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Fiue hundred pointes of good Husbandrie

as well for the Champion, or open countrie, as also for the woodland, or Seuerall, mixed in euerie Month with Huswiferie, ouer and besides the booke of Huswiferie, corrected, better ordered, and newly augmented to a fourth part more, with diuers other lessons, as a diet for the fermer, of the properties of winds, planets, hops, herbes, bees, and approoued remedies for sheepe and cattle, with many other matters both profitable and not vnpleasant for the Reader. Also a table of husbandrie at the beginning of this booke: and another of huswiferie at the end: for the better and easier finding of any matter conteined in the same. Newly set foorth by Thomas Tusser

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Aprils husbandrie.
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Aprils husbandrie.

Chap. 38.

Sweete April showers,
Doo spring Maie flowers.
Forgotten month past,
Doe now at the last.

1

In Cambridge shire forward, to Lincolne shire way,
the champion maketh his fallow in May.
Then thinking so dooing, one tillage woorth twaine:
by forcing of weede, by that meanes to refraine.

2

If April be dripping, then doo I not hate,
(for him that hath little) his fallowing late.
Else otherwise fallowing, timelie is best:
for sauing of cattel, of plough and the rest.

3

Be suer of plough to be readie at hand,
er compas ye spred, that on hillocks did stand.
Least drieng so lieng, doo make it decaie:
er euer much water, doo wash it awaie.

4

Looke now to prouide ye, of meadow for hay,
if fennes be vndrowned, there cheapest ye may.
In fen for the bullock, for horse not so well:
count best, the best cheape, wheresoeuer ye dwell.

5

Prouide ye of cowmeate, for cattel at night,
and chiefly where commons, lie far out of sight.

[43]

Where cattel lie tied, without any meat:
that profit by dairie, can neuer be great.

6

Put poles to your hop-hils.

Get into thy hopyard, with plentie of poles,

among those same hillocks, deuide them by doles.
Three poles to a hillock (I pas not how long:)
shall yeeld thee more profit, set deeplie and strong.

7

Felling of timber.

Sell barke to the tanner, er timber yee fell,

cut lowe by the ground, or else doo ye not well.
In breaking saue crooked, for mill and for ships:
and euer in hewing, saue carpenters chips.

8

First see it well fenced, er hewers begin,
then see it well stadled, without and within.
Thus being preserued, and husbandlie donne:
shall sooner raise profit, to thee or thy sonne.

9

Stadling of woods.

Leaue growing for stadles, the likest and best,

though seller and buier, dispatched the rest.
In bushes, in hedgerowe, in groue and in wood:
this lesson obserued, is needfull and good.

10

Saue elme, ash and crabtree, for cart and for plough,
saue step for a stile, of the crotch of the bough.
Saue hazel for forks, saue sallow for rake:
saue huluer and thorne, there of flaile for to make.

11

Discharge thy woods.

Make riddance of carriage, er yeere go about,

for spoiling of plant, that is newlie come out.
To carter (with oxen) this message I bring:
leaue oxen abrode, for anoieng the spring.

12

Alowance of fodder, some countries doo yeeld,
as good for the cattel, as haie in the feeld.
Some mowe vp their hedlonds, and plots among corne:
and driuen to leaue nothing, vnmowne or vnshorne.

13

Some commons are barren, the nature is such,
and some ouer laieth, the common too much.

44

The pestered commons, small profit doth geeue:
and profit as little some reape I beleeue.

14

Some pester the commons, with iades & with geese,
with hog without ring, & with sheepe without fleese.
Some lose a daie labour, with seeking their owne:
some meet with a bootie, they would not haue knowne.

15

Great troubles and losses, the champion sees,
and euer in brauling, as wasps among bees.
As charitie that waie, appeereth but small:
so lesse be their winnings, or nothing at all.

16

Where champion wanteth, a swineherd for hog,
there many complaineth, of naughtie mans dog.
Where ech his owne keeper, appoints without care:
there corne is destroied, er men be aware.

17

The land is well harted, with helpe of the fold,
for one or two crops, if so long it will hold.
If shepherd would keepe them, from stroieng of corne:
the walke of his sheepe, might the better be borne.

18

Where stones be too manie, annoieng thy land,
make seruant come home, with a stone in his hand.
By dailie so dooing, haue plentie yee shall:
both handsome for pauing, and good for a wall.

19

From April beginning, till Andrew be past,
so long with good huswife, hir dairie doth last.

Dairie matters.


Good milchcow and pasture, good husbands prouide:
the resdue, good huswiues knowes best how to guide.

20

Ill huswife vnskilful, to make hir owne chees,
through trusting of others, hath this for hir fees.

Ill huswiferie.


Hir milke pan and creame pot; so slabberd and soft:
that butter is wanting, and cheese is halfe lost.

21

Where some of a cow, doo raise yeerelie a pound,
with such seelie huswiues, no penie is found.

[44]

Then dairie maid (Cisley) hir fault being knowne:
away apace trudgeth, with more than hir owne.

22

Then neighbour for Gods sake, if any you see,

Ill huswiues saiengs.

good seruant for dairie house, waine hir to mee.

Such maister such man, and such mistris such maid:
such husband and huswife, such houses araid.

A lesson for dairie maid Cisley of ten toppings gests.

As wife that will,
good husband plese:
Must shun with skill,
such gests as these.
So Cisse that serues,
must marke this note:
What fault deserues,
a brushed cote.
Gehezie, Lots wife, and Argusses eies,

Ten toppings gests vnsent for.

Tom piper, poore Cobler, and Lazarus thies.

Rough Esau, with Mawdlin, and Gentils that scrall:
With Bishop that burneth, thus knowe ye them all.
These toppingly gests, be in number but ten,
As welcome in dairie, as Beares among men.
Which being descried, take heede of you shall:
For danger of after claps, after that fall.

1

White and drie.

Gehezie his sicknes, was whitish and drie,

such cheeses good Cisley, ye floted too nie.

2

Too salt.

Leaue Lot with hir piller, (good Cisley) alone,

much saltnes in whitemeat, is ill for the stone.

3

Full of eies.

If cheeses in dairie haue Argusses eies,

tell Cisley the fault, in hir huswiferie lies.

4

Houen.

Tom Piper, hath houen and puffed vp cheekes,

if cheese be so houen, make Cisse to seeke creekes.

5

Tough.

Poore Cobler he tuggeth, his leatherlie trash,

if cheese abide tugging, tug Cisley a crash.

45

6

If Lazer so lothsome, in cheese be espied,

Full of spots.


let baies amend Cisley, or shift hir aside.

7

Rough Esau was hearie, from top to the fut,

Full of heares.


if cheese so appeareth, call Cisley a slut.

8

As Mawdlin wept, so would Cisley be drest,

Full of whey.


for whey in hir cheeses, not halfe inough prest.

9

If gentils be scrauling, call magget the py,

Full of gentils.


if cheeses haue gentils, at Cisse by and by.

10

Blesse Cisley (good mistris) that Bishop doth ban,

Burnt to the pan.


for burning the milke, of hir cheese to the pan.
If thou (so oft beaten)
amendest by this:
I will no more threaten,
I promise thee Cis.
Thus dairie maid Cisley, rehearsed ye see,
what faults with ill huswife, in dairie house bee.
Of market abhorred, to houshold a griefe:
to maister and mistris, as ill as a thiefe.
Thus endeth Aprils husbandrie.