did euen
ground strong beleifes to raise to themselues great common-wealthes by
the profits thereof; some not onely holding insufficient arguments, in
great places, of the invtilitie of the plough, but euen vtterly
contemning the poore cart Iade, as a creature of no necessitie, so that
Poulters and Carriers, were in good hope to buy Horse-flesh as they
bought egges, at least fiue for a penie; but it hath proued otherwise,
and the Husbandman as yet cannot loose the Horses seruice. But to
proceede to the manner of setting or planting of Corne, it is in this
manner.

{SN: Of setting Wheate.}
Hauing chosen out an aker of good Corne ground, you shall at the
beginning of March, appoint at least sixe diggers or laborers with
spades to digge vp the earth gardenwise, at least a foote and three
inches deepe (which is a large spades graft) and being so digged vp, to
rest till Iune, and then to digge it ouer againe, and in the digging to
trench it and Manure it, as for a garden mould, bestowing at least
sixteene Waine-load of Horse or Oxe Manure vpon the aker, and the Manure
to be well couered within the earth, then so to let it rest vntill the
beginning of October, which being the time for the setting, you shall
then digge it vp the third time, and with rakes and beetells breake the
moulde somewhat small, then shall you take a board of sixe foot square,
which shalbe bored full of large wimble holes, each hole standing in
good order, iust sixe inches one from another, then laying the board
vpon the new digged ground, you shall with a stick, made for the
purpose, through euery hole in the board, make a hole into the ground,
at least fore inches deepe, and then into euery such hole you shall drop
a Corne of Wheate, and so remouing the board from place to place, goe
all ouer the ground that you haue digged, and so set each seuerall Corne
sixe inches one from another, and then with a rake you shall rake ouer
and couer all the holes with earth, in such sort that they may not be
discerned. And herein you are to obserue by the way that a quarte of
Wheate will set your aker: which Wheate is not to be taken as it falles
out by chance when you buy it in the market, but especially culd and
pickt out of the eare, being neither the vppermost Cornes which grow in
the toppes of the eares, nor the lowest, which grow at the setting on of
the stalke, both which, most commonly are light and of small substance,
but those which are in the midst, and a