The English Husbandman The First Part: Contayning the Knowledge of the true Nature of euery Soyle within this Kingdome: how to Plow it; and the manner of the Plough, and — Reading Companion

Plowing by Soil Type

Markham devotes separate chapters to each soil, prescribing specific plow adjustments and 'Earings' (plowings). For 'rich, stiffe, blacke Clay' he recommends one set of implements; for 'white or gray Clay' another. The repeated phrase 'his Earings, Plough, and Implements' becomes a structural refrain, reinforcing the idea that husbandry is a matter of matching machine to material. In the chapter on gravel with pible stones or flint, the variation in ground composition dictates both the plow's temper and the number of passes. This granular approach suggests that Markham expects the reader to identify his own soil type and follow the corresponding recipe.

Orchard as Ordered Space

The second part shifts from arable fields to the orchard, where Markham prescribes a geometric layout. He instructs that fruit trees be planted 'in such arteficiall rowes that which way soeuer a man shall cast his eyes yet hée shall sée the trées euery way stand in rowes.' The orchard is divided into quarters, each devoted to a single fruit—apples in one, pears in another, quinces in a third. Summer and winter varieties are kept separate. Plum trees form a 'fence or guard' around the quarters, planted five feet apart. Markham even includes a diagram (referenced as 'the figure before') to illustrate the pattern of 'lesser prickes' for plums and 'greater prickes' for apples.

Grafting and the Infinite Variety of Apples

In the grafting chapter, Markham catalogues apple varieties with a sense of abundance: 'the tastes of Apples are infinite, according to there composition and mixture in grafting.' He lists early fruits (Ienitings, Wibourns, Pomederoy, Quéene-Apples) and winter keepers (Pippin, Peare-maine, Apple-Iohn, Russetting). The same logic applies to pears and plums, each with early and late types. The grafting instructions are practical—how to join scion to stock—but the list itself functions as a kind of varietal map, showing the husbandman what to plant for a succession of harvests.

Situation and Shelter

Markham repeatedly emphasizes the orchard's exposure: it should 'stand most open and plaine, vpon the South and West sunne, and most defended from the East and North windes.' He acknowledges that ideal conditions are rare, and devotes a passage to 'framing of Orchard-plots there where both nature, the situation, and barrainnesse, doe vtterly deny the enioying of any such commoditie.' On uneven, stony, or sandy ground, the husbandman must compensate with labor. This recognition of imperfect sites grounds the book in real-world constraints, moving from prescription to adaptation.

Markham's book is best read as a reference keyed to local conditions. The reader might begin by identifying his own soil in the first chapters, then consult the orchard and grafting sections as needed. The repeated structural cues—soil types, tree spacing, seasonal lists—make it easy to locate specific advice without reading straight through. The work rewards a practical, piecemeal approach, matching Markham's own methodical attention to the particulars of English ground.

I found myself setting down old Markham's plough-craft, a book of such patient, wheeling care for the soil, and thinking of a quieter, steadier companion. His orderly rows felt like a promise to the land. The Farm That Won't Wear Out — Themes and Context seems to hold that same tender conversation, one where the earth itself remembers our manners.