vse of thacking, which is the onely reason of such disorderly
cutting, there is neither the straw that is shorne, nor the stubble
which is left behinde, but are both of sufficiencie inough for such an
imployment, if it passe through the hands of a workman, as we see in
dayly experience.

{SN: The getting in of Barly.}
Next to your Wheate, you shall haue regard to your Barly, for it
sodainely ripeneth, and must be cut downe assoone as you perceiue the
straw is turned white, to the bottome, and the eares bended downe to the
groundward. Your Barly you shall not sheare, although it is a fashion in
some Country, both because it is painefull and profitlesse, but you
shall Mowe it close to the ground, and although in generall it be the
custome of our kingdome, after your Barly is mowen and hath lyne a day
or two in swathe, then with rackes to racke it together, and make it
into great cockes, and so to leade it to the Barne, yet I am of this
opinion that if your Barly be good and cleane without thistles or
weedes, that if then to euery sitheman, or Mower you alot two followers,
that is to say, a gatherer, who with a little short rake and a small
hooke shall gather the Corne together, and a binder, who shall make
bands and binde vp the Barly in smale Sheafes, that questionlesse you
shall finde much more profit thereby: and although some thinke the
labour troublesome and great, yet for mine owne part, I haue seene very
great croppes inned in this manner, and haue seene two women, that with
great ease, haue followed and bound after a most principall Mower, which
made me vnderstand that the toyle was not so great as mine imagination;
and the profit ten-fold greater then the labour: but if your Corne be
ill Husbanded, and full of thistles, weedes, and all filthinesse, then
this practise is to be spared, and the loose cocking vp of your Corne is
much better. Assoone as you haue cleansed any Land of Barly, you shall
then immediatly cause one with a great long rake, of at least thirtie
teeth, being in a sling bound bauticke-wise crosse his body, to draw it
from one end of the Land to the other, all ouer the Land, that he may
thereby gather vp all the loose Corne which is scattered, and carry it
where your other Corne standeth, obseruing euer, as your cheifest rule,
that by no meanes you neither leade Barly, nor any other graine
whatsoeuer, when it is wet, no although it be but moistned with the dew
onely: for the least dankishnesse, m