e his
Hatchet in a socket, fixt to his Plough beame, and a good piece of hard
wedge woode, in case any of your wedges should shake out and be lost.

{SN: Of holding the Plough.}
When your Plough is thus ordered and tempered in good manner, and made
fit for her worke, it then resteth that you know the skill and
aduantages in holding thereof, which indeed are rules of much
diuersitie, for if it be a stiffe, blacke clay which you Plow, then can
you not Plow too deepe, nor make your furrowes too bigge: if it be a
rich hassell ground, and not much binding, then reasonable furrowes,
laid closse, are the best: but if it be any binding, stony, or sandy
ground, then you cannot make your furrowes too small. As touching the
gouerning of your Plough, if you see shee taketh too much land, then you
shall writh your left hand a little to the left side and raise your
Plough rest somewhat from the ground: if shee taketh too little earth,
then you shall raise vp your left hand, and carry your Plough as in a
direct line: If your Plough-Irons forbeare and will not bite on the
earth at all, then it is a signe that you hang too heauy on the Plough
hales, raising the head of the Plough from the ground, which errour you
must amend, and of the two rather raise it vp behind then before, but to
doe neither is best, for the Plough hale is a thing for the hand to
gouerne, and not to make a leaning stocke of: And thus much touching the
tempring of the Plough and making her fit for worke.

CHAP. V.

_The manner of Plowing the rich, stiffe, blacke Clay, his Earings,
Plough, and other Instruments._

Of all soyles in this our kingdome there is none so rich and fruitfull,
if it be well handled and Husbanded, as is that which we call the
stiffe, blacke, Clay, and indeed is more blacker to looke on then any
other soyle, yet some times it will turne vp very blewish, with many
white vaines in it, which is a very speciall note to know his
fruitfulnesse; for that blewish earth mixt with white is nothing else
but very rich Marle, an earth that in Cheshire, Lanckashire, and many
other countries, serueth to Manure and make fat their barrainest land in
such sort that it will beare Corne seauen yeeres together. This blacke
clay as it is the best soyle, well Husbanded, so it is of all soyles the
worst if it be ill Husbanded: for if it loose but one ardor, or
seasenable Plowing, it will not be recouered in foure yeeres after, but
will naturally of it sel