month and next,
are best to fell Timber.
Cover your Artichoke Roots, and all your best Flowers and
Herbs from cold and storms with Muck or Rotten Horse
Dung.
Look well to the fodering of thy Cattle, and blood thy
Horses if there be occasion.
Its no Season of Hedging and Ditching or any out of Work,
but to cleave Logs of Wood, and to carry in Fuel for Kitchin
and Hall Fires.
Feed Bees with Hony, remove young Trees and Stocks: as
Cherries and Plums, in open Weather.
Christmas Fare, for the Good Husbandman and Houswife,
is good Bread, good Drink, good Fire in the Hall, and varieties of good Meat: as Brawn, Pork, Puddings, Souce,
Beef and Mustard, Mutton, Pig, Veal and Pyes of the best,
with Geese, Capons, Turkeys, and Ducks; also Cheese, Apples
and Nuts, &c. with Masking and Mumming, Carols and
Dancing good Store.
And of other Dainties I leave out a many,
which costs the Husbandman never a penny.
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