II4 Maies husbandrie. 
Now draine 2; The fen and the quamire,! so marrish be kind, 
ditches. 
and are to be drained, now wine to thy mind: 
Which yeerelie vndrained and suffered vncut, 
annoieth the meadowes that thereon doo but. 
q 22 Take heede to thy bees, that are readie to swarme, 
Seng the losse thereof now is a crownes worth of harme :* 
Let skilfull be readie and diligence seene, 
least being too careles, thou losest thy beene. 
pete 23 In Maie at the furthest, twifallow thy land, 
much drout may else after cause plough for to stand: 
This tilth being done, ye haue passed the wurst, 
then after who ploweth, plow thou with the furst. 
ee 24 Twifallow once ended, get tumbrell and man, 
and compas that fallow as soone as ye can. 
Let skilfull bestow it, where neede is vpon, 
more profit the sooner to follow® thereon. 
25 Hide hedlonds with muck, if ye will to the knees, 
so dripped and shadowd with bushes and trees: 
Bare plots full of galles,* if ye plow ouerthwart, 
and compas it then, is a husbandlie part. 
26 Let children be hired, to lay to their bones, 
from fallow as needeth to gather vp stones. 
What wisedome for profit aduiseth vnto, 
that husband and huswife must willingly do. 
Forthto, 27 To gras with thy calues in some medow plot nere, 
grasse with 5 
thy calues- where neither their mothers may see them nor here. 
Where water is plentie and barth to sit warme, 
and looke well vnto them, for taking of harme. 
1 quamer. 1577. ; ; 
2 ©©The Proverb says, ‘A Swarm in May is worth a Load of Hay.’ ”— 
T.R. 1710. Mavor says a swarm might fetch 15s. in his time (1812). 
3 The author of Zusser Redivivus and Mavor prefer fad/ow ; though M. 
says that all standard editions read follow. Cf. st. 9. 
* gales. 1577. 
