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. VIII.

Answereth severall Objections made against the Probalities of so great Advance by Floating.

IT may be some will still object and say, that these Affirmations are but Pretences, no such Advantage or ease as is promised can possibly be perforwed.

But I say again, many Gentlemen can wit∣ness the truth hereof, Many Lands can shew it, and if thou wilt not beleeve Relation, beleeve thy eyes, go and see; he who prints my Book, shall be inabled to direct thee, where thou mayst see more than here is affir∣med.

[ 2] Again, in many of the Wood-Land parts in this Nation, as in Worcestershire, VVarwickshire, Staffordshire, Shropshire, and Wales-ward, and Northward, there are many more Im∣provements made upon coarse lands, than is in other parts upon better Lands, and the Improvements made in the Wood-land-parts speak out the truth hereof, much where∣of being most Barren of all lands, is improved so high, as that it is at present as rich as many parts of the Fieldon, and fuller of wealthier Inhabitants; I am confident more rich Farmers of lateyeares than when their lands were naturally more Rich and Fertile. I give not all, nor all sorts of Pre∣sidents of Improvements I could by far, but onely a few here and there to quicken thy desires after them, the Expe∣rimenting wherof will bring more to thee, if not bring thee to them. These things I know of my own knowledge.

Another he objects that it will breed the Rush, the Flag, and Mareblab, and so this floating land shall be more pre∣judiciall than advantagious.

I answer, its true possibly, and easily it may, at I have shewed before, but be thou carefull of my directions, con∣sider thy Land if it be dry and sound, and thy water if it be Fat and Rank, and make the drayning Trench as afore di∣rected, and never fear it, all the Difficulty is in the cold Land, and Barren Water, on which also observe punctually my Directions, and I'll warrant it; Make thy Drain deep e∣nough, and not too far off thy Floating Course, and water it with a good force of water, and observe the seasons, which are, all the cold Winter when the Rush groweth not, It must have warmth to exhale, and draw it out, and be sure to lay thy Land sound and dry, by the Drayning Trench, that it may drain under that Moysture, Filth, and Venom, as afore∣said, that maintaines them, and then beleeve me, or deny Scripture, which I hope thou darest not, as Bildad unto Iob.

Can the Rush grow without Mire, or the Flag without Water? &c. That Interrogation plainly shewes, that the Rush can∣not grow the water being taken from the root; for it is not the moystness upon the surface of the Land, for then every rain should encrease the Rush, but it is that which lyeth at the Root, which drained away at bottom, leaves it naked and barren of relief. But suppose it should breed some few (and the Mareblab too,) which is a sign thy Land begins to f••tten, then take thy whole Stream, or a good considera∣ble stream, and bring upon that place, and overflow it, as it afore directed in the Third and Fourth Chapter, in December and Ianuary, if it take them not away, I will doe it for thee; Floating Land will as certainly destroy the Rush, the Flagg, and Mareblab (being well drayned again) as work the least Improvement, and no Land richer than Wa∣tered Meades.

Thou wilt say, many men have made great Experiments this way, and done great works, and cast up all again; Either the profits would not answer the charge, or else it would hinder some other Lands advance another way, or else could not bring their Land to their desired Improve∣ment, or else do so little as was not worth their labour.

I had hoped that I had laid down such undenyable grounds and experiences, as would have removed all those Ob∣jections; but sith they are made, have patience, and I will return a particular answer to each clause of the Ob∣jection.

1. I say, were all this true, as possibly it may in some men, and in some parts, yet be not discouraged because of what I have said, and the Experiences made are also obvious, and i•• the view of them thou shalt see more advantage made than is he•••• affirmed.

2. And secondly to confirm thy Objection, I say, We had some Mountebancks abroad that have held out specious pretences of wonders, as many Engineers have done in draw∣ing Water, or drayning Lead-Mines, Tin, or Cole-Mines, and to that purpose have projected Engines with double, treble, and fourfold Motions; conceiving and affirming, every Work, or Motion, would multiply the ease in raising the water, but not considering that certainly it must multi∣ply the weight and burthen thereof, and also put such an Impossibilitie unto Tackles, Geares, and Wheeles for hol∣ding, that all would flie in sunder at the very first motion, and continually one thing or other out of order, and snap in sunder as fast as amended, because of the great strength is required to move the same; mistake me not, I do not here reprove the use of Engine Work, a good Engineer is a gallant and most usefull Instrument in a Common-wealth, and they have principles most able to make the best Hus∣bands and Improvers, I onely warn you of Imposters: En∣gines are most necessary, and easeth all our burthens, and all our pondrous massie substances are or may be lightned thereby; and a good Engineer in these dayes hath taught us the usefulness of them, little lesse necessary than our very wel-being; but those few Instruments here held forth are plain and simple, and my Projections nothing but Coun∣try Experiments, that I fear the plainess of them will be no less offensive, they being onely to give a moderate ease and speed to so toylsome and costly lobours.

3. I answer thirdly, that many have made some Experi∣ments,

but those I conceive have neither been full Experi∣ments in all particulars, nor Regular according to the par∣ticular directions here given; And so may as well spoil all, as he that takes all or most of the Ingredients in a Medi∣cine, and applies it to the Disease prescribed, but either he misseth in the Composition, or else in the Application; or else if he be right in all, he may fail for want of patience to wait the issue, but casts all away as worth nothing, and claps in with another Receit, and so is able to give no positive reso∣lution what the effect thereof might be. Therefore I say as be∣fore I have said, Trace me along in all particulars, and fail in none of them, and if the issue fail, challenge the Author as a deceiver.

4. And that I may answer the full charge, I say, take my counsell for the severall Tooles proposed, and I question not that in most ordinary Works, the charges shall not be any proportion to the profit. But say an Acre of Land should cost thee forty shillings the fitting and preparing of it, as possibly some may it may lye so irregularly, 'tis then as pos∣sible in two or three yeares time, the same may be made worth forty shillings per annum; yea more, many other Acres thou maist work to as good an advantage for twenty shi••lings, some for ten shillings, some for five shillings, and some less; I could give the particular Experiments for them all, were it more necessary than brevity, which I so much affect, and resolve.

And for prejudicing other Lands, as many strongly ob∣ject, it is almost as if one Hive of Bees should prosper more in one Garden than twenty would; the contrary Experience constantly manifesteth, and so I have done with this improve∣ment. And for improving so little as it is not worth the la∣bour, that is as frivolous also. Many score thousands of A∣cres in England are under this Capacity, and may be redu∣ced to a twenty or thirty fold improvement; yea in some parts of the Kingdom, some hundreds of Acres together may be wonderfully advanced this way to a proportiona∣ble Advantage; and with less charge proportionably than a few.

There is also much Boggy and Miry Land that may be reduced to advancement, and such capacity as some may lye under may be improved twenty fold or more. And as for coarse Fen and Marsh Lands upon both Fresh and Salt waters, there have been such gallant notable Atchievements, by many Accurate and Ingenious Spirits, to whom the Nation oweth high Acknowledgements, and whose works and experimenuts I do admire and honour, to whom I de∣sire to be a Pupil: Yet notwithstanding their Discoveries, and their works, cut forth throughout the Nation, and left to Idle Practitioners, and Slothfull impatient Slubberers, who have not onely done it by the halfes, but stifled many a gal∣lant plotted Opportunity of a far greater Advance than it hath produced; And so possibly in many parts of the Nation there may be great Reparations of these Ruins, and a certain Reducement to high Advantage; As also some Addition possibly to their Modell, or some increase to their Begin∣nings, which is acknowledged far easier than the first Pro∣jection, and shall be discoursed at the latter end of this Chapter.

The last way of Improvement of these sorts of Lands, prejudiced by water, is a way appliable to every other sort of Land whatever, which lye under that Opportunity, or Capacity, which is cutting straight the water-courses of little Brooks and Streames that run many times in spirall lines, and sometimes circularly, as they would make the figure 8. and so lose as much more excellent Land as need be, nay in some places twice or thrice as much; besides these Angles, Triangles, and almost Squares, and Circles, much endangering Cattell, by goaring, rushing, and thrusting them in, and also makes such stoppages, and oppositions to the water, that hinders the Current of it, and occasioneth it to lye soaking on the Land, that it either breedeth Rush, Flag, or Mareblab; Also the aforesaid directions is a great means of laying sound much Land overcome by Bogginess, the water lying so upon it, that it drowneth or stifleth a great part of the fruitfulness of it, yea, suffocateth and choak∣eth others also bordering upon it, no small prejudice to

the Nation in generall, and to many Town-ships and per∣sons in particular. A straight water-course cut a considera∣ble depth, in a thousand parts of this Nation, would be more advantagious than we are aware of, or I will task my self here to dispute further. And though many persons are interessed therein, and some will agree, & others will oppose; one Creek lyeth on one side of the River, in on•• Lords Ma∣nor, & another lyeth on the other side, & divers men own the same, why may not one neighbour change with another when both are gainers? If not, why may they not be com∣pelled for their own good, and the Common-wealths ad∣vantage? I dare say thousands of Acres of very rich Land may hereby be gained, and possibly as many more much amended, that are almost destroyed; but a Law is wanting herein for present, which I hope will be supplied if it may appear Advancement to the Publick; for to Private Interests it is not possible to be the least prejudice, when every man hath benefit, and each man may also have an e∣quall allowance, if the least prejudiced.

But a word or two more, and 〈◊〉〈◊〉 shall conclude this Chap∣ter, and it, is a little to further this Improvement through a great destruction (as some may say) it is the removing or destroying of all such Mills, and none else, as drow•• and corrupt more Lands than themselves are worth to the Com∣mon-wealth, and they are such as are kept up, or dammed so high, as that they boggifie all the Lands that lye under their Mill-head; such Mills as are of little worth, or are by constant great charges maintained, I advise to be pulled down; the advance of the Land, when the water is let run his course, and not impounded, will be of far greater va∣lue many times: But in case the Mills should be so neces∣sary and profitable too, and far more than the Lands they spoil, I shall then advise, that under thy Mill-dam, so many yards wide from it as may prevent breaking through, thou make a very deep Trench all along so far as thy lands are putrified, and thereinto receive all the issuing spew∣ing water, and thereby stop or cut off the feeding of it upon thy meadow, and carry it away into thy back-wa∣ter

or false course, by as deep a Trench, cut through the most low and convenient part of thy Meads: But put case thou shouldst have no convenient fall on that side thy Mil∣dam, then thou must make some course, or plant some trough under thy Mill-dam, and so carry it under into some lower course that may preserve it from soaking thy meadows, or pastures under it, and by this meanes thou maiest in a good measure reduce thy Land to good soundness, and probably wholly cure it, and preserve thy Mill also. As for that ob∣jection of hindering the grinding of corn, it is very frivo∣lous, for

First, there are in many parts so many Mills, as hinder one another, and are scarce able to live one by another.

2. There are, or may be Wind-mills erected in most parts, that may supply that want, and are less chargable than Water-mills: And for that some say the wind is uncertain, I say it is so certain, that I am confident few or none need want grinding if they can get corn; for I my self live in a Country where are no other but Wind-mills, and have scarce in a twelvemonth known any want of grinding. But should it be so, one may be supplied by Horse-mills; one good horse will grind wheat easily, and two good horses will grind a∣ny good dry corn, and are not at that charge for repairs, as both Wind-mills and Water-mills are.

3. I say it is possible to devise a Mill, with truth of work∣manship, and some other advantages, that two men may grind any good corn whatsoever, and that as much in an hour as a∣ny usuall Water-mill in the Country; and to this work I shall commend one Mr. Dimock, a very ingenious Gentleman, and one who hath discovered so much to the World already, as may give sufficient testimony of the truth of his abilities in this kind.

Notes

• Ob.
• These are but pretences.
• Ans. 1.
• Watering breeds the Rush.
• Ans.
• Especiall sea∣son for water∣ing Land.
• Iob 8. 12.
• Ans. 2.
• A sign when Land begins to fatten.
• Obj.
• Many have done great things herein and alway to no purpose.
• Mountebanck Engineers pro∣jections.
• Mysterious En∣gines rep••••••ved.
• Object.
• Answ.
• Object.
• Answ.
• Marsh Lands.
• The first Fen∣drayne's or Levellers highly to be honoured.
• Invention far harder than an Addition to it.
• Cutting water-courses strait no small a••∣vantage.
• Many thou∣sands of acres recoverable wi••h little charge to mani∣fold advantage
• Some Mils de∣stroy more than they are worth.
• To prevent corrupting land by a Mil∣dam as much as may be.