The English Husbandman (The Second Booke) /

by Gervase Markham

Now for the second part of these rich grounds, which are meddowes, they ought to be the most fruitfullest and richest of all other, lying low and leuell, and being now and then in the Winter season washt with inundations, yet not too too much drencht or washt with the same: for as the moderate ouerflowing of waters enricheth and fertiles the soyle, to the too much soking or long resting of the water rotteth the earth, & bringeth it to barrainnesse, neither is it altogether necessary that euery meddowe should lye so low that it might be ouerflowed, for there be some high grounds which are frée from those floods which will beare meddow in very sufficient manner, & although the lower meddowes doe abound in the plenty of grasse, yet the higher grounds euer beareth the swéeter grasse, and it is a rule amongst Husbandmen, that the low meddowes do fill, but the high meddowes do féede, the low are for the Stable, but the high are for the Cratch, and that which is long will maintaine life, but that which is short will bréede milke.

Preseruation of Meddowes.

The chiefest respect you shall haue to your meddowes, is to defend and preserue them from Moales, and such like vermine, which roote vp the earth, and destroy the swéet and tender roots of the grasse. Next, that you note in what places of the meddow the water standeth longest, & from thence, by small furrowes or draynes, to giue it a frée passage, so that the meddow may as it were cleanse & be dry in one instant. Lastly, you shall maintaine the banks of all such ditches & other fences bordring about your meddowes in good and sufficient manner, both for kéeping out of water after your meddowes begin to grow, as also for kéeping Cattell from eating them in the night or other times, which is a great depriuation and losse of the profit you expect to come from them: for you shall vnderstand, that if any ouerflow shall come vnto your meddowes after May, it will leaue such a sandy filthinesse in the grasse, that except very moderate showers fall swiftly, and sodainly, to wash it out againe, the Hay which shall be got of that crop, will both be vnsauorie and vnwholsome, and bréed in your Cattell many dangerous and mortall sicknesses.

When to lay Meddowes.

The best times for laying of meddowes to rest, is, if the meddow lye high, as in vp-land Countries, or if the soyle be cold, or the springing thereof slow, at Candlemasse: but if the ground be more warme, temperate, & of some more fertility, then you may lay it at our Ladies day in March: but if the ground be most fruitfull, then if you lay it at May-day, it will be early enough. Also in the laying of your meddowes to rest, you shall consider the state of the ground, as whether it be eaten néere and bare, and with what Cattell, as Horse, Oxen, or Shéepe: if it haue béene eaten bare with Oxen or Horse, then you shall lay it earlier in the yéere, for it will aske a longer time to grow againe: but if it haue béene eaten with Shéepe (although they bite néerest to the ground) yet you may lay it so much later, because the meanure which they bestow vpon such good ground, will quickly hasten on the Spring: but if your meddowes haue not béene eaten bare, but haue a good déepe fogge vpon them still, then you may lay them the latest. Also in the laying of meddowes, you shall consider whether they be common or priuate, if they be common meddowes, and that no olde custome binde you to the contrary, you shall lay them to rest earely in the yéere, that recouering a forward Spring, you may cut them so much the sooner, and so haue the better after-crop, and the longer time to eate it: but if your meddow be priuate, and at your owne particular disposing, then you shall lay it according to your owne necessitie, and the goodnes of the soyle, obseruing euer to giue it full time of growth, and not to cut it till the grasse be full ripe, for it is better to let it grow a wéeke too long (so the weather be seasonable for the withering of it) then to cut it two dayes too soone, because when it is too earely cut, it not onely looseth the strength and goodnesse, but also the substance and waight, and in the drying shrinketh and wasteth to nothing.

When to mow Meddowes.

Touching the fittest time to cut or mowe your meddowes: If they be laid in a due season, it is held of all the best English husbandmen generally to be a wéeke or a fortnight after Midsommer day, as namely about the translation of Thomas, which is euer the seauentéenth day of Iuly, and without question it is a very good time for all men to begin that labour, if their grounds be fruitfull and of earely growth: but in as much as diuers grounds are diuers in their growth, some being much more hastie then other some: and for as much as some meddow may as well grow too long as too little a time, as in high land Countries, where the heate and reflection of the Sunne will burne and consume away the grasse, if it be not gathered in a due season, I would therefore wish euery good Husbandman about a wéeke before Midsommer, and a wéeke after, to view his meddowes well, and if he sée them turne browne, if the Cock-heads turne downeward and stand not vpright, if the Bels and other vessels of séede open and shed their séedes, if your Honisuckles haue lost their flowers, and the Penigrasse be hard, dry, and withered, then you shall truly vnderstand that your meddow is ripe and ready to be mowne, and the longer it standeth, the more it will loose of the substance, and when any of the contrary signes appeare, as when the meddow lookes gréene and fresh, the Cock-heads looke vpright, the Bels are close and hard, the Honisuckles flowing and purple, and the Penigrasse soft and moyst, then is your meddow not readie to cut, nor will the Hay that is so gotten be other then soft, fuzzie, and most vnwholsome, no beast taking delight to eate of the same.

The inclination of the weather.

Now to these considerations, you shall adde a carefull obseruation of the state and inclination of the weather, and if you finde that the weather is disposed to much wet or incertaintie, then you shall forbeare to mowe, because that moysture will still maintaine and hold the grasse in his perfect strength so long as it groweth: but if it be once cut downe, then the wet will soone rot and spoile it: but if you find the weather enclined to drought and fairenesse, then you shall with all spéede cut downe your Hay, for one loade got and brought into the barne without raine, is worth two that hath béene washt, though but with the smallest shower. There be some Husbandmen that in the mowing of their meddowes, will obserue the state of the Moone, and other planetarie coniectures, but they are fitter for those which séeke curiosities more then profit, for mine owne part I would wish euery good husband but to know truly when his crop is ripe, and then to gather it in the most constant and fairest seasons, which the rules already set downe will most amply shew him.

The manner how to mowe Meddowes.