Chap. VII.
Of Pasture grounds, their order, profit, and generall vse.
Diuersities and vse of Pastures.
Hauing alreadie sufficiently entreated of errable Grounds, Gardens, Orchards, and Woods of all kindes, I thinke it most méete (as falling in his due place) here to write of Pasture grounds, which are of two kindes: the first, such Pastures as lye in wood land, mountainous, or colde climes, and are enclined to hardnesse and barrennesse, and therefore onely imployed to the bréeding and bringing forth of Cattell: the other such as lye in lowe, warme, and fruitfull soyles, and are most fertile and aboundant in encrease, onely imployed to the fatting and féeding of Cattell.
Of barraine Pastures.
And now to speake of the first sort of Pasture, which being somewhat barraine, is preserued for bréeding, you shall vnderstand that it is generally dispierced ouer all this Kingdome, and particularly into euery Countrey, for according to the veanes and mixture of the earth, such is either the richnesse or pouerty of the same, and of those seuerall mixtures I haue spoken sufficiently before in that part of this Booke, which entreateth of errable ground. Then to procéede to my purpose, it is the first office of the Husbandman when he séeth and knoweth the true nature of his earth, and perceiueth from perfect iudgement that it is of very hard encrease, Signes of barrainnesse. which as the temper and mixture of the soyle assures him, so also he shall better confirme by these fewe signes and Charracters, which I will deliuer: as first, if he sée grasse slow of growth, and that no Spring will appeare before May. If in stead of Clouer-grasse, Dandylion, and Honisuckle, you sée your ground furnished with Penigrasse, Bents, and Burnet. If you sée much Knot-grasse or Speare-grasse, or if you perceiue the scorching of the Sunne burne away the grasse as fast as the raine had brought it forth: or if you finde quarries of stone néere vnto the vpper swarth of grasse; or if your ground bring forth Lyng, Bracken, Gorse, Whynnes, Broome, Bilburie, or Strawburie: or if your ground be morish, full of quick-myers, mossie or full of blacke Flint, any of these signes make it to be most apparant that the soyle is barraine and of hard encrease.
Bettering of soyles.
And then as before I said it is the Husbandmans first office to prouide for the bettering and perfecting of his earth, which he shall doe in this sort. First, if he perceiue that the barrainnesse of his ground procéedes from want of good Plants, Sowing of good seedes. as from want of Clouer-grasse, Dandylion, Honisuckle, Cowslop, and other swéet flowers, then he shall repaire into the fruitfull Countries, and there buy the hay séedes and swéepings of hay-barne-flowers, which he shall euery Spring and fall of the leafe sowe, as thin as may be, vpon such Pastures, as he shall either lay for meddow, or preserue for the latter Spring after Michaelmas. For abundance of grasse. But if he respect not the goodnesse of grasse, but the abundance of grasse, as those husbands doe which liue in or about great Cities, then he shall dung those grounds which he will lay for meddow at Candlemasse; or those which he will graze or eate in the first beginning of the Spring, at Michaelmasse before, with the oldest and rottennest meanure he can get, of which the best is the rotten staddell or bottomes of Hay-stackes, or for want of it the meanure of horse-stables, swéepings, and scowrings of yards and barnes, the mudde of olde ditches, or else good Oxe or Cow meanure, any of which will bring forth abundance of grasse.
The imperfection of meanure.