Fiue hundred pointes of good husbandrie
To cart gap and barne, set a guide to looke weele,
and hoy out (sir carter) the hog fro thy wheele:
Least greedie of feeding, in following cart,
it noieth or perisheth, spight of thy hart.
14
In champion countrie a pleasure they take,
to mowe vp their hawme, for to brew and to bake.
And also it stands them in steade of their thack,
which being well inned, they cannot well lack.
15
The hawme is the strawe of the wheat or the rie,
which once being reaped, they mowe by and bie:
For feare of destroieng with cattle or raine,
the sooner ye lode it, more profit ye gaine.
[Sidenote: Mowing of barlie.]
16
The mowing of barlie, if barlie doo stand,
is cheapest and best, for to rid out of hand:[E360]
Some mowe it and rake it, and sets it on cocks,
some mowe it and binds it, and sets it on shocks.
[Sidenote: Binding of barlie.]
17
Of barlie the longest and greenest ye find,
leaue standing by dallops,[E361] till time ye doo bind:
Then early in morning (while deaw is thereon),
to making of bands till the deaw be all gon.
[Sidenote: Spreading of barlie bands.]
[Sidenote: ¶]
18
One spreadeth those bands, so in order to ly,
as barlie (in swatches) may fill it thereby:
Which gathered vp, with the rake and the hand,
the follower after them bindeth in band.
[Sidenote: Tithe of rakings.]
19
Where barlie is raked (if dealing be true),
the tenth of such raking to Parson is due:
Where scatring of barlie is seene to be much,
there custome nor conscience tithing should gruch.[11]
20
Corne being had downe (any way ye alow),
should wither as needeth, for burning in mow:
Such skill appertaineth to haruest mans art,
and taken in time is a husbandly part.
[Sidenote: Usage of peason.]
21
No turning of peason till carrege ye make,
nor turne in no more, than ye mind for to take:
Least beaten with showers so turned to drie,
by turning and tossing they shed as they lie.
[Sidenote: Lingring Lubbers.]
22
If weather be faire, and tidie[12][E362] thy graine,
make speedily carrege, for feare of a raine:
For tempest and showers deceiueth a menie,
and lingering lubbers loose many a penie.
[Sidenote: Best maner of gouing corn in the barn.]
23
In gouing at haruest, learne skilfully how
ech graine for to laie, by it selfe on a mow:
Seede barlie the purest, goue out of the way,
all other nigh hand goue as just as ye may.
[Sidenote: Pease stack.]
24
Stack pease vpon houell abrode in the yard,
to couer it quicklie, let owner regard:
Least Doue and the cadow, there finding a smack,[E363]
with ill stormie weather doo perish[E364] thy stack.
[Sidenote: Leaue gleaning for the poore.]
25
Corne carred, let such as be poore go and gleane,
and after, thy cattle to mowth it vp cleane.
Then spare it for rowen, till Mihel be past,
to lengthen[E365] thy dairie no better thou hast.
26
In haruest time, haruest folke, seruants and all,
should make all togither good cheere in the hall:
And fill out the black boule of bleith[E366] to their song,
and let them be merie all haruest time long.
[Sidenote: Pay trulie haruest folke.]
27
Once ended thy haruest, let none be begilde,
please such as did helpe thee, man, woman, and childe.
Thus dooing, with alway such helpe as they can,
thou winnest the praise of the labouring man.
[Sidenote: Thanke God for all.]
28
Now looke vp to Godward, let tong neuer cease
in thanking of him, for his mightie encrease:
Accept my good will, for a proofe go and trie:
the better thou thriuest, the gladder am I.
[End of Augusts Husbandry in 1577.]
_Works after Haruest._[13]
29
Now carrie out compas, when haruest is donne,
where barlie thou sowest, my champion sonne:
Or laie it on heape, in the field as ye may,
till carriage be faire, to haue it away.
30
Whose compas is rotten and carried in time,
and spred as it should be, thrifts ladder may clime.[E367]
Whose compas is paltrie and carried too late,
such husbandrie vseth that many doo hate.[E368]
[Sidenote: Carriage of fewell.]
31[14]
Er winter preuenteth, while weather is good,
for galling of pasture get home with thy wood.
And carrie out grauell to fill vp a hole:
both timber and furzen, the turfe and the cole.
[Sidenote: Well placing of fewell.]
32
Howse charcole and sedge, chip and cole[15] of the land,
pile tallwood and billet, stacke all that hath band.
Blocks, rootes,[16] pole and bough, set vpright to the thetch:
the neerer more handsome in winter to fetch.
[Sidenote: Houell for hogs.]
33
In stacking of bauen, and piling of logs,
make vnder thy bauen a houell for hogs,
And warmelie enclose it, all sauing the mouth,
and that to stand open, and full to the south.
34
Once haruest dispatched, get wenches and boies,
and into the barne, afore all other toies.
Choised seede to be picked and trimlie well fide,
for seede may no longer from threshing abide.
35
Get seede aforehand, in a readines had,
or better prouide, if thine owne be too bad.
Be carefull of seede, or else such as ye sowe,
be sure at haruest, to reape or to mowe.
[Sidenote: Provision for Lent.]
36[17]
When haruest is ended, take shipping or ride,
Ling,[E369] Saltfish and Herring, for Lent to prouide.
To buie it at first, as it commeth to rode,
shall paie for thy charges thou spendest abrode.
37
Choose skilfullie Saltfish, not burnt at the stone,[18]
buie such as be good, or else let it alone.
Get home that is bought, and goe stack it vp drie,
with peasestrawe betweene it, the safer to lie.
[Sidenote: Compassing of barlie land.]
38
Er euer ye iornie, cause seruant with speede
to compas thy barlie land where it is neede.
One aker well compassed, passeth some three,
thy barne shall at haruest declare it to thee.
39
This lesson is learned by riding about,
the prices of vittels, the yeere thorough out.
Both what to be selling and what to refraine,
and what to be buieng, to bring in againe.[E370]
40
Though buieng and selling doth woonderfull well,
to such as haue skill how to buie and to sell:
Yet chopping and changing I cannot commend,
with theefe[19] and his marrow, for feare of ill end.
41
The rich in his bargaining needes not be tought,
of buier and seller full far is he sought.
Yet herein consisteth a part of my text,
who buieth at first hand, and who at the next.
[Sidenote: Buieng at first hand.]
42
At first hand he buieth that paieth all downe,
at second, that hath not so much in the towne,
At third hand he buieth that buieth of trust,
at his hand who buieth shall paie for his lust.[E371]
[Sidenote: Readie monie bieth best cheape.]
43
As oft as ye bargaine, for better or wurse,
to buie it the cheaper, haue chinkes in thy purse
Touch kept is commended, yet credit to keepe,
is paie and dispatch him, er euer ye sleepe.
[Sidenote: Hauking.]
44
Be mindfull abrode of Mihelmas[20] spring,
for thereon dependeth a husbandlie thing:
Though some haue a pleasure, with hauke vpon hand,
good husbands get treasure, to purchase their land.
[Sidenote: Winter milch cow.]
45
Thy market dispatched, turne home againe round,
least gaping for penie, thou loosest[21] a pound:
Prouide for thy wife, or else looke to be shent,
good milch cow for winter, another for Lent.
[Sidenote: Old ewes.]
46
In traueling homeward, buie fortie good crones,
and fat vp the bodies of those seelie bones.
Leaue milking and drie vp old mulley thy cow,
the crooked and aged, to fatting put now.
[Sidenote: Buieng or selling of butter and chéese.]
47[22]
At Bartilmewtide, or at Sturbridge faire,[E372]
buie that as is needfull, thy house to repaire:
Then sell to thy profit, both butter and cheese,
who buieth it sooner, the more he shall leese.
[Sidenote: Hops gathering.]
48
If hops doo looke brownish, then are ye too slowe,
if longer ye suffer those hops for to growe.
Now sooner ye gather, more profit is found,
if weather be faire and deaw of a ground.
[Sidenote: Increasing of hops.]
49
Not breake off, but cut off, from hop the hop string,
leaue growing a little againe for to spring.
Whose hill about pared, and therewith new clad,
shall nourish more sets against March to be had.
[Sidenote: The order of hops gathering.]
50
Hop hillock discharged of euerie let,
see then without breaking, ech pole ye out get.
Which being vntangled aboue in the tops,
go carrie to such as are plucking of hops.
[Sidenote: Hop manger.]
51
Take soutage or haier (that couers the kell),
set like to a manger and fastened well:
With poles vpon crotchis as high as thy brest,
for sauing and[23] riddance is husbandrie best.[E373]
[Sidenote: Saue hop poles.]
52
Hops had, the hop poles that are likelie preserue,
(from breaking and rotting) againe for to serue:
And plant ye with alders or willowes a[24] plot,
where yeerelie as needeth mo poles may be got.
[Sidenote: Drieng of hops.]
53
Some skilfullie drieth their hops on a kell,
and some on a soller, oft turning them well.
Kell dried will abide, foule weather or faire,
where drieng and lieng in loft doo dispaire.
[Sidenote: Kéeping of hops.]
54
Some close them vp drie in a hogshed or fat,
yet canuas or soutage is better than that:
By drieng and lieng they quickly be spilt:
thus much haue I shewed, doo now as thou wilt.
55
Old fermer is forced long August to make,
his goodes at more leisure away for to take.
New fermer he thinketh ech houre a day,
vntill the old fermer be packing away.[E374]
Thus endeth and holdeth out Augusts husbandrie, till Mihelmas Eue.
Tho. Tusser.
[1] after. 1577.
[2] "Saffron makes a very good Sward, whereon Linnen may lye hollow and
bleach well enough."--T.R.
[3] Stanza 5 is wanting in 1573 (M.) and 1577.
[4] "Beating it upon a Hurdle or some other rough thing."--T.R.
[5] St. 6 is wanting in 1573 (M.) and 1577.
[6] doth. 1614.
[7] "Our Author is justly against letting Harvest by the great, for
whoever does will certainly find himself cheated or slighted."--T.R.
[8] "Some stay'd sober working man, who understands all sorts of
Harvest Work."--T.R. Cf. Matt. ix. 38.
[9] "Where the Wheat is thistly."--T.R.
[10] Stanzas 11, 14, and 15 are not in 1577.
[11] "This alludes to the custom of Norfolk, where the Parson takes his
Tyth in the Swarth, the Farmer also clears the Swarths, and afterwards
with a Drag-Rake rakes his ground all over."--T.R.
[12] "Tidy is an old Word signifying neat, proper, or in Season, from
the word Tide."--T.R.
[13] Not in editions previous to 1580 (M.). Portions are in Septembers
Husbandry 1577.--_Ed_.
[14] Stanzas 31-33 are in Septembers Husbandry. 1577.
[15] turfe. 1577.
[16] Block rootes. 1577.
[17] Sts. 36-46 appear as sts. 25-35 in Septembers Husbandry. 1577.
[18] "Such Fish as is dry'd on the Beach in too hot Weather."--T.R.
[19] knaue. 1577.
[20] Mighelmas. 1577.
[21] lossest. 1577.
[22] Sts. 47-54 occur as sts. 49-56 of Septembers Husbandry. 1577.
[23] of. 1577.
[24] some. 1577.
58.
¶ _Corne Haruest equally deuided into ten partes.
Chap._ 47.[1]
1
One part cast forth, for rent due out of hand,[E375]
2
One other part, for seede to sowe thy land.
3
Another part, leaue Parson for his tieth.
4
Another part for haruest, sickle and sieth.
5
One part for plowwrite, cartwrite, knacker and smith,
6
One part to vphold thy teemes that drawe therewith.
7
One part for seruant and workmans wages lay.
8
One part likewise for filbellie day by day.
[Sidenote: For naperie sope and candle, salt and
sauce, tinker[2] and cooper, brasse and pewter.]
9
One part thy wife for needfull things doth craue.
10