Maison rustique, or The countrey farme· Compyled in the French tongue by Charles Steuens, and Iohn Liebault, Doctors of Physicke. And translated into English by Richard Surflet, practitioner in physicke. Now newly reuiewed, corrected, and augmented, with diuers large additions, out of the works of Serres his Agriculture, Vinet his Maison champestre, French. Albyterio in Spanish, Grilli in Italian; and other authors. And the husbandrie of France, Italie, and Spaine, reconciled and made to agree with ours here in England: by Geruase Markham. The whole contents are in the page following

CHAP. I.

Of the situation of the Warren.

HItherto we haue as briefely as possibly we could run through whatsoeuer thing belonging to the tilling and dressing of the earth, as gardens, meadowes, arable grounds and vines: now it is requisite, that following the order before pro∣pounded, we speake of the Warren, of wood, timber trees, parks for wild beasts, breeding of herons, and of hunting.

We will begin therefore to describe the Warren,* 1.1 the profit whereof is not inferiour to that of the pullaine, pi∣geons, and other small cattell, which are bred and fed about our countrie farme, but chiefely in respect of the selling of conies, which the good housholder may doe yearely, and that some yeares betwixt foure score a hun∣dred dosen, beside all those which the Lord of the farme shall stand in neede dayly to vse, either for eating in his house, or for to giue away and gratifie his friends with∣all. Againe the indeauour, care, and paine about a Warren is nothing so great, as that which is required in the ordering of other small cattell; for conies stand not in to haue a speciall and set gouernour, to take care continually of house, handle, make cleane, heale them when they are sicke, or to dresse them their meate, because that of of themselues they build earthes and little holes to hide and repose themselues in: and feeding, they looke not for any thing but that which the earth of its own accord, without any tilling doth beare and bring forth for them.

Wherefore for the most profit of your countrie farme, you must prouide and pre∣pare a Warren in such a place, as hath before beene spoken of, that is to say, betwixt your corne fields, vineyards, and grounds bearing timber trees, if peraduenture you haue not the b••nefit of some vnder wood neere vnto your house, where the conies may settle themselues and make their abode. Notwithstanding in as much as the hun∣ting and taking of conies, which haue their couer••s and boroughs in such vnder woods, is some what more hard and difficult than that of the Warren: and because also that conies liuing in smal woods multiplie nothing so much as those in the War∣ren, and that especially by reason of foxes, woolues, and other field beastes, whereun∣to they are oftentimes made a pray by being deuoured of them: it will bee better, and for your further both ease and profit, to make a Warren apart by it selfe.

You must then for the making thereof, reserue some fiue or sixe acres of fine du∣sti••, or sandie ground, such as is not fat, strong or close, in a high place lying open vpon the Sunne, and not in a ••arish or waterie ground: for together with that, the ••onie hateth aboue all things, moisture and cold; yet for the conueniencie of her ma∣king of here earthes, it is requisite that she be in a place, where she may dig with ease for the making of her bed and couert. This peece of ground shall be compassed and be set about after the manner of a parke, with reasonable high walls to keepe out fox∣••s, woolues, and other wild beasts, that they may not iniurie or make war vpon this little beast. Within this conigrie, you must plant great store of brambles, mulber∣ri•• trees, and ••loe trees, strawberrie plants, wild pine trees, hurtle berrie bushes, goose berrie bushes, m••rtle trees, and great store of iuniper, for the conie loueth the iuni∣per berrie aboue all other things. And as concerning hearbes, you must sow (if so be the earth bring not forth someof itselfe) great ••tore of sowthistle, groundswell, suc∣corie, coleworts, lettuces, clarie, taragon, thistles, turneps, cich ••ease, and other such like for the feeding of these little beastes. As for the drawing of some small brooke, or bestowing of any water conduit vpon them, you need not trouble your selfe, see∣ing the coni•• hath moisture more than any thing else. Neither yet doe you trouble your selfe to prepare them any other lodging, than the holes which they shall dig and worke out for themselues.

And those burroughs or clappers which shall be meet for them to worke in, which borrough would (if the nature of the ground doe not allow it) bee cast vp somewhat high and s••••ape wise, so as the water may by all means dessend, and passe from the same without soaking into it, or drawing it vpon any fluxe of raine whatsoeuer: vp∣on the tops of these burroughs or clappers, for the better strengthning of them, and holding the loose mould together, you shall plant good store of alders and other rough bushes which are quicke of groweth, whose roots once entring into the earth and twinding about the mould, will keepe any from falling, more than that which the conie of her owne selfe diggeth: and although out of the precisenesse of choice we desire a speciall place for the conie Warren; yet you shall vnderstand that the most barren••est ground whatsoeuer (so it lie drie) will serue for the conie Warren, as namely the most dryest heath or downes, or those earths which are ouer runne with linge, gorse, whynnes, braken, broome, ferne, and such like, for a conie feedeth as a sheepe doth, close and neere to the ground, and will gather vp the smallest chi••e of grasse that may be, and also delighteth to crop vpon weeds or any other tender bud that groweth within the compasle of her feeding: the snow is her greatest enemie, ••et not so much for the want of food, as for the ouer moistning of ••er food, and so bringing rottennesse: therefore it is meere to haue euery Winter in your Warren a little cob or stacke of hay, wherewith in those extreame times you may fodder your conies, pricking vp little 〈◊〉〈◊〉 thereof in clouen stickes close by the ground, which they will eate with all greedinesse, for it is a meat at those times which they loue ex∣ceedingly: for proofe whereof doe but fodder sheepe neere vnto a connie Warren, and you shall see how euening and morning the conies will swarme vnto the same, eating vp whatsoeuer the sheepe shall leaue, which is not too hard or rough for their eating.

Notes

• * 1.1

  The profit of the Warren.