The English Husbandman (The Second Booke) /

by Gervase Markham

These fruitfull and rich grounds would be deuided into two parts, the one pastures, or grounds for continuall féeding or nourishing of Cattell all the yéere, the other meddowes, from whence you shall gather your Winters prouision of Hay, for the preseruation of your Cattell, which are either for labour or sale in the Market, and of these two parts I will speake seuerally.

The generall vse of rich grounds.

Yet before I begin to speake largely of them, it is méete you know the generall vse of these rich and fruitfull grounds, which is indéede the féeding or fatting vp of Cattell, either for foode in your owne house, or for sale in the Market, to the Butcher, Drouer, or men of such like place or profession. For indéede to bréede much vpon these rich grounds, is neither profitable to the Husbandman, nor is the beaste so bred, either so comely or Market-able, as those bred in the harder soyles, as wée may note in our experience, if we will suruay the bréedes of Cattell in Gloster-shire, Sommerset-shire, and Lincoln-shire, which for the most part are bred vpon excéeding rich and fertile ground: yet if we take view of them, we shall finde that albe they are tall and large, yet they are of slender shape, leane-thighed, crumple-horned, and oft tender and dry skinned, which is a fault very note-worthie amongst Graziers, and indéede are nothing so eyely and Market-able, as those beasts are which are bred in Yorke-shire, Darby-shire, Lancashire, and such like, all which are bred vpon hard and barraine grounds, yet haue goodly, large, and round bodies, close trust, thicke, and well coupled together, faire heads, veluet skinnes, and as the Prouerbe is, are so beautifull in horne and haire, that they are euery mans money, in euery Market. So that I conclude, that albe vpon the rich ground you may bréede good Cattell, and it is necessary also so to doe for the maintaynance of stocke, yet the generall vse, and that which is the greatest profit to the English husbandman, is to graze and féede the same.

Of Pastures and ordering them.

Now to procéede to my former purpose, touching that part of rich ground which I call Pasture, because it is onely for féeding, you shall first prouide that they be very well fenced, according to the nature of the Country, either with ditch, pale, rayle, dead hedge, or quicke-growth: you shall also sée that they be well stored with water, that is swéet and wholesome, for putrified water bréedeth many mortall and infectious diseases amongst Cattell. These Pastures must euer be your highest ground, and such as lye safest from inundations. Those Pastures which you lay or giue rest to from the beginning of Nouember, you may féede at Candlemasse following with heilding beasts, or such as are but beginning to féede, but with your fat beasts not till our Ladies day after: those Pastures which you lay or giue rest to at Candlemasse, you may very well féede at May following: those which you giue rest to at May-day, you may féede at Midsommer, for then the spring is swift and plentifull: those you lay at Midsommer, you may féede at Lammas, those you lay at Lammas, you may féede in October, and generally all the Winter following: onely you shall obserue, that those Pastures which lye most in danger of water, or any other casualtie, be first eaten, least by too long delaying an vnseasonable time come, and so you be both preuented of your hope and profit.

Manner of feeding of cattell.

In the eating of your Pasture grounds, are many things to be obserued, as first for the féeding of your fat Cattell, you must by all meanes be sure that they haue full bite, which is to say, length of grasse: for cattell, whose tongues are the principall gatherers vp of their foode, neither can nor will bite néere vnto the ground, except it be extreame hunger which compels them, and then they take little ioy in their foode. Next you shall oft (as any fit occasion will giue you leaue) remoue and shift them into fresh grounds, and not expect that they should eate your grasse downe to the bottome, but onely as it were scumme and take the vppermost and choisest part thereof, and so they will féede both swiftly and throughly: and for that grasse which they shall leaue behinde them, you shall eate it vp after them with your labouring or worke-cattell, and lastly with your shéepe. It is very good also amongst your fat beasts euer to haue a leane horse or two: for your fat beasts taketh delight to féede with them, and sometimes to bite after them, there being as it were a kinde of sympathie or liking of each others tastes. After your grasse is fully knit, and hath receiued his whole strength, which wil be at Midsommer, then you may suffer your fat beast to eate a little néerer vnto the ground till after Lammas, because there is an extraordinarie swéetnesse therein, springing from the heate of the Sunnes beames onely. These few obseruations well kept, there is no doubt but your Cattell will féede well to your contentment, then when you sée that they are sufficiently fed, according to the ayme of your purpose, whether it be for the vse of your houshold, or the vse of the Market, you shall forth-with imploy them accordingly, for it is both the losse of time and money, not to put them off by sale or otherwise, so soone as they are come to the end of your desire. For those rich grounds will sometimes make two returnes in the yéere, sometimes thrée, which is a great profit. And I haue heard sometimes of foure, but it is very rare, and the Cattell so returned must be very well stricken with flesh before they be put vnto féeding, but if your ground will returne leane beasts fat twice through the yéere, it is commodity sufficient.

How to know a fat Beast.

Now because it is not sufficient to say sell or kill your Cattell when they are fat, except you haue the Art and skill to know the same, you shall obserue these few rules following, and they will sufficiently instruct you in the same. First, when you sée your beast in the generall shape and composure of his body shew most faire and beautifull, each member being comely, and each bone couered, in such sort as a perfect shape requireth, as no eye is so stupid as cannot tell when a beast looketh well or ill-fauouredly, you shall then guesse the beast to be well fed, especially when you sée his huckle-bones round and not sharpe, his ribs smooth, not rough, his flankes full, his natch thick, and his cod round. This when you shall perceiue, you shall handle him, and griping him vpon the neathermost ribs, if you féele the skinne loose, and the substance soft vnder your hand, you may be well assured that the beast is very well fed outwardly, that is vpon the bones. You shall then lay your hand vpon his round huckle-bones, and if that féele, vnder your hand, soft, round and plumpe, you shall be assured that the beast is well fed both outwardly and inwardly, that is, both in flesh and tallow: then you shall handle him at the setting on of his taile, and if that handle bigge, thicke, full, and soft, it is a true signe that the beast is very well fed outwardly: then handle his natch-bones which are on both sides the setting on of his taile, and if they féele soft and loose, it is a signe that he is well fed, both outwardly and inwardly. Lastly, you shall handle his cod and nauell, if it be of an Oxe, and the nauell onely if it be a Cowe, and if they handle thicke, round, soft, great, and plumpe, it is a most assured signe that the beast is very well tallowed within. And thus when any of these parts or members shall handle in contrary manner, you shall iudge of the contrary effects. And thus much touching the knowledge of a fat beast.

Of Meddowes and their ordering.