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 ...

The second Generall Head holds forth the severall meanes of Cure: Or the reducement of Land unto Fruitful∣ness and Fertility, discovered under the first Piece of Improvement of floating or watering Lands.

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.

CHAP. IV.

Shewes how to work thy Land and Water, so as to reduce it, and work out the Im∣provement promised.

WHerein a little consider of the way of both fit∣ting thy Land to thy Water, & thy Water to thy Land, with the truest, naturallest, & pro∣perest Seasons for bringing it on, and taking it off, and thou shalt see an admired issue.

And being resolved that thou hast an opportunity upon thy Lands to make this Improvement out, Plot out thy Land into such a Modell or Platform as thou maist be sure that all thy Land thou designest to this Improvement, may not fail therin, I mean that all thy Lands thou resolvest to float may be under the true Levell of thy Water; And that this may be, I shall here discover to thee how to carry thy Water upon the Levell, that thou shalt lose no ground, nei∣ther carry it so dead, that thou canst not kindly work it, & this precisely observed, may be in stead of many Persian Wheels so highly commended by Mr Gabriel Plats, which Wheel is also commendable, & may be very usefull, where either no good falls can be gained, nor other wales the wa∣ter cannot be raised to higher parts of ground you desire to water; The description of which Persian Wheel I hope to give thee before this discourse be ended, And also intend

in my Additions; if not where I describe & figure out the Persian Wheel, to discover a far better Engine, that shal with less strength raise a greater quantity of water for any use.

And now for the Method or way of working thy Water upon thy Land without this Wheel, which will require a double stream, one to drive it, and another to be raised, & without the charge of all other appurtenances to the said Wheel belonging, as Dams, Sluces, &c. and the mainte∣nance of the same for preservation of this charge, and for the moee easy working the Improvement.

Take a most exact Survey of thy Water, not by thy Eye onely, but by, and with a true exact Water Levell, which is an instrument though plain and easy, yet rarely made nor used among us, which shall be largely described among o∣ther Tools in the tenth Chapter;* 1.8 then either begin at the o∣ver end, or neather end of thy Land, which thou pleasest, if at the over end, where the water first entreth into thy Land. And by thy Levell discover and plot out where thy water will go along thy Land, as thou goest downeward, that so thou maiest lose no Land, that will easily be brought under thy water; Then cut out thy Master Trench or Water-course if thou pleasest to such a bigness as may contain all thy Land-floud, especially to bring it within thy Land, and so bring down thy whole Water-course together: But the most certainest way is, as soon as thou hast brought thy Water within thy Land, upon the superficies of it, then carry it along in a foot broad Trench or lesser all along thy Levell, which Water will be a great help, and a second and truer Levell than the other, and in thy working of it thou shalt find all little enough too prevent too dead a Levell, & yet lose no Ground neither: If thy Levell be too dead, the lesser stream will follow thee, so that a convenient descent must be minded also to give the water a fair and plausible passage or current all along. And if thou discover in his lesser Trench, any mistake or failing, then thou mayest with more ease and less charge amend the same easily by going higher upon thy Land, or lower towards the water, & stop up the same again (for thy Trench need be no deeper than

the thickness of thy over Turff) and cut out a new, and so thou mayst most certainly demonstrate where thy main work shall go without hazard, which will be a great. certainty, and little loss.

This done, thou mayest cut out thy water-course, and be sure it be large enough to contain the whole Water thou needest or intendest, and so thou have longitude or length of ground, the Trench must be the broader, not the deeper, for a shallow Trench is best for this work. And when thou hast brought it so far into thy land, as thou hast any land to work upon, thou mayst a little narrow thy Course as thou seest the quantity of thy land, or water requires, & so far as thou wouldest have thy course float over all at once, thou must cut thy trench narrower & narrower, all along to the neather end, that so without stops and staies it may flow all along at once, the Trench being narrower and narrower, that Water that comes within the Trench when it is wi∣der must needs be thrust out when the narrower cannot contain it; for here is the true excellency of this sort of Trenches; and thus should all thy floating Trenches bee made in every work.

As soon as thou hast brought thy water upon thy Land, and turned it over, or upon it, then as aforesaid, be sure thou take it off as speedy as possibly, and so fail not to cut out thy work, so as unless thy Land bee very sound, and thy Land-floud very Rich, thou must take it off the sooner by a deep drayning Trench, therefore I prescribe thee no certain breadth betwixt floating and drayning Trenches, but if thy Land is sounder and Dryer, or lieth more Descending,* 1.9 thou mayest let it run the broader, and as the Land is Moyst, Sad, Rushey and Levell, let it run the lesser breadth or compass; And for thy drayning Trench it must bee made so deep that it goe to the bottom of the cold spewing moyst water, that feeds the Flagg and Rush; for the wideness of it, use thine own liberty, but bee sure to make it so wide as thou mayest goe to the bottom of it, which must bee so low as any moysture lyeth, which moysture usually lyeth under the over

and second swarth of the Earth, in some Gravell or Sand, or else, where some greater Stones are mixt with clay, under which thou must go half one Spades graft deep at lest: Yea suppose this corruption that feeds and nourisheth the Rush or Flagg should lie a yard or four foot deep, to the bottom of it thou must go, if ever thou wilt drain it to purpose, or make the utmost advantage of either float∣ing or draining, without which thy water cannot have its kindly Operation: for though the water fatten naturally, yet still this Coldness and Moisture lies gnawing within, and not being taken clean away, it eats out what the Wa∣ter fattens. And this also I must desire thee seriously to observe, that as soon as thy Water hath spent it self, and the Earth or Grass hath exhausted and drawn out of the Water her strength and richness, then how long soever it runs longer and further, it prejudiceth and corrupts it by breeding the Rushes in abundance: The water running trickling among the Grass, and upon the Earth,* 1.10 leaving her Thickness, Soyl or Filth, which I call Richness, a∣mong the Grass, and upon the Earth, and it self runneth a∣way into the drayning Trench, and troubles thee no more, and so the Goodness of the Water is as it were Ridled, Screened, and Strained out into the Land, and the Lea∣ness slideth away from thee, which can never be done, nei∣ther so speedily, nor so purely, by standing on Lakes or Pooles, besides the loss of the Grazing, which may be near as good in Winter as in Summer, upon a good Land-flood or rich Waters.

CHAP. V.

Shewes the cause of water its fruitfulness, and the proper season of wa∣tering Lands.

A Rich Land-flood is ever the washing down of great Road wayes, Common Fields, under Til∣lage; or else from great Towns, Houses or Dung∣hills; The riches whereof is unvaluable. Consider the goodness of thy Water, if thy Water be a rich Land-flood, or a lusty gallant Stream, it will run fur∣ther and wider upon thy Land with life and fruitfulness; If lean, thin, and onely from Springs and Herbs, or green soard, tis more barren, and so will operate upon less Lands; so that as I said before, thou must well observe both Land and Waters suitableness, and so increase the lati∣tude or breadth of thy Land thou intendest to improve with that stream,* 1.11 before it fall into his Drain; Which Drain thou must dig, or make straight down as it were by a Perpendicular plum-Line, which will drain the best of all; Or else thou mayest make thy Drain, or Trench; somewhat Taper (viz) Narrower and Narrower down∣wards, which will keep open the best, and continue longest, and for the Widness of it, that must be resolved both from the nature of the ground, which if Sound, and Dry, will require the less, but if Moist and Boggy, the Greater and Deeper; or else from the quantity of Water it is to receive, that so it may carry it all away plausibly within it self, & for the drayning Trench be sure thou indeavour to carry it as near upon a straight Line as is possible, the Reason shall afterward appear: This work is of more advantage, and more to thy profit than thou imaginest, but thy exercise therein will teach thee more.

Thou must also well consider the proper seasons of the year,* 1.12 bringing on thy water, which is in the beginning of

Winter, when Grass groweth least, and beginns to fail, and is clean eaten off thy Land, all Winter long is very sea∣sonable for this work; and the best season to take it off, is in or about the beginning of March;* 1.13 thou maiest make what Improvement almost thou desirest also upon thy moyst, cold, Land, if thou observe the directions given.

But for thy warm sound Land thou maiest continue thy water,* 1.14 and keep it working upon thy Land, almost all the year round, Provided that thou keep it not too long upon a place, for thou must be sure to have an especiall eye, that thou soak not thy Land too much, that Cattell treading, or Grazing upon it, foyl it not, for th••n the Rush will come upon thee, and it will overgrow thee, and exceedingly pre∣judice thy hopes, (mistake me not) I speak not here to advise thee to continue thy water thus long upon one place, but be ever removing it from place to place, but es∣pecially to shew the proper seasons to make use of this Piece of Improvement.

Thou hast also another great advantage hereby, having water drawn over thy Land, thou art in such a Capacity that in case of drought in time of Summer, thou needest not to fear it,* 1.15 thou mayst now and then wet over thy Land in the heat thereof, when Grass if it have but Moysture, will grow far faster in so hot a time than any, but be sure not to soak thy ground too much; Keep thy Land rather in a thirsting condition, not glutted ready to spew it up again, so maiest thou preserve thy Land green, and fruitfull, when others are scorched all away, Then may a weekes Grass or a Load of Hay possibly be worth Three, or Four.

I my self by these opportunities,* 1.16 have cut twenty four Load in a Meadow; where I cut but five or six the year before, when Hay sold at a great value; The directions ex∣actly followed, I will lose my Credit if thou fail of the ef∣fect promised.

And for thy encouragement,* 1.17 I will give thee a president or two: Certain Acres of light, sandy Land, were taken for a Term of one and twenty yeares, at the value of one shil∣ling six pence per Acre, and that was more than it was worth,

a little Brook with a Land-flood, issuing out of a Common Field, was brought over it, the Land levelled, and made fit and even to receive it, for it was very Irregular, and of great high Ridges and Furrowes before (after the manner of that Country) and after two yeares working, thirty shillings an Acre would have been given for it, (I my self offered it, and some of that Land also was my own, but it was refu∣sed) being wrought just by the aforesaid Directions. I have made the like Improvement my self upon Lands of the same nature, to as great advancement as is here spoken off, too te∣dious to discourse. M. Plat also in his book, produceth a president of Lands,* 1.18 Improved by Water, with the charge of three hundred shillings, to be worth three hundred pounds per annum, but what it was worth before the three hundred shillings were expended upon it, he saith not, but no que∣stion, very great Improvement, I beleeve it was.

As for Boggy Land also,* 1.19 I have recovered severall Pieces next to plain Quagmires: The meanes of reducing where∣of shall be discoursed by themselves in the next Chapter: So bad and boggy it was that Cattell could not Graze upon it out of danger; And indeed it bore nothing but Cattayle's; And by this course I recovered it to perfect soundness, and made it worth betwixt thirty and forty shillings per Acre, and so dare undertake the like where ever, lying under the aforesaid Capacities. Many more presidents of this nature are visible in many parts of this Nation, Some as great Im∣provements as these, Some lesse, and yet very great; And all done without any other Cost or Expence of charge, in any other materialls than Poor mens labours: Which to me is a second argument of Incouragement, to promote all works of this nature under these Capacities. One thing more I pray thee observe, that though it be the common practice of most men in drayning their Land to make ma∣ny shallow Trenches of about one foot deep, aud lay their Mould on heapes, that so they may spoil put little ground, both which I must necessarily reprove as ill Husbandry: For though I am all for Floating,* 1.20 and Drayning, which will necessarily occasion many Trenches, yet I am an Enemy to

this ordinary and usuall way of Trenching; first for so many Trenches, I conceive no need in these works, nor upon any Land whatsoever, but something more of them, more sea∣sonably in the second Piece of Improvement.

CHAP. VI.

Sheweth the true Artificiall making of the Floating Trench, and how to Levell Land, and the suddainest way to Soard it.

USually I shall advise, to make not above Two, or Three materiall Trenches, having first ta∣ken up thy Turf,* 1.21 just under the Grass rootes, both thin and square, and as broad as can be taken up, which I exceedingly prize for ma∣ny uses, and preserve. The one called a Flowing of Floating Trench, wherin I carry my water: which usually after I have brought my water where I intend to work it, I carry it in a Trench seldome above one foot deep,* 1.22 or a foot and half, & many times not above eight, or nine inches deep: that so it being made Artificially, (viz,) so Level & taper, & Narrow∣er and Narrower, as aforesaid, the further it goes, that it may so cast out the water, that it may flow over the same for a furlongs length al at once, which is the Excellency of it; And then another drayning Trench running parallel with this, or Two if the Land lye very flat, and of such a depth as it may not onely receive all the water that Floweth over the Land clearly, but that it may also drain away the cold Moysture and Bogginess that offends the Land, by breeding either Rush or Bogg, and of such a latitude, or breadth, from my floating Trench, as thy water is of strength to Improve, without Prejudicing of it, by breeding Rush, Flag or filth, as aforesaid; And as I make not many Trenches, so I shall fil up all others that are not serviceable to these, and so have

done many a one, that others have made to Drain their Land withall, and with this One or Two Draines cast out, in the lowest part of my Land, layed dry more Land than a hundred of these common Trenches would, for a thousand Trenches made above the Corruption that feeds the Boggi∣ness,* 1.23 or Rushes, never Draynes, or takes away the cause, that the effect cannot possibly cease. As for heaping the Earth, and moyling the ground, that I also conceive may be prevented by maintaining one Horse and Cart, and sometimes a couple of Wheel-Barrowes,* 1.24 or a double Wheel-Barrow with two Wheeles, made big enough for two men to wield, or a little Cart made with two little Wheeles, and another lesser than them by half, to bear it at a constant pitch to fill, which may be so made, that either with two men or a horse you may carry away a great weight with much speed, and shift it horse and man at pleasure, which shall be described at large in the shaddow of it in the Tenth Chapter of Trenching tooles, and into them I cast my Mould, as I digg or cut out my Trench, and so carry it away when I first digg it, either into some old Trench or hollow place, and there lay it, and then take my Turf, which I took up in all my other Trenches, and cover over that Earth, and there will be as good Soard that year, if it be laid before February enter, as in many parts of the Field beside; And so shall save both the labour of removing my heaps afterward, and the spoyling of so much Land as they would cover. And for the better carrying on this Improvement by Water, if thy Lands be either Hilly or Banky, or lye high Ridge or Furrowes, up∣on which thy water will never work kindly, take a Directi∣on on or two for the more easie Levelling of the same (how to levell or plain Lands for watering most easily, and Artifi∣cially) which thou mayst doe either of these two wayes, Either of which I cannot more especially commend unto thee, thine own Experience will demonstrate that.

The first is lev••lling by the Plough, which thou mayst do by two or three dlowings and gain o crop also if thou rather affect it,* 1.25 herein thou wert best to begin about the latter end

of September first to plough thy land, which I advise to cast as most men do a Fallow, and then in the beginning of De∣cember, be sure to give it a second plowing, just overthwart all the Lands, and so cut the Turf, that the Soard may have all the Winters frost to wrox, and moulder it, which to∣wards March thou mayst plow again, and so cast it or raise it,* 1.26 as thy Land requireth, to bring it most even, and levell, and if one more plowing will not do it, then thou must do more, and Harrow it also, to draw down high places, and fill up Valleys, and if it yet bee too irregular, and some places so high that the Plough and Harrow will not bring them down, thou must get some Labourers, with their Spades,* 1.27 and take down those places, and cast them into Re∣gularity. A Labourer with a Spade upon this wrought Land will do aboundance in a day; but be most Exact and curious in Levelling thy Land, it brings more Advan∣tages than thou art aware of, or I have time to shew: And then about the middest of April, sow thy Lands with such seeds as are more suitable to the nature, and richness of it, but sow it not too thick by any meant, nor too thin neither, but the thinner is thy Corn, the stronger it will be, and the more grass will grow among, which will help thee more in the Soarding of it, than hinder thee in the Crop of it, which Crop may pay a considerable summe towards this Charges; But it thou desire a more speedy Soarding of it, and hast no respect to the present profit nor charge,* 1.28 in respect of a suddain dispatch of it, then as before, so soon as Grass begins to stand at a stay, and growes but a little, plow thy Land a thin broad furrow, exceeding exact, and true, or rather flay it, or take off thy Skin or Turf with a very broad whinged or rushed share, as broad a Furrow as thy Plough will carry; and as soon as thou hast plowed it, cut it all at such length, as thy Turf may hold taking up, and heap thy Turf speedily upon the next Land, and then plow thy Land again and cast it down, and if it lye ex∣ceeding high; cast it twice, and then two men with their Spades will levell any uneven Hill or Ridge most easily, and thou mayst either with the Plough or Spade, or both,

immediately bring it flat, and pursue the work with all vi∣olence, the Turf being taken up, speed thy levelling with Plough and Spade, that so thou maiest be suddenly ready to lay down thy Turf again, and then take this Turf, by all meanes before the Grass be killed, or lose the colour, or deaded, and lay it down as thou plowedst it up, every Joynt meeting and closing as even as thou canst possibly, and expect how much soever thou canst make plain, and Levell before February, thou mayest reap great fruit, or a good Crop of Grass that Summer, especially if thou hast Water to float it withall, and when thou hast done One Land, then thou maiest remove thy Furrowes, or Turf, to that thou hast levelled, and work that Land accordingly as the other, and then Turf it also, and so goe forward throughout thy Field one after ano∣ther.

Some others have levelled all by the Spade,* 1.29 and by that means they have, or may more certainly mix their hungry Land, and fat Land more equally, and lay it down all alike hereby, which course also I very well approve, and if a man have very good Tooles, and Irons made on purpose, one to cut out his Turf, and another to take it up square, and even, as big as it will possibly hold to take up, or a man can easily raise with his naturall strength, which Tooles are hereafter to be discoursed in the Tenth Chapter, he may very near dispatch as much, as otherwise is directed, if the Land be very uneven. I have had a man hath taken up Turf all day long near two foot square, if not above, and heaped the same,* 1.30 and three other men have followed, and levelled, and he hath also laid and planted down the same as fast as they could levell it: You cannot possibly beleeve how fast work will goe forward, with true Artificiall Tooles made exact to every purpose, and how much delight men will have to work with them. And if thou wilt be curiously Exact indeed, thou maiest after a Shower, or after thy Land is once soaked, or throughly wet thorough, get two or three broad Beaters made of a Plank betwixt two or three Inches thick, fourteen or fifteen Inches

long, and about nine Inches broad, with a good strong Stail put into, or near the middest of it, with which beat over all thy Land; one lusty Labourer will goe over a great deal of Land, and it will lay it curiously and even, and very delightfull to the eye, aud suitable to the Water working.

[illustration]

And having brought your Land thus levell, then your wa∣ter will work most gallantly, and even, Floating every place Proportionably, which you must take special care of, & not suffer it to run a whole Stream over some, and scarce dis∣cernable over other parts, but be sure every where alike, and when you have your water over your Land, that it run over it with a constant thin Stream, it will Improve fast e∣nough, for soaking water breeds the filth, which you must avoid as the most Pestilent Enemy to this Husbandry.

The second Piece of Improvement con∣taining the Drayning, or Reducing of Boggy Lands to sound Pasture, is further discoursed in the Chapters fol∣lowing.

CHAP. VII.

WHerein is to be handled Drayning, or taking away Superfluous and Venomous Water, which lyeth in the Earth, and much occasioneth Bogginess, Miri∣ness, Rushes, Flags, and other filth, and is indeed the chief cause of Barrenness in any Land of this nature. Something I have already spoken as to Bogginess, that ly∣eth under a Capacity to be floated with Water, either Ri∣ver or Land-floods; in the Reducement whereof, you must precisely apply your self to al Parts of the former Chapter, for bringing your Water upon your Land, and working it also, and taking it off again; Especially that your Dray∣ning-Trench or Trenches (for possibly in this sort of Land more may be required, according to the nature of the lying of your Land, if Uneven, and full of Dales, and Vallies) be made one Spades graft or pitch below the matter of the Bog, I mean the Spring, for so it is; which must be clearly Drayned, which I cannot too oft remind you of; But now I onely speak to those Lands which are from under such a Capacity of floating with Water; And are onely such as are covered with constant Water, and Lakes, or else the Boggy, Miry Lands, it self, and have no River, or Land-flood to be brought over them, and the remedies being equally

applicatory to both for the most part, I will propose gene∣rall remedies. I say that Drayning is an excellent and chief∣est meanes for their Reducement; and for the depth of such Draynes I cannot possibly bound, because I have not time, and opportunity, to take in all circumstances, therefore in generall thus.

Be sure thy Draines be such,* 1.31 and so deep, and so deep, as thou hast a descent in the end thereof to take away all thy water from thy Drayn to the very bottom, or else it is to no use at all; for suppose thou make thy Drain as high as an house, and canst not take thy water from it, thy work is lost; for look how low soever is thy lowest levell in thy Drain, thou mayst drain thy water so low, and not one haires breadth lower will it drain thy ground than theu hast a fall or de∣sent to take it cleanly from thy Drain; therefore be especi∣ally carefull herein, and then if thou canst get a low descent from thence, carry thy Drain upon thy Levell untill thou art assuredly got under that moysture, mirinesse, or water, that either offends thy Bog, or covers thy Land; and goe one Spades graft deeper by all meanes, or therea∣bouts, and then thou needest not tye thy self precisely to a dead Levell, but as thy ground riseth, or as the moysture ly∣eth higher, so mayst thou rise also, so that thou keep one Spades graft as aforesaid under it;* 1.32 and that thou mayst not fall herein, observe that in Cold Rushy Land this moysture or cold hungry water is found beneath the first and second swarth of thy Land; and then oft-times thou commest imme∣diately unto a little Gravill, or Stoniness, in which this water is, and sometimes below this in a hungry gravell, and many times this Gravell or Stoniness lyeth lower as a∣foresaid; but in Boggy Land it usually lyeth deeper than in Rushy, but to the bottom where the spewing Spring lyeth thou must goe, and one spades depth or graft beneath, how deep soever it be, if thou wilt drain thy Land to purpose. I am forced to use Repetions of some things, be∣cause of the suitableness of the things, to which they are ap∣plyed; as also because of the slowness of peoples Apprehen∣sions of them, as appeares by the non-practise of them, the

which were ever you see drayning and trenching you shal rarely find few or none of them wrought to the bot∣tom.

And for the matter or Bogg-maker that is most easily discovered,* 1.33 for sometimes it lyeth within two foot of the top of the ground, and sometimes and very usually within three or four foot, yet also some lye far deeper, six, eight, or nine foot, and all these are feazable to be wrought, and the Bog to be discovered, but not untill thou come past the black Earth, or Turf, which usually is two or three foot thick, unto another sort of Earth, and sometimes to old Wood; and Trees, I mean the proportion and form there∣of, but the nature is turned as soft, and tender as the earth it self, which have layen there no man knowes how long, and then to a white Earth many times,* 1.34 like Lime as the Tan∣ner, and white-Tawer, takes out their Lime-pits, and then to a Gravell, or Sand, where the water lyeth, and then one Spades depth clearly under this which is indeed nothing else but a spring that would fain burst forth at some certain place, which if it did clearly break out, and run quick and lively as other Springs do, thy Bog would dy, but being held down by the power and weight of the Earth, that op∣poseth the Spring which boyles and workes up into the Earth, and as it were blowes it up, and filleth the Earth with Wind, as I may call it, and makes it swell and rise like a Puf-ball, as seldom or never you shall find any Bogg, but it lyeth higher and rising from the adjacent Land to it, so that I beleeve could you possibly light of the very place where the Spring naturally lyeth, you need but open that very place to your Quick-spring, and give it a clear vent, and certainly your Bog would decay, by reason whereof it hath so corrupted and swoln the Earth, as a Dropsie doth the Body, for if you observe the Mould, it is very light, and hollow, and three foot square thereof is not above the weight of one sollid foot of naturall Earth, Clay, or Land, whereby I conceive that how much soever this Mould is forced from the naturall weight, or hardness of solid Earth, or Clay, so much it is corrupted, swoln, or increa∣sed

and blown up, and so much it must be taken down, or let forth, before ever it be reduced; I therefore prescribe this direction, (viz.)

Go to the bottom of the Bog,* 1.35 and there make a Trench in the sound ground, or else in some old Ditch, so low as thou verily conceivest thy self assuredly under the Levell of the Spring or spewing water, and then carry up thy Trench into thy Bog straight through the middle of it, one foot under that Spring or spewing water upon thy Levell, un∣less it rise higher, as many times the water or Spring riseth as the Land riseth, and sometimes lyeth very levell unto the very head of thy Bog, unto which thou must carry thy Drain, or within two or three yards of the very head of it, and then strike another Trench overthwart the very head both wayes, from that middle Trench, as far as thy Bog go∣eth, all along to the very end of it, still continuing one foot at least under the same, and possibly this may work a strange change in the ground, of it self, without any more Tren∣ching,

But for these common and many Trenches,* 1.36 oft times crooked too, that men usually make in their Boggy grounds, some one foot, some Two, never having respect to the cause or matter that maketh the Bog, to take that way, I say a∣way with them as a great piece of Folly, lost labour and spoyl; which I desire as well to preserve the Reader from, as to put him upon any profitable Experiment: for truly they do far more hurt than good, destroy with their Trench and Earth cast out, half their Land, danger their Cattell, and when the Trench is old it stoppeth more than it taketh a∣way, & when it is new, as to the destroying the Bog it doth just nothing, onely take away a little water, which falles from the heavens, and weakens the Bog nothing at all, and to the end it pretends is of no use, for the cause thereof lyeth beneath and under the bottom of all their workes, and so remaines as fruitfull to the Bog as before, and more secure from reducement than if nothing was done at all upon it.* 1.37

Or thus thou mayst work it some what a more certain

way but more chargable, (viz.) After thou hast brought a Trench to the bottom of the Bog, then cut a good Sub∣stantiall Trench about thy Bog, I mean according to the form of thy Bog, whether round, square, or long, or three or four yards within thy Boggy ground, for so far I do ve∣rily beleeve it will Drayn that which thou leavest with∣out thy Trench at the depth aforesaid, that is underneath the spring water round; And when thou hast so done, make one work or two just overthwart it, upwards and down∣wards, all under the matter of the Bog, as is aforesaid, and in one yeares patience through Gods blessing, expect thy de∣sired Issue; and if it be in such a place as will occasion great danger to thy Cattell, then having wrought thy Works, and Draines as aforesaid, all upon straight lines, by all meanes, prevent as many Angls,* 1.38 Crookes, and Turnings as is possi∣ble, for those will but occasion stoppages of the water, and filling up of Trenches, and loss of ground, and much more trouble than otherwise. Then thou must take good green Faggots, Willow, Alder, Elm, or Thorn, and lay in the bottom of thy works, and then take thy Turf thou tookest up in the top of thy Trench,* 1.39 and Plant upon them with the green Soard downwards, and then fill up thy works levell again, untill thou come to the bottom or neather end of thy work, where thy Trench is so shallow, that it will not indanger thy Cattell; or rather take great Pibble stones or Flint stones, and so fill up the bottom of thy Trench about fifteen Inches high,* 1.40 and take thy Turf and plant it as aforesaid, being cut very fit for the Trench, as it may joyn close as it is laid down, and then having cove∣red it all over with Earrh, and made it even as the other ground, wait and expect a wonderfull effect through the blessing of God; but if thou mayst without eminent danger leave thy workes open, that is most certain of all. I might make more particular Application of the premises to the drowned and covered parts of the Fens and Marshes in the next Chapter, upon which they wil have such an Operation, as to reduce them to perfect Pasture,* 1.41 and to great profit, and to all sorts of such natured Lands, thou mayst apply them

and save me much labour, being the main meanes of Fen Drayning. As for Sluces, Flood-gates, Waires, and Dams, are but secundary meanes, and being the proper work of an Engineer or good Carpenter, I shall say no more for brevi∣ty sake: But if thou canst by any meanes make thy self ca∣pable of bringing any constant Stream or powerfull Land∣flood and Water, and constantly Flow over the same, as in the former Chapter, that will reduce it to a greater Ad∣vance,* 1.42 and work the most certainest destruction to the Bog of all, as I have before declared by Experience.

As I conceive, the Bogs in many parts of the Nation were occasioned thus: wherever is a Bog,* 1.43 I am confident was for∣merly a Spring, which Spring running and venting it self, kept the Land round about it sound and dry, as where most clear Springs are at this day; but the said Spring stop∣ping up, either with leaves, or Cattels treading, or wood falling upon the same, or other filth (for I beleeve many, or most parts of this Land was very woody in former Ages) the Spring was stopped that it could not clearly vent, and so be∣ing a Living water, would not be suppressed, or buried, but swels and boyles up into Bogginess, and so vents it self by little and little in a greater Compass of Land, because it cannot break forth clear together in a lesser, because of the pressure and weight of the Earth upon it, and this is the most naturall cause thereof that I can gather; And my Reason is this, In many Bogs (I will not say in all) I have found great Pieces, or Boughes, or Bodies of Trees lying in the bottom of the Bog, Four or Five foot deep, in the full proportion of a Tree or Bough, as it fell in, but when you come to take it up, you may cut it with your Spade just as as you do your Earth, and it goes to Earth, but how this should come so low, and lye so deep, and so familiarly in Lands of this nature, and not as frequently upon sound Lands, I cannot conceive otherwise than as aforesaid.

CHAP. VIII.

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

IT may be some will still object and say,* 1.44 that these Affirmations are but Pretences,* 1.45 no such Advantage or ease as is promised can possibly be perforwed.

But I say again,* 1.46 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,* 1.47 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,* 1.48 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,* 1.49 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,* 1.50 or the Flag without Water? &c. That Interrogation plainly shewes,* 1.51 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.* 1.52 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,* 1.53 many men have made great Experiments this way,* 1.54 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,* 1.55 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;* 1.56 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.* 1.57

And for prejudicing other Lands,* 1.58 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,* 1.59 and so I have done with this improve∣ment.* 1.60 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,* 1.61 there have been such gallant notable Atchievements, by many Accurate and Ingenious Spirits,* 1.62 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,* 1.63 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,* 1.64 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?* 1.65 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,* 1.66 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,* 1.67 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.

CHAP. IX.

The Ninth Chapter shall be a brief and plain discoverie of the most Feacible way of Fen-drayning, or regaining drowned Lands, or in bounding of the Sea from it.

AS to the Drayning or laying dry the Fenns, those profitable works, the Common-wealths glory, let not Curs Snarl, nor dogs bark there at, the unparralleld advantages of the World; give me leave, because hitherto all men have Monopo∣lised their inventions as they call them, as possibly they might lawfully unto themselves, and the mystery, and no mans Ex∣periences therein have at all been published to publique view, which whether it do arise from a privacy of Spirit, self ad∣vancement, or rather from an ungratefull frame of men, Go∣vernors trusted with the publique Weal of a Nation, or great men well able to recompence publique discoveries, whose shares will be greatest of the Advantage (which last through Charity I am bound, and from sad Experiences ma∣ny Ingenious hearts have found, I doe beleeve) but no man as I ever yet saw or heard, hath published any thing at all to any such purpose as to dismystery the same, therefore by the good leave of thy patience I shall take boldness to pull off the vizor of those apprehensions I have found therein, and dis∣cover the open face of that Experience I have made, be it beautifull or deformed, in pitty to move others to cover the deformities thereof, or put more beauty thereon.

In the discourse whereof I shall candidly indea∣vour to draw it into as plain a Map or Platform, as the roughness and confusedness of the work, or my weaknesses will admit; and to that end shall confine my self to these pareiculars.

1. What drayning is, and a discovery of Fen-Lands how they lie to those that know them not.

2. To discover some of the Rubbs or hinderances that lie in the way of working it to the Common-Wealths ad∣advantage.

3. To hold out the Cure, or best and speediest way for the Reducement or recovery thereof to perfect foundness.

4. To discover the best and most profitablest way of Im∣provement of those recovered Lands to the best advantage of the Common-Wealth.

In all which I shall say but little, nor can say half that is to be said herein, but to each shall speak somewhat as near to truth as may be, and leave the Compleatment to succeeders.

1. What Fen-drayning or the recovering of Lands from under water is, that deserves the name or merits the Title of perfect Drayning.

I say it is not onely the overly taking away the Water from off the Surface or over part of the Turf or Sword,* 1.68 for then might all bogs or quagmires be recovered, and easily would; Nor the taking off the downfalls, as our Fen men call them, that is, the waters falling from the Heavens in great Raines and showers; Nor is it the taking off all Land-falls, Land-floods, or great waters from off those Lands; No nor the do∣ing of all these in a customary and usuall way that doth or will deserve to be called a perfect Drayning.

But it is as I formerly said about recovering Boggy-Lands, a going to the bottom of the Corruption,* 1.69 and taking away the Venom that feeds the Fen or Moor, that wateriness and

coldness which gnaws out the spirit at the root.

And the taking away this is perfect Drayning; for al∣though I say the other Draynings are not the best nor perfect, yet I neither discommend the other, nor discourage from them where they are made already, or may be made he reaf∣ter, but highly commend them or any of them where other∣wise there would be none, or the Lands lye wholly drowned; yet being in all Arts, Trades, and Callings, we ought to stu∣dy cut the Mysteries thereof, and all men do or ought to ent∣deavour to raise the richest fruits, and draw forth the grea∣est plenty to the Common-Wealth they can, out of the whole Earth; so out of this small parcell we never accomplish The End untill we have brought it to it's best perfection, that is, not onely to recover it from drowning to bearing sedge or reedy flaggy grass, which is the first fruits of Draining, and from which the rude ignorant Fen-man desires no appeal, nor is it to recover it to bear morish foul strong grass in Summer, and Drowned in Winter, nor yet to lye dry both Winter and Summer upon the Surface of the Earth, and wet and Boggy at the spades or Plough-share point,* 1.70 nay though it will through a dry season or heat of Summer bear the Plough, and much of it may be converted to Tillage or Cor∣ning, but still unsound in the bottom, all this makes not (though a good) yet not perfect work, but the perfection is in the reducing it to soundness and perfectness of Mould and Earth, whether Sand, Clay, Gravell, or mixed, then re∣turns it to a perfect Soard and pure Turf, brings forth the small common Thistle, Clover, Crowflower, and Hony-sukle, then shall you reap the Quintessence of the Earth, in bree∣ding, feeding, or Corning. These Lands thus perfectly Dray∣ned, will return to be the richest of all your Lands, and the better Drayned the better Land. Where are your richest Lands of England, but your River Lands, your Marsh Lands, that all of them lye under the Levell of the Sea, and were it not inbounded by the banks, and the power of Gods word, would all return to the Sea again, but through their perfect Drayning, are most excellent sound and warm Lands, yea some of them so good, that usually the Winters profit of

their Grazing equallizeth the Summer, as witnesseth much of the Marsh-Land near London, Blackwall, &c. with many other parts? Whence is the richness of your English Holland Land but from the pure and perfect Drayning? And the out-landish Holland Lands recovered to this great height of Richness? I know all Lands are not so Fecible as others are, nor some cannot possibly be brought to that perfection as others may, I shall provoke unto the best Improvement, and where there can be a Male-Improvement offer not to the Common-Wealth a Female, and so you have as plain a description what Drayning is as I can give you: I am of a strong opinon that there is very much Fen-Land may be recovered to as great a worth and goodness in it self as any Meadow Marsh-Land in England; which leades me to the se∣cond branch of this particular, to describe the Manner and lying of the Fens, to the which I am induced too for these Reasons.

1. Because many know them not at all.

2. Because many are discouraged from the thoughts of at∣tempting the Improvement of them, that are very able there∣unto, & I am confident would have recovered them, yet part∣ly because of their ignorance of the lying of them, conceiving them to be some great Lake, Pan, or Meer, as are some in Lanca∣shire, Cheshire, or Yorkshire, that lyeth so low that hath no fall or out-let can be made to drain out the Waters of them, and partly through the scandall and offence that is taken and gi∣ven out, by rude, customary, and most an end unrightfull Commoners, against the Drayning of them; as also concei∣ving them to be nothing els but some great Bog or Quagmire lying so flat as is not Draynable.

3. Because my self was once before I knew them in some measure thus deceived, but especially because the report of the Country people was as one man, that the undertakers Dray∣ning had no whit at all advantaged them, but that their Fen Lawes and Commission of sewers, and the works they made through that authority, and by the directions and meanes they used, had brought the Fens into as good a posture as all he undertakers works, (the which my self was hardly

drawn to believe) endeavouring hereby to suggest the impos∣sibility of ever accomplishing a perfect Drayning, so that many not knowing that the fall is considerable in it self, and very great into the Sea by reason of the Ebbing of the Wa∣ter, will thereby give opportunity unto a most compleat Dray∣ning of them.

And lastly, that by this information I may quicken all In∣genuous Spirits to the helping on the work so advantagi∣ous to the Common good, and yet so fecible, I therefore de∣scribe the Fens of England to lie in some proportionable man∣ner to those great Rivers and gallant Meadows adjoyning to them in many eve•• and less descending Countries, onely with these two observations.

1. That these Fens are nearer the Sea, the Center of the waters, and so we must conceive the fall or descent to be the lesser; for as our lesser Brooks run quicker than our great Streams, and the bigger the stream and nearer the Sea any great River runneth, the slower by far the water descendeth, and flatter the Land lyeth, so the Fens being a far vaster and greater compass lye more flatter, and the Rivers run the slower.

2. Because these Fen-Lands being far greater, and many times more broader than our greatest Meadowes, therefore be∣ing covered with water, and lying more levell, will not Drain so fast, and so can not hold comparison in each parti∣cular, yet a more suitable Modell to describe them by, to those that know them not, I cannot Frame.

So that the Fen-Lands so called are as I may say, great Meadows covered over with water in the time of a great Land-flood; for as upon great raines the Rivers or Water-courses in the uplands are not able to contain the Floods,* 1.71 neither are the Fen Rivers Sewers or water-courses able to take away those Floods that come out of the higher Coun∣tries, or uplands aforesaid. And as the small brooks first o∣verflow, because of the disproportion betwixt those narrow watercourses, and the floods that run in them, and are unflow∣ed again, when or before the great Rivers begin to rise, and the Flood of the great Rivers continue longer than the lesser,

so the Fen Rivers or Water-courses being much lesser, pro∣portionable to their great Floods than the little brooks are, they can not contain their own water Floods, with the Rivers and Floods of the upland Countries too; but are for∣ced over the banks into that great Flat or Levell of Fen-land and Meadow on both sides their Water-courses, and being there dispersed many miles into a great breadth and length, & being ever and anon relieved with fresh Land-Floods, most part of Winter long continue, neither having a great fall nor large ••••omthy Water-courses into the Sea, nor other artifi∣ciall Receptacles to receive them, cannot so truly nor sud∣denly run off again, but had they Water-courses proportio∣nable either in Number or Greatness, to other great Mea∣dows, they would most of them drain themselves, and return to as perfect Meadow and Pasture as any in England, for al∣most all Land-floods and Rivers that lye on the same side of the Country the Fens lye on, from the highest part of the up-lands, run into and through the Fens to the Sea, as their constant course, & if the Spring be kindly and moderatly dry, the Fen-water runneth and dryeth away apace, and many times in February or the entrance of March, especially when the winds sit fair, that is, to drive the waters Sea-ward, they are grazeable with great cattell, and many times with Sheep too, and some part of them are all Winter dry and never drowned, and many of those keep as much stock of cattell, especially of sheep, all Winter, as ever I saw any Common or pasture with∣out hay. And to conclude this description whereby you may not onely frame out a Model of the Fens, but discover the Fe∣cibility, if not the only way of Drayning them, which ushe∣reth in my second particular, which is,

2. The discovery of some of those hindran∣ces or rubs that either hinder or infaci∣litate this work of Fen-drayning, and they are either in the Land it self, the Commoners, or the undertakers there∣of.

The first Hindrance is in the Land.

1. In the Land, there may be such Mountaines and Rockiness betwixt the place you desire to drain, and the Sea, or River into which you must draw your drain, that it may make the work so chargeable, as the profits thereof will not counterpoise.

2. Also there may be such a Vein of Earth, as is so Moorish, or exceeding Sandy, upon which you must be forced to plant your Sluces, or Water-gates, as besides the extraordinary charge of Workmanship, may much ha∣zard the continuance of the Work, and so with extra∣ordinary charge, and great hazard, may render the fruits therof below the expences. These things are possible, yet not u∣suall.

The Second Hindrance may be in the People, The Com∣moners, and they may, and do much hinder it in reproach∣ing of the Work it self, as I hinted before, and weary the minds, and weaken the hands of others that would indeavour it. But the greatest hindrance is their unfaith∣fulness to the Work,* 1.72 by their dulness and neglect of rai∣sing sufficient summes of monys to carry on the work, and raising it so seasonably, as may expedite the same; for these Works are not to be trifled withall, it must be the speedy and powerfull carrying on at once, as well as the Artificiall and wise managing of it. A little season lost, may lose the cost and works of a whole Summer, and whilest neigh∣bors are contesting about the quality of their Levies, and disputing every mans Right to pay, and gathering up their moneys, the Works may run further backward in a week, than they were brought forward in a month. I have sel∣dome known a rude multitude, or a confused heady people ever agree in this; these works creep forward, but run

post backward. Again, the combination of labourers and Poor people may very much prejudice, besides their sloth∣full and sleathy slubbering of it, if not exceeding carefully overseen.

The Third Hinderance may be in the Vndertaker, or Dray∣ner. And although this may not be such an Essential Pre∣judice to the Work it self as the rest are,* 1.73 because a man would think that he that either for his wages or credit works it, should doe his best; yet to the common good it may be as destructive as the former: And herein, and in the for∣mer Hindrance, as I desire not to discourage any Ingeni∣ous Spirits; so neither do I desire to fawn upon the most ablest Artist, but do hereby affirm, that the Under∣taker, or Artist in this Work, may exceedingly Eclipse the Common Good, and through a corrupt selfish Spirit may monopolize to his private advantage particular mens Inte∣rest, and in and under pretence of doing a Common Good, may utterly ruin thousand souls. Corrupt self, or Corrup∣tion it self will endeavour this; but an Ingenious Spirit scorns perfidiousness; yet many an Undertaker may in these respects be an hindrance to the prosperity of Fen-drain∣ing, if he be upon a publick Work, for private I meddle not withall.

1. If that he lay not out a good Foundation, he ei∣ther wholly spoils it, or at least bungles out a half work, and leaves the Cream behind him, and it destroyes it self at last.

2. If that men shall pick and cull their Lands, drayn those that are more fecible, and leave out those that are more difficult, I say he is an enemy to the Common good; And this is a Maxim I shall declare, Drain the worst, and the best will drain it self; and sometimes the lowest Lands may, if thoroughly drained, prove the best Lands, and be the speediest and easiest way to drain the whole.

3. If that men drain those Lands wherein they are like to have an interest, throughly, and those the Commoners have, more overly; or imbank, or secure the one from land∣floods, and not the other; or if he make not such a through

drain of all as may go to the bottom, and lay it sound at root, I am sure he will not attain the End, the best fruit and advantage the Lands will yeeld; which that it may be accom∣plished, I shall descend to the third Particular.

The Third Particular to be considered, is, The Cure, or best and speediest way of Reducing drowned Lands unto perfect soundness: A Work too great for my shallow parts, and scanty leasure.

And therein because I shall not dare to teach men so ma∣ny degrees abler than my self, I shall onely modestly pro∣pose some few Queries, the which if any shall answer in lines or practice, I shall have my End, the Common-wealth will receive more light, and I my self full satisfaction.

1. Whether all waters whatsoever,* 1.74 the more they in∣crease in quantity, the more in weight? if so, then

2. Whether if all waters biggen the further they run, especially in floods, whether then all water-works or cuts must not biggen and strengthen also, if that a perfect securing from Floods be intended? And if so, then

3. Whether all Water-courses that are made for drains must not widen, biggen, and strengthen proportionable both to the Land-floods that come out of the upper Countries, as also proportionable to the waters, or downfalls that come from Heaven, and fall upon the said Lands? And so re∣quire answerable Receptacles? if so, then

4. Whether, or what is the proportion, or how may a man know the gage thereof, and so how to make every course e∣quall to the water it must carry?

5. Where the greatest difficulty lies in drayning the Fens; whether in drayning the Fens from their own na∣turall waters and moisture, or in preserving them from the Land-floods that come from the high Lands? If the great difficulty be to preserve them from the Land-floods

of other Lands, as to me seems probable; then whether it would not be more really advantagious to a perfect drai∣ning to take off the Land-floods at or before their entrance into the Fens, and so carry them along the Fen-side, under the up-lands, and not suffer them to come into the middle of the Fen,* 1.75 as long as it may be kept off, untill you come to strike with one straight course into the out-let of the Sea or River, or within some few miles thereof? And whether this would not be the likeliest certain meanes to prevent the just offenc•• ••he Commoner and Country seemed to take in the last undertaking, who una voce cry out that the Underta∣kers secured their own by banks, and preserved them from the Land-floods, and drowned all the Commoners side as much as ever, and that by every considerable Flood? And if this be granted, then I dare conclude the Fen will drain it self with a small course, and with greater speed, and more certainty, as well as more substantially; And so I shall onely move this further, and so refrain.

6. Whether if any of the aforesaid particulars be affir∣med, then must not of necessity all the Out-lets or Mouths of all the Master-work, and Sluces, and Water-gates, be wide∣ned and made proportionable to your higher courses, lest that the water receive a check thereby, either to force your Sluces or give a recoil to the waters into the Fen again, I mean proportionable as well in greatness of the fall, as to the bre••dth and depth of the water-course.

I shall onely now desire to know whether when the Master-drains are made substantially deep, it will not be ••o most advantage to divide the lands into lesser divisions by small draines, than to cast them out into greater pro∣portions? yet I shall not prescribe so small as some do, but into the most convenientest divisions may be for the compleat draining.

And as to Sluces, Water-gates, Locks, &c. I shall say little, because they are under the command of Rule, and Truth of Workmanship; and a good experienced Millwright or Engineer is well able to regulate them to as much Ad∣vantage for close shutting, and suitable opening, to the in∣comming

of the Tide, or out-going of the Floods, as the variousness of opportunities will require, which I forbear, be∣cause they cannot easily be described without figures.

And as to the severall Tooles to be used in the working of these Water-courses, they are common, and most of them in common use upon the Fens, except a good water-levell, which I have at large described in the tenth Chapter, which is most essentially necessary for the casting or laying out of all the Works therof, and a Trenching Plough to cut out the first Works, and the Turfing Spade, all largely described in the next Chapter.

I shall onely speak a word or two to the Improvement of some particular parcels of Fen-lands which in themselves are drainable, and without the least dependauce upon the ge∣neral draining, although I will not say but such Land would more easily be drained in the generall, than it will be done of it self; yet seriously pondering all things in one even bal∣lance, there may be little difference, and that upon this ac∣count; if it be done as a member of the General,* 1.76 then it must contribute to the generall charge, and share in the ge∣nerall breaches or miscarriage, and in all paaticulars stand and fall therewith; Also then it is subject to the same ha∣zard, as the generall is, of prejudice, by reason of the differ∣ences that may arise betwixt the Owners, Proprietors, Com∣moners, Undertakers, or whosoever, which may be very many, and so great, as may tend to the ruin of the whole, which without dependance thereupon it will not be. And I am confident, some very considerable parcels of Lands lie so convenient, and so fecible unto the Work, that they may be done most easily; and others lye more difficultly, and will be done more chargeably; All which I shall hold forth under these two descriptions.

1. Are all Lands that lye somewhat higher of themselves,* 1.77 and are never drowned (unless it be by some extraordinary Inundation) of themselves, these are most easily recovered of themselves, at a little more charge than any common Lands are inclosed, and that by one good substantiall Dike, well turfed (or sodded, as the Fen-men call it) on the outside

round about the same, and well rammed and beaten toge∣ther, it need neither be very broad nor high, the height and weight of the water offending will discover that unto you, nor indeed cost any more than the charge of a good quick Dike, which every good Husband bestowes upon a new division; and I dare say there are many thousands of Acres of Lands in many parts of the Fens of this nature.

2. The Second is the more difficult, and yet very fecible also, and that is certain Creeks or corners of Land ••••unning into the up-lands, and upon the out-skirs of the Fens, and many out-borders that are onely anoyed with their own, and the swellfng of the naturall Fen-waters, and are cleer from any Land-floods, or up-land waters running through them, and have one or two sides firm, and the securing of one or two sides more will secure the whole. These are easily drainable without dependance upon the draining of the whole Fen, and that by a more substantiall imbanking than the former, to secure it self from the great waters of all other Fens, and then there will onely rest to resolve how to drain it self; to which I shall onely say, that ha∣ving well provided against the waters of bordering Fens, find out the lowest part of all thy Lands, and thither draw a good substantial Master-drain through all thy Lands, and there plant a water-Engine, which may either be wrought by the wind, or by the strength of horse, yea possibly by the strength of two or three men; which if the compass of thy Land be not great, and thy water small, may be but a very inconsiderable charge. And thy Engines may also be divers; as an Engine or Windmill may with a wa∣ter-wheel, planted in thy Water-course, or Master-drain, or very near unto it, which water-wheel must be made to that height as may be sure to take out the bottom of the water, and deliver it at the middle of the wheel, which wheel may be contrived into such a form,* 1.78 as that the La∣dles, as I may call them, or Peals, or Scoops, as others call them, will cast up, and cast out the water to a considerable height, as a man doth with a hand-scoop, pail, or kit cast water out of a ditch, which Engine shall at large here∣after

both be described, and the form of it delineated, or else by a good chain-pump, or bucket-work, both which may be made into a Wind-mil-Engine, or else with an Engine made with a perpetual Screw; all which for that height as is requirable to the draining of such a Work, wil lay a good compass of Land dry in a few daies, and if time prevent not, shall most of them be described at large.

3. But a Third is most difficult, which I yet conceive al∣so fecible, and may be recovered also to a great advantage: And that is such a parcel of Land that lieth also at a skirt,* 1.79 or out-side of the Fen, although it may have some Land-flood running through it, or near it; which Land-flood, if it be possible either to divert it on the one hand or the other, of the Land you desire to drain, or else if it be be a small Floud, within the compass and power of an Engine, may also be drainable, and by the aforesaid direction of inbank∣ing the Land, to secure the Land-flouds from comming on at at all, which with a reasonable Bank, and a fair open passage to convey the Land-flouds clenly away, may pre∣vent the fear therof; And then a fair Master-drain down through the lowest ground, or neer the middle of the Fen you desire to drain, which must be made so deep, as that it may substantially draw all cold corrupt water into it self: I prescribe no depth, because I cannot give to all sorts of Fen-lands (no nor to any other by measure) a suitable and necessary proportion so far from off the place where it is to be made, and this drain to be continued to that place where you have most conveniencie to land your wa∣ter, and there planting one of the aforesaid Engines, I shall leave every of them to each mans own affection. I know they will every one do the Work, and that a very inconsi∣derable charge, to the profits and advantages to be received and reaped hereby. I shall say no more in this case, because I much more desire the general Work, which will make all these particulars to come on the easier, The draining of the whole Fens; yet considering the rubs that lie in the way of the general, and the great delaies and uncertainties therof, I am perswaded to discover the capacities of parti∣culars.

As for the particular Engines, the Figures and Deline∣ations of them, they shall hereafter follow, to be described to the very capacity of the Country Farmer, as far as possi∣bly may be: And because I desire to speak to the under∣standing of the meanest, you must a little bear with my tediousness, till you come to the practice, and then you'l find plainness very usefull, and all I have said, little e∣nough to discover the same.

Now to proceed to the Fourth generall Head of this discourse, to set forth the best way of Improvement of the aforesaid Lands.

I shall say the less, because through my whole discourse it is my main Scope, and so shall confine my self onely to some of those particulars more peculiar to these Lands, though being substantially drained, they are capable of the impress of any Husbandry whatsoever; I shall therfore di∣vide the Fen-lands into three sorts. First, The sound dry Land, seldom, or never drowned. The Second shall be your constant drowned Lands in times of great Flouds. And the Third shall be your lowest Land of all, that lieth constantly so wet and cold, that it is turned into a very Moor or Bog.

1. Your dry Lands, I for the present account them the very best, and most capable of raising the greatest present profit, I shall therefore (because it is fruitfull of it self to grass, and will yeeld advance enough thereby, and also be∣cause there will be enough for many years of the other two sorts remain to husbandrize, and toss and tumble up and down) perswade to lay it all for pasturage, until your other Lands be perfectly recovered and improved; but this may prove undoubtedly excellent Hemp-land, Oad-land, & may be, Mather-land, and most excellent, yea rather too good for Cole and Rape-seed, because there will be other wors∣er, enough for that.

2. To the second sort, only drowned by up-land flouds, & so lie dry when the floud is gone, I say, if this be not lea∣vened with coldness, or steeped so w^th constant corrupt wa∣ter, that it is turned into a moorishness, but yet remaines perfect Land, and clear Soard, this very Land may prove your best Land in a little time, and therefore I shall onely for the reducing hereof, advise to a moderate plowing of it; and for the reducing of it to perfect soundness, advise to raise it every plowing, dividing each ground into lands a∣bout three yards over, or thereabout, which will take two casts of seed, and in five or six tilths will rise up to so con∣venient a height, as will lay it sound and dry, and increase your Land also; yet however you must not endeavour the laying any Land any higher than your drains will be sure to draw your furrows: But in case the Level of your water will not admit you to raise up your Lands to so good a height, then you were best make your Lands somewhat les∣ser, and then the fewer plowings will lay them round and sound: but be carefull not to make your last furrow alwais in one place, but in each plowing shift one furrow, or more, sometimes one way, and somtimes another, and this wil preserve the furrow from overmuch barrenness.

This Land may be suitable and very excellent for Cole∣seed, and coming to its perfect soundness for most of the a∣foresaid opportunities, but exceeding rich for all sorts of Grain, out of question, onely I shall earnestly perswade not to plow too oft, nor impoverish it too much at first, for hereby most men undo their Lands. I conceive it best not to plow any of these Lands no longer than it is brought into a perfect Tilth, or one year after, three years may do best, though four years may do well, and you will find a gal∣lant sweet Turf succeed, and soard thick suddenly and sweetly, and your succeeding profits, all things consider∣ed, may reach your very benefit of corning to a very neer scantling. I have heard very many object that matchless prejudice by so tedious and thin Soarding, and have affirm∣ed they have tried it by experience, and find plowing wo∣fully destructive; And if you should demand how many years they plowed it, they must needs answer, some 5, some

6, some 7, some 8, and some 10, and others more; and if you again ask them how they laid it down, they must say for the general, they cast them down, and left an open Ridge to grass; and if you should again demand upon what stubbles or eadish did you lay down your Land for grass, some say upon the Peas stubble, or Barley, and here & there one upon the Oats, which is better than either of the for∣mer, but none say upon Wheat or Rie, which I as highly commend, and for the first yeares Soarding goes beyond them all; they neither bestowed any soil upon it first, nor so much as a few hay-seeds at laying down, and yet they will tell you a story of I know not what experiences they have made, when alas they never knew that an Experiment must hold in all its parts, and relate to times, seasons, na∣tures, as well as fruit and crop, and so bring an ill report upon the best husbandry, and stifle their own greatest gain. But of this no more, because in other parts of the Book it is more largely discussed, yet bear with me if repeated, be∣cause this is the discovery of the husbanding of a new World, as a man may call it.

I proceed to the Third sort,* 1.80 w^ch is your lowest land of all, and lieth deep and long drowned, that it is even turned to very Turf or Bog, and very little useful, onely two or three months in summer it is commonable; but whether profitable or no, I scarce know, nor (being a stranger both in those parts, & to those Lands) will I be peremptorily confident in any thing, as will not hold proportion and use with other Lands; I shall therefore only question whether in comm••∣ning upon these Lands they do not oft stiflle their cattell in the morishest places; & whether they rot them not, or choke them not, through many uncurable diseases by reason of the unwholsomness of their pasturage. This I dare affirm, I have seen many poor thin cattel, which have brought Pharaohs lean ill favoured kine into my mind, and such truly as I have not so familiarly seen upon heathy barren Commons, ten Acres whereof is not worth one of these, and yet thou∣sands are prejudiced against the draining of them; but to the Land it self, being recovered and laid dry, it will require more time to recover it self than the other better Lands, &

require more cost and husbandry to bring it to Fertility; and though all the preceding directions are, or may be ap∣plyable here unto it in their propor Seasons, yet some other work may be more naturall as a ground-work to other Hus∣bandry, and that chiefly upon your hassocky morish rough Land, the which being left to grass, I cannot conceive it worth in its present state not above 3 or 4^s. per Acre, and some under, and yet that very same Land, by paines and patience may recover to be very good Land immediately. I shall therefore advise that this Land be turved, or as some call it,* 1.81 denshired, that is, all the hassocks cut up, and the over∣turf parted up, and all laid upon little heaps till throughly dry, and then burned to ashes, and if it be all stringy, rooty, and very combustible matter, then the thicker you pare it up the better; for although I differ from many of the West-Country Husbands about this denshiring their thin turved Lands, that are pure from roots, twitch, or moss, conceiving (that though it bring their Land into sudden Tillage, and to yeeld out it's Spirit the first year) it weakens the Land much,* 1.82 there being no addition to it but a few bushels of ashes to an Acre, in stead of good Turf or Soard, that in a Summers working will be easily brought to Tillage, and (as I believe) ads more by far to the fatting of the Land than those ashes do; and I am sure, when any one layeth down his lands to grass, upon this Husbandry, the Soard comes pale and wan, and very lean and low, and never riseth to a good Crop, and whosoever seriously observes the same, shal find that very issue; yet to Lands of this nature I as highly extoll it,* 1.83 and to all such foul Lands, where is depth of soil enough, and all so combustible as nothing else will work it unto Tillage. In the midst of May, or any time in the very beginning of Sum∣mer, when the Land is thorough dry, is best, and the earliest also, that you may have as much of the Summer as you can, to the working of your other Tillages, which being burned in a dry season, proceed to plowing and ridging up your Lands, and dividing them into such proportions as your drains will bear, as is directed in the aforesaid last particular, & this will then be fit to take the impress of any seed; much of this will bear Cole-seed, or any grain, which I leave to the

discretion of the Country Experiences, onely pray you study laying all sound and warm; plow not too long, and lay it down to grass either upon the Oat-stubble, which will soard exceeding well the second year, if not the first, or upon wheat or Rie, the Land harrowed and laid very smooth; this will soard excedingly the first year, as in other places of the Book. I have at large discoursed. And as your Land recovers sound∣ness, you will by your improving your own experiences, have more Talents added to these, you have more opportunities to raise 〈◊〉〈◊〉 advantages out of them.

Now to the conclusion of this Chapter,* 1.84 I shall onely add a word or two of Sea-drowned Lands, and it shall be very little, because as to the improvements of them whatever hath been before spoken and applied to other Lands, may be to these, which being once recovered, are very sound dry Land many of them, and the rest may be reduced there∣unto by good divisions and draines, as in all other Marsh-Lands.

All the mystery of this is in the recovery of them, which to discourse at large, would be more tedious than profita∣ble, because as to the materials for imbanking or bounding the Sea, whether Stone, Chalk, Wood, or Earth, little can be said, because all must be referred to the conveniency and necessity of the place upon which they are requirable, onely there must be great regard had to the force of the Sea that lies upon them, and the strength and violence of the winds to which it lyeth most obnoxious; for I am perswaded it is not so oft the Sea it self that makes the breach, as the strength of the winds that forceth it over the banks; nei∣ther can I prescribe the severall Locks or Water-gates necessa∣ry for letting out the Heavens water, nor the bigness or strength of them, that being proper to the place upon which they are to be erected, there to be discoursed and described, and the common Engineers are very customarily used therto; As to some good ingenious painfull Artist, little can be added, so that there remaines only that I advise to these two or three general directions.

First, That you be very carefully observant of the power and way of the Seas working; for although it is possible much

Lands may be gained from the Sea, yet it is not possible at all times to keep the same when it is gained; therefore where-ever you see the Sea get or recover upon any Land, be wary there, rather study to stop the Sea there on the borders, and to divert the force of it another way, which will sometime more easi∣ly receive a check than at other times and places; but if that be not stayable, I should advise not to be too busy there, but where the Sea loseth, and Land increaseth, there is a more probable opportunity, and there I should rather pitch down my staff. There is store of these Lands to be recovered, so that I would not perswade any to streighten themselves with hazards and inconveniences, when there is such a wide opportunity for the ingenious to improve both parts and purses on the borders of these Nations.

Secondly, Be very carefull of placing your out-fals and wa∣ter-gates in so convenient parts as may both be best for the firm draining of your Lands, and for the firm founding of your Sluces and Water-gates, both in relation to the Earth you plant them on, and the force or strength of the water that lieth against them, or accidentally through some fierce storm that may come upon them; this hath been the overthrow of some gallant works, and particular rules here cannot be dis∣coursed but through so much tediousness as will tire thy pa∣tience, which I must forbear.

Thirdly, Be above measure studious about thy Imbank∣ments, that a foundation be so firmly laid to the bottom with such materialls as will hold out the triall; therefore in every new work some triall would be made of all materials, and therein thou must be steered by those the very place affords, whether Stone, Chalk, Wood, or Earth, or all, and the pre∣sent experience upon the place will be a better Tutor than I can possibly, for I much question whether the carriage of a∣ny of these far, will answer the cost or hazards run therein. Be sure your foundation be broad, well ramm'd together, and so raised with solid matter and workmanship a good height above the highest Tides, and curiously turved or sodded on the Sea-side; the better is your Turf the firmer is your work; for if that it once begin to hole, or break, look to the main, it is in danger, and ever be sure your new works be made the

highest, because an overflowing upon an old work is not so dangerous as upon the new, that it quickly and easily over∣throws.

Lastly, Be sure of ingenious and laborious workmen; an idle slubberer will both deceive the work and Master, study not so much cheap wages, as to have your work well done for good wages; carefull ingenious Overseers of the Labourers is an unvalued furtherance to the work, some men have an excellent Genius that way, will awe men more with their wise industri∣ous oversight, and skill in mens frame of Spirits, and wise de∣signing each man to his place and work, that al of them shal be as members of the body, co-adjutors to the whole, one take it from another, so as no work be done twice over, nor one mans labour bear out another mans sloth, but each be helpfull to another,* 1.85 so as to advance the main. I tell you this is a my∣stery, and a man rightly qualified for this work is worth gold, and very rarely to be found. I have seen some Bayliffs intrusted herein, stand telling a story, while all his workmen have stood looking him in the face, admiring him for his Rhe∣torick, and this hath pleased him as well as their working; many have an easie way of hindering work, but few of further∣ing it, and he is a rare man that can sort all his works so into each workmans hand, as that it goes on to purpose; confusion is through ignorance and sloth; a good method, or plat-form to advance each mans labour to the best furtherance of a work, is difficult, requires great ingenuity, and laborious study, I find it most difficult, though I have had as large experience of it as most Englishmen, yet cannot accomplish it, but many times ran into confusion, through mens rudeness, and my want of each particular experience in each work, the which I instance as a Rock for others, to beware, and prize and value a good Overseer, whose countenance and conversation is such with workmen, as will not onely awe and force them, but his wise and loving demeanor will compel them to their utmost faith∣fulness; a work in its geares will thrive exceedingly. And so I have done at present with this particular, till I have gained some more, and new experiences; and with this Chapter.

CHAP. X.

The Tenth Chapter giveth directions to make and use certain Tooles, or Instruments, which shall much facilitate the Work.

ANd for thy further incouragement,* 1.86 because Drayning and Trenching is found very charg∣able, therfore in the third place I will discover certain Tooles or Instruments, which shall make the work more facile and delightfull, with which two workmen (and indeed any Ingenious man many quickly attain a handiness, and dexterousness there∣in) that can well handle them; And shall doe more than many common Labourers doe in one day with their ordi∣nary Tooles, and shall work more true, and more suitable and commendable to the nature of this way of Improve∣ment; which Tooles are all very plain, and simple, with∣out severall motions, or divisions, made onely for ease, lightness, and quickness, not for Admiration or Confusion.

The first is a good Line about thirty two yards long, made of the best Water-wrought Hemp, and as big again as Whipcord,* 1.87 upon a good Reel to wind it upon; I prescribe this length because of drawing all Workes as near unto a strait Line as possible may be; which length is of use in measuring your Work by the Pearch or Rod as you desire also, and no more of this.

The second is a Water Levell about five foot long, the longer the better,* 1.88 but that it will be the far more unporta∣table, but four foot & an half wil do reasonable well; w^ch Instrument many have assayed and made, some open with a Channel for the water to run all along upon a three inched Piece of Oak, with sights placed at each end, true to the

water, that is each sight of a just proportion from the water•• to direct the Levell, but this lyeth so open to the Wind, and is troublesome removing, that it is not worth prescri∣bing.

Others have used them of seven or eight foot long, to be placed on two or three legs, as the Surveyor placeth the plain Table, the Levell made with an hollow Concave, for the water to lye hid from the Wind, and to come up in two Cups (above the wood) planted in the Levell, and sights planted very Artificially thereto, the water in each Cup hol∣ding his just proportion to both sights, and this is a very good one, but very troublesome to remove up and down, and to make dispatch when one hath need; And in this se∣cond form were Sir Edward Peto his Levells made very cost∣ly,* 1.89 and the Sights of good value, whose Ingenuity was very great, and the Instrument very good and rich, but a little troublesome to carry up and down; but I rather chuse a plainer Piece which is very Portable,* 1.90 and it is made to fold into another square Staff, and so to carry like an Hunting-Pole, my Staff is but five foot and an half long, made of the best young seasoned Oak that can be got; my Levell, or the Barrell of it, is but four foot and an half, or five foot long, which Barrell in the midst of it, is planted into the top of my Staff thus; Just upon the midst of my Barrell is a pair of Iron joynts curiously wrought into the very middest of my Barrell, on the neather side of it, and at the very over∣end of my Staff, and so much of the one part of my Staff, and just half the length of my Barrell taken away with a moulding or rabating plain, untill both joyned together with these joynts make one compleat Staff straight and for∣mable, onely about a quarter of an Inch taper upward, from the bottom to the top; that it may not be too top-heavy, and the Sights are to be fixed unto both ends of the Levell Barrell, that they stand firm and hold water, and yet are very little or no annoyance, either to Sight or Practise; And in the portage of it, it is a ••air straight Staff, with a strong Pike in the bottom of the Staff, and a step to set the foot, or force it into the ground where there is no occasion to use

it; And in the Exercise of it, being unfolded it is an head∣less Cross, not much unlike the Surveyers cross Staff; which when thou hast done thy work thou mayst fold it up again,* 1.91 and walk as with an Hunting-Pole. Any good Gun-smith will make the Iron-work, and some Gun-smiths will make the Wooden-work also with direction, but properly it belongeth to the Joyner.

The next is the Trenching-Plough, or Coulter; whose speciall use is to cut out the Trench on both sides with great expedition,* 1.92 which is thus made; Take a Piece of the best tough Willow, about the bigness of a Spade-stayl, some∣what strait, onely at the neather end it must look upward with a neck like a foot which must run upon the ground, and just above the neck must be an Iron, or little Coulter about the strength of a Butchers Knife, planted in the Stayl, where the Stayl must be plated with Iron, curiously let into the Wood on both sides, through which, as also the Wood, the tange of the Coulter must come, with a Cotter-hole in it a∣bove, to cotter it close to the over-side of the Staff, or rather have two Coulters, one about an Inch and half longer and stronger than the other, that so in soft deep ground thou mayst use the longest, and in dry ground the shortest.

Whose use is, when that thou hast cast out thy Trench, and set thy Line, thou mayst with this run along thy Line, and cut out one side of thy Trench, almost as fast as a man can fallow it, and then set out thy other side, and cut it out also; but if thou studiest more exactness, then in the foot of thy Staff, and in the middle of thy foot, plant a little Braz••n Wheel about four Inches high, that so the foot may bear it self a little upon the Wheel, which will occasion it to run more pleasantly; but the Wheel must also be curiously planted into the foot with Plates, and upon an Iron Axel∣tree, wherwith thou mayst cut out a Pearch whilst some will be cutting out two yards, and more true and certain; and so also mayst thou use it speedily to cut out thy Tur•• overthwart thy Trench, about eighteen inches, or twenty inches abroad, a fit proportion to be taken up, or

sometimes two foot broad; for if thou wouldest take up all thy Turf as curiously cut square, and pared up about three or four Inches thick all of one thickness, just at the root of the grass, as aforesaid, of which thou maiest make ex∣ceeding great use, which thou must preserve most choicely, for therewith thou mayest cover thy bare places of Earth, or any low places that thou wouldest raise up to a Levell, and mayst have as good Grass upon it within half a year, bet∣ter than upon the other Lands; For the taking up of which Turf thou must make a Spade on purpose, with a bit look∣ing up twice so much as our ordinary Spades do,* 1.93 with a curious thin shoo looking up also; whose bit must be excee∣ding well steeled, and more broader at the point, or neather end of the bit, than at the over end, of about half an inch, and not above by no meanes; which will take up the Turf, all at one thickness, just at the naturall height a man useth it, as he stands to shovell Earth before him. This Spade is ad∣mirable usefull to cleanse the bottom of Trenches, for which use it were very necessary to have another an inch and half narrower than the former, for lesser and narrower Tren∣ches; which Spades (the broadest sort of them) are more speedy, and more easie for Banking and Levelling high places and great Ant-hills, by far, than other Common Spades are.

The next Tool that is to be shadowed to thee is the Trenching Spade,* 1.94 which you may make betwixt Four and Five Inches broad, and if you make Two, which is better, One may be Four Inches, and the other may be Six Inches wide, whose Tree must be made more compass and looking up, by far, than your usuall Spades are, yea somewhat more compass than your Turving Spade is, though but a very little, so that it may carry a Trench Levell before you, being forced by your strength of Arm, guided from a∣bout the bottom of your Belly, as you use the Shovell in any thing you cleanse; which Spade shoo must be made with two sides, or Langets, up from the end of the bit, like as if you would plant two broad Knife Blades to look upwards with their points upon a common Spade, from

[illustration]

the end of your Spade bit, onely they must be made a little stronger, yet they need not be above two inches broad at the very bit, and as thin as the strength of the work will bear, little thicker than a strong Knife, and so Narrower and Narrower upwards, untill it come to half an inch, and about Five Inches long, which must be made very exact, and true, smooth and sharp, otherwise it it will not work forth his Coar, and Furrow clearly, and easily, but will be above a mans naturall strength; but if it be rightly made, any ••an may easily work forth a Trench at one time, and very fast, almost as fast as a man can thrust a Shovell under a little Sand or Dung before him. Some have assayed to make this Trenching Spade rudely and in other formes, which I will not stand here to disprove, because their own Experience hath laid down the use of them, but this I am certain of in my own knowledge is wonderfull usefull, and herewith one man may do more in such work as this (which to make greater Trenches is but to make more work to no purpose) and that more formally and Artificially, than six men can do with their own naturall and usuall Tooles, and they shall moyl and spoyl less ground by many de∣grees, which Tool so cutteth out his Furrow and Coar, that you may within a week or two, or when you have ac∣complished your desire, lay it down again, and no whit prejudice the least Grass, and none shall be the wiser for it, or Discover within two or three dayes whether such a thing was yea or no, and so will prevent the least spoyl.

There is another Tool or two as usefull in these works,* 1.95 and no less necessary, and this is the Paring Spade, or divi∣ding Iron, whose bit may be made all of Iron, being a strong Iron Plate with a good strong Socket, to put a straight tough Stale or Helve into, it must be made just straight every way, the Bit must be made twenty Inches long, the two sides and neather end all well steeled, the neather part of the bit a lit∣tle bellied or square, and the sides a little hollow or com∣pass••d, and the end and sides as sharp as they can be made, for the especiall use of this is now and then to cut out a

Trench in vallies,* 1.96 and low places, where thy Plough cannot come at it, but principally to pare old Trenches after the first year, whose Edges will grow so thick with Grass, that thou canst not get thy water to pass currently, and to dig it will break thy Trench, & cut it too thick, but with this thou mayst cut it as with a Cutting Knife all along thy Trench or Line, very fast and most compleat; Thy Stail need not be so long as a naturall Spade-stail, it must be kept clean and bright, and it will work exceeding easie; And thy ordinar•• Spades also the better they are and the sharper, and curiously kept, the better will they rid off work by far, and the more easie and delightfull to the Workman, and not fur and clog with Earth, which makes the work go off very heavily.

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.
• * 1.8

  How to begin the first piece of watering.
• * 1.9

  How to make the drayning Trench.
• * 1.10

  Shewes how the water is fruitfull.
• * 1.11

  How to make the Drayning Trench,
• * 1.12

  The best floa∣ting season.
• * 1.13

  Upo•• moist Land.
• * 1.14

  Up••n warm Land.
• * 1.15

  A double Ad∣vantage of hav∣ing a water course cut out.
• * 1.16

  President of one year cu••∣ting but five or six and the next twenty four.
• * 1.17

  President of sandy Land.
• * 1.18

  Mr. Plats Pre∣sident.
• * 1.19

  President of Boggy Lands.
• * 1.20

  To much Trenching is madness
• * 1.21

  There are two sorts of Tren∣ching.
• * 1.22

  Manner of ma∣king the floa∣ting Trench.
• * 1.23

  A shallow Trench doth certain hurt and uncertain good.
• * 1.24

  How to pre∣vent heaping Earth, and in evening the ground.
• * 1.25

  How to Level Land.
• * 1.26

  Plowing to Le∣vell,
• * 1.27

  Spade to help Levelling.
• * 1.28

  The speediest Soarding of Land.
• * 1.29

  Levelling Land by the Spade.
• * 1.30

  A president what one man hath done at Turffing and Levelling Land.
• * 1.31

  How to make thy Drayn to drain a Bog to purpose.
• * 1.32

  Where water lyeth in Rushy Land.
• * 1.33

  The matter that feeds the Bog, where that lyeth.
• * 1.34

  Every Bog hath most cer∣tainly a living Spring within it.
• * 1.35

  Shewing how every Drayn must ••e carried up from the lowest levell.
• * 1.36

  Shallow Trench repre∣hended.
• * 1.37

  The most sure way to destroy a Bog.
• * 1.38

  The prejudice by crooks and angles in water courses.
• * 1.39

  How to make Draynes with∣out any preju∣dice to any sheep or b••ast
• * 1.40

  The best way of preventing danger to Cat∣tell in Dray∣ning.
• * 1.41

  Fens and Mar∣shes reco••ery.
• * 1.42

  Floring best destroyes a Beg.
• * 1.43

  The probable occasion or first cause of Bogginess.
• * 1.44

  Ob.
• * 1.45

  These are but pretences.
• * 1.46

  Ans. 1.
• * 1.47

  Watering breeds the Rush.
• * 1.48

  Ans.
• * 1.49

  Especiall sea∣son for water∣ing Land.
• * 1.50

  Iob 8. 12.
• * 1.51

  Ans. 2.
• * 1.52

  A sign when Land begins to fatten.
• * 1.53

  Obj.
• * 1.54

  Many have done great things herein and alway to no purpose.
• * 1.55

  Mountebanck Engineers pro∣jections.
• * 1.56

  Mysterious En∣gines rep••••••ved.
• * 1.57

  Object.
• * 1.58

  Answ.
• * 1.59

  Object.
• * 1.60

  Answ.
• * 1.61

  Marsh Lands.
• * 1.62

  The first Fen∣drayne's or Levellers highly to be honoured.
• * 1.63

  Invention far harder than an Addition to it.
• * 1.64

  Cutting water-courses strait no small a••∣vantage.
• * 1.65

  Many thou∣sands of acres recoverable wi••h little charge to mani∣fold advantage
• * 1.66

  Some Mils de∣stroy more than they are worth.
• * 1.67

  To prevent corrupting land by a Mil∣dam as much as may be.
• * 1.68

  What Fen-Drayning is not.
• * 1.69

  What perfect Drayning is in∣deed.
• * 1.70

  How to know when Land is firmly Drayned.
• * 1.71

  The just Form or Modell of the Fen-lands.
• * 1.72

  How the Com∣moner is a hindrance to Fen-drayning.
• * 1.73

  How Underta∣kers may be a prejudice to the work.
• * 1.74

  Queries in Fen-drayning▪
• * 1.75

  Reasons why the land floods would be best taken o•••• on the outside the Fen.
• * 1.76

  Some particu∣lar ••ands may be drayned of themselves though the ge∣nerall be not.
• * 1.77

  All such-Lands are most fecibl•• to be drayned
• * 1.78

  Water Engins helpfull in 〈◊〉〈◊〉,
• * 1.79

  These more difficult, and yet fecible.
• * 1.80

  A new World may best ad∣mit of new Husbandry
• * 1.81

  Denshi••ing Fen lands very usefull.
• * 1.82

  Denshiring lands reproved in the West.
• * 1.83

  Burning Land extolled in the North.
• * 1.84

  Lands drown∣ed by the Sea.
• * 1.85

  A Good Over∣seer worth Gold.
• * 1.86

  Tooles belong∣ing to floating and Trenching, to make the work more easie and less ch••rgable.
• * 1.87

  A good Line.
• * 1.88

  A Water-Le∣vell.
• * 1.89

  Sir Edward Peto his Level.
• * 1.90

  The manner and form of a true, and the speediest Level that I can de∣vise.
• * 1.91

  Who are the makers of it.
• * 1.92

  The Trenching Plough.
• * 1.93

  Turving Spade.
• * 1.94

  The Trench∣ing Spade.
• * 1.95

  The paring Spade.
• * 1.96

  The use of the Paring Spade