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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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Augusts husbandrie.
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Augusts husbandrie.

Chap. 46.

Drie August and warme,
Doth haruest no harme.
Forgotten month past,
Doe now at the last.

1

Thry fallow once ended, go strike by and by,

Thry fallowing.


both wheat land and barlie, and so let it ly.
And as ye haue leisure, go compas the same:
when vp ye doo lay it, more fruitfull to frame.

2

Get downe with thy brakes, er an showers doo come,

Mowing of brakes.


that cattle the better, may pasture haue some.
In Iune and in August, as well doth appeere:
is best to mowe brakes, of all times in the yeere.

3

Pare saffron betweene the two S. Maries daies,

Paring of saffron.


or set or go shift it, that knowest the waies.
What yeere shall I doo it (more profit to yeeld?)
the fourth in garden, the third in the feeld.

4

In hauing but fortie foote, workmanly dight,
take saffron ynough, for a Lord and a Knight.

Huswiferie.


All winter time alter, as practise doth teach:
what plot haue ye better, for linnen to bleach.

5

Maides, mustard seede gather, for being too ripe,
and weather it well, er ye giue it a stripe.
Then dresse it, and laie it, in soller vp sweete:
least foistines make it, for table vnmeete.

6

Good huswifes in sommer, will saue their owne seedes,
against the next yeere, as occasion needes.
One seede for another, to make an exchange:
with fellowlie neighbourhood, seemeth not strange.

[53]

7

Corne haruest.

Make sure of reapers, get haruest in hand,

the corne that is ripe, doo but shed as it stand.
Be thankfull to God, for his benefits sent:
and willing to saue it, with earnest intent.

8

Champiō by great, the other by day.

To let out thy haruest, by great or by day,

let this by experience, leade thee a way.
By great will deceiue thee, with lingring it out:
by day will dispatch, and put all out of dout.

9

Grant haruest lord more, by a penie or twoo,
to call on his fellowes, the better to doo.
Giue gloues to thy reapers, a larges to crie:
and dailie to loiterers, haue a good eie.

10

Good haruest points.

Reape wel, scatter not, gather cleane that is shorne,

binde fast, shock apace, haue an eie to thy corne.
Lode safe, carrie home, follow time being faire:
goue iust in the barne, it is out of despaire.

11

Tithe dulie and trulie, with hartie good will,
that God and his blessing, may dwell with thee still.
Though Parson neglecteth, his dutie for this:
thanke thou thy Lord God, and giue erie man his.

12

Parson looke to thy tithe.

Corne tithed (sir Parson) to gather go get,

and cause it on shocks, to be by and by set.
Not leauing it scattering, abrode on the ground:
nor long in the field, but away with it round.

13

Keepe hog from cart wheele.

To cart gap, and barne set a guide to looke weele,

and hoy out (sir carter) the hog fro thy wheele.
Least greedie of feeding, in following cart:
it noieth or perisheth, spight of thy hart.

14

In champion countrie, a pleasure they take,
to mowe vp their hawme, for to brew and to bake.
And also it stands them in steade of their thack:
which being well inned, they cannot well lack.

54

15

The hawme is the strawe, of the wheat or the rie,
which once being reaped, they mowe by and bie.
For feare of destroieng, with cattle or raine:
the sooner ye lode it, more profit ye gaine.

16

The mowing of barlie, if barlie doo stand,

Mowing of barlie.


is cheapest and best, for to rid out of hand.
Some mowe it, and rake it, and sets it on cocks:
some mowe it, and binds it, and sets it on shocks.

17

Of barlie the longest, and greenest ye find,

Binding of barlie.


leaue standing by dallops, till time ye doo bind.
Then early in morning (while deaw is thereon:)
to making of bands, till the deaw be all gon.

18

One spreadeth those bands, so in order to ly,

Spreading of barlie bands.


as barlie (in swatches) may fill it thereby.
Which gathered vp, with the rake and the hand:
the follower after them, bindeth in band.

19

Where barlie is raked, (if dealing be true,)

Tithe of rakings.


the tenth of such raking, to Parson is due.
Where scatring of barlie, is seene to be much:
there custome nor conscience, tithing should gruch.

20

Corne being had downe, (any way ye alow,)
should wither as needeth, for burning in mow.
Such skill appertaineth to haruest mans art:
and taken in time, is a husbandly part.

21

No turning of peason, till carrege ye make,

Usage of peason.


nor turne in no more, than ye mind for to take.
Least beaten with showers, so turned to drie:
by turning and tossing, they shed as they lie.

22

If weather be faire, and tidie thy graine,

Lingring lubbers.


make speedily carrege, for feare of a raine.
For tempest and showers, deceiueth a menie:
and lingering lubbers, loose many a penie.

[54]

23

Best maner of gouing corn in the barne.

In gouing at haruest, learne skilfully how,

ech graine for to laie, by it selfe on a mow.
Seede barlie the purest, goue out of the way:
all other nigh hand, goue as iust as ye may.

24

Pease-stack.

Stack pease vpon houell, abrode in the yard,

to couer it quicklie, let owner regard:
Least Doue and the cadow, there finding a smack:
with ill stormie weather, doo perish thy stack.

25

Leaue gleaning for the poore.

Corne carred, let such as be poore go and gleane,

and after, thy cattle to mowth it vp cleane.
Then spare it for rowen, til Mihel be past:
to lengthen thy dairie, no better thou hast.

26

In haruest time, haruest folke, seruants and all,
should make all togither, good cheere in the hall.
And fill out the black boule, of bleith to their song:
and let them be merie, all haruest time long.

27

Pay trulie haruest folke.

Once ended thy haruest, let none be begilde,

please such as did helpe thee, man, woman and childe.
Thus dooing, with alway, such helpe as they can:
thou winnest the praise of the labouring man.

28

Thanke God for all.

Now looke vp to Godward, let tong neuer cease,

in thanking of him, for his mightie encrease.
Accept my good will, for a proofe go and trie:
the better thou thriuest, the gladder am I.

VVorks after Haruest.

29

Now carrie out compas, when haruest is donne,
where barlie thou sowest, my champion sonne.
Or laie it on heape, in the field as ye may:
till carriage be faire, to haue it away.

30

Whose compas is rotten, and carried in tune,
and spred as it should be, thrifts ladder may clime.

55

Whose compas is paltrie, and [illeg.] too late:
such husbandrie vseth, that many doo hate.

31

Er winter preuenteth, while weather is good,

Carriage of fewell.


for galling of pasture, get home with thy wood.
And carrie out grauell, to fill vp a hole:
both timber and furzen, the turfe and the cole.

32

Howse charcole and sedge, chip and cole of the land,

Well placing of fewell.


pile tallwood and billet, stacke all that hath band.
Blocks, rootes, pole and bough, set vpright to the thetch:
the neerer more handsome, in winter to fetch.

33

In stacking of bauen, and piling of logs,

Houell for hogs.


make vnder thy bauen, a houell for hogs.
And warmelie enclose it, all sauing the mouth:
and that to stand open, and full to the south.

34

Once haruest dispatched, get wenches and boies,
and into the barne, afore all other toies.
Choised seede to be picked, and trimlie well fide:
for seede may no longer, from threshing abide.

35

Get seede aforehand, in a readines had,
or better prouide, if thine owne be too bad.
Be carefull of seede, or else such as ye sowe:
be sure at haruest, to reape or to mowe.

36

When haruest is ended, take shipping or ride,
Ling, Saltfish and Herring, for Lent to prouide.

Prouision for Lent.


To buie it at first, as it commeth to rode:
shall paie for thy charges, thou spendest abrode.

37

Choose skilfullie Saltfish, not burnt at the stone,
buie such as be good, or else let it alone.
Get home that is bought, and go stack it vp drie:
with peasestrawe betweene it, the safer to lie.

38

Er euer ye iornie, cause seruant with speede,

Compassing of barlie land.


to compas thy barlie land, where it is neede.

[55]

One aker well compassed, passeth some three:
thy barne shall at haruest, declare it to thee.

39

This lesson is learned, by riding about,
the prices of vittels, the yeere thorough out.
Both what to be selling, and what to refraine:
and what to be buieng, to bring in againe.

40

Though buieng and selling, doth woonderfull well,
to such as haue skill, how to buie and to sell.
Yet chopping and changing, I cannot commend:
with theefe and his marrow, for feare of ill end.

41

The rich in his bargaining, needes not be tought,
of buier and seller, full far is he sought.
Yet herein consisteth, a part of my text:
who buieth at first hand, and who at the next.

42

Buieng at first hand.

At first hand he buieth, that paieth all downe,

at second, that hath not so much in the towne.
At third hand he buieth, that buieth of trust:
at his hand who buieth, shall paie for his lust.

43

Readie monie bieth best cheape.

As oft as ye bargaine, for better or wurse,

to buie it the cheaper, haue chinkes in thy purse.
Touch kept is commended, yet credit to keepe:
is paie and dispatch him, er euer ye sleepe.

44

Be mindfull abrode, of a Mihelmas spring,
for thereon dependeth, a husbandlie thing.
Though some haue a pleasure, with hauke vpon hand:

Hauking.

good husbands get treasure, to purchase their land.

45

Thy market dispatched, turne home againe round,
least gaping for penie, thou loosest a pound.
Prouide for thy wife, or else looke to be shent:

Winter milch cow

good milch cow for winter, another for Lent.

46

In traueling homeward, buie fortie good crones,

Old ewes

and fat vp the bodies of those seelie bones,


56

Leaue milking and drie vp, old mulley thy cow:
the crooked and aged, to fatting put now.

47

At Bartilmewtide, or at Sturbridge faire,

Buieng or selling of butter & cheese.


buie that as is needfull, thy house to repaire,
Then sell to thy profit, both butter and cheese:
who buieth it sooner, the more he shall leese.

48

If hops doo looke brownish, then are ye too slowe,
if longer ye suffer, those hops for to growe.
Now sooner ye gather, more profit is found:

Hops gathering.


if weather be faire, and deaw of a ground.

49

Not breake off, but cut off, from hop the hop string,
leaue growing a little, againe for to spring.

Increasing of hops.


Whose hill about pared, and therewith new clad:
shall nourish more sets, against March to be had.

50

Hop hillock discharged, of euerie let,

The order of hops gathering.


see then without breaking, ech pole ye out get.
Which being vntangled, aboue in the tops:
go carrie to such as are plucking of hops.

51

Take soutage or haier, (that couers the kell,)

Hop manger.


set like to a manger, and fastened well.
With poles vpon crotchis, as high as thy brest:
for sauing and riddance, is husbandrie best.

52

Hops had, the hop poles that are likelie preserue,
(from breaking and rotting,) againe for to serue.

Saue hop poles.


And plant ye with alders, or willowes a plot:
where yeerlie as needeth, mo poles may be got.

53

Some skilfullie drieth, their hops on a kell,

Drieng of hops.


and some on a soller, oft turning them well.
Kell dried, will abide, foule weather or faire:
where drieng and lieng, in loft doo dispaire.

54

Some close them vp drie in a hogshed or fat,

Keeping of hops.


yet canuas or soutage, is better than that.

[56]

By drieng and lieng, they quickly be spilt:
thus much haue I shewed, doo now as thou wilt.

55

Old fermer is forced, long August to make,
his goodes at more leisure, away for to take.
New fermer he thinketh, ech houre a day:
vntill the old fermer be packing away.
Thus endeth and holdeth out Augusts husbandrie till Mihelmas Eue.
Tho. Tusser.