wing: the
second ardor, which we call stirring of ground, or sommer stirring, you
shall begin in Iuly, which is of great consequence, for by meanes of it
you shall kill all manner of weedes and thistells that would annoy your
Land. In this ardor you must oft obserue that if when you fallowed you
did set vp your Land, then now when you stirre you must cast downe your
Land, and so contrarily, if before you did cast downe, then now you must
set vp: your third ardor, which is called of Husbandmen, winter
ridgeing, or setting vp Land for the whole yeere, you shall begin at the
latter end of September, and you must euer obserue that in this third
ardor you doe alwaies ridge vp your Land, that is to say, you most turne
euery furrow vpward and lay them as close together as may be, for
should you doe otherwise, that is to say, either lay them flat or
loosely, the winter season would so beat and bake them together, that
when you should sow your seede you would hardly get your plough into the
ground.
Now your fourth and last ardor, which must be when you sow your seede,
you shall begin euer about the midst of March, at least one weeke before
our Ladies day, commonly called the Annunciation of _Mary_, and this
ardor you shall euer plow downeward, laying your ridges very well open,
and you shall euer obserue in this ardor, first to sow your seede, and
then after to plow your ground, turning your seede into the earth, which
is called of Husbandmen, sowing vnderfurrow: as soone as your ground is
plowed you shall harrow it with an harrow whose teeth are all of wood,
for these simple earths are of easie temper and will of themselues fall
to dust, then after you haue thus sowne your ground, if then there
remaine any clots or lumpes of earth vnbroken, you shall let them rest
till after the next shower of raine, at which time you shall either with
a heauie rouler, or the backside of your harrowes, runne ouer your
Lands, which is called the sleighting of ground, and it will not onely
breake such clots to dust, but also lay your Land plaine and smoth,
leauing no impediment to hinder the Corne from sprouting and comming
forth. In this same ordor as you are appointed for this blacke clay, in
this same manner you shall ordor both your blew clay & your clay which
is like vnto marble. Now as touching the plough which is fittest for
these clayes, it must be large and strong, the beame long and well
bending, the head thicke and large, the skeeth b
|