The English Husbandman (The Second Booke) /

by Gervase Markham

Now for the manner of mowing your meddowes, although the generall act resteth in the hands of the mower, and that it is hard and impossible, in words, to expresse the Art of the action, nor is it néedfull that euery Husbandman be a mower, yet for those rules which the English Husbandman should know and obserue, I will in no sort omit them. You shall then know that in the mowing of your meddowes you shall mowe them smooth, plaine, and leuell, and as the Husbandman tearmes it, with such an euen board, that a man may no more but discerne the going in and comming forth of the Sythe: and this shall be done so close and néere vnto the ground, as is possible for the worke-man to get, especially if it be in publique and common meddowes, because the swap and first crop is all the maine profit you can challenge your owne: nay, you shall doe it also in your owne priuate and seuerall meddowes: for although an ignorant custome haue drawne some of our Husbandmen, to say and beléeue that there is no losse in the sleight and insufficient mowing of priuate meddowes, because say they, what I loose in the Barne, my Cattell findes on the ground, yet they are much deceiued in that opinion, for what they so leaue on the ground halfe cut halfe vncut, is no good foode, neither pleasant nor sauorie, but dry, hard, and bitter, and indéede no better then sower fogge, which may fill, but cannot nourish, and who then will be so simple, as not to preferre swéet Hay before such vnsauorie grasse? therefore be carefull to mowe your grasse euen, and close by the ground, for it will make the fresh grasse spring vp with more ease, and be much pleasanter in taste.

How to make Hay.

Next after the mowing of your meddowes, followeth the making of your Hay, which is a labour that must be followed with great care and diligence, for it is an old saying, that dearth beginneth at the Hay-barne dore, and he that is negligent in that, can hardly be good husband in any thing else, then to shew you how you shall make your hay, you shall first vnderstand that no one particular forme can stand for a generall rule, because Hay must be made according to the nature of the grasse, and the soyle where it groweth, some being apt to wither and make soone, as that grasse which is finest, and hath in it least wéedes, others will be long in making, as that which is full of thicke, strong, and sower grasses, many wéedes, bunnes, and such like hard stalkes, which are not easily dried, therefore it is the part of euery good Husbandman, either by his eye and knowledge to iudge of the nature of his grasse, or else to follow the customes of the Country and soyle wherein he liueth, but the first, Knowledge, is the better Science. But to procéede to my purpose, I will in the natures of two sorts of grasse, the one fine, the other course, shew you the generall making of all sorts of Hay.

To make fine Hay.

First, then for the making of your fine rich grass into Hay, if it grow in great abundance, thicke and close, and so lieth in the swathe, you shall haue one with a Pitch-forke to follow the Mowers, and to spread and throw the grasse thinne abroad, that the ayre and sunne-beames may passe through it: and this is called in most Countries tedding of Hay. The next day, after the Sunne hath taken the dewe from the ground, you shall turne that which the day before you tedded, and then if you haue any more new mowen, you shall ted it also. The next day following, as before, when the dewe is from the earth, you shall turne your Hay againe, and so letting it lye till the Sunne be at his height, begin to stir it againe, at which time if you finde it is reasonably well withered, you shal then draw it into windrowes, that is, you shall marke which way the winde standeth, and the same way that it bloweth, the same way with Forks & Rakes one after another, gather in the Hay into long, great, thicke rowes: then you shall make those windrowes into large Cockes, of which the biggest is euer the best, for they will defend themselues from raine, if happily any shall fall, whereas the little small Cocke lying light together, taketh in the raine like a spunge, and so makes the Hay a great deale much worse then otherwise it would be; when your Hay is thus set in safe Cocke, you shall let it rest a day or two, that it may take a little sweat therein, which will make the Hay wondrous pleasant and swéet, then when the Sunne is got vp to a pretie height, you shall open those Cockes, and after the sunne and winde hath passed through them, you may if the grasse be clean & fine of it selfe, without ranke grasse, load it, and carrie it either into the Barne, or such other place, as you haue appointed for the receit thereof: but if it haue any ranke grasse, which you sée vnwithered amongst it, then you shall make it vp againe into safe cockes, and so let it rest a day or two more before you leade it away. And thus much for the making vp of fine Hay.

To make course Hay.

Now for the making of course grasse into Hay, which you must suppose to be grasse growing, in colde, moyst, woodie, and barraine grounds, full of wéedie, rough, and stumpie hearbage, long in growing, late ere it can be gathered, and therefore depriued of much of the Sunnes strength, to swéeten and wither it. This grasse as soone as it hath béene mowne and tedded, as is before said: the next day you shall make it into little grasse Cockes, as bigge as little Moale-hilles, and so hauing layne a day or better, then breake them open, and let them receiue the sunne and winde, for they will heat and sweat a little in the grasse, which make it Hay the sooner & better: then after the Sunne hath spent all his power vpon it, you shall make it vp into little Cockes againe, putting two of the first Cockes into one, then hauing so layne another day, breake them open againe, and giue them the Sunne: then make them vp againe, and put thrée or foure of those Cockes into one, and so let them lye another day, then breake them open as before, if the Sunne shine faire, and at euening make them vp againe, putting thrée or foure of those Cockes into one, and so euery morning after the Sunne is vp breake them open, and at euening make them vp againe, till you finde that the Hay is sufficiently well dried, and sweateth no more in the Cocke: but in the morning when you breake it open it is dry, without stemme, smoake, or vapour arising from it, which both your hand and eye may perceiue in the first stirring or mouing, and then you may at your pleasure leade it home, and house or stacke it as you shall haue occasion.

Vse of Hay for cattell to breed or labour with.

Now for the vse of Hay, it is two-folde, that is, either for the maintainance of bréeding Cattell, or Cattell for labour, or else for the féeding of Cattell for the Market, or for slaughter: for the maintainance of bréeding Cattell, or the Cattell which are imployed in your Plough or other labours, whether it be draught or trauell, you shall make choise of the swéet, and well-dried Hay, which is of fresh and gréene colour, well withered, sound, and perfect Hay, though it be long, loggie, and not excéeding much swéet, it matters not; for being well Inned and dried, it will serue sufficiently for those purposes: and with this Hay to mingle sometimes Wheat-straw, Rye-straw, Barly, or Oate-straw will not be amisse for heilding, or bréede Cattell: but for worke-beasts, except necessitie constraine, let them haue Hay simple of it selfe, during the busie time of their worke, but when they rest, you may vse your discretion. For the times of giuing Hay or foddering to such Cattell as are in the house, the best is in the morning before they goe to labour, in the euening when they come from labour, presently after their drinke, and at night when you goe to bed. But for those Cattell which goe abroad, as Shéepe, heilding Beasts, and such like, to fodder them morning and euening, is out and out fully sufficient.

Now for the vse of Hay for fat cattell, you shall make choyse of the fruitfullest, swéetest, finest, and shortest Hay you haue, being full of flowers, pleasant and odoriferous to smell on: and although this Hay be mixt with some roughnesse, yet it is not the worse, for though your fat beast make thereof great orts, yet is the losse not great, for those orts may be giuen to other heilding and hungrie cattell, which will eate them with great eagernesse. This Hay would in the first gathering not be withered too sore but so stackt-vp with a little hartie gréennesse that it may a little mow-burne, and alter the colour to a Redish brounnesse, but by no meanes so moyst that it may mould, rot, or putrifie, for that is fulsome and bade, but onely alter the colour, and therby make the smell swéeter and stronger. This Hay will entice a beast to eate, and will strengthen and inable his stomacke, and withall will bréed in him such a drought or thirst, that hardly any water will quench him, and the Grazier takes it euer for an infallible signe, that when his beast drinkes much he féeds fast and his tallow wonderfully increaseth. For the ordinarie times of foddring your fat cattell, if they be in the stall, and as we say, tyed vp by the head, the best is in the morning before and after water, at noone; in the euening before & after water, and late in the night, when you goe to bed, but if they féede abroad, and take the benefit of Fogge and after-grasse, then to fodder them Morning, Euening, and high-noone is fully sufficient.