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Every place is almost furnished with dry Meadows, which are convetible sometimes into Meadows, and sometimes into Pa∣stures; and such places much more where Waters, Springs and Ri∣volets are scarce, or the Rivers very great, or the Country hilly, that water cannot so well be commanded over such Lands as in o∣ther places they may: which dry Meadows and Pastures are capa∣ble of Improvement by several ways.
And principally by Enclosure; for where shall we finde better dry Meadows, and richer Pastures, than in several hilly places of Somersetshire, among the small Enclosures? which not only pre∣serveth the young Grass from the exsiccating Spring-winds, but shadoweth it also in some measure from the Summer-scorching Sun-beams, as before we noted in the Chapter of Enclosure. Such Meadows or Pastures well planted with either Timber or Fruit-trees in the Hedge-rows, or other convenient places, and enclo∣sed in small parcels, will furnish you with good Hay and good Pasture, when your Neighbour whose Lands are naked, goes with∣out it; for dry Springs or Summers more usually happen than wet; besides the shadow for your Cattle, and many other advantages, as before we observed.
In several places where the ground is moist, cold, clay, spewy, rushy or mossie, or subject to such inconveniencies, that the Pasture or Hay is short, sower, and not proveable, it is very good Hus∣bandry to pare off the turf about July or August, and burn the same (after the manner as is hereafter described when we come to treat of burning of Land) and then plough it up immediately, or in the Spring following, and sowe the same with Hay-dust, or with Corn and Hay-dust together; for by this means will that acid Juice that lay on the surface of the Earth, which was of a sterile nature, and hindred the growth of the Vegetables, be eva∣porated away, and also the Grass which had a long time degene∣rated by standing in so poor a Soil, be totally destroyed, and the Land made fertile, and capable to receive a better species brought in the Seed from other fertile Meadows.
It is too commonly observed that many excellent Meadows, or Pasture-land, are so plentifully stored with Shrubs, small Hillocks, Ant-hills, or such like, that a good part thereof is wholly lost, and so much thereof as is mown is but in patches here and there, and that that remains not so beneficial as if it were either mown or sed together. Now the best way or Method of stubbing up such thorny Shrubs, or Broom, or Goss, or any such annoying Shrubs, which proves both laborious and costly any other way than this, is ingeniously delivered by Gabriel Platt: the Instrument by him discovered is like a three-grained dung-fork only, but much greater and stronger, according to the bigness of the Shrubs, &c. the stale thereof like a large and strong Leaver; which Instrument being set half a foot or such reasonable distance from the Root of the Shrub, &c. then with a Hedging-beetle drive it in a good depth; then elevate the Stale, and lay some weight or fulciment under it, and with a Rope fastened to the upper end thereof, pull it down, which will wrench up the whole bush by the Roots. Also Ant-hills prove a very great annoyance to Pa∣sture, and Meadow-lands, which may be destroyed by dividing the Turf on the top, and laying of it open several ways; then take out the core, and spread over the other Land, and lay the Turf down neatly in its place again, a little hollowing in, and lower than the surface of the Earth; and at the beginning of
the Winter the Water standing therein will destroy the remain∣der of the Ants, and prevent their return, and settle the Turf by the Spring, that by this means may a very great Improvement be made of much Meadow or Pasture-land, now a great part thereof Bushes and Ant-hills.
These Meadows and Pasture-lands where the water overflow∣eth not at any time, are the only places where you may lay your dung, or other Manure to the best advantage, it being not capable of being improved by water, nor the Soil laid thereon subject to be carried away, or at least the better part thereof extracted by the water, either casually by Floods, or any other way overflow∣ing the same.
The best time for the Soiling of Meadows and Pasture-lands is in the Winter-season about January or February, that the rains may wash to the Roots of the Grass the fatness of the Soil, before the Sun drieth it away: and dissolve the clots, that may be spread with a Bush drawn over it like a Harrow, before the Grass be too high.
Ashes of Wood, Peat, Turf, Sea-coal, or any other Fewel, is very proper to be laid on Cold, Spewey, Rushey, and Mossie Land (not sandy or hot) and suits best therewith, and agrees with the Husbandry of burning the Turf, as is before advised: the dung of Pigeons, or any other Fowl, works a better effect on that than other Lands; also all hot and sandy Soils are fittest for that sort of Lands.
Lime, Chalk, Marle, or any cold fossile Soils, are an extraor∣dinary Improvement to dry, sandy, hot Lands of a contrary na∣ture or temperature, as well for Meadow and Pasture, as for Corn-Land: I have seen much of the blew Clay, which they call Ʋrry, that's digged out of the Coal-mines, and lies near the Coal, laid on Meadow and Pasture-lands, to a very considerable advan∣tage. Many instances of wonderful Improvements made by mix∣ing of Soils of contrary natures, you may finde in several of our modern Rural Authors.
Between these two extremes, your ordinary dung or Soil is best bestowed on your Meadows and Pastures, not so much inclining either way; for it is a very principal part of good Husbandry to apply the Soil or Compost properly, as the nature of the ground requireth; whereof you may finde more hereafter, in the Chap∣ter of Soils, Dungs, &c.
Improved by Enclosure.
Burning of Rushy and Mossie ground.
Stubbing up of shrubs, &c.
Discovery of hidden Trea∣sures.
Dunging or Soyling of Meadows and Pastures.
Time for Soyl∣ing.
Soyl for Rushy and cold Land.
For sandy or hot Land.
For other Mea∣dows.