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. XLI.

Onely speakes to the husbandring Flax so as to make it come up to as much of the improve∣ment as we can.

FLax, it is a very good Commodity, and I shall endeavour to incourage all ingenuous men, that delight in the common good, thereto, as much as may be; especially all such as have suitable lands therefore, upon this ac∣count, because it is, as I may call it, a root, or roundation of advantage, upon the prosperity whereof, depends the maintenance of thousands of people in good, honest, and laborious callings: and were but this very peece of husbandry advanced, the sowing and raising of it, according to the capacity the lands of this Nation will afford; I dare affirme to hold it forth against the stoutest opponent, that it would maintaine neare all the wanting people of this Nation. A volume is too little to containe this vast Discourse; yet take an abstract of it, which for the more methodicall demonstration, shall be held forth under these heads.

1. The severall Lands capable of improvement hereby.

2. The many people capable of imploymen hereby.

3. The best experiences of plantiug and raising to the best advantage.

4. The profit accrewing there from both general and par∣ticular.

1. As for the land,* 1.1 capable of raising good flax; is any good sound Land, be it in what Country sover it will, if the land be good, either earthy or mixed of sand or gravel; and old land, it is the best, that hath lyen long unplowed, it had need come up to the value of a mark, or near twenty shillings an Acre,* 1.2 that is your kindest slax-land, but I know where they give three pound an Acre to sow flax upon, within a mile of London, and yet in most Counties of England, I know as good and kind land for that husbandry, as any o∣ther, and at London, they have work-men dearer too, and yet can raise (though they give so dear) a very considera∣ble profit out beside.

Again, any of your good Arrable, that is in good Heart and rich, that is perfect sound drie land, is perfect good flax land. Some parts of Essex, from Bow and Stratford, down along the way, by the Marsh side, a great part of up-land thereabouts, is good flax Land, so is there very much in Kent, all along on the other side the river by the marshes side, is good naturall land thereto; in very many parts, about Maidstone in Kent, where the best thred is made of England, is excellent good flax-land: so is there also in most Coun∣ties, as Warwick-shire, Worcestershire, Northampton, &c.

2. And that I may give the more incouragement here to spin,* 1.3 I say, as heretofore, it is a commodity that will set a∣bundance of persons upon an honest and profitable calling, from the first preparing the land, untill the fruit of your la∣bours come in; one acre of good flaxe may maintain di∣vers persons to the compleating of it to perfect cloth: Con∣sider how many Trades are supplyed hereby.

1. The Land must have the same husbandrie of plowing; harrowing and sowing, as lands have for corne, there's the husbandmans businesse, sometimes, yea many times weed∣ing too, then pulling, stitching and drying, then rippelling, and laying up and preserving the seed, then watering it ei∣ther on the ground, or in the water, then drying it up, and housing it, and kilne-drying it, then breaking and towtaw∣ing

it, then hetchelling and dressing it up; then spinning of it to yarne or thred, then weaving of it, and bleaching, then it returnes againe to the good house-wives use or Seamster, and then to the wearing and usage, and all these particular imployments be upon this poore businesse, halfe a dozen good callings and imployments this makes out, and therefore many persons it will imploy, and we both want cloth, and our poor work.

3. Now as to the carrying on this design,* 1.4 and making the best of this improvement, I shall here give in the best ap∣proved way of planting of it, as is yet discoved; as for the Land, let it be good and well plowed, both strait and even, without balkes, and in due season, about the beginning of March, or the latter end of February.

And as for the seed, the true East Country seed, is far the best,* 1.5 although it cost very dear, one bushel of it to sowe; is worth ten bushels of our owne Couetry seede; but the second crop of our own, of this Country seed, is very good, and the third indifferent, but then no more, but again to your best seed.

The quantity of it is about two bushels upon an Acre at least, some sow a pecke more; but I conceive two may bee enough, but of our seed it will require halfe a strike more then of the East Country seed, you may buy it in the Seed∣mens shops at Billingsgate, our Flax men in former dayes did not sow above half so much, or little more, but now their experience hath brought them to this pitch.

At my first knowledge of the East-country flax seede,* 1.6 for the perfect discoverie of the goodnesse of it, I sowed one land, the ridge or middle of the Land with our own Coun∣trie seed, and both the furrowes with this Dutch or East-country seed, our seed was incompassed with this, as with a wall abought it, it so much over-grew it in height.

The season of sowing of it, if a warme season, in the latter end of March,* 1.7 but in the warmer parts, as Essex, and Kent, I conceive mid March may doe well, but in colder parts, as down towards Warwick-shire, and Worcester-shire, the beginning of April may be early enough, and if it

should come a very wet seasō you must take care of weeding of it also, and in the ripening of it, you must be careful, that it grow not till it be over-ripe, lest the stalk should blacken or mildew, yet to his full ripeness you must let it grow, the which you may perceive both by the harle, and by the seed; some will ripen earlier, and some later, as you sow it earlier or later, but against it be ripe, be sure to have your pluckers to fall in hand with plucking of it, and then tie up every handfull, and then set them up upright, one against another, like a Tent, till they be perfectly drie, and then get it all into the ba••ne, or where you please to preserve it for use, it is indifferent whether you ripple it, or take off the boles of it, as soone as you bring it home, or when you in∣tend to use it.

As for your watering of it, whether in the water or up∣on the Land,* 1.8 that I shall not determine peremptorily, but thus much I say, that both may doe well, and he that gets store, will find use of both: because of the one, you make use as soone as your flax is pulled, and then you need not stand so curiously upon the drying of it, but after you have got your seed, you may water it, and the watering of it, opens, and breakes the harle the best; but then you must bee carefull of laying up your seede, that it heate not, nor mould, and that which you water then, may be a winters worke for your people untill the Spring come on, and then get it forth upon your grasse Land, and spread it thin, and turne it to preserve it from mildewing, and keepe it so untill you finde the harle bee ready and willing to part from the core, and then drye it up and get it in for use.

As for the drying of it, a kilne made on purpose is best, so that you be carefull of scorching of it, this will make greate riddance of the same, and to them that have greate store, sunne-drying will never doe the feate, though it may doe well for a small quantity, or the flax of a private Family.

As to the working of it, you must provide your Brakes and Tewrawes both, the one, and that is the

brake which bruises and toughens, the harl, and the Tewtaw that cut and divides out the coare, if you use the Tewtaw first, it may cut your well dryed flax to peeces, yet both do best, yet the brake first.

These things are common and known to many in most Countries but not to all, and least to those that have lands most capable thereof.

It will cost the Workmanship of it,* 1.9 betwixt three and four pound an Acre to bring it up to sale, it lyeth much up∣on the workmans hand, and therefore far more to be advan∣ced, by how much the more it raiseth imployment, for ma∣ny people to live thereby.

Where wages is great, it comes off the hardest; yet where it is carried on to purpose, people flock hard that want work, and because of constancie, will worke at easie tearms, else how could they possibly do good of it at London, or near about it, where they work at double rates, but there have I seen the best flax I ever saw.

4. Lastly, the benefit that may be made hereby, an Acre of good flax, may be worth upon the ground, if it be the first East-Country seed, seven or eight, yea, possibly ten or twelve pound, yea far more, the charge whereof beside the seed, untill it be ripe, may not be above ten shillings an acre, which if you work up to be fit to sell in the Market, it may come up to fifteen, or sixteen, or near twenty pound in the market, but to bring it so high, as thirty pound, as in Flanders, I dare not say.

But an acre of our Country seed, will hardly come up to above three pound or four pound an Acre; unlesse very good indeed, to which if it amount unto, and no more upon the Land, it will make a good advancement of the Land, which may be, Land, and Seed, and all charges, may come to about fifteene or sixteene shillings an Acre, the seed being not worth above two shillings a strike.

I shall say thus much more, that I verily believe wee are not come up to that perfection, wee may attain unto in this mystery, because I have heard of some Gentlewomen that

have out of their owne Flax and Hempe drawne out a thred exceeding pure, as pure and fine againe as our ordinary Traders therein doe, and have made as much more cloath of a pound of both, and that both strong, and more ser∣viceable, then the strongest and best Outlandish Hollands;* 1.10 and I am confident, if this mystery doe but receive incou∣ragement from Authority, and it made more tending to publike good, the maintenance of the poore in worke, and sequestring the Trade so farre to our owne proper Natives, as may be a sufficient Magazine of work for them. I am sure we have land suitable enough to bear it, and to afford suffi∣cient profit, and will be a considerable advance unto the lands throughout the Nation.

And so I hope I have supplyed in some measure, more of our deficiencies that really are, and are said to be in our English Husbandry.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Fit••est flaex Land.
• * 1.2

  3. l. given for slax Land.
• * 1.3

  The several persons that slax imployes.
• * 1.4

  How to raise the best flaxe.
• * 1.5

  Best flax seed.
• * 1.6

  An experiment of both sorts of seed.
• * 1.7

  The season for sowing flax.
• * 1.8

  The manner of watering of it.
• * 1.9

  The charge of the flax from the beginning till it come to the Market.
• * 1.10

  The flax and Hempe-trade not come to perfection.