The Middle-English translation of Palladius De Re Rustica / ed. by Mark Liddell.

De locis orti & pomarij sepesque serendo. Capitulum xxxiiij.

Thy gardyn and thyn orchard, [pomarum (sic).] sette hem nygh. The gardyn fro the myddyng [sterculinio.] softe enclyne [ 765] That Iuce [succus.] of that amonge thyn herbis sigh; And watir in sum stede away declyne. Eek yf thee lakke a welle [fons.] , a wynche [puteum.] enmyne; And yf thou may not so, let make a stewe [piscinam.] With rayn watir. thyn herbis to renewe; [ 770]

And yf that helpe hit not, let delue hit deepe Thre foote or iiij in wise of pastynyng, That hit may in hit silf his moystour kepe. And euery lond al though a man may bryng, With help of dongyng hit, into tilyng, [ 775] Yet is the chalk [creta.] or cley lond forto eschewe, And from the rede also thy garth [ortum.] remewe.

Eek yf thy garth be drie in his nature, Departe hit, and in wyntir southward delue Hit vp, and in the somer do thy cure [ 780] Vppon Septemtrioun to ouerwhelue Hit vpsodoun; thus wol hit saue hit selue. The garth eek closed is in dyuerse wise— Diuersed wittis dyuersly diuise.

Hym liketh [alicui placet.] best a daubed wough [paries.] , and he [alius.] [ 785] [fol. 27.] Wol haue a wal of cley and stoon, and stonys Withouten cley another wol hit be; Another with a diche aboute ygoon is—

War that, for that the werst of euerychoon is, That diche wol drie vp humours of thy londe; [ 790] Yit if thy garth [ortus.] be mire, a diche may stonde.

Oon plaunteth thorn, another soweth seedis; But brembil [rubi.] seed [mor[i id est b]ati The gloss is blotted.] and seed of houndis thorn [rubi canini.] Dooth wel; and gedir that as ripe as nede is. With ficchis [erui.] flour ywattrid wel biforn, [ 795] Let modle al this seed. Lest hit be lorn, In ropis kept this confect meddillynge Be, til the tyme of veer or of spryngynge.

Thenne ere [ara.] a doubil forgh [sulcum.] iij foote, asondir As fer as thou wilt close, and deepe a foote, [ 800] This roopis with this seedis close hem vndir; Light molde aboute and on, anoon let wroote. This doon, [h^o d^o.] at xx dayis ende a roote In erthe, a braunche in ayer, wol reche aboute. [804 In right margin opposite: tropus.] Now rayle hem, and of closure is no doute. [ 805]

Let veer go delue, if heruest shal go sowe. If veer shal sowe hit, heruest most go delue; [807 In right margin opposite: Metonomia.] So shal ereither werk ben ouerblowe With coold or hoot vndir the signys twelue. Mark out thi tablis [vel beddis.] vchon bi hym selue; [ 810] Six foote in brede, and xij in length is best To clense and make on euery side honest.

In placis weete [humidis.] or moyst [irriguis.] , mak euery brinke [fol. 27a.] Too foote in heigth, oon foote in placis drie. And yf thyn humour from thyn herbis synke, [ 815]

Dispose hit so that hit fro placis hie Descende, and do [faciat.] thy lond to fructfie, And thennys to another part procede; And so to euery part as hit is nede.

To sowe and graffe although y sette a tyme, [ 820] Yet graffe and sowe as men do thee biside. In placis cold, thyn heruest seed bytyme [822 Ms. And ther is cold, B In places cold.] Is best to haste, in springinge seed tabide; In placis hoot eek chaunge ereithir tide. To graffe and sowe in growynge of the mone, [ 825] [825 Opposite in left margin: Nota.] And kitte or mowe in wanyng, is to done.