54 AGRICULTURE IN THE 



He then describes the working hours of a farmer or plough- 

 man. He supposes him to begin his work after Christmas, 

 on the first plough -day, i.e. Plough Monday, or the first Monday 

 after January 6. He is to rise at four in the morning, and 

 feed and clean his cattle and his stable. While they are 

 feeding, he is to get his harness ready : this work will occupy 

 two hours. Then he is to have his breakfast, for which half- 

 an-hour is to be allowed. Getting the harness on, he is to 

 start by seven in the morning to his work, and to keep at it 

 till between two and three in the afternoon. He is then to 

 bring his cattle home, clean them and give them their food, dine, 

 and at four go back to his cattle and give them more fodder, 

 and getting into his barn, make ready their food for the next 

 day, see to them again, go to his supper at six. and after this, 

 'by the fireside, mend shoes both for himself and his family, 

 or beat and knock hemp and flax, or pitch and stamp apples 

 or crabs, for cider or verjuice, or else grind malt, pick candle 

 rushes, or do some husbandry office within doors, till it be 

 full eight o'clock.' He shall then take his lantern, and visit 

 his cattle again, and then go with all his household to 

 rest. 



Markham considers that the best animals for draught are 

 oxen, the next horses, and the worst, bulls ; that eight, six or 

 four are needed for plough, five or four for a cart, and never 

 less than six for a waggon, except in harvest-carrying, when 

 four good oxen are enough. The number of oxen needed for 

 a plough depends of course on the nature of the soil, and the 

 time that the plough is to work the same land, the later 

 ploughing being easier than the first. A team of oxen he 

 adds will not do as much as a team of horses, because they 

 are not so swift, and you cannot drive them out of their pace. 

 They can plough an acre a day, or an acre and a rood, or even 

 an acre and a-half. It will be seen then that from the days of 

 Walter de Henley to those of Markham, fully four centuries, 

 writers on English husbandry gave a marked preference to 

 the labour of oxen on a farm, over that of horses. 



