bande of all the plough. The plough-tayle is that the husbande holdeth in his hande, and the hynder ende of 16 the ploughebeame is put in a longe slyt, made in the same tayle, and not set faste, but it maye ryse vp and go dow[n]e, and is pynned behynde, and the same ploughe-tayle is set faste in a morteys, in the hynder ende of the 20 sharebeame. The plough-stylte is on the ryghte syde of the ploughe, whervpon the rest is set; the rest is a lyttell pece of woode, pynned fast vpon the nether ende of the stylt, and to the sharebeame in the ferther ende. The 24 sheldbrede is a brode pece of wodde, fast pinned to the ryghte side of the shethe in the ferther ende, and to the vtter syde of the stylte in the hynder ende. The fenbrede is a thyn borde, pynned or nayled moste commonly 28 to the lyft syde of the shethe in the ferther ende, and to the ploughe-tayle in the hynder ende. And the sayde sheldbrede wolde come ouer the sayde shethe and fenbrede an inche, and to come past the myddes of the 32 share, made with a sharpe edge, to receyue and turne the erthe whan the culture hath cut it. There be two roughe staues in euery ploughe in the hynder ende, set a-slope betwene the ploughe-tayle and the stilt, to holde out 36 and kepe the plough abrode in the hynder ende, and the one lenger than the other. The plough-fote is a lyttell pece of wodde, with a croked ende set before in a morteys in the ploughe-beame, sette fast with wedges, to 40 dryue vppe and downe, and it is a staye to order of what depenes the ploughe shall go. The ploughe-eare is made of thre peces of yren, nayled faste vnto the ryght syde of the plough-beame. And poore men haue a 44 croked pece of wode pynned faste to the ploughbeame. The share is a pece of yren, sharpe before and brode behynde, a fote longe, made with a socket to be set on the ferther ende of the share-beame. The culture is a 48 bende pece of yren sette in a morteys in the myddes of the plough-beame, fastened with wedges on euery syde, and the backe therof is halfe an inche thycke and more, and three inches brode, and made kene before to cutte 52 the erthe clene, and it must be wel steeled, and that shall cause the easyer draughte, and the yrens to laste moche lenger. The plough-mal[21] is a pece of harde woode, with a pynne put throughe, set in the plough-beame, 56 in an augurs bore.

4. ¶ The temprynge of plowes.

Tempering of ploughs.

   Nowe the plowes be made of dyuers maners; it is necessarye for an housbande, to knowe howe these plowes shulde be tempered, to plowe and turne clene, and to

Rest-baulk.

make no reste-balkes. A reste-balke is where the plough 4 byteth at the poynte of the culture and share, and cutteth not the ground cleane to the forowe, that was plowed laste

[Fol. 3b.]

before, but leaueth a lyttell rydge standynge betwene, the whiche dothe brede thistyls, and other wedes. All 8 these maner of plowes shulde haue all lyke one maner of temperyng in the yrens. Howe-be-it a man maye temper for one thynge in two or thre places, as for depnes. The fote is one: the setting of the culture of 12 a depnes, is a-nother: and the thyrde is at the ploughe-tayle,

Slot wedges.

where be two wedges, that be called slote-wedges: the one is in the slote above the beame, the other in the saide slote, vnder the plough-beame; and other whyle 16 he wyll set bothe aboue, or bothe vndernethe, but alway let hym take good hede, and kepe one generall rule, that the hynder ende of the sharebeme alway touche the erthe, that it may kyll a worde,[22] or elles it goth not truly. The 20 temperynge to go brode and narowe is in the settyng of the culture: and with the dryuinge of his syde-wedges, forewedge, and helewedge, whiche wolde be made of drye woode, and also the settynge on of his share helpeth 24 well, and is a connynge poynte of husbandry, and mendeth and payreth moch plowyng: but it is so narowe a point to know, that it is harde to make a man to vnderstande it by wrytynge, without he were at the operation 28 therof, to teache the practyue: for it muste leane moche in-to the forowe, and the poynt may not stande to moch vp nor downe, nor to moche in-to the lande, nor in-to the forowe. Howe-be-it, the settynge of the culture 32 helpeth moche. Somme plowes haue a bende of yron tryanglewise, sette there as the plough-eare shulde be, that hath thre nyckes on the farther syde. And yf he wyll haue his plough to go a narowe forowe, as a sede-forowe 36 shulde be, than he setteth his fote-teame in the nycke nexte to the ploughe-beame; and yf he wyll go a meane bredth, he setteth it in the myddell nycke, that is beste for sturrynge; and if he wolde go a brode 40 forowe, he setteth it in the vttermoste nycke, that is beste for falowynge: The whyche is a good waye to kepe the bredthe, and soone tempered, but it serueth not the depenesse. And some men haue in stede of the plough-fote, 44 a piece of yron set vpryghte in the farther ende of the ploughe-beame, and they calle it a coke, made with ii. or thre nyckes, and that serueth for depenes. The plowes that goo with wheles, haue a streyghte 48 beame, and maye be tempred in the yron, as the other be, for the bredth; but their most speciall temper is at the bolster, where-as the plough-beame lyeth, and that serueth both for depnes and for bredth. And they be 52 good on euen grounde that lyeth lyghte, but me semeth they be farre more costly than the other plowes. And thoughe these plowes be well tempred for one maner grounde, that tempre wyll not serue in an other maner 56 of grounde; but it muste reste in the dyscretion of the housbande, to knowe whanne it gothe well.

5. ¶ The necessary thynges that belonge to a ploughe, carte, and wayne.

Bows, yokes, &c.

   Bvt or he begyn to plowe, he muste haue his ploughe and his ploughe-yren, his oxen or horses, and the geare that belongeth to them; that is to say, bowes, yokes, landes, stylkynges, wrethynge-temes. And or he shall 4 lode his corne, he muste haue a wayne, a copyoke, a payre of sleues, a wayne-rope, and a pykforke. This

The wain.

wayne is made of dyuers peces, that wyll haue a greate reparation, that is to saye, the wheles, and those be made 8 of nathes, spokes, fellyes, and dowles, and they muste be well fettred with wood or yren. And if they be yren bounden, they are moche the better, and thoughe they

[Fol. 5.]

be the derer at the fyrst, yet at lengthe they be better 12

Iron-bound wheels.

cheape; for a payre of wheles yren bounde wyl weare vii. or viii. payre of other wheles, and they go rounde and lyght after oxen or horses to draw. Howbeit on marreis ground and soft ground the other wheles be better, 16 bycause they be broder on the soule, and will not go so

Axle-tree, linch-pins, and axle-pins.

depe. They must haue an axiltre, clout with .viii. waincloutes of yren, ii. lyn-pinnes of yren in the axiltre-endes, ii. axil-pynnes of yren or els of tough harde 20 wodde. The bodye of the wayne of oke, the staues, the nether rathes, the ouer rathes, the crosse somer, the keys and pikstaues. And if he go with a hors-ploughe, than muste he haue his horses or mares, or both his hombers or 24 collers, holmes whyted, tresses, swyngletrees, and togwith.

The cart.

Alsoo a carte made of asshe, bycause it is lyghte, and lyke stuffe to it as is to a wayne, and also a cart-sadel, bakbandes, and belybandes, and a carte-ladder behinde, 28 whan he shall carye eyther corne or kyddes, or suche

Cart-ladders.

other. And in many countreys theyr waynes haue carte-ladders bothe behynde and before. Also an husbande

Axe, hatchet, &c.

muste haue an axe, a hachet, a hedgyngebyll, a pyn-awgur, 32 a rest-awgur, a flayle, a spade, and a shouell. And howe-be-it that I gyue theym these names, as is most comonly vsed in my contrey, I knowe they haue other names in other contreyes. But hereby a manne maye perceyue 36 many thynges that belonge to husbandry, to theyr greate costes and charges, for the mayntenance and vpholdyng of the same. And many moo thynges are belongynge to husbandes than these, as ye shall well perceyue, er I 40 haue made an ende of this treatyse. And if a yonge husbande shulde bye all these thynges, it wolde be costely for hym: wherfore it is necessarye for hym to lerne to make his yokes, oxe-bowes, stooles, and all 44 maner of plough-geare.

6. ¶ Whether is better, a plough of horses or a plough of oxen.

Ox-plough and horse-plough.

   It is to be knowen, whether is better, a plough of horses, or a plough of oxen, and therin me semeth oughte to be made a distinction. For in some places an oxe-ploughe is better than a horse-plough, and in somme 4 places a horse-ploughe is better: that is to say, in euery place where-as the husband hath seueral pastures to put his oxen in whan they come fro theyr warke, there the oxe-ploughe

The ox.

is better. For an oxe maye nat endure his 8

[Fol. 6.]

warke, to labour all daye, and than to be put to the commons, or before the herdman, and to be set in a folde all nyghte without meate, and go to his labour in the mornynge. But and he be put in a good pasture all 12 nyghte, he wyll labour moche of all the daye dayely.
   And oxen wyl plowe in tough cley, and vpon hylly grounde, where-as horses wyll stande st[i]ll. And where-as

The horse.

is noo seuerall pastures, there the horse-plowe is better, 16 for the horses may be teddered or tyed vpon leys, balkes, or hades, where as oxen maye not be kept: and it is not vsed to tedder them, but in fewe places.
   And horses wyl goo faster than oxen on euen grounde 20 or lyght grounde, & be quicker for cariage: but they be ferre more costly to kepe in winter, for they must haue both hey and corne to eate, and strawe for lytter; they must be well shodde on all foure fete, and the gere that they 24 shal drawe with is more costely than for the oxen, and shorter whyle it wyll last. And oxen wyll eate but straw, and a lyttell hey, the whiche is not halfe the coste that horsis must haue, and they haue no shoes, as horses haue. 28 And if any sorance come to the horse, or [he] waxe olde, broysed, or blynde, than he is lyttell worthe. And if any sorance come to an oxe, [and he] waxe olde, broysed, or blinde, for ii.s. he maye be fedde, and thanne he is mannes 32 meate, and as good or better than euer he was. And the horse, whan he dyethe, is but caryen. And therfore me semeth, all thynges consydered, the ploughe of oxen is moche more profytable than the ploughe of horses. 36

7. ¶ The dylygence and attendaunce that a husbande shulde gyue to his warke, in maner of an other prologue, and the speciall grounde of all this treatyse.

Take pains, keep measure, and be rich.

   Thou husbande, that intendeste to gette thy lyuynge by husbandry, take hede to the sayenge of the wyse phylosopher, the which sayth, Adhibe curam, tene mensuram, et eris diues. That is to saye, Take hede to thy charge, 4 kepe measure, and thou shalt be ryche. And nowe to speke of the fyrste artycle of these .iii. s[cilicet] Adhibe curam. He that wyll take vpon hym to do any thinge, and be slouthefull, recheles, and not diligent to execute 8 and to performe that thynge that he taketh vpon hym, he shall neuer thryue by his occupation. And to the same entente saythe our lorde in his gospell, by a parable.

[Fol. 7.]
Luke ix. 62.

Nemo mittens manum suam ad aratrum respiciens retro, aptus 12 est regno dei. The spirytuall constructyon of this texte, I remytte to the doctours of dyuynitie, and to the greate clarkes; but to reduce and brynge the same texte to my purpose, I take it thus. There is noo man, puttynge his 16 hande to the plough, lokyng backewarde, is worthy to haue that thynge that he oughte to haue. For if he goo to the ploughe, and loke backewarde, he seeth not whether the plough go in rydge or rayne, make a balke, 20 or go ouerthwarte. And if it do so, there wyll be lyttell corne. And so if a man attende not his husbandrye, but goo to sporte or playe, tauerne or ale-house, or slepynge at home, and suche other ydle warkes, he is not than 24 worthy to haue any corne. And therfore, Fac quod venisti, Do that thou comest fore, and thou shalte fynde that thou sekest fore, &c.

8. ¶ Howe a man shulde plowe all maner of landes all tymes of the yere.

Times of the year.

   Nowe these plowes be made and tempered, it is to be knowen howe a man shoulde plowe all tymes of the yere. In the begynnynge of the yere, after the feast of the Epiphany, it is tyme for a husbande to 4

[Fol. 7b.]
Plough leas early.

go to the ploughe. And if thou haue any leys, to falowe or to sowe otes vpon, fyrste plowe them, that the grasse and the mosse may rotte, and plowe them a depe square forowe. And in all maner of plowynge, 8 se that thy eye, thy hande, and thy fote do agree, and be alwaye redy one to serue a-nother, and to turne

Lay the mould flat.

vp moche molde, and to lay it flat, that it rere not on edge. For if it rere on edge, the grasse and mosse 12 wyll not rotte. And if thou sowe it with winter-corne, as whete or ry, as moche corne as toucheth the mosse wyll be drowned, the mosse dothe kepe such wete in it self. And in some countreys, if a man plowe depe, 16 he shall passe the good grounde, and haue but lyttel corne: but that countrey is not for men to kepe husbandry vppon, but for to rere and brede catell or shepe, for elles they muste go beate theyr landes with mattockes, 20 as they do in many places of Cornewayle, and in som places of Deuonshyre.

9. ¶ To plowe for pease and beanes.

Peas and beans.

   Howe to plowe for pees and beanes, were necessarye to knowe. Fyrst thou muste remember, whiche is

[Fol. 8.]

mooste cley-grounde, and that plowe fyrste, and lette it lye a good space, er thou sowe it: bycause the 4 froste, the rayne, the wynde, and the sonne may cause it to breake smalle, to make moche molde, and to

Plough a square furrow.

rygge it. And to plow a square forowe, the bredthe and the depenes all one, and to laye it close to his 8 felow. For the more forowes, the more corne, for a generall rule of all maner of cornes. And that may be proued at the comynge vp of all maner of corne, to stande at the landes ende and loke toward the other 12 ende; And than may ye se, howe the corne groweth.

10. Howe to sowe bothe pease and beanes.

Sowing of peas and beans.

   Thou shalt sowe thy peas vpon the cley-grounde, and thy beanes vpon the barley-grounde: for they wolde haue ranker grounde than pease. How-be-it some husbandes holde opynion, that bigge and styffe 4 grounde, as cley, wolde be sowen with bigge stuffe, as beanes; but me thynke the contrary. For if a dry sommer come, his beanes wil be shorte. And if the grounde be good, putte the more beanes to the pease, 8 and the better shall they yelde, whan they be thresshed. And if it be very ranke grounde, as is moche at euery towne-syde, where catel doth resort, plowe not that lande, tyll ye wyll sowe it; for if ye do, there wyll 12 come vppe kedlokes and other wedes. And than sowe it with beanes; for if ye sowe pees, the kedlokes wyll hurte them; and whan ye se seasonable time, sow both pees and beanes, so that they be sowen in the 16 begynnynge of Marche. Howe shall ye knowe seasonable tyme? go vppon the lande, that is plowed, and if it synge or crye, or make any noyse vnder thy fete, than it is to wete to sowe: and if it make no noyse, and 20 wyll beare thy horses, thanne sowe in the name of god. But howe to sowe? Put thy pees in-to thy hopper, and take a brode thonge, of ledder, or of garthe-webbe of an elle longe, and fasten it to bothe endes of the 24 hopper, and put it ouer thy heed, lyke a leysshe; and stande in the myddes of the lande, where the sacke lyethe, the whiche is mooste conueniente for the fyllynge of thy hopper, and set thy lefte foote before, and take 28 an handefull of pees: and whan thou takeste vp thy ryghte foote, than caste thy pees fro the all abrode; and whan thy lefte fote ryseth, take an other handeful, and whan the ryght fote ryseth, than cast them fro the. 32 And so at euery ii. paces, thou shalte sowe an handful of pees: and so se that the fote and the hande agree, and than ye shal sowe euen. And in your castynge, ye muste open as well your fyngers as your hande, 36 and the hyer and farther that ye caste your corne, the better shall it sprede, excepte it be a greatte wynde. And if the lande be verye good, and wyll breke small in the plowynge, it is better to sowe after the ploughe 40 thanne tarye any lenger.

11. ¶ Sede of discretion.

Seed of Discretion.

   There is a sede, that is called Discretion, and if a husband haue of that sede, and myngle it amonge his other cornes, they wyll growe moche the better; for that sede wyll tell hym, how many castes of corne 4 euery lande ought to haue. And a yonge husbande, and may fortune some olde husbande, hath not sufficyente

Borrow discretion, if you have it not.

of that sede: and he that lackethe, let hym borowe of his neyghbours that haue. And his neyghbours 8 be vnkynde, if they wyll not lende this yonge housbande parte of this sede. For this sede of Discretion hath a wonders property: for the more that it is taken of or lente, the more it is. And therfore me semeth, 12

[Fol. 9b.]

it shoulde be more spyrituall than temporall, wherin

Temporal things, when divided, wane.

is a greate dyuersitie. For a temporall thynge, the more it is deuyded, the lesse it is: and a spirytuall thynge, the more it is deuided, the more it is. Verbi 16 gratia. For ensaumple, I put case a wyfe brynge a lofe of breade to the churche, to make holy breade of; whan it is cut in many smal peces, and holy breade made therof, there may be so many men, women, 20 and children in the churche, that by that tyme the priest hath delte to euery one of them a lyttell pece, there shall neuer a crume be lefte in the hamper. And a

Spiritual things, when divided, wax.

spiritualle thynge as a Pater-noster, or a prayer, that any 24 man can say, let hym teache it to .xx., a .C., or to a .M., yet is the prayer neuer the lesse, but moche more. And so this sede of Discrecion is but wisdome and reason: and he that hath wysedome, reason, and discretion may teche 28 it, and enforme other men as he is bounde to do. Wherein he shall haue thanke of god: and he doth but as god hath

Matt. x. 8.

commaunded hym in his gospell, Quod gratis accepistis, gratis date: That thynge that ye toke frely, gyue it frely 32 again, and yet shall ye haue neuer the lesse.

12. ¶ Howe all maner corne shoulde be sowen.

[Fol. 10.]

   Bvt yet me thynkethe it is necessarye to declare, howe all maner of corne shuld be sowen, and howe moch vpon an acre most comonly, and fyrste of pease and

An acre of ground.

beanes. An acre of grounde, by the statute, that is to say 4 xvi. fote and a half to the perche or pole, foure perches to an acre in bredth, and fortye perches to an acre in

London bushels.

lengthe, may be metelye well sowen with two London busshelles of pease, the whyche is but two strykes in 8 other places. And if there be the .iiii. parte beanes, than wylle it haue halfe a London bushelle more: and yf it be halfe beanes, it wyll haue thre London bushels: and if it be all beanes, it wyll haue foure London busshelles fullye, 12 and that is half a quarter; bycause the beanes be gret, and grow vp streight, & do not sprede and go abrode as

Beans worth more than peas.

pease do. An acre of good beanes is worth an acre & a half of good pees, bycause there wylle be more busshelles. 16 And the beste propertie that belongeth to a good husband is, to sowe all maner of corne thycke ynough, and specially beanes and barley. For commonly they be sowen vpon ranke ground, and good grounde wylle haue 20 the burthen of corne or of wede. And as moche plowynge and harowynge hath an acre of grounde, and

[Fol. 10b.]

sowe thervppon but oone busshelle, as yf he sowed .iiii. busshelles. And vndoutedly .i. busshell may not gyue so 24 moche corne agayne, as the .iiii. busshels, though the .iii. bushels, that he sowed more, be alowed and set aparte.

White, green, and grey peas.

And i. busshel and an halfe of white or grene pees, wyll sowe as moche grounde, as two busshels of gray pees: 28 and that is bycause they be so smal, and the husband nedeth not to take so great an handful. In some countreys they begyn to sowe pees soone after Christmasse: and in some places they sowe bothe pees and 32 beanes vnder forowe: and those of reson must be sowen betyme. But moste generally, to begyn sone after Candelmasse is good season, so that they be sowen ere the begynnynge of Marche, or sone vpon. And specially let 36 them be sowen in the olde of the mone. For thopinion of olde husbandes is, that they shoulde the better codde, and the sooner be rype. But I speke not of hasty pees, for they be sowen before Christmasse, &c. 40

13. ¶ To sowe barley.

Barley.

   Every good housbande hath his barleye-falowe well dounged, and lyenge rygged all the depe and colde of wynter; the whiche ryggynge maketh the lande to be

[Fol. 11.]

drye, and the dongynge maketh it to be melowe and 4 ranke. And if a drye season come before Candelmasse, or sone after, it wolde be caste downe and waterforowed bytwene the landes, that the wete rest not in the raine: and in the begynnynge of Marche, rydge it vppe agayne, 8

Sow five bushels to the acre.

and to sowe in euery acre fyue London bushelles, or foure at the leaste. And some yeres it maye so fortune, that there cometh no seasonable wether before Marche, to plowe his barley-erthe. And as soone as he hath 12 sowen his pees and beanes, than let hym caste his barley-erthe, and shortly after rygge it agayne: soo that it be sowen before Apryll. And if the yere-tyme be paste, than sowe it vpon the castynge. 16
   ¶ It is to be knowen that there be thre maner of barleys, that is to say, sprot-barleye, longe-eare, and beare-barley,

Sprot-barley.

that some menne call bigge. Sprot-barley hath a flat eare most comonly, thre quarters of an inche brode, 20 and thre inches long, and the cornes be very great

Long-ear.

and white, and it is the best barley. Long-eare hath a flatte eare, halfe an inche brode, and foure inches and more of length: but the corne is not so greate 24 nor soo whyte, and sooner it wyll turne and growe to otes. Bere-barleye or bygge wolde be sowen vppon lyghte and drye grounde, and hathe an eare thre ynches of lengthe or more, sette foure-square, lyke pecke-whete, 28 small cornes, and lyttel floure, and that is the worste barley, and foure London bushels are suffycient for an acre. And in some countreyes, they do not sowe theyr barley tyll Maye, and that is mooste commonly vpon 32 grauel or sandy grounde. But that barley generally is neuer soo good as that that is sowen in Marche. For if it be verye drie wether after it be sowen, that corne that lyeth aboue, lyeth drie, and hath noo moysture, and that 36 that lyeth vndernethe, commeth vp: and whan rayne cometh, than sprutteth that that lyeth aboue, and often-tymes it is grene whan the other is rype: and whan it is thresshen, there is moche lyghte corne, &c. 40

14. To sowe otes.

Oats.

   And in Marche is tyme to sowe otes, and specially vpon lyght grounde & drie, howe-be-it they wylle grow on weter grounde than any corne els: for wete grounde is good for no maner of corne; and thre London bushels 4 wyl sowe an acre.

[Fol. 12.]

   And it is to be knowen, that there be .iii. maner of otes,

Red oats.

that is to saye, redde otes, blacke otes, and roughe otes. Red otes are the beste otes, and whan they be thresshed, 8 they be yelowe in the busshell, and verye good to make

Black oats.

otemele of. Blacke otes are as great as they be, but they haue not so moche floure in them, for they haue a thycker huske, and also they be not so good to make otemele. 12

Rough oats.

The roughe otes be the worste, and it quiteth not the coste to sowe them: they be very lyghte, and haue longe tayles, wherby they wyll hange eche one to other. All these maner of otes weare the grounde very sore, and 16 maketh it to beare quyche. A yonge housbande ought to take hede, howe thycke he sowethe all maner of corne, two or three yeres: and to se, howe it cometh vp, and whether it be thycke ynoughe or not: and if it be thynne, 20 sowe thycker the nexte yere: and if it be well, holde his hande there other yeres: and if it be to thynne, let hym remember hym selfe, whether it be for the vnseasonablenes of the wether, or for thyn sowynge. And so 24 his wysedome and discretion muste discerne it.

15. ¶ To harowe all maner of cornes.

[Fol. 12b.]

   Nowe these landes be plowed, and the corne sowen, it is conuenient, that they be well harowed; or els crowes,

Harrowing.

doues, and other byrdes wyll eate and beare awaye the cornes. It is vsed in many countreys, the husbandes to 4

The ox-harrow.

haue an oxe-harowe, the whiche is made of sixe smal peces of timbre, called harowe-bulles, made eyther of

Harrow-bulls.

asshe or oke; they be two yardes longe, and as moche as the small of a mannes legge, and haue shotes[23] of wode 8 put through theym lyke lathes, and in euery bull are syxe sharpe peces of yren called harowe-tyndes, set some-what a-slope forwarde, and the formes[t] slote[24] must be bygger than the other, bycause the fote-teame shall be fastened 12 to the same with a shakyll, or a withe to drawe by. This harrowe is good to breake the greatte clottes, and to make moche molde, and than the horse-harowes to come after, to make the clottes smaller, and to laye the grounde euen. 16 It is a greate labour and payne to the oxen, to goo to harowe: for they were better to goo to the plowe two dayes, thanne to harowe one daye. It is an olde saying, ‘The oxe is neuer wo, tyll he to the harowe goo.’ And 20 it is bycause it goeth by twytches, and not alwaye after one draughte. The horse-harrowe is made of fyue bulles, and passe not an elne of lengthe, and not soo moche as the other, but they be lyke sloted and tinded. 24 And whan the corne is well couered, than it is harowed ynough. There be horse-harowes, that have tyndes of wodde: and those be vsed moche about Ryppon, and suche other places, where be many bulder-stones. For 28 these stones wold weare the yren to soone, and those tyndes be mooste commonly made of the grounde ende of a yonge asshe, and they be more thanne a fote longe in the begynnynge, and stande as moche aboue the harowe 32 as benethe.
   And as they weare, or breake, they dryue them downe lower; and they wolde be made longe before, ere they be occupied, that they maye be drye; for than they shall 36 endure and last moche better, and stycke the faster. The horses that shall drawe these harowes, muste be well kepte and shodde, or elles they wyll soone be tyred, and sore beate, that they may not drawe. They must haue 40 hombers or collers, holmes withed about theyr neckes, tresses to drawe by, and a swyngletre to holde the tresses abrode, and a togewith to be bytwene the swyngletre and the harowe. And if the barleye-grounde wyll not breake 44 with harrowes, but be clotty, it wolde be beaten with malles, and not streyght downe; for than they beate the corne in-to the erthe. And if they beate the clot on the syde, it wyll the better breake. And the clot wyll lye 48 lyghte, that the corne maye lyghtely come vp. And they vse to role theyr barley-grounde after a shoure of rayne, to make the grounde euen to mowe, &c.

16. ¶ To falowe.

   Nowe these housbandes haue sowen theyr pees, beanes, barley, and otes, and harowed them, it is the beste tyme,

Fallow in April.

to falowe, in the later ende of Marche and Apryll, for whete, rye, and barley. And lette the husbande do the 4 beste he can, to plowe a brode forowe and a depe, soo that he turne it cleane, and lay it flat, that it rere not on the edge: the whiche shall destroy all the thistils and wedes. For the deper and the broder that he gothe, 8 the more newe molde, and the greatter clottes shall he haue, and the greatter clottes, the better wheate. For the clottes kepe the wheate warme all wynter, and at Marche they wyll melte and breake, and fal in manye 12 small peces, the whiche is a newe dongynge, and refresshynge of the corne. And also there shall but lyttell wedes growe vpon the falowes, that are so falowed. For the plough goth vndernethe the rootes of all maner of 16 wedes, and tourneth the roote vpwarde, that it maye not growe. And yf the lande be falowed in wynter tyme, it is farre the worse, for three principall causes. One is, all the rayne that commeth, shal washe the lande, and dryue 20 awaye the dounge and the good moulde, that the lande shall be moche the worse. An other cause is, the rayne shall beate the lande so flat, and bake it so hard to-gyther, that if a drye Maye come, it wyll be to harde to stere in 24 the moneth of June. And the thyrde cause is, the wiedes shall take suche roote, er sterynge-tyme comme, that they wylle not be cleane tourned vndernethe, the whiche shal be great hurte to the corne, whan it shall be sowen, and 28 specially in the weding-tyme of the same; and for any other thynge, make a depe holowe forowe in the rydge of