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

CHAP. XVI.

ANd first for your richest sorts of Land conceived as good as Art and Nature can make them,* 1.1 yet consider the insuing Discourse, may hold out some Improvement to be made out of the same. As for your best Land of all, That by Husbandry, Drayning, Separating, cleering, Plow∣ing, Soyling or some sort of husbandry or other was brought to this perfection, it was not in this condition na∣turally nor originally from the beginning, much whereof may be now clear from Rushes, Mossiness, Sow Thistle, Nettles, Weeds, and Hemlocks and all other pelf, and onely bring forth pure Grass, both thick and rich; this possibly may admit of little Improvement upon it self, but unto the Owner and Common-wealth this may yeeld above double profit for some yeares by moderate Plowing, and afterward return so soon to his naturall fruitfulness, as that it shall yeeld his old Grazing Rent the first year, and so continue; But this Land being of all other the most subject to Abuse,

and greater prejudice than any other Land whatsoever; And I am confident unless the Presidented directions contained in the fourteenth and fifteenth Chapter, be most punctually observed, it may suffer loss, therefore I must provoke no man to take the pursuance of them here, unless any who is of such a publique spirit, as rather desires the Publique than his own private Advancement; And for some other men when they find so great profit come in upon them by this or any other means, they out of a thirsty desire of gain will Over-do, Over-plow, and so destroy their Land for it is not Plowing simply as aforesaid; that impoverisheth Land, but too oft Plowing, and look you where you will generally throughout this Nation, and you will find where any good Pasture is destroyed hereby,* 1.2 they have Plowed Six, Seven, and some Nine, Ten, and some Twelve Crops together, which I approve so well, as I say it is a Losing Ex∣treme; And I wish it were Felony so to abuse a mans Self; Lands, Posterity, and Common-Wealth; Also which Lands may be so many yeares before they come to a perfect Soard again, as may lose as much in abatement of Rent before it come up to the old Rent, as they got in the advance Rent by Plowing. And yet if I affirm, that Mowing Land with∣out Limitaion, is as impoverishing unto it, as Plowing Land with Moderation,* 1.3 especially Upland Pasture, I should not much mistake; I am a greater E••emy to the one with∣out Limit than to the other with Moderaion, and yet tthe one is cryed down by all, and the other by few or none; Therefore my advise shall be, to Plow thy Land three, four, or five Crops, if thy affections stand that way, and lookest at greatest profit,* 1.4 Sowing it first with Hemp, Oad, Coal, or Rape-seed, Madder; Licorish, or Sow such rich Commodity that will so well pay for it, or something else that better agrees with the rankness of so gallant Land, which for divers of the first years will be so rank, that Corn will fall Flat, and Dwindle, or Rot, and neither be kindly in quality, nor rise to the strike in quantity, as it will upon those Lands after divers Crops taken, or upon leaner Land, and then after with Corn the last yeares; And if thou

wilt but lay it down round, & even, upon the Wheat, Rye, or Meslin Stubble Sowed in his proper Season, observing some other few Directions, handled more at large in the aforesayd Chapters, thou shalt not need to fear thy Lands Impoverishing or abating Rent; It will produce so gallant and sweet a Turf, as will feed as well, and faster than it did before, if not better: For my own part, I do affirm, That had I the managing it whilst under Tillage, I would make good the same upon good Security; But as I said be∣fore, use your own liberty, he that Plows not such Land at all that yeelds its utmost strength and fruit in Grazing, which admits of no Corruption or Degeneration, doth wel: Because the Nation will afford other Land enough,* 1.5 that stands in more need of this Husbandry to supply the Coun∣try Corn; And also because many men hold it a great Disparagement to Plow up such gallant Pasture; from whom I do very little or nothing dissent in Judgement, yet he that (if by Plowing) can Advance the Publique and himself also, I dare not say but he doth better, yet neither much amiss; Every man herein may please his own affection, where the Common-wealth is not eminently pre∣judiced.

But for other wayes of Improvement of the Richest sort of Land, I know little more worth Divulging, for either the Cost and Charge expended will not produce an answerable present Advantage, or else the continuance and certainty of future hopes may prove doubtfull; Which uncertainties I affect not, onely take this remembrance with thee, that if thy Pasture be very Vast and Large,* 1.6 Lesser Divisions will set the dearer and better, and every mans money for Con∣veniency, when greater are bargains for few men, and those for great ones also that will make their own Advantage, yet use moderation herein also, A large Pasture is comely, and a little Pingle Inconvenient, Extremes are neither for Cre∣dit nor Profit, but for Destruction;* 1.7 A Pasture about one hundred or sixscore Acres, or a hundred and fifty Acres is very commendable where they lye remote and at good di∣stance from great Market-Towns, or where Pasturing is ve∣ry

plentifull, but if either Pasture-Land be scarce, or border upon Common Fields, or Heaths, or Forrests, or if they lye near or adjoynining to any good Market, or great City, lesser divisions wil farre out-vy with greater in their price & advantage, the people lying under such necessities of Pastu∣rage, some to help to relieve their Common, and others to relieve the necessities of their own neighbouring Families; But in thy Divisions be sure to make them alwaies in the lowest parts of thy Lands, that so thy Ditches may serve in stead of Draines or Conveyances of Water, or taking away the Coldness that offends thy Land; every mans own Expe∣rience will patronize this Position.

But secondly, when any of these Rich Lands shall Dege∣nerate into Mossiness, Rushes, Coldness, or Over-grow with Weeds, Nettles, Hemlocks, Sow-Thistles, &c, then thy Land wil need good Husbandry, and wil admit of Improve∣ment, for Hemlocks, Nettles, Docks, Chick-weeds, and o∣ther common Weeds, these are as much occasioned with Fatness and too much Richness, as from any other cause; And when from this cause, no cure like Plowing, for that brings profit with the Cure,* 1.8 and advance in the very Re∣ducement; there is much Land of this Fatness; Some there is in divess parts of this Nation, as about Hay-Stacks, or Sheep-Pens, or places of Shade, or in the Warmest parts of many Pastures, which Sheep and Cattell chuse alway for their Lieare, and very much about the heads of Conney-Ber∣ries; All which according to former Direction (in Plow∣ing old Resty Land) will Reduce this to Moderation in o∣ver much Rankness; And especially if it be Plowed some∣what oftner than the other sorts of Lands, it will bear near as many more Crops without prejudice, and no other means whatsover will so Surely, Feacibly, and Profitably, work this Effect in my Experience, viz. To destroy the Weeds, and reduce it to perfect Grazing.

And as your Land degenerates to Mossiness,* 1.9 Rushes, and Coldness, none will deny the wonderfull certain change and alteration thereof by Plowing, if they should, I con∣ceive I have sufficiently cleared it where I have discoursed of

the second sort of Land at large in the thirteenth, four∣teenth, and fifteenth Chapters, and answered severall Ob∣jections made against the same; yet one or two more re∣mains to be Objected; Bear with me, I say the more herein, as Coveting to beguile men of such Prejudice as possesseth most, and so deeply rooted, as will ask hot water to Mat∣tock up.

Some say they have fou••d the contrary,* 1.10 their Land not Soarding of many years after, and when it hath come to Soard,* 1.11 it hath been neither so Rich, Thick, nor Fruitfull, & therefore Prejudiced by Plowing.

All which I Eccho with thee that possibly it may be so,* 1.12 and yet this may not reach too, nor in the least weaken my Propositions, which give direction onely to three or four Crops at most, unless in case of Weeds and Nettles, and too much Fatness, I never advise to Plow thy Land so long to bring it to this, I abominate such Husbandry, neither do I absolutely perswade to the Plowing of all Lands without Exception, well knowing that in some parts of this Nati∣on, there are some Lands, so Binding, so Tough a Sodering Clay, & Cold, that it will neither Soard so thick nor quick as others will,* 1.13 which sort of Land if Rich, and Sweet, will less Advance by Plowing, than any other, but to this sort of Land as it doth degenerate and decay, use it as a Medicine, and use it as according to former Rules, and lay down thy Land according to former Limitations, & que∣stion not though it Soard not so soon as other Lands, Mix∣ed Light, & more Loosened, yet it shal both Soard so Time∣ly, & so Richly, as it shall counter-profit all thy prejudice. And for other Lands either Gravelly, Light, Warm, and Sandy, or else Mixed,* 1.14 and Compounded, I dare affirm some Land the first year may be full as good as it was before Plowing; I have known a Winter Stubble after the Crop was Inned of some Pastures, worth as much that Winter half year as it usually was worth any Winter upon the old Soard, & yet hath not bin Pastured the whole half year nei∣ther,* 1.15 nay some have been worth as much as the said Lands have bin worth almost the whole year. The Eadish hath bin

so fruitfull, and my self have had the like Profits and Advantages, and have had a Wheat Stubble of my own being the third Crop, that will make good what I have Affirmed, and the very first year of Grazing full as good, if not better, than it was upon the old Turf before Plow∣ing.

They that cannot manage this Objection further,* 1.16 yet confess and say, 'tis true for two or three of the first years it may possibly hold fruitfull, but it shall fall after seven, eight, or ten, or more years, after that it shall be worse than ever.

To this I can say little more than what I have said before, unless you can produce me some Experiment,* 1.17 wherein my directions have been observed, and your Prejudice succeed∣ed, otherwise you say nothing; which Experiment when you have found, I shall not question but to discover your mistake, either you are mistaken in the nature of the Land, or else in the manner or way of Husbandry and Plowing, or else in the Method I propose in the laying of it down to Graze, or else the Stubble you lay it down upon, in all w^ch if you pursue me not, expect it not, all being faciable, and any man may more certainly, and as I conceive more de∣lightfully, work by Rule than Random. I say then in the ordinary course of nature, Gods blessing accompanying it, it shall increase and improve for many yeares, and conti∣nue untill some of the former and aforesaid Corruptions predominate again; Of which my self have had large Expe∣riences, and can produce many Presidents, and do but you look into and upon much of your new laid-down-Land to Graze, which being continually Grazed doth put more proof into all sorts of Goods, breed better, feed faster, milketh fruitfuller, than old Pasture that is Richer, for ten, fifteen, or twenty yeares together. I have bought the pu∣rest Mutton out of Land the third,* 1.18 the fourth, or fifth year after Plowing, being about eighteen or twenty shillings per Acre, than any Land in those parts of near thirty shil∣lings an Acre hath afforded, and in reason it must needs be so, because what Grass comes fresh, is pure without Mixture,

and sweet, being Young and tender, and having no currupt Weeds of Filth to annoy it, and fruitfull, having heat and strength left in the Land to feed it, and for continuance fear it not, if Grazed, for the very Grazing will Inrich it every year, and Improve it untill it grow so old again, and over-run with Moss, Ant-hills, Rushes, or other corrup∣tions, that it requires Plowing; and then let it have it, for the Lands and thy Advantage sake; I know other Pa∣stures which indeed were Plowed nine or ten Crops, and did much prejudice the Lands thereby, which I exceedingly condemn; yet this President answers this Objection, it ly∣ing now upon the fourteenth or fifteenth year after Plow∣ing, is better than ever was since Plowing, and mends every year, and is rich and healthfull if not more than it ever was, and would far more have abounded in fruit, if Moderation had been used.

Another Objection may be raised,* 1.19 which is this, your new Plowed Lands are more subject to Rotting Sheep than your old Pasture.

I answer, usually it is so,* 1.20 and Experience hath proved the same;* 1.21 yet if you ever found any parcell of Land Husban∣dred according to these directions, nicely observed as afore∣sayd, that it was layd so high and round, his over-Furlongs Drained by the lower, and a good Master Ditch or Trench the lowest, and Plowed but three or four Crops, and laid down upon the Winter Corn Stubble, &c. you either found little danger in it for Rotting, or else no more than other Grazed Lands thereabouts was subject to, for in great Rot years indeed, many of your Cold, Sowr, Rushy Pa∣stures, Rot themselves though never plowed, especially such as have either great Road-wayes; Drifts, or Passages through them; yet observe these two directio••s following, put case it should Rot first or second yeares,* 1.22 then Stock it with Beasts, and that prevents it, or else secondly with part Sheep, those barren Sheep to feed, and not with a breeding Stock, and part Beasts, and very easie that you may have Grass at pleasure, to satisfie them to the full, which will pro∣bably prevent them from eating Dirt or Gravell, and this

wil turn thee out as much profit and secure that danger in great measure out of question.

As for Rushes, Moss, and Coldness, which doth not much offend the best sort of Land, I refer thee backward to its more proper place, and have little more to say in the Advance of this richer sort of Land, but onely that in your Separations and divisions of your greatest Pastures, you be very curious in erecting Quick-set Hedges after the man∣ner prescribed in the ••ixt Piece, and the three & twentieth Chapt••••,* 1.23 and be most carefull of preserving them from bi∣ting and treading, and well fenced from any Annoyance, & maintained with constant Weeding for two or three years together, all which exactly observed, you shall raise upon each Lordship or Pasture, Fuell and Fire-wood sufficient to maintain many Families, besides the Timber which may be raised in the Hedg-rows, if here and there in every Pearch be but planted an Ash,* 1.24 Oak, Elm, or Witchazell, all which will not onely be most profitable, but most delight∣full and honourable unto men of Ingenuous spirits.

And if to this thou wouldest but add the sowing of Ker∣nels, or planting Crab-tree Stocks here & there in all your Hedg-rowes, and grasting of them, and preserving them precisely til they come to Trees, how gallantly would this good Land nourish them? what a benefit might the fruit of these Trees yeeld either in Perry or Sider, to be transpor∣ed into other parts, or else to relieve our poor at home? of which were there plenty this dear year, one third part of the Mault of this Nation might be saved, and so that Bar∣ley be for Bread; But more of this in his proper place, which I shall present thee with, as an admirable Piece of Improvement of it self upon any Lands it is capable to be made, as a new Addition in Orcharding Improvements.

Here two or three words more to shew the great Pre∣judice men suffer for want of these Plantations when they make divisions or separations in their Lands by new Quick-setting it.* 1.25

When men have planted the Quick, they conceive then they have don, nor observing perhaps neither to plan•• it in

the Over-most and Fattest Earth, nor for to Root all their Sets in the best Mould, nor when they have done, to preserve it from Sheep and Cattell, nor Mould it, Weed it, Hedg it, and secure it as it shall stand in need, for three, four, or five of the first yeares, All which were it done upon all Oppor∣tunities, No man almost in the Nation would be either at want of Firing, or Timber,* 1.26 especially were all such Fields, Marshes, Heaths, and Commons thus separated and divided; all which are fecible and might be done with great profit to all, and prejudice to none. I am ashamed to speak so much in these so easie and wel-known wayes of Husbandry, but that there is so much neglect thereof, as if men minded more their own and Publique Confusion, and Ruin, than Profit and Advancement; Some will cast Banks and Ditches for separation, and plant no Quick at all in them, and so destroy as much ground as if they Quick-set it, and spoyl the ground to no advantage; and others will Quick-set and never Fence it, Weed, nor Mould it, and so it either perisheth at first,* 1.27 or else groweth dwindled, lean, and barren, not worth any thing; or else suffer it to be bitten, or eaten with Cattell, or else stifled with cutting or plashing before it is ripe or ready, that it comes to no thickness, growth, or fruitfulness; In all which were there but a little Patience, and Addition of a little more cost and paines, there would not be one foot of ground more lost, but a double or treble Advantage raised upon it in few yeares, and ever after, with no other Husbandry continued, but ever bring in double profit for the charge bestowed, As in the cutting, plashing, scouring of the Hedges, which payes his cost bestowed, and sometimes double and treble, and if it be a Hedge curiously preserved, and cut just in his ripest season, before it begin to die i'th' bottom, and have in it either good store of great Wood, or Fruit-Trees planted among, the profits may aris•• to much more than is here spoken of.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Richst ••or •• of Land.
• * 1.2

  Destruction of the best Land is by over-plowing.
• * 1.3

  Mowing Land a great Impo∣verishing.
• * 1.4

  Moderate Plowing better than unlimit∣ed Mowing.
• * 1.5

  Plowing left indifferent up∣on the Richest Lands.
• * 1.6

  Divisions of Land advan∣ceth.
• * 1.7

  Small Divisi∣ons reproved.
• * 1.8

  Plowing the onely Cure of VVeeds.
• * 1.9

  Plowing the only Cure a∣gainst Mossi∣ness, Rush & Coldness.
• * 1.10

  Object▪
• * 1.11

  Against timely Soarding.
• * 1.12

  Ans. 2.
• * 1.13

  Plowing some Land must be used as a Medicine ••o•• as a Calling.
• * 1.14

  VVhat Land it is that may Soard as well the first year to as much profit as before.
• * 1.15

  A President of Wheat stub∣ble its speed▪ so Soarding.
• * 1.16

  Object.
• * 1.17

  Ans.
• * 1.18

  A president of fattest Mutton on the newest 〈◊〉〈◊〉.
• * 1.19

  Object.
• * 1.20

  Ans.
• * 1.21

  Rotting Sheep in new Pastures well ordered may be rate.
• * 1.22

  To prevent Rotting in new Tilled Pastures.
• * 1.23

  Separations and raising of Quick-set Hedges a gre••t advancement.
• * 1.24

  Hedg rowes a thing of de∣light and cre∣dit.
• * 1.25

  Reasons why Quick-setting thrives no 〈◊〉〈◊〉.
• * 1.26

  Hedg rows a great help for Firing and Timber.
• * 1.27

  Not preserving Quick-sets when planted is ruin to good Husbandry.