ore then the sweate which it
naturally taketh, will soone cause it to putrifie.
{SN: The getting in of Oates.}
Now for the gathering in of your Oates, they be a graine of such
incertaintie, ripening euer according to the weather, & not after any
setled or naturall course, that you are to looke to no constant season,
but to take them vpon the first show of ripenesse, and that with such
diligence that you must rather take them before, then after they be
ripe, because if they tarry but halfe a day too long, they will shed
vpon the ground, & you shal loose your whole profit. The time then
fittest to cut your Oates is, assoone as they be somewhat more then
halfe changed, but not altogether changed, that is, when they are more
then two parts white, and yet the greene not vtterly extinguished, the
best cutting of them is to mow them (albeit I haue seene them shorne in
some places) & being mowen to let them dry and ripen in the swathe, as
naturally they will doe, and then if you bind them vp in Sheafes, as you
should binde your Barly, it is best: for to carry them in the loose
cocke, as many doe, is great losse and hindrance of profit.
{SN: The getting in of Pulse.}
After you haue got in your white Corne, you shall then looke vnto your
Pulse, as Beanes, Pease, Fitches, and such like, which you shall know to
be ready by the blacknesse of the straw: for it is a rule, whensoeuer
the straw turnes, the Pulse is ripe. If then it be cleane Beanes, or
Beanes and Pease mixt, you shall mowe them, and being cleane Beanes rake
them into heapes, and so make them vp into cockes, but if they be mixt
you shall with hookes fould the Beanes into the Pease, and make little
round reapes thereof, which after they haue beene turned and dryed, you
may put twenty reapes together, and thereof make a cocke, and so lead
them, and stacke them: but if they be cleane Pease, or Pease and
Fitches, then you shall not mowe them, but with long hookes cut them
from the ground, which is called Reaping, and so foulding them together
into small reapes, as you did your Pease and Beanes, let them be turned
and dryed, and so cocked, and carried either to the Barne, stacke, or
houell.
Now hauing thus brought in, and finished your Haruest, you shall then
immediately mowe vp the stubble, both of your Wheate, Rye, and Masline,
and with all expedition there-with thacke, and couer from Raine and
weather, all such graine as for want of house-roome, you are compeld to
l
|