The English Husbandman (The Second Booke) — Text and Context

Spellings are inconsistent, especially the use of ée and ee. Words remain as presented in the original, including the use of u/v and i/j.

Note that while the title page and contents reference a “Tretise, called Goodmens Recreation” regarding angling and the fighting cocke [sic] this content was not in the original scan and thus is not included here.

THE Second Booke of the English Husbandman.

CONTAYNING the Ordering of the Kitchin-Garden, and the Planting of strange Flowers: the breeding of all manner of CATTELL. Together with the Cures, the feeding of _Cattell, the Ordering both of Pastures and_ Meddow-ground: with the vse both of high-wood and vnder-wood.

_WHEREVNTO IS ADDED_ a TREATISE, called _Goodmens Recreation_: Contayning a Discourse of the generall Art of Fishing, with the Angle, and otherwise; and of all the hidden secrets belonging thereunto.

_TOGETHER_ With the Choyce, Ordering, Breeding, and Dyeting of the fighting Cocke.

A worke neuer written before by any Author.

LONDON: Printed by _T.S._ for _Iohn Browne_, and are to be sould at his shop in _S. Dunstanes_ Church-yard in Fleetstreet. 1614.

A Table of all the principall matters contayned in this Booke.

How the Husbandman shall iudge and fore-know all kinde of weather, and other seasons of the yeere.

_Of Raine._ _Signes from clouds._ _Signes from the Moone._ _Signes from the Sun._ _Signes from Lightning._ _Signes from Fowle._ _Signes from Beasts._ _Signes from things without Motion._ _Signes of much Raine._ _Signes of Snow or Hayle._ _Signes of Winde._ _Signes of Tempests._ _Signes of faire weather._ _Signes of Winter._ _Signes of the Spring._ _Signes of a hot summer._ _Signes of a long winter._ _Signes of a forward or backward yeere._ _Signes of a good or bad yeere._ _Signes from Christmas day._ _Signes from the sunne rising._ _Signes from the twelue dayes in Christmas._ _Signes from _S. Paules_ day._ _Signes from _Maudlin_ and _S. Switthens_ day, if Corne shall be cheap or deere._ _Signes from Thunder._ _Signes of sickenesse or health._ _The preseruation of health._

The choyse of Grounds for the Kitchin-Garden, and the ordering thereof.

_The choyce of Ground._ _The bettering of Grounds._ _The trenching of Grounds._ _Of breaking the Garden-mould._ _Ordering of Garden-beds._ _Of the fruitfull soyle._ _The necessariest ornament in a Garden._

Of the Sowing and Ordering of all manner Pot Hearbes.

_Of all sorts of Pot-hearbs._ _Of Endiue and Succory._ _Of Beets._ _Of Land-Cresses._ _Of Parcely._ _Of Sauory._ _Of Time._ _Of French Mallowes, and Cheruil._ _Of Dill._ _Of Issop._ _Of Mints._ _Of Violets._ _Of Basill._ _Of Sweet Marioram and Marigolds._ _Of Strawburyes._ _Of Borrage and Buglosse._ _Of Rosemary._ _Of Pennyroyall._ _Of Leekes._ _Of Onyons._ _Of gathering Onyon-seeds, or the Onyon._

Of sowing of certaine Hearbes which are to be eaten, but especially are medicinall, yet euer in the Husbandmans Garden.

_Of Arage._ _Of Lumbardy Louage._ _Of Fennell._ _Of Anyse._ _Of Comyn._ _Of Colyander._ _Of Rue._ _Of Organy._ _Of white Poppye._ _Of Germander._ _Of Cardus Benedictus._ _Of Angelica._ _Of Valerian._ _Of Elecampana._ _Of Pepper-wort._ _Of Phylipendula._

Of diuer sorts of Sallet-Hearbes, their manner of Sowing and Ordering.

_Of Lettuce._ _Of Spinage._ _Of Sparagus._ _Of Colworts._ _Of Sage._ _Of Purslaine._ _Of Artichocks._ _Of Garlicke._ _Of Raddish._ _Of Nauewe._ _Of Parsenips and Carrets._ _Of Pompions or Mellons._ _Of Cowcumbers._ _Of the Beanes of Ægipt._ _Of Skerrets._ _A most necessary obseruation._

Of Flowers of all sorts, both forraine and home-bred, their sowing, planting, and preseruing.

_Of Roses._ _Of the Damaske Rose._ _Of the redde Rose._ _Of the white Rose._ _Of the Cynamon Rose._ _To make the Cynamon Rose grow double._ _Of the Prouence Rose._ _To make Roses smell well._ _Generall notes touching Roses._ _Of Lauender._ _Of the white Lilly._ _To make Lillies of any colour._ _To make Lillies flourish all the yere._ _Of the wood Lilly._ _Of the Flowre de Lice._ _Of Pyonye._ _Of Petiluis._ _Of veluet Flowers._ _Of Gilly-Flowers._ _Of grafting of Gilly-Flowers._ _Of the smels of Gilly-Flowers._ _Of the wall Gilly-Flower._ _Of the Hellytropian._ _Of the Crowne Emperiall._ _Of the Dulippo._ _Of the Hyacinth._ _Of the Narcissus._ _Of the Daffadill, Columbine, and Chesbole._ _An excellent Caution._ _A new manner of planting Flowers and Fruits._

How to preserue all manner of Seeds, Hearbs, Flowers, and Fruits, from all manner of noysome and pestilent things, which deuoure and hurt them.

_Of Thunder and Lightning._ _Of Caterpillers._ _Of Toads and Frogs._ _Of the field Mice._ _Of Flies._ _Of the greene Flie._ _Of Gnats._ _Of Pissemires._ _Of Moales._ _Of Snayles._ _Of Moathes._ _Of Canckers._ _Of Garden wormes._ _An excellent experiment._ _The Conclusion of the Kitchin-Garden._

The Table of the second part of the second Booke. Contayning the Ordering of all sorts of VVoods, and the breeding of Cattell.

Of the beginning of VVoods, first sowing, and necessary vse.

_Wood better then Gold._ _The excellent vses of Wood._ _The plantation of Wood._ _The fencing of young Woods._ _When Cattel may graze in springs._ _The vse of the Clay-ground for Woods._ _A speciall note._

The deuision of vnder-Woods, their sale and profit.

_The deuision of Woods._ _The value of vnderwood._ _Of the sale of vnderwoods._ _How to cut vnderwoods._ _The fencing of sales._ _The Woodwards duty._

Of High woods, and their plantation.

_What High-woods are._ _The beginning of highwoods._ _The plantation of your highwoods._ _Of planting the Elme._ _Of planting the Ash._ _Obiection._ _Answere._

The preseruation and sale of High woods.

_Of Trees which take wet inwardly._ _Of Barke-bound._ _Of Hornets and Dores._ _Of the Canker._ _Of Pissemires._ _Of Iuye, Woodbine, and Mysselto._ _Of Thunder and Lightning._ _Of the sale of tall Woods._ _How to chuse Timbers._ _Of Mill Timber._ _Of Timber to beare burthen._ _Timber for Poales, Wainescot, &c._ _Timber for Piles or water workes._ _The vse of the Elme._ _The vse of the Ashe._ _The vse of the Walnut tree._ _The vse of the Peare-tree._ _The vse of the Maple, Beech, or Poplar._ _Of Char-coale._ _How to valew Tymber._ _How to measure Timber by guesse._ _Best seasons for the sale._ _The time for Chapmen._ _When to cut downe Tymber._

Of the breeding of Wood in rich Champaine Soyles.

_How to set all sorts of Quick-sets._ _Planting of greater Trees._ _Of the setting of Willowes, &c._ _The vse of Willowes, Sallowes, and Oziers._ _The ordering of Willowes._ _The ordering of the Ozier._

Of plashing of Hedges, and lopping or heading of Timber.

_VVhat plashing is._ _How to plash._ _The time of yeere._ _The tooles to plash with._ _The profit of plashing._ _The lopping of Timber._ _What lopping is._ _The season for lopping._ _How you shall loppe Timber._

Of Pasture grounds, their order, profit, and generall vse.

_Diuersitie and vse of Pastures._ _Of barraine Pastures._ _Signes of barrainnesse._ _Bettering of Soyles._ _Sowing of good seeds._ _For abundance of grasse._ _The imperfection of meanure._ _To helpe a slow Spring._ _To helpe naughty grasse._ _To helpe Sunne-burning._ _To helpe ling or braken._ _To helpe marrishes._ _To helpe mossinesse._ _The generall vse of barraine grounds._ _What Cattell to be bred._ _Of fertile grounds._ _Deuision of rich grounds._ _Vse of rich grounds._ _Ordering of Pastures._ _Feeding of Cattell._ _How to know a fat beast._ _Of Meddowes, and their ordering._ _Preseruation of Meddowes._ _VVhen to lay Meddowes._ _VVhen to mowe Meddowes._ _Inclination of weather._ _The manner to mow Meddowes._ _How to make Hay._ _To make fine Hay._ _To make course Hay._ _Vse of Hay for Cattell of all sorts._

A new method of the Husbandly curing of all manner of Cattell.

_The reason of this Chapter._ _All diseases to be cured with twelue medicines._ Of inward sicknesses. _The first medicine._ _The second medicine._ Of outward diseases. _The third medicine._ _The fourth medicine._ _The fift medicine._ _The sixt medicine._ _The seauenth medicine._ _The eyght medicine._ _The ninth medicine._ _The tenth medicine._ _The eleauenth medicine._ _The twelfth medicine._ _Diseases in the feet._ _Diseases in the priuie parts, or for stifling._

The end of the Table for Husbandry.

Of Angling: the Vertue, Vse, and Antiquitie.

_The Vse of Angling._ _The Antiquitie of Angling._

Of the Tooles, and Implements for Angling.

_Of the Angle-rodde._ _Of the toppe of the Angle-rodde._ _The Angle-rodde of one piece._ _The Angle-rodde of many pieces._ _Of Lines._ _Of colouring of Lines._ _Of the Corke._ _Of Angle Hookes._ _Of other Implements for Anglers._

Of the Anglers cloathes, and inward qualities.

_Of the ANGLERS Apparell._ _Anglers Vertues._ _Certaine Cautions._

Of the seasons to Angle in.

_The Anglers manner of standing._ _The best seasons to Angle in._ _Seasons ill to Angle in._ _Of Fishes haunts._ _Obiection._ _Answere._

Of Baits in generall, and of euery particular kinde, their seasons and vse.

_Seasons for bayts._ _Of Flyes._ _The making of Flyes._ _Preseruation of Bayts._ _Of making Pastes._

Of Angling for euery seuerall kinde of Fish, according to their natures.

_Of the Goodgin, Roche, and Dace._ _Of the Carpe._ _Of the Chub, Cheuin, or Trout._ _Of the Eele._ _Of the Flounder or Sewant._ _Of the Grayling or Barbell._ _Of the Breame._ _Of the Tench._ _Of the Bleke, Ruffe, or Perch._ _Of the Pyke._ _Of Snyckling of the Pyke._ _Of the Salmon._

Of taking Fish without Angles, and of laying Hookes.

Of preseruing Fish from all sorts of deuourers.

Of ordering of Ponds for the preseruation of Fish.

Of the best Water-Lime.

Of the fighting Cocke.

Of the Choyce, Ordering, Breeding, and Dyeting of the fighting Cocke.

_The choyce of the Cocke for battell._ _The breeding of the battell Cocke._ _The dyeting of Cockes for battell._ _Of taking vp Cockes._ _Of the Cocke-penne._ _Of his dyet._ _Of sparring of Cockes._ _The stouing of Cockes._ _Of the best dyet-bread._ _Of the best scowring._ _The matching of Cockes._ _The preparing Cockes to the fight._ _The ordering of Cockes after the battell, and the curing them._

THE FIRST PART of the second BOOKE of the English Husbandman: Contayning the Ordering of the Kitchin-garden, and the planting of strange FLOVVERS.

How the Husbandman shall iudge and fore-know all kinde of Weathers, and other seasons of the yeere.

Although GOD out of his infinite prouidence, is the onely directer and ruler of all things, gouerning the yéeres, dayes, minutes and seasons of the yeere according to the power of his Will: yet for as much as hee hath giuen vs his Creatures, and placed the Celestiall bodies to holde their influences in vs, and all things else which haue increasement, reuealing vnto vs from their motions, the alteration and qualities of euery season, it shall be very behouefull for euery Husbandman to know the signes and tokens of euery particular season, as when it is likely to Raine, when Snow, when Thunder, when the Winds will rise, when the Winter will rage, & when the Frosts will haue the longest continuance, that fashioning his labours, according to the temperature or distemperature of the weather, hee may with good iudgement and aduise, eschew many euils which succéede rash and vnfore-looking actions.

[Sidenote: Of Rayne.]

To speake then first of the generall signes of Raine, you shall vnderstand that the olde Husbandmen did obserue rules generall, and rules speciall: the generall rules were such as concerned eyther all, most, or a great part of the whole yéere: the rules speciall, those which concerned dayes, houres, and times present: of which I will first speake in this place.

[Sidenote: Signes from Clouds.]

If therefore you shall at any time perceiue a Cloud rising from the lowest part of the Horizon, and that the maine body be blacke and thicke, and his beames (as it were) Curtaine-wise, extending vpward, and driuen before the windes: it is a certaine and infallible signe of a present showre of Raine, yet but momentary and soone spent, or passed ouer: but if the Cloud shall arise against the Winde, and as it were spread it selfe against the violence of the same, then shall the Raine be of much longer continuance.

[Sidenote: Signes from the Moone.]

If when you sée the new Moone appeare, you perceiue that some part of her Hornes are obscured, or if it be black, or discoulored in the middest: if it hang much to the West, if it be compast or girdled about, eyther with thicke, or waterish transparent vapours: if it looke more then ordinarily pale, or if it shall beginne to raine small and mist-like on the fourth or fift day of her age, all these are infallible signes of Raine, and the last an assured signe that the Raine will continue all that quarter of the Moone following.

[Sidenote: Signes from the Sunne.]

If you shall sée the Sunne rise earely in the Morning, and spread forth his Beames violently, yet with a very moyst and waterish complexion, and there-withall in the West you doe sée a bedde of thicke vapours to arise, increase and ascend vpward, then shall you bee assured that at high noone, when those vapours and the Sunne shall méet, there will be raine, and that raine of no short continuance: If you shall sée the Sunne rise red, and turne sodainely blacke, if it haue many red clouds about it mixt with blackenesse, if it haue a spacious Circle about it, or if when it setteth you sée it fall behinde a banke of darke and blacke Cloudes, they be all most certaine and infallible signes of raine, which will presently follow.

[Sidenote: Signes from the Lightning.]

If it lighten at noone, or any time whilest the Sunne shineth, eyther with Thunder or without thunder, or if it lighten in fayre weather, or if it lighten more then it thundereth, all are most certaine signes of raine which will follow.

[Sidenote: Signes from Fowle.]

If you shall perceiue water-Fowle to bathe much: if the Crow wet her head at the water brimme, or if shée wade into the water, or if she shall cry and call much: if the Rauen shall croake with a hollow or sounding voyce: if the house-Cocke shall crow at all houres: if Pigions shall come home late to the Doue-house: if Sparrowes shall chyrpe and cry earely in the morning: if Bées flye not farre from their Hyues: if Flies and small Gnats bite sharpe and sore, all are most certaine signes of raine, which will presently follow.

[Sidenote: Signes from Beasts.]

If you shall perceiue your Oxen to eate more gréedily, and with a more earnest stomacke then their vsuall custome: if your Kine gaze and looke much vpward: if Swine shall play and gambole vp and downe: if Horses being at grasse shall scope, course, and chase one another: or if the Cat shall wash behinde her eare, all are certaine signes of raine to follow.

[Sidenote: Signes from things without motion.]

If Salt turne moyst standing in dry places, if Channels, Vaults, and common Sewers stincke more then vsuall: if Bels seeme to sound louder then they were wont: if the Tazell at any time close vp his pricks: if Soote fall much from the Chimney: If oyle shall sparkle much when it burneth, or if Marble, Pauing-stone, or other wals shall sweat, or be much moyst, all are most ineuitable signes of rayne which will follow.

[Sidenote: Signes of much Raine.]

If Raine, when it falleth, make great bubbles, or such a noyse as is not ordinary: or if raine fall mildely, small, and mist-like: or if rayne fall in a calme when no winde stirreth: or if when it rayneth you cannot perceiue the Racke or Clouds to moue: if Pullen flye to their roust assoone as the raine begins: if the Raine-bow stretch towards the South, or if it doe reflect and shéedoole: if you shall sée one or more Weather-gals which are like Raine-bowes, onely they arise from the Horison but a small way vpward, all these are most certaine signes of much raine that will follow.

[Sidenote: Signes of Snow or Haile.]

If blacke Clouds shall turne sodainely white: if about eyther the Sunne or Moone be pale, and waterish Circles, or that they séeme to shine as through a miste: if the Ayre be thicke and extreame cold without frosts: if with the signes of raine be mixt signes of cold also, or if windes be nipping and extreame sharp, all are most certaine tokens that Snow or Hayle will follow presently after.

[Sidenote: Signes of winde.]

If when the Sunne setteth it looketh red and fiery, and that all that part of the Horizon looke red also, or if it looke blewish, or séeme greater then his ordinary proportion: If the Moone doe blush or looke high colloured, if the Racke ride high, and the Firmament be much vaulted: if Woods and Hils séeme to make a noyse: if the Stars séeme to shine brighter then vsuall: if it shall thunder in Winter, or if it thunder without lightning: if Bels be heard farre off with more ease then accustomed, and presently in the same instant be not heard at all: If Cobwebs flye much in the ayre: If Hernes or Heronshoes cry much in their flying: If fire sparkle much, or if wood or Wainscot cracke much, all these are most certaine signes of much winde that will follow after.

[Sidenote: Signes of tempests.]

If you shall perceiue the Morning or Euening Sunne, eyther in the Sommer or in the Autumne, to shine hotter or to scortch more then accustomed, when the ayre is prest with an extreame blacke cloude, or with many clouds, if you perceiue whirlewindes to blow oft and violently: if you sée the Raine-bow shall appeare in the West without raine: if you sée flames and meteors flashing in the ayre, or if the Porpus shall be séene in the fresh Riuer, all are most certaine signes of thunder, lightnings and tempests, which will follow.

[Sidenote: Signes of faire weather.]

If the Sun rise gray and cléere in the morning, and likewise setteth without darkenesse, not loosing a minute in the declination: if the euening skye be ruddy and not fierie, more purple then skarlet: if the Moone be cléere when it is foure or fiue dayes olde: if it lighten after Sunne-set without thunder: if the dewe fall in great abundance and in the rising ascend vp to the mountaines: if the North winde blow strong: if the Owle doe whup much and not scrytch: if flyes at night play much in the Suns beames: if Crowes flocke much together, and cakell and talke: if Bats flye busily vp and downe after Sunne-set, if you sée Cranes flye high, and water-Fowle make their haunts farre off from the water, all these are most certaine signes of very faire weather which will follow after.

[Sidenote: Signes of Winter.]

If water-Fowle forsake the Water: if the Nightingale sing more then other Birds, if Cranes flocke together, if Géese fight for their féeding place, or if Sparrowes call very earely in the Morning, any of these are certaine signes that winter is néere at hand.

[Sidenote: Signes of the Spring.]

If the West winde blowe freshly Morning and Euening: if the colde abate and loose much of his vigor, if Swallowes begin to come in and flye busily about, if the brest-bone of the Mallard or Woodcocke looke white and cléere, any of these are certaine signes that the Spring is at hand.

[Sidenote: Signes of a hot Sommer.]

If the Ramme ride in the Spring, and shew more then an vsuall lust: if the Spring haue beene very extraordinarily colde, or if Mildewes fall not in the Woodland-Countryes, any of these are certaine signes of a hot Summer to follow after.

[Sidenote: Signes of a long Winter.]

If you shall sée the Oake leaden with Akornes: if the brest-bone of the Mallard when he is kild looke red: if Hornets be séene after the end October, or if Cattell doe trample and tread the earth much, making it myrie, or like a new plowde field: any of these are most certaine signes that the Winter will be sharpe, long, and cruell.

[Sidenote: Signes of a forward or backward yeer.]

If there fall much Raine before October, by meanes whereof many inundations doe follow, and that such wet lye long aboue ground: it is a most infallible token that the yéere will be very forward: but if the wet doe fall after October then it is a signe that the yéere will be indifferent, but and if the wet fall after Nouember, then it is held for most certaine that the yéere will fall out very slacke and backeward.

[Sidenote: Signes of a good or bad yeere.]