Fiue hundred pointes of good husbandrie
This tilth being done, ye haue passed the wurst,
then after who ploweth, plow thou with the furst.
[Sidenote: Carie out compas.]
24
Twifallow once ended, get tumbrell and man,
and compas that fallow as soone as ye can.
Let skilfull bestow it, where neede is vpon,
more profit the sooner to follow[10] thereon.
25
Hide hedlonds with muck, if ye will to the knees,
so dripped and shadowd with bushes and trees:[E322]
Bare plots full of galles,[11] if ye plow ouerthwart,
and compas it then, is a husbandlie part.
26
Let children be hired, to lay to their bones,
from fallow as needeth to gather vp stones.
What wisedome for profit aduiseth vnto,
that husband and huswife must willingly do.
[Sidenote: Forth to grasse with thy calues.]
27
To gras with thy calues in some medow plot nere,
where neither their mothers may see them nor here.
Where water is plentie and barth to sit warme,
and looke well vnto them, for taking of harme.
[Sidenote: Let not cattel want water.]
28
Pinch neuer thy wennels of water or meat,
if euer ye hope for to haue them good neat:
In Sommer time dailie, in Winter in frost,
if cattel lack drinke, they be vtterly lost.
[Sidenote: Ouerlay not thy pastures.]
29
For coueting much ouerlay not thy ground,
and then shall thy cattel be lustie and sound.
But pinch them of pasture, while Sommer doth last,
and lift at their tailes er an Winter be past.[E323]
[Sidenote: Get home thy fewel.]
30
Get home with thy fewell, made readie to fet,
the sooner the easier carrege to get:
Or otherwise linger the carrege thereon,
till (where as ye left it) a quarter be gon.
[Sidenote: Husbandrie for Citizens.]
31
His firing in Sommer, let Citizen buie,
least buieng in Winter make purse for to crie.
For carman and collier harps both on a string,
in Winter they cast to be with thee to bring.[12]
[Sidenote: Sléeping time.[E324]]
32
From Maie to mid August, an hower or two,
let patch[E325] sleepe a snatch, how soeuer ye do,
Though sleeping one hower refresheth his song,
yet trust not hob growthed[E326] for sleeping too long.
[Sidenote: ¶ Stilling of herbes.]
33
The knowledge of stilling is one pretie feat,
The waters be holesome, the charges not great.[E327]
What timelie thou gettest, while Sommer doth last,
thinke Winter will helpe thee, to spend it as fast.
[Sidenote: ¶]
34
Fine bazell desireth it may be hir lot,
to growe as the gilloflower, trim in a pot,
That ladies and gentils, for whom she doth serue,
may helpe hir as needeth, poore life to preserue.[13]
35
Keepe oxe fro thy cow that to profit would go,
least cow be deceiued by oxe dooing so:
And thou recompenced for suffering the same,
with want of a calfe and a cow to wax lame.
Thus endeth Maies husbandrie.
[1] "Reeding is no where so well done as in Norfolk and Suffolk.... It
will bear a better slope than any other thatch."--T.R.
[2] See footnote 10, below.
[3] "or, as some call it, the Tine-tare."--T.R.
[4] to for seed. 1577.
[5] Sts. 14 and 15 are not in 1577.
[6] "I am told that 20_s._ an acre is the common Price for looking
after a hop ground."--T.R.
[7] Misprinted "time."
[8] quamer. 1577.
[9] "The Proverb says, 'A Swarm in May is worth a Load of Hay.'"--T.R.
1710. Mavor says a swarm might fetch 15_s._ in his time (1812).
[10] The author of _Tusser Redivivus_ and Mavor prefer _fallow_; though
M. says that all standard editions read _follow_. Cf. st. 9, above.
[11] gales. 1577.
[12] "In our Author's time, and not long since, the Yarmouth and
Ipswich Colliers were laid up in the Winter, and then the Spring Market
was always dearest."--T.R.
[13] "Most people stroak Garden Basil, which leaves a grateful Smell
on the Hand; and he will have it, that such stroaking from a fair lady
preserves the life of the Basil."--T.R.
52.
¶ _Junes abstract.
Chap._ 41.
1
Wash shéep for to share,
that shéepe may go bare.
2
Though fléese ye take,
no patches make.
3
Share lambes no whit,
or share not yit.
4
If meadow be growne,
let meadow be mowne.
5
Plough early ye may,
and then carrie hay.
6
Tis good to be knowne,
to haue all of thine owne.
Who goeth a borrowing,
goeth a sorrowing.[E328]
7
Sée cart in plight,
and all things right.
8
Make drie ouer hed,
both houell and shed.
9
Of houell make stack,
for pease on his back.
10[1]
In champion some,
wants elbow rome.
11
Let wheat and rie,
in house lie drie.
12
Buie turfe and sedge,
or else breake hedge.
13
Good store howse néedfull
well ordred spéedfull.
14
Thy barnes repaire,
make flower[2] faire.
15
Such shrubs as noie,
in sommer destroie.
16
Swinge brembles & brakes,[E329]
get forkes and rakes.
17
Spare hedlonds[3] some,
till haruest come.
18
Cast ditch and pond,
to lay vpon lond.
_A lesson of hopyard._
19
Where hops will growe,
here learne to knowe.
Hops many will coome,
in a roode of roome.
20
Hops hate the land,
with grauell and sand.
21
The rotten mold
for hop is worth gold.
22
The sunne southwest
for hopyard is best.
23
Hop plot once found,
now dig the ground.
24
Hops fauoreth malt,
hops thrift doth exalt:
Of hops more réede,
as time shall néede.
Thus endeth Junes abstract, agreeing with Junes husbandrie.
[1] Sts. 10-12 are omitted in 1577.
[2] _Query_, floor.
[3] hedlong. 1577.
53.
¶ _Junes husbandrie.
Chap._ 42.
Calme weather in June
Corne sets in time.
Forgotten month past,
Doe now at the last.
[Sidenote: Shéepe sharing.]
1
Wash sheepe (for the better) where water doth run,
and let him go cleanly and drie in the sun.
Then share him and spare not, at two daies an end,
The sooner the better his corps will amend.[E330]
[Sidenote: Beware of euill shéepe shearers.]
2
Reward not thy sheepe (when ye take off his cote)
with twitchis and patches, as brode as a grote.[E331]
Let not such vngentlenesse happen to thine,
least flie with hir gentils doo make it to pine.
[Sidenote: Sheare lambes in Julie.]
3
Let lambes go vnclipped, till June be halfe worne,
the better the fleeses will growe to be shorne.
The Pie will discharge thee for pulling the rest:[E332]
the lighter the sheepe is, then feedeth it best.
[Sidenote: Mowing time.]
4
If meadow be forward, be mowing of some;
but mowe as the makers may well ouercome:[E333]
Take heede to the weather, the wind and the skie,
if danger approcheth, then cock apace[E334] crie.
5
Plough earlie till ten a clock, then to thy hay,
in plowing and carting, so profit ye may.
By little and little, thus dooing ye win:
that plough shall not hinder when haruest comes in.[E335]
6
Prouide of thine owne to haue all things at hand,
least worke and the workman vnoccupide stand.
Loue seldome to borowe that thinkest to saue,
for he that once lendeth twise looketh to haue.[E336]
[Sidenote: Trim well thy carts.]
7
Let cart be well searched without and within,
well clouted and greased, er hay time begin.
Thy hay being carried, though carter had sworne,
carts bottome well boorded is sauing of corne.
8
Good husbands that laie to saue all things vpright,
for tumbrels and cart, haue a shed readie dight.
Where vnder the hog may in winter lie warme:
to stand so enclosed, as wind doo no harme.
[Sidenote: A houell is set vpon crotches[1] and couered
with poles and strawe.]
9
So likewise a houell will serue for a roome,
to stack on the peason, when haruest shall coome.
And serue thee in winter, more ouer than that,
to shut vp thy porklings thou mindest to fat.
10[2]
Some barnroome haue little, and yardroome as much,
yet corne in the field appertaineth to such:
Then houels and rikes they are forced to make,
abrode or at home for necessities sake.
11
Make sure of breadcorne (of all other graine),
lie drie and well looked to, for mouse and for raine.
Though fitchis and pease, and such other as they,
(for pestring too much) on a houell ye ley.
12
With whinnes or with furzes thy houell renew,
for turfe or for sedge, for to bake and to brew:
For charcole and sea cole, as also for thacke,
for tallwood and billet, as yeerlie ye lacke.
[Sidenote: The husbandlie storhouse.]
13
What husbandlie husbands, except they be fooles,
but handsome haue storehouse, for trinkets and tooles:
And all in good order, fast locked to ly,
what euer is needfull, to find by and by.
14
Thy houses and barnes would be looked vpon,
and all things amended er haruest come on.
Things thus set in order, in quiet and rest,
shall further thy haruest and pleasure thee best.
15
The bushes and thorne with the shrubs that do noy,
in woodsere[3][E337] or sommer cut downe to destroy:
But where as decay to the tree ye will none,
for danger in woodsere, let hacking alone.
[Sidenote: Mowe downe brakes and meadow.]
16
At Midsommer, downe with the brembles and brakes,
and after, abrode with thy forks and thy rakes:
Set mowers a mowing, where meadow is growne,
the longer now standing the worse to be mowne.
[Sidenote: Mowe hedlonds at haruest or after in the
seueral fields.]
17
Now downe with the grasse vpon hedlonds about,
that groweth in shadow, so ranke and so stout.
But grasse vpon hedlond of barlie and pease,
when haruest is ended, go mowe if ye please.
18
Such muddie deepe ditches, and pits in the feeld,
that all a drie sommer no water will yeeld,
By fieing[E338] and casting that mud vpon heapes,
commodities many the husbandman reapes.
_A lesson where and when to plant good Hopyard._
19
Whome fancie persuadeth, among other crops,
to haue for his spending, sufficient of hops,[E339]
Must willinglie follow, of choises to chuse,
such lessons approoued, as skilfull doo vse.
[Sidenote: Naught for hops.]
20
Ground grauellie, sandie, and mixed with clay,
is naughtie for hops any maner of way;
Or if it be mingled with rubbish and stone,
for drines and barrennes, let it alone.
[Sidenote: Good for hops.]
21
Choose soile for the hop of the rottenest mould,
well doonged and wrought, as a garden plot should
Not far from the water (but not ouerflowne)
this lesson well noted is meete to be knowne.
22
The Sunne in the south, or else southly and west,
is ioy to the hop, as a welcomed gest;
But wind in the north, or else northly east,
to hop is as ill as a fraie in a feast.
[Sidenote: Now dig thy new hop ground.]
23
Meete plot for a hopyard once found as is told,
make thereof account, as of iewell of gold.
Now dig it and leaue it, the Sunne for to burne,
and afterward fence it, to serue for that turne.
[Sidenote: The praise of hops.]
24
The hop for his profit I thus doo exalt,
it strengtheneth drinke, and it fauoreth malt.
And being well brewed, long kept it will last,
and drawing abide, if ye drawe not too fast.
[1] "forked posts."--T.R.
[2] Sts. 10-12 are omitted in 1577.
[3] goodsere. 1577.
54.
¶ _Julies abstract.
Chap._ 43.
1
Go sirs and away,
to ted and make hay.
If stormes drawes nie,
then cock apace crie.
2
Let hay still bide,
till well it be dride.
(Hay made) away carrie,
no longer then tarrie.
3
Who best way titheth,
he best way thriueth.
4
Two good hay makers
woorth twentie crakers.
5
Let dallops[1] about
be mowne and had out.
Sée hay doo looke gréene,
sée féeld ye rake cléene.
6
Thry fallow I pray thée,
least thistles bewray thée.
7
Cut off, good wife,
ripe beane with a knife.
8
Ripe hempe out cull,
from karle to pull.
Let séede hempe growe,
till more ye knowe.
9
Drie flax get in,
for spinners[2] to spin.
Now mowe[3] or pluck
thy branke or buck.
10
Some wormewood saue,