The English improver improved, or, The svrvey of hvsbandry svrveyed discovering the improueableness of all lands some to be under a double and treble, others under a five or six fould, and many under a tenn fould, yea, some under a twenty fould improvement / by Walter Blith ... ; all clearely demonstrated from principles of reason, ingenuity, and late but most real experiences and held forth at an inconsiderable charge to the profits accrewing thereby, under six peeces of improvement ...

CHAP. III.

Shewes the first Cure or Remedy against Bar∣renness, and therein discourseth what Lands are most suitable to watering: Aud how to gain watering upon the same.

BUt before I discourse the same at large, I shall only say that there are severall Remedies against the said Barrenness, or divers meanes of redu∣cing these Lands to their naturall fruitfulness, or to the Improvement of them to a more Supernaturall Advance than they were ever known to be.

To which I must premonish the Reader, that here lyeth all the Skill and Kernell, which being made forth in some good measure, I hope will give thee such satisfaction that

thou wilt not onely vouchsafe me the reading and thy cre∣dit thereto, but also be a practioner therein; Which done with delight, will not onely produce the reall advantage here discovered, but far greater: For these things are, and may be brought to a greater height of Advancement, by how much the more Ingenuity and Activity is exercised in the Prosecution and Experimenting of them, and to a grea∣ter discovery by a constant familiar use of them, which is the true and reall end of his Discovery; and the Proverb herein best will hold; The more the Merrier.

The Cure followes now more largely.

ALl sorts of Lands, of what nature or quality soever they be, under what Climate soever, of what constitu∣tion or condition soever, of what face or character soever they be (unless it be such as Naturally participates of so much fatness, which Artificially it may be raised unto) wil admit of a very large Improvement. Yet the fattest Land was, hath been, or may be bettered by good husbandry.

And such are the Lands that lye near or bordering upon any River,* 1.1 or small Brooks, your little Rivers, and Rivulets, admitting of greater falls and descents than your bigger Rivers do, which run more dull & slow, more dead and levell, whereby little Opportunity will be gained of bringing but little Land to so great advance by them, but where the greater Rivers can be gained over any Lands, there will the Improvement be the greatest, and the Lands made the richest,* 1.2 the greater Rivers being usually the fruit-fullest, having more Land-floods fall into them; But under your lesser Brooks may your greatest quantities of Land be gained, and your water most easily and with small charge be brought over greater parcels than upon greater Rivers.

1 For the discovering of such Lands as lie under this Ca∣pacity, you must seriously consider the Situation of your Lands; If your Lands be a little hilly, and your Brooks run more swiftly, more Lands may be brought under them: Al∣so if your Lands lye more shelving or descending towards

the River, or any low descent whatever, that your water may fall off as fast as it cometh on, the quicker and easier will your Land be Improved, especially if your Land be sound, light, or gravelly: This is a most gallant opportuni∣ty, let your Lands be what they will, or of what nature soever, if it lie descending, the advance will be great e∣nough, if you have either a constant stream, or Landflood.

And here let me (good Reader) advertise thee of one Piece of husbandry, most highly commended of most men; And truly so it is very commendable, and excellent, com∣par'd either with those that use none, or else neglect this where it may be done, which is this,

Many Gentlemen have assaid to water their Lands, by setting the Water in Pooles,* 1.3 Ponds, or Lakes upon them, and continuing it standing, and soaking many daies and weeks together; yea some practise it although their lands have layen descending; and then draw their Sluces, or re∣move their stoppages, and drain away all their water again; to which way of flowing, I incourage all men rather than neglect all, and honour them therein; yet if they please to make experiment of the succeeding way of floating, they will easily let this fall; The excellency whereof consists in the speedy taking away the Water, as soon as it is brought on; And onely suffer it to run over, and so with all speed run off into some drayning Trench again: The Method whereof shall at large be handled, by which, such a concea∣led Advantage will be discovered, that men will wonder how they were so easily deceived. Wherein I shall be some∣what larger, because able men much differ both in their opinions of both waies of watering, as also in their man∣ner of working the same.

My advise shall he, never cover thy Land with a standing Water,* 1.4 unless for a day or two, or else in case thy Land should be so Levell that it hath no descent at all, then better set the Water upon it, than neglect it, so thou be sure to drain it after one or two days standing, and then bring it on again, & take it off again, as aforesaid, yet it is impossi∣ble ever to produce the like effect, as it shall according to

the subsequent directions; Because it neither receives the full fruit, or fatness of the water so fully and kindly, nor is grazable and feedable so soon, nor yet so richly as in the other kind of working.

2. After thou hast considered the Situation of thy Lands, as aforesaid, then search, and find out the lowest part of thy Lands, and there having found such a Levell or descent, as will lay all thy Lands dry again, as thou shalt have occa∣sion to float them, which drain must be wrought So deep, as that thou maist go under that corrupt feeding, or sprin∣gy moisture, that breeds and feeds the Rush, Flag, and Mareblab, or else causes thy Land to turn Spewing, Mo∣rish, or boggy, which two Advantages, if thou hadst dis∣covered, and found upon thy Land (which little Land in England, but hath one or both of them) come to the third Direction, and,

3. Therein consider seriously the nature of thy Land,* 1.5 which if it be cold, and of a sad Nature, moyst and spew∣ing, and lie very Levell, It will require then a very good Land-flood, or a constant River to overflow it, and other barren hungry Water will do very little good thereof.

But, if either thy Land be Gravell,* 1.6 or of a sound, warm, sandy, or mixed nature, and any whit descending, then any Running stream will have a gallant Operation, The war∣mer, lighter, and sounder is the Land, the greater is the Ad∣vantage. These particulars discovered, out of question thou hast a wonderfull advantage before thee, especially if thou hast any great length and quantity of Land along the Ri∣ver, or by a great Road-way side, or else hast any good Land-floods from great Towns or Cities, make as much of these Advantages, and prize them as thy Lands, for though hereby thou canst make thy Lands no more, yet thou mayst make them so much better, as thou canst desire.

Suppose some man of great credit should say, Sir, you have two hundred Acres in such a place, what if I should lay you a hundred more in the midst of them? he would wonder at it; yet because of the credit of him that spake it, he doth not wholly disdain it, and if it could be done, he

deserved thanks for it; but he doth do it really, though not in kind, that advanceth or Improves the Land but one third part, that makes Two Acres as good as Three, much more he that makes One as good as Three, or Five, or Ten, as be∣fore this watering business be done shall clearly appear; & so I descend to the working out the same. I had forgot a∣nother sort of Land which is your Boggy Quagmiry Land,* 1.7 no less capable of a mighty Improvement if it fall under the opportunity of floating, and ly any whit descending.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Under great Rivers will be the best Land.
• * 1.2

  And under lesser the grea∣ter quantities and greatest Improvement.
• * 1.3

  Setting water on Pooles or Lakes not so excellent.
• * 1.4

  In what Cases to cover land by Water.
• * 1.5

  Land sad and moist worst to Improve by watering.
• * 1.6

  Land found, dry, and warm the best.
• * 1.7

  Boggy Lands good for wate∣ring.