the lande, and loke wel, thou rest-balke it nat; for if thou do, there wyll be many thystels: and than thou 32 shalte not make a cleane rydge at the fyrste sterynge, and therfore it muste nedes be depe plowed, or elles thou shalt nat tourne the wiedes cleane.

17. ¶ To cary out donge or mucke and to sprede it.

   And in the later ende of Apryll, and the begynnynge of

Carry out dung.

Maye, is tyme to cary out his dounge or mucke, and to lay it vppon his barley-grounde. And where he hath barley this yere, sowe it with whete or rye the next 4 tyme it is falowed, and so shal he mucke all his landes ouer at euerye seconde falowe. But that husbande that can fynd the meanes to cary oute his donge, and to laye

Lay dung on the land after the first stirring,

it vpon his lande after it be ones sturred: it is moche 8 better than to laye it vppon his falowe, for dyuer causes. One is, if it be layde vpon his fallowe, all that fallethe in the holowe rygge shall do lyttell good; for whan it is rygged agayne, it lyeth soo depe in the erthe, that 12 it wyll not be plowed vp agayne, excepte that whan he hath sprede it, he wyll with a shouell, or a spade, caste out all that is fallen in the rygge. And if it be layde

and soon after stirring.

vpon the sturrynge, at euery plowynge it shall medle 16 the donge and the erthe togyder, the whiche shall cause the corne moche better to growe and encreace. And in somme places, they lode not theyr donge, tyll harvest be done, & that is vsed in the farther 20

[Fol. 15.]

syde of Darbyshyre, called Scaresdale, Halomshyre, and so northewarde towarde Yorke and Ryppon: and that I calle better thanne vppon the falowe, and specyally for barley: but vppon the fyrste sturrynge, is beste 24 for wheate and rye, and that his dunge be layde vpon

Spread it evenly.

smal hepes nygh together, and to sprede it euenly, and to leue no dounge there-as the mucke-hepe stode, for the moystnes of the dounge shall cause the grounde to 28

Mix it with earth.

be ranke ynoughe. And if it be medled with erthe, as sholynges and suche other, it wyll laste the longer, and better for barley than for whete or rye, bycause of wedes. Horse-donge is the worste donge that is. The 32 donge of all maner catell, that chewe theyr cudde,

Doves’ dung.

is verye good. And the dounge of douues is best, but it must be layde vppon the grounde verye thynne.

18. ¶ To set out the shepe-folde.

The sheep-fold.

   Also it is tyme to set out the shepefolde in May, and to sette it vppon the rye-grounde, if he haue any, and to flyte it euery mornynge or nyght: and in the mornynge, whan he cometh to his folde, let not his 4

[Fol. 15b.]

shepe out anone, but reyse theym vp, and let them stande stylle good season, that they may donge and

See if the sheep have maggots.

pysse. And go amonge them to se whether any of them haue any mathes, or be scabbed: and se them 8 thre or foure tymes on the oone syde, and as ofte on the other syde. And whan the kelles begonne besyde the grounde, than lette theym out of the folde, and dryue theym to the soundest place of the felde. But 12

Folding sheep is not a good plan.

he that hath a falowe felde, seueral to hym-selfe, let hym occupie no folde. For foldynge of shepe maketh them scabbed, and bredeth mathes; and whanne a storme of yll wether commeth in the night, they can 16 nat flee nor go awaye, and that appeyreth them sore of their flesshe. But lette that man that hath such a

Drive stakes in the field.

seueral falowe-felde, driue twentie, thyrty, or forty stakes, accordynge to the nombre of his shepe, vpon his falowe, 20 where he wolde sette his folde, and specially in the farthest parte of the fyelde frome thense as they comme in, for the goynge vppon dothe moche good. And lette the sheparde brynge his shepe to the stakes, and 24

The sheep will rub against them.

the sheepe wylle rubbe them on the stakes. And lette the sheparde goo aboute them, tyll they be sette, and thus serue theym two or three nyghtes, and they wyll folowe those stakes, as he flytteth them, and syt by 28

[Fol. 16, misprinted 14.]

them. And if any yll wether come, they will ryse vp, and go to the hedge. And this maner of foldynge shall brede noo mathes nor scabbe, nor appeyre theym of theyr flesshe, and shall be a greate sauegarde to the 32 shepe for rottynge: and in the mornynge put them out of theyr pasture, and thou shalte not nede to bye any hurdels nor shepe-flekes; but howe ye shall salue them or dresse them, ye shall vnderstande in the chaypter of 36 shepe after.

19. ¶ To cary wodde and other necessaryes.

In May carry wood.

   And in May, whan thou hast falowed thy grounde, and set oute thy shepefolde, and caryed oute thy dounge or mucke, if thou haue any wodde, cole, or tymbre to cary, or suche other busynes, that muste nedes be doone, 4 with thy charte or wayne, than is it tyme to do it. For

The days are then long.

than the waye is lyke to be fayre and drye, and the days longe, and that tyme the husbande hath leeste to doo in husbandry. Perauenture I set one thynge to be done at 8 one tyme of the yere, and if the husbande shulde do it, it shulde be a greatter losse to hym in an other thynge.

[Fol. 16b.]

Wherefore it is moste conuenient to do that thynge fyrst, that is moste profytable to hym, and as soone as he 12 can, do the other labour.

20. ¶ To knowe dyuers maner of wedes.

In June weed the corn.

   In the later ende of Maye, and the begynnynge of June, is tyme to wede thy corne. There be diuers maner of wedes, as thistyls, kedlokes, dockes, cocledrake, darnolde, gouldes, haudoddes, dogfenell, mathes, ter, 4 and dyuers other small wedes. But these be they that

Thistles.

greue mooste: The thistyll is an yll wede, roughe and sharpe to handell, and freteth away the cornes nygh it, and causeth the sherers or reapers not to shere cleane. 8

Charlock.

Kedlokes hath a leafe lyke rapes, and beareth a yelowe floure, and is an yll wede, and groweth in al maner corne, and hath small coddes, and groweth lyke mustard sede.

Docks.

Dockes have a brode lefe, and diuers high spyres, and 12

Cockle.

very small sede in the toppe. Cockole hath a longe small lefe, and wyl beare fyue or vi. floures of purple colour, as brode as a grote, and the sede is rounde and blacke, and maye well be suffred in a breade-corne, but not in sede, 16 for therin is moche floure. Drake is lyke vnto rye, till it begynne to sede, and it hath many sedes lyke fenell-sedes, and hangeth downewarde, and it maye wel be suffred in breade, for there is moche floure in the sede: and it is an 20 opinion that it commeth of rye, &c. Dernolde groweth vp streyght lyke an hye grasse, and hath longe sedes on eyther syde the sterte, and there is moche floure in that sede, and growethe moche amonge barley: and it is 24 sayde, that it cometh of small barley. Golds hath a shorte iagged lefe, and groweth halfe a yarde hygh, and hath a yelowe floure, as brode as a grote, and is an yll wede, and groweth commonlye in barleye and pees. Hawdod hath 28 a blewe floure, and a fewe lyttell leues, and hath .v. or syxe braunches, floured in the toppe: and groweth comonly in rye vpon leane grounde, and dothe lyttel hurte. Dogge-fenell and mathes is bothe one, and in the commynge vp 32 is lyke fenell and beareth many white floures, with a yelowe sede: and is the worste wede that is, excepte terre, and it commeth moste commonly, whan great wete commeth shortly after the corne is sowen. Terre is the 36 worste wede, and it neuer dothe appere tyll the moneth of June, and specyallye whanne there is great wete in that mone, or a lyttell before, and groweth mooste in rye, and it groweth lyke fytches, but it is moche smaller, and 40 it wyll growe as hyghe as the corne, and with the weyght therof it pulleth the corne flatte to the erth, and freteth the eares away; wherfore I haue seene housbandes mowe downe the corne and it together: And also with sharp 44 hokes to repe it, as they doo pees, and made drye, and than it wyll be good fodder.
   There be other wedes not spoken of, as dee-nettylles, dodder, and suche other, that doo moche harme. 48

21. ¶ Howe to wede corne.

How to weed.

   Nowe it wolde be knowen, howe these cornes shulde be weded. The chyefe instrument to wede with is a paire of tonges made of wode, and in the farther ende it is nycked, to holde the wed faster; and after a shoure of 4 raine it is beste wedynge, for than they maye be pulled vp by the rotes, and than it cometh neuer agayne. And

Weeding-hook.

if it be drye wether, than muste ye haue a wedynge-hoke with a socket set vpon a lyttel staffe of a yarde longe, and 8 this hoke wolde be well steeled, and grounde sharpe bothe

Forked stick.

behynde and before. And in his other hande he hath a forked stycke a yarde longe, and with his forked stycke

[Fol. 18.]

he putteth the wede from hym, and he putteth the hoke 12 beyond the rote of the wede, and pulleth it to hym, and cutteth the wede fast by the erthe, and with his hoke he taketh up the wede, and casteth it in the reane, and if the reane be full of corne, it is better it stande styll, 16 whan it is cut, and wyddre: but let hym beware, that he trede not to moche vppon the corne, and specyallye after

Cut not the corn.

it is shotte, and whan he cutteth the wede, that he cut not the corne: and therefore the hoke wolde not passe 20 an inche wyde. And whanne the wede is soo shorte, that he can not with his forked stycke put it from hym, and with the hoke pull it to hym, thanne muste he set his hoke vppon the wede, fast by the erthe, and put it 24 from hym, and so shall he cutte it cleane. And with

Stoop not.

these two instruments, he shall neuer stoupe to his warke. Dogfenell, goldes, mathes, and kedlokes are yll to wede after this maner, they growe vppon so many braunches, 28

Pull up darnel.

harde by the erthe: and therfore they vse most to pul them vppe with theyr handes; but loke well, that they pull not vppe the corne with all; but as for terre, there wyll noo wedynge serue. 32

22. ¶ The fyrst sturrynge.

[Fol. 18b.]

   Also in June is tyme to rygge vppe the falowe, the whiche is called the fyrst sturrynge, and to plowe it as depe as thou canste, for to tourne the rotes of the wedes vpwarde, that the sonne and the drye wether maye kyll 4 them. And an housbande can not conuenyentelye plowe

How to plough and load out dung.

his lande, and lode out his dounge bothe vppon a daye, with one draughte of beastes: but he maye well lode oute his dounge before none, and lode heye or corne at-after 8 none: or he maye plowe before none, and lode hey or corne at-after none, with the same draughte, and noo hurte to the cattell: bycause in lodynge of hey or corne, the cattel is alwaye eatynge or beytynge, and soo they 12 can not doo in lodynge of dounge and plowynge.

23. ¶ To mowe grasse.

End of June.

   Also in the later ende of June is tyme to begyn to mowe, if thy medowe be well growen: but howe-so-euer

July.

they be growen, in July they muste nedes mowe, for diuers causes. One is, it is not conuenient to haue hey 4

Mow hay early.

and corne bothe in occupation at one tyme. An other is, the yonger and the grener that the grasse is, the softer

[Fol. 19.]

and the sweter it wyll be, whan it is hey, but it wyll haue the more wyddrynge; and the elder the grasse is, the 8 harder and dryer it is, and the worse for al maner of cattell: for the sedes be fallen, the whiche is in maner of prouander, and it is the harder to eate and chowe. And an other cause is, if drye wether come, it wyll drye 12 and burne vpon the grounde, and waste away. Take

How to mow.

hede that thy mower mow clene and holde downe the hynder hand of his sith, that he do not endent the grasse, and to mowe his swathe cleane thorowe to that that 16 was laste mowen before, that he leaue not a mane bytwene, and specyallye in the common medowe: for in the seuerall medowe it maketh the lesse charge, and that the moldywarpe-hilles be spredde, and the styckes cleane 20 pycked out of the medowe in Apryll, or in the beginnynge of Maye.

24. ¶ Howe forkes and rakes shulde be made.

Forks and rakes.

   A Good husbande hath his forkes and rakes made redye in the wynter before, and they wolde be gotte bytwene Mighelmasse and Martylmasse, and beyked, and

[Fol. 19b.]

sette euen, to lye vpryght in thy hande: and than they 4 wyll be harde styffe and drye. And whan the housbande sytteth by the fyre, and hath nothynge to do, than maye he make theym redye, and tothe the rakes with drye wethy-wode,

Bore holes for the teeth of the rakes.

and bore the holes with his wymble, bothe aboue 8 and vnder, and driue the tethe vpwarde faste and harde, and than wedge them aboue with drye woode of oke, for that is hard, and wil driue and neuer come out. And if he get them in sappe-tyme, all the beykyng and drienge 12 that can be had shal not make them harde and styffe,

Use hazel and withy.

but they woll alwaye be plyenge: for they be moste comonly made of hasell and withee, and these be the trees that blome, and specially hasell: for it begynneth 16

Use no green wood.

to blome as sone as the lefe is fallen. And if the rake be made of grene woode, the heed wyll not abyde vppon the stele, and the tethe wyll fall out, whan he hath mooste nede to them, and let his warke, and lose 20

Make all evenly.

moche heye. And se that thy rake and forke lye vpryghte in thy hand, for and the one ende of thy rake, or the syde of thy forke, hang downe-warde, than they be not handsome nor easy to worke with. 24

25. ¶ To tedde and make hay.

[Fol. 20.]

   Whan thy medowes be mowed, they wolde be well

Tedding hay.

tedded and layde euen vppon the grounde: and if the grasse be very thycke, it wolde be shaken with handes, or with a shorte pykforke. For good teddynge is the 4 chiefe poynte to make good hey, and than shall it be wyddred all in lyke, or elles not: and whan it is wel wyddred on the ouer syde, and dry, than turne it cleane before noone, as soone as the dewe is gone: And yf thou 8 dare truste the wether, lette it lye so all nyghte: and on the nexte daye, tourne it agayne before none, and towarde nyght make it in wyndrowes, and than in smal hey-cockes, and so to stande one nyghte at the leaste, and 12 sweate: and on the nexte fayre day caste it abrode agayne, and tourne it ones or twyse, and than make it in greatter hey-cockes, and to stande so one nyght or more, that it maye vngiue and sweate. For and it sweate 16 not in the hey-cockes, it wyll sweate in the mowe; and than it wyll be dustye, and not holsome for hors, beastes, nor shepe. And whan it standeth in the cockes, it is better to lode, and the more hey maye be loded at a lode, 20 and the faster it wyll lye. Quyche-hey commeth of a grasse called crofote, and groweth flatte, after the erthe, and bearethe a yelowe floure halfe a yarde hygh and more, and hath many knottes towarde the roote, and it 24 is the beste hey for horses and beastes, and the sweteste, if it be well got; but it wyll haue moch more wyddrynge than other hey, for els he wyll be-pysse hym-selfe and waxe hote, and after dustye. And for to knowe whanne 28 it is wyddred ynoughe, make a lyttell rope of the same, that ye thinke shulde be moste greneste, and twyne it as harde to-gether bytwen your handes as ye canne, and soo beynge harde twon, let one take a knyfe, and cut it faste 32 by your hande; and the knottes wyll be moyste, yf it be not drye ynough. Shorte hey, and leye-hey, is good for shepe, and all maner of catell, if it be well got. A man maye speke of makynge of hey, and gettynge of corne, 36 but god disposeth and ordreth all thynge.

26. ¶ Howe rye shulde be shorne.

In July, shear rye.

   In the later ende of July, or in the begynnynge of Auguste, is tyme to shere Rye, the whiche wolde be shorne cleane, and faste bounden. And in somme places they mowe it, the whiche is not soo good to the 4 housbandes profytte, but it is the sooner done. For

[Fol. 21.]

whan it is mowen, it wyll not be so fast bounden: and he can not gather it soo cleane, but there wyll be moche losse, and taketh more rowme in the barne than shorne 8 corne dothe. And also it wyll not kepe nor saue it selfe from rayne or yll wether, whan it standeth in the couer, as the shorne corne wyll do.

27. ¶ Howe to shere wheate.

Shear wheat clean.

   Wheate wolde be shorne cleane, and harde bounden in lyke maner; but for a generall rule, take good hede, that the sherers of all maner of whyte corne cast not vppe theyr handes hastely, for thanne all the lose corne, 4 and the strawes, that he holdeth not fast in his hande, flieth ouer his heed, and are loste: and also it wyll pull of the eares, and specyallye of the cornes that be verye

Shear wheat clean.

rype. In somme places they wyll shere theyr cornes 8 hyghe, to the entente to mowe theyr stubble, eyther to thacke or to bren: if they so do, they haue greate cause to take good hede of the sherers. For if the eares of corne croke downe to the erthe, and the sherer take 12 not good hede, and put up the eare er he cut the strawe: as many eares as be vnder his hoke or sicle

Fol. 21b.

fall to the erthe, and be loste; and whan they mowe the stubble, it is great hyndraunce to the profytte of 16

Near Ilchester and Martock they shear low.

the grounde. And in Sommersetshire, about Zelcestre and Martok, they doo shere theyr wheate very lowe, and all the wheate-strawe that they pourpose to make thacke of, they do not thresshe it, but cutte of the 20 eares, and bynde it in sheues, and call it rede: and therwith they thacke theyr houses. And if it be a newe house, they thacke it vnder theyr fote: the whiche is the beste and the surest thacking that can 24 be of strawe, for crowes and douues shall neuer hurte it.

28. To mowe or shere barley and otes.

Mow barley and oats.

   Barley and otes be moste commonly mowen, and a man or woman folowythe the mower with a hande-rake halfe a yarde longe, with .vii. or .viii. tethe, in the lyfte hande, and a syckle in the ryghte hande, and 4 with the rake he gethereth as moche as wyll make a shefe. And thanne he taketh the barley or otes by the toppes, and pulleth out as moche as wil make a band, and casteth the band from him on the land, and with his 8 rake and his syckle taketh vp the barley or otes, &

[Fol. 22.]

layeth them vppon the bande, and so the barley lyeth vnbounden .iii. or .iiii. dayes, if it be fayre wether, and than to bynde it. And whan the barley is ledde 12

Rake afterwards.

away, the landes muste be raked, or els there wyll be moche corne loste, and if the barley or otes lye, they muste nedes be shorne.

29. ¶ To repe or mowe pees and beanes.

Reap or mow peas and beans.

   Pees and benes be moste commonly laste reped or mowen, of diuers maners, some with sickles, some with hokes, and some with staffe-hokes. And in some places they lay them on repes, and whan they be dry, 4 they laye them to-gether on heapes, lyke hey-cockes, and neuer bynde them. But the beste way is, whan

Bind them together.

the repes be dry, to bynde them, and to set theym on the rydge of the landes three sheues to-gether; and 8 loke that your sherers, repers, or mowers geld not

Cut beans low.

your beanes, that is to saye, to cutte the beanes so hye, that the nethermoste codde growe styll on the stalke; and whan they be bounden, they are the more redyer 12 to lode and vnlode, to make a reke, and to take fro the mowe to thresshe. And soo be not the repes.

30. ¶ Howe all maner of cornes shulde be tythed.

How to tithe.

   Nowe that all these cornes before specyfyed be shorne, mowed, reped, bounden vp, and layde vppon the rydge of the lande, lette the housbande take hede of goddes commaundemente, and let hym goo 4

Count 9 sheaves, and cast out the tenth.

to the ende of his lande, and begynne and tell .ix. sheues, and let hym caste out the .x. shefe in the name of god, and so to pervse from lande to lande, tyll he haue trewely tythed all his corne. And beware, 8 and take hede of the sayinge of our lorde by his

Malachi iii. 8, 9.

prophete Malachias, the whiche saythe, Quia michi non dedisti decimas et primitias, id circo in fame et penuria maledicti estis. That is to saye, Bycause ye haue not 12 gyuen to me your tythes, and your fyrste-fruytes, therefore ye be cursed, and punysshed with honger and

Augustine.

penury. And accordynge to that saynte Austyn saythe: Da decimas, alioqui incides in decimam partem angelorum 16

Give tithes truly.

qui de celo corruerunt in infernum. That is to say, Gyue thy tythes truely, or els thou shalt fall amonge the tenthe parte of aungelles that felle from heuen in-to hell, the whiche is an harde worde to euery man, that oughte to 20

[Fol. 23.]

gyue tythes, and doth not gyue them truely. But saynte

Augustine.

Austyne saythe a comfortable worde again, to them that gyue theyr tythes truely, that is to saye: Decimæ sunt

Tithes are tributes to the needy.

tributa egentium animarum: Tythes are tributes or 24 rewardes to nedye soules. And ferther he saythe: Si decimam dederis, non solum abundantiam fructum recipies, sed etiam sanitatem corporis et animæ consequeris, That is to saye, If thou haue gyuen thy tythes truely, thou 28 shalte not onely receyue the profite, and the abundaunce of goodes, but also helthe of bodye and soule shall folowe. Wolde to god, that euerye man knewe the harde worde of our lorde by his prophete Malachias, 32 and also the comfortable wordes of the holy saynte Austyn. For than wolde I truste verely, that tythes shulde be truely gyuen.

31. ¶ Howe all maner of corne shulde he couered.

How to cover corn.

   Nowe these cornes be shorne and bounden, and the tithes cast out, it is tyme to couer theym, shoke theym, or halfe-throne them, but couerynge is the beste waye

[Fol. 23b.]

of all maner of whyte corne. And that is, to set foure 4 sheues on one syde, and .iiii. sheues on the other syde,

Set ten sheaves together.

and two sheues aboue, of the greatteste, bounden harde nyghe to the nether ende, the whiche must be set vpwarde, and the top downewarde spredde abrode to couer all the 8 other sheues. And they wyll stand beste in wynde, and saue theym-selfe beste in rayne, and they wolde be set on the rydge of the lande, and the sayde sheues to leane to-gether in the toppes, and wyde at the grounde, that 12

For peas and beans set three together.

the winde may go through, to drye them. Pees and beanes wolde be set on the rydge of the lande, thre sheues together, the toppes vpwarde, and wrythen to-gether, and wyde benethe, that they maye the better 16 wyddre.

32. ¶ To lode corne, and mowe it.

To load corn.

   Whanne all these cornes be drye and wyddred ynoughe, than lode theym in-to the barne, and laye euerye corne

Make many mows, if it be wet.

by it-selfe. And if be a wete haruest, make many mowes: and if thou haue not housynge ynoughe, thanne it is 4 better to laye thy pees and benes without vppon a reke, than other corne, and it is better vppon a scaffolde than vppon the grounde: for than it muste be well hedged for swyne and catel, and the grounde wyll rotte the 8 bottom, and the scaffolde saueth both hedgynge and rottynge: but they must be well couered bothe. And the husband may set shepe or catel vnder the same scaffold and wyll serue hym in stede of an house, if it be well 12 and surely made, &c.

33. ¶ The second[25] sturrynge.

   In August, and in the begynnyng of September, is tyme to make his seconde sturrynge, and most commonly it is cast downe and plowed a meane forowe, not to depe nor to ebbe, so he turne it clene. And if it be caste, it 4 wolde be water-forowed bytwene the landes, there-as the reane shulde be, and it wyll be the dryer, whan the lande shall be sowen. And if the landes lie high in the ridge, & highe at the reane, & lowe in the 8 myddes of the side, that the water may not ronne easely in-to the reane, as I se dayly in many places: than let the husband set his plough .iii. or .iiii. fote from the rydge, and cast all the rydge on bothe sydes, and whan 12 the rydge is cast, set his plough there-as he began, and rydge vp the remenant of the lande, and so is the land bothe cast and rydged, and all at one plowynge. And this shall cause the lande to lye rounde, whan it is sowen 16 at the nexte tyme, and than shall it not drowne the corne.

34. To sowe wheat and rye.

Michaelmas.

   Aboute Myghelmasse it is tyme to sowe bothe wheate

Sow wheat and rye.

and rye. Wheate is mooste commonlye sowen vnder the forowe, that is to saye, caste it vppon the falowe, and than plowe it vnder. And in some places they sowe theyr 4

Pease stubble.

wheate vppon theyr pees-stubble, the whiche is neuer soo good, as that that is sowen vppon the falowe: and that is vsed, where they make falowe in a fyelde euery fourthe yere. And in Essex they vse to haue a chylde, 8 to go in the forowe before the horses or oxen, with a bagge or a hopper full of corne: and he taketh his hande full of corne, and by lyttel and lytel casteth it in the sayde forowe. Me semeth, that chylde oughte to haue 12 moche dyscretion.
   Howe-be-it there is moche good corne, and rye is mooste commonlye sowen aboue and harrowed, and two London busshelles of wheate and rye wyll sowe an acre. 16 Some grounde is good for wheate, some for rye, and some is good for bothe: and vppon that ground sowe blend-corne, that is both wheate and rye, the whyche is the surest corne of growyng, and good for the husbandes 20 houshold. And the wheate, that shall be medled with rye, muste be suche as wyll soone be rype, and that is flaxen wheate, polerd wheate, or whyte wheate. And ye shall vnderstande, that there be dyuers maners of wheates. 24 Flaxen wheate hath a yelowe eare, and bare without anis, and is the bryghtest wheate in the busshell, and wyll make the whytest breed, and it wyll weare the grounde sore, and is small strawe, and wyll growe very thycke, 28 and is but small corne. Polerde wheate hath noo anis, thycke sette in the eare, and wyll soone fall out, and is greatter corne, and wyll make whyte breed. Whyte wheate is lyke polerde wheate in the busshell, but it 32 hath anis, and the eare is foure-square, and wyll make white breed: and in Essex they call flaxen wheate whyte wheate. Red wheate hath a flat eare, an inche brode, full of anis, and is the greatteste corne, and 36 the brodeste blades, and the greatteste strawe, and wyl make whyte breed, and is the rudeste of colour in the busshell.
   Englysshe wheate hath a dunne eare, fewe anis or none, 40 and is the worste wheate, saue peeke-wheate. Peeke-wheete hath a red eare, ful of anis, thyn set, and ofte tymes it is flyntered, that is to saye, small corne wrynkeled and dryed, and wyll not make whyte breade, but it wyl 44 growe vpon colde grounde.

35. ¶ To thresshe and wynowe corne.

Carefully clean seed-corn.

   This wheate and rye, that thou shalte sowe, ought to be very cleane of wede, and therfore, er thou thresshe thy corne, open thy sheues, and pyke oute all maner of wedes, and than thresshe it, and wynowe it cleane, 4 and so shalt thou haue good clene corne an other

In Essex and Kent they fan the corn.

yere. And in some countreys, aboute London specyallye, and in Essex and Kente, they do fan theyr corne, the whiche is a verye good gise, and a great saueguarde for 8 shedynge of the corne. And whan thou shalte sell it, if it be well wynowed or fande, it wyll be solde the derer, and the lyghte corne wyll seme the husbande in his house. 12

36. ¶ To seuer pees, beanes, and fytches.

Sift your peas and beans.

   Whan thou haste thresshed thy pees, and beanes, after they be wynowed, and er thou shalte sowe or selle them, let theym be well reed with syues, and seuered in

[Fol. 26.]

thre partes, the great from the small, and thou shalte gette 4 in euerye quarter a London busshell, or there about. For

Separate small from large.

the small corne lyeth in the holowe and voyde places of the greate beanes, and yet shall the greate beanes be solde as dere, as if they were all together, or derer, as a man 8 may proue by a famylier ensample. Let a man bye

120 herrings, at 2 a penny, cost 5 shillings;

.C. hearynges,[26] two hearynges for a penye, and an other .C. hearynges, thre for a peny, and let hym sell these .CC. hearinges agayne .v. heringes for .ii. d.; nowe hath 12 he loste .iiii. d. For C. hearinges, .ii. for i. d., cost v. s., and C. hearynges, .iii. for a peny, coste .iii s. and .iiii d., the whiche is .viii. s and .iiii. d.; and whan he selleth .v. herynges for .ii. d., xx. heringes cometh but 16 to .viii. d. and there is but .xii. score heringes, and that is but .xii. grotes, and xii. grotes, and that cometh but to .viii. s. and so he hath lost .iiii. d. and it is bicause there be not so many bargeins, for in the bienge of these .CC. 20 heringes there be .v. score bargeins, and in the sellinge of the same there be but .xlviii. bargeyns, and so is there lost .x. hearinges, the whiche wolde haue ben .ii.