Husbandry anatomized, or, An enquiry into the present manner of teiling and manuring the ground in Scotland for most part and several rules and measures laid down for the better improvement thereof, in so much that one third part more increase may be had, and yet more than a third part of the expence of the present way of labouring thereof saved / by Ja. Donaldson.

CHAP. III. How to mannage the Ground to better Advantage, tho not Inclosed.

SEeing all that can be said in Ge∣neral,

can never point out the Case so clearly, as condescending on Particulars doth; I shall therefore lay down the whole Matter in every Cir∣cumstance, which I shall do by com∣paring the present way of managing the Ground, by that which I shall propose. But because every kind of Ground is not alike, some being Valys, which of themselves are more Fertile than Hills or Mountainous Ground, and some lying near Bor∣roustowns, geting a greater quantity of dung than its own product can make, by which it is in a prettie good Condition already. But seeing I am to give only one Instance, it shall be that which is commonly cal∣led Dale-ground, that is, such Lands as are partly Hills, and partly Va∣lys, of which sorts may be compre∣hended the greatest part of Arrable▪ ground in this Kingdom; And as is ••aid, tho this one Instance cannot be

an infallible Rule for managing every kind of Earth by, yet in some mea∣sure, any person may know how to manage every kind of Ground; For, if the Ground be naturally Fertile, or lying near any place where dung can be had: More Land may be taken into dunging, and where the Ground is naturally barren, less must be taken in dunging, than what is here proposed; In a word, I would give this a general Rule, to dung no more than can be dunged sufficiently.

Of this kind of Dale-ground above mentioned, I shall suppose a Farmer to have a Lease or Tack of threescore Aikers, at three hundered Merks of Rent per annum, (perhaps some who are not acquaint with Rural Affairs, may think this Cheap, but these who are the Possessors thereof, think other∣wayes, and find difficulty enough to

get the same payed, according to their present way of manuring there∣of, as anone you shall see.) But that I may proceed to the Comparison, I shall show how commonly this Farme Room is managed; It is com∣monly divided into two parts, viz: one third Croft, and two thirds Out∣field, (as it's termed) The Croft is usually divided into three parts, To wit, One third Barly (which is al∣wayes dung'd that year Barly is sowen thereon) another third Oats, and the last third Pease. The Out-side field is divided into two parts, To wit, The one half Oats, and the other half Grass, two years successively.

This Ground being improven as above represented, let us see next what the Labouring of it may cost, and what may be the Product there∣of: First, The Product that may be supposed to be on each Aiker of

Croft four Bolls, and that of the Out field three, the Quota is seven score Bolls: This we may reckon it to pro∣duce good and bad Seasons, the Bet∣ter to mend the worse, which we shall also reckon at five pounds per Boll, Cheap Year and dear year, one with another; This in all, is worth seven hundered pounds.

Then let us see what profit he can make of his Cattle: According to the division of his Lands, there is twen∣••y Aikers of Grass, which cannot be expected to be very good, because ••t gets not leave to ly above two years, and therefore cannot be well ••oarded: However, usually, beside ••our Horses, (which are keeped for ••loughing the said Land,) ten or ••welve Nolt are also keeped upon a ••erm Room of the above mentioned ••ounds: But in respect of the badness of the Grass, as said is, little Profit

is had of them, perhaps two or three stone of Butter is the most can be made of the Milk of his Kyne the whole Summer, and not above two Hiffers brought up each year. As to what profit may be made by bring∣ing up young Horses. I shall say no∣thing, supposing he keeps his Stock good by those of his own upbringing, both in this Case, and in that which I shall instance by and by: The whole Product then of his Cattle cannot be reckoned above fifty Merks; For in respect his Beasts are in a manner half starved, they are generally small, so that scarce may a Hiffer be sold at a∣bove twelve pounds; The profit of his Bestial therefore, cannot exceed what is said.

By what is said, you see the whole Product of this Farm Room, exceeds not the Value of seven hundered and thirty three pound, or thereabout;

The Grain and Bestial being all he has to make Money of, except what Vertue the Good wife and her Maid can make, which is needless here to enquire into; For let it be what it will, the way of managing the Ground, according to this project, will rather further than hinder them in their Frugality.

Therefore I shall now try what Ex∣pence or Out-Cost the managing of this Room may be: And not to men∣tion the first Cost or Stocking of it, which may be about the matter of 8 or nine hundered pounds, the Inte∣rest of which in Reason, ought to be allowed out of the first end of his pro∣fit. But I shall proceed, you heard this Ferm Room produceth one hun∣dered and fourty Bolls of Grain per annum, fourty of which may be allowed for the Mantainance of his Family, and sixteen for the use of his

Horses, fourty to pay his Rent with∣al, and as much for Seed; This in all makes one hundered and thirty six Bolls, only four Bolls remains for paying of Servants Wages, which cannot be less than seventy or seventy five pounds, for he can labour it with no fewer than two Men, and one Maid, beside a Herd in Summer, and other Servants that are required in Harvest: Yet nothing more hath he to furnish his Family in Cloaths, and other Necessarys, except the Industry made by his Wife and Maid, or if he can spare some of the fourty Bolls allowed to be consumed in the Family, it may help to pay part of his Servants Fees.

Now I shall proceed to show what Method I would have Fermers take in managing their Land. You heard, two Men, a Boy, a Maid, and four Horses, was required to labour the

Room above mentioned, I shall seek no more to labour one half more Ground: And if the product of both be equal, according to their propor∣tions, then is the expence of Seed, and labouring of this additional thirty Aikers, wholly saved, which is a considerable profit; But I shall make it evident, not only shall this expence be saved, but also the pro∣duct of the Ground shall be more than that of the first Instance, even pro∣portionablie to their Bounds.

The Mailen or Ferm Room I am to speak of, I suppose to contain ninety Aikers of the like Ground, with that formerly mentioned, I divide it thus, sixty six Aikers I make Out-field, which I divide into three parts, two thirds I leave Grass, and one third I plough three years, then I plough a∣nother third part three years, and then the last third part I plough other

three years, and begins again to plough that first third part, and so continues to plough one third, and ••ave two thirds Grass; Thus every third is ploughed three years, and lyeth six successively.

Of the other twenty four Aikers, I first take two, and I make it in a Yeard, or Orchyeard, half an Aiker thereof I Sow and Plant, with Cab∣bage or other Kaile, and what Roots I think fit for Use of the Family; the other Aiker and half I leave Grass, and the whole I plant with Fruit∣trees, but because I assigne this Orchyeard for another Use, than al∣lanerly for Fruit, I plant the Trees at the matter of thirty foot distance: The Trees being planted at this dis∣tance, hindereth nothing the growth of Grass or Herbs beside them, and within ten or twelve years, much Be∣nefit maybe also made of themselves.

The twenty two Aikers that re∣main, I divide into five parts, which is near four Aikers and a half each part: To make the shares equal, I take half an Aiker off the Out-field. Thus I have eighteen Aikers of Croft∣land sowen, & four and an half Grass each year, so I dung four Aikers and a half the first year, and thereon I sow Barly, the next year I sow it with Wheat, the third year with Pease or Oats, the fourth year with Oats or Pease, the fifth year I leave it Grass, or if I thing fit I Fallow it the fifth year, by this Method, only four Aikers and a half is to be dunged every year, for which there is dung abundance, because a far greater num∣ber of Cattle can be keeped on this Mailen, than that above mentioned, (because I have more than three times as much Grass, for tho there be not three times as many Aikers, yet in respect it is much better Soard∣ed

by lying six years, whereas the other lay but two, it will be no worse than what is said.) And as I observ∣ed formerly, six or seven Aikers of the other Mailen used to be dunged every year, 'tis certain this four aikers and a half, hath farr greater allow∣ance.

Let us next see what product may be reasonably expected off this Mai∣len. I suppose it will not be denyed (by any who know Husbandrie) but each Aiker of Croft may produce eight or ten Bolls at a Cropt conside∣ring how strongly it is dunged: How ever, I shall reckon but only seven, and the Out-field I suppose may be reckoned to bear four Bolls per Aiker▪ For seeing in the above writen in∣stance, three Bolls was the product of one Aiker after two years lying; And this lying six years, cannot but be much more Refreshed, for tho the

common way of supplying the De∣fect of the Salt Quality that is in the Earth, be by applying Dung or Lyme: Yet there is also much of this Qua∣lity in Dew and Rain, and when the Ground is not tiled or opened up, Grass or other things the Earth produ∣ceuh of it self, doth not extract forth so much of this hot Quality by far, as Seeds do when it is Manured; There∣fore I think one Boll per Aiker, may be very reasonably expected more off Ground that has had six years rest, than that which has had two. The product then of twenty two Aikers, I shall reckon four score and eight Bolls, and seven times eighteen, the product of the Croft-land is six score and six Bolls, which in all make•• two hundered & fourteen Bolls; A fourth part of the Croft being sowen with Wheat, we may reckon on 24 Bolls of that Grain (beside its own Seed) which is at least a Crown per

Boll better, than other Grain; Add this to five times two hundered and fourteen pounds, the Value of the whole Grain upon the said Mailen, the Quota is eleven hundered and four∣ty two pounds.

Next let us consider what Stock of Cattle may be maintained upon this Mailen or Ferm Room: You hear'd, four Horses, and ten or twelve Nolt, were keeped upon that above menti∣oned, and three times as much Grass is upon this: Yet, I shall not so much endeavour to augment the number, as strive to have the Cattle in a good Condition; For, as I formerly re∣marked, generally throughout this Kingdom, the Cattle are almost half starved, which keeps them both small and lean. Let us therefore keep on this Mailen, but two Horses, four Oxen, and eight or ten Milk Kyne, and a Bull: Six Calves we may reck∣on

to be brought up by them ever year, one half Male, the other Fe∣male: Our Stock of young Cattle, according to this Calculation, doth consist of six Calves, six of a year old, and six of two years old, which according to the Vulgar way of reck∣oning Soumes, may be counted eight Soumes: And when they come to be three years old, they come in the account of Kyne or Oxen; The two Horses, according to the Vulgar ac∣count, are reckoned four Soumes, and every Cow or Oxen one, so the whole Soumes above mentioned, are twenty seven. The Aikers of Grass in this Mailen are fourty eight, be∣side that of the Orchyeard (which I reserve for Hay to give the Cattle when sick, or Sheep in a Storm) besides the above said twenty seven Soumes, I may keep on this Grass, fourty or fifty Sheep.

Let us now reckon what Benefit may be made of thir Cattle; And first, of the ten Milk Kyne, may be made sixteen or twenty Stone of But∣••er, sixteen Stone at a Dollar per stone, is odds of fourty six pounds in Money, three Oxen and three Kyne, I have to sell or dispose of every year, and in respect they will be bet∣ter fed than Cattle commonly now are•• (in regaird their Pasture is not overlaid) I may reckon them at eigh∣teen pound the peece, four of them I sell at Hallowday for seventy two Pounds, and two of the Oxen I keep and feed (having good Fooder e∣nough) all Winter, and in February or March, I sell them at thirty pounds the peece at least, which is sixty pounds: Upon the Horses I reckon neither Profit nor loss. Of the pro∣duct of our Sheep, we may reckon twenty to be brought up every year, their Wool may be reckoned worth

thirty or thirty six pounds; I sell or ••••spose of seven or eight of the weak∣est of them at Hallowday, at fourty shilling a peece, which amounts to fourteen or sixteen pounds, twelve of the best of them I put into the Orchyeard, and lets them feed there till after Candlemas, and then I can sell them at four or five pounds a peece at least, which is fifty or sixty pounds.

Beside all this, I can have in my Orchyeard, four or five Bee Hives, which may be keeped at little or no Expence, whereof I may make twenty four pounds per Annum, and the half Aiker of Orchyeard I have in Herbs and Roots, shall save a Dozen or sixteen Bolls of Grain; However, I do only reckon it to save fiftie pounds.

Now, Let us see what the whole

product of this Mailen or Farm Roo•• amounts to, in all.

Imp: 214 Boll•• grain at 5 lib: per Boll.	1070	00	00
The addition alworth of 24 Boll•• Wheat	72	00	00
3 Kyne and one Ox, at 18 lib: a peece.	72	00	00
2 Oxen at 30 lib: a peece	60	00	00
8 Sheep at 2 lib: a peece.	16	00	00
12 Sheep at 4 lib: 4 shil: a peece.	50	08	00
The profit of the Orchyeard.	50	00	00
The W••••l worth.	36	00	00
16 stones Butter at 2 lib: 18 shil: per stone	46	08	00
Honey worth.	24	00	00
	1496	16	00
The product of that Mailen above men∣tioned, was only	733	06	08	Which being deducted from 1473 lib: 16 ss: there remains still.	763	09	0••

You may remember I observed the Expence of Labouring and Seed of both Mailens are alike, for seeing I labour but fourtie Aikers of the later, the just number of that laboured of the former, the like number of Ser∣vants, and quantity of Seed, will sow and labour both.

You see I have seven hundered and sixty three pounds more in this than the product of the first Mailen, and I have only a hundered pounds more Rent to pay, conform to the propor∣tion of Ground I have more in this last; But because the Landlord gives me Encouragement at my first Stocking of this Ground, in trusting me for se∣veral years a part of his Rent, be∣cause at first, the Ground cannot be brought to a good Condition, and because I get a Tack or Lease some considerable time, that I may be there∣by encourag'd to improve this Ground; therefore I shall allow him twenty or thirty Bolls more Rent per Annum. Now, grant that I do pay 30 Bolls more than what is above reckoned on, and proportionable to the Rent of the first Mailen, that is one hun∣dered and 50 pounds in Money, take this and the hundered pounds last mentioned, from seven hundered and

sixty three pounds, five hundered and thirteen pounds have I still more profit, than he who possesseth the first Mailen, managed as at prese••t it is, through the greatest part of this Kingdom.

But beside all this, I offer yet to make it evident, I shall save ten or twelve Bolls of Grain the other doth not, which I do thus; You may re∣member sixteen Bolls was allowed to maintain four Horses in labouring the first Mailen; But in the other, I al∣low only two Horses to be keeped, and four Oxen, they need not to be fed with Corn as Horses are, three or four Bolls per Annum, is all that four Oxen will need, so here is four Bolls saved at least, which is but a part of the profit had by labouring with Ox∣en, for as I have shewed above, sixty pounds may be made every year of two Oxen, after they have laboured

two or three years, which cannot be made of Horses, for tho some may make Benefit by bringing up Horses, yet all cannot: Further, than to get Service of them while they live, for all of them must once die in some Bo∣dys custodie; And therefore, what∣ever any may gain, others must cer∣tainly loss of them. But because Ox∣en are not so good for every Service as Horses are, I recommend a part of each, as most Convenient and Beneficial.

Again, I save six or seven Bolls of Seed, which the Possessors of the first Mailen doth not; And because I had Occasion several times to mention Bolls and Aikers, which are not alike in all places throughout this King∣dom▪ I shall here tell what Bolls and Aikers I mean off; the Boll is af∣ter Lithgow Standard, which contains near seven or eight Potles English,

or a galon Scots measure, this is the Stander for Oats or Barly; But that of Wheat, Pease, and Meal one third less: And the Aiker contains an hun∣dered and sixty Pearches or Falls, to a Fall six Ells, an Ell thirtie seven Inches, and a Quarter of an Inch; Three of our Aikers make near a Rood more than four English Aikers; I have reckoned all along a Boll of Grain for Seed to an Aiker of Ground which doth very near jump in all kinds of Grain, except Barly, which doth not require so much, But seeing I have reckoned both Mailens alike, what it varies in the one, it varies in the other also.

But to make my Assertion good, I say, let any person observe, and they will scarce find one stalk of any kind of Grain, but it will have a dozen of Grains upon it, and some will have no fewer than thirty or fourty, and scarce any under twenty, beside seve∣ral

stalks sometimes out of one Root. By all which it would appear, the product is no less than twenty four Fold: And yet (in the mean time) five or six or seven Fold, is thought no despicable Increase.

This says not above one third of the Seed that is sowen doth come to perfection, which I am very apt to believe: Now let us see what are the Causes why it is so, which (beside the fault of the Seed) I can guess at none save two, the Maladies of both I shall in some measure remeed; The first is by reason of the roughness and knotyness of the Ground whereon the Seed is sowen, some of it falling down to the bottom of the Furrows, and afterward being covered with clods and dust, perhaps more than 5 or 6 inches thick, it is either therein chocked for want of Air, or cannot get sprung up thorrow so much Earth.

Moreover, even tho it be not so deep in the Earth, yet when the Seed is sowen dry, and falling into such pla∣ces of the Ground as are also dry, it cannot suddenly chip or spring, and continuing partly moist and partly dry, a great dale of it consumeth be∣fore it doth sprout.

That which confirms me in this Opinion, Is, when I have taken no∣tice to Malt upon the Floor, scarce one Grain of ten, yea in good Grain, scarce one of twenty, but what did fairly chip, or begin to shot forth, from which I conjecture, if that which is sowen on the Earth, were as much moisten••`d, it would as universally chip: And I believe, very little Grain that once springeth above Ground, doth afterward ••ail, except the Sea∣son be very intemperat.

The way then to Remeed these

Maladies, are to steep the Seed be∣fore it be sowen twenty four hours at least (some prescrive steeping in Aquavitae and Lyme Water) but I am for no such Curiosity, fearing the Benefit will not repay the Charges; But let it only be steeped in Water twenty four hours, as is said, and let it ly upon the floor till the watter dry from it, and if ye cannot convenient∣ly have it instantly sowen, it will be nothing the worse to ly three or four days (providing ye let it not heat,) it cometh as fast forward on the Barn Floor as if it were sowen▪ For the Sape or Moisture that remaineth in it after steeping, is sufficient to make it once sprout, & I suppose after it doth once chip or shut forth, it doth not radily afterward fail. And then to prevent its falling into hols, give the Ground a course of Harrowing before the Seed be thereon sowen, and tha•• harrow it till it be enough, Taking 〈1 page duplicate〉〈1 page duplicate〉

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thir Measures, I dar adventur to sow an Aiker of Land with two or three Pecks less Seed, than in following the common Manner, which is more than seven Bols saved of fourty Aikers, if three Pecks per aiker be rebet: But I shall only reckon six saved this way,

Before I close this Chapter, I shall answer one Objection, which some perhaps may frame against my steep∣ing of Seed-Corn, in that I'm of O∣pinion, dry Seed sowen upon dry Ground is not sudenly moistened, and lying some considerable time half wet half dry, is consumed before it receive Life: Whereas on the contrare it's the universal Opinion of all that have any Knowledge, or Experience of Husbandrie, that a dry Seed time is the most seasonable of any, in so much that it's a Vulgar Proverb A Boll of March Dust is worth a Boll of Gold, but steeping of Seed seems to inferr the contrair.

To which I answer, this makes nothing against my assertion for as I shewed above, there is a moderat temperature of diverse Qualitys re∣quired in the Earth to fit it for bring∣ing furth Grain, & it is not so much the excess of Moister in Seed-time, that hindereth a plentyful Cropt, as it is the excess of Cold, and tho the Earth of it self be Cold and Dry, yet Wa∣ter is Colder, and when the ground is wet with Rain in Seed-time, it cool∣eth it so much, that much of the Seed consumeth before it Chip. Another bad consequence that followeth a wet Seed-time, is the ground being Ploughed and Harrowed wet, is in a manner knedded together like Levan, and drying afterwards hardneth to∣gether as if it were a Cake, so that Air hath not free access to the Seed or Root of the stalk, and therefore cannot be so fruitful, as otherwayes it would be: Besides all this a great

dale of hurtfull Weeds spring up which are incouraged by a Cold wet Season, and geting once above the Corn before it rise keep what advan∣tage they get.