1 8 AGRICULTURAL WRULERS. 



another shilling per acre, and taking the quarter of wheat at 5^-. io\d., 

 the average for 140 years, the value of an acre of grass on a site of great 

 natural fertility and in close proximity to a town would be about equal 

 to 10^ bushels of wheat." Even in those days there were certain 

 burdens attached to the occupation of land. How would present-day 

 farmers have existed in such times ? 



The common names given by Fitzherbert to weeds are interesting, as 

 many of them stand just the same to-day. He says : 



In the later ende of Maye is tyme to wede thy corne. There be divers maner o: 

 wedes, as thistles, kedlokes (his name for charlock), dockes, code, drake, darnolde, 

 gouldes and do"- fenell. The thystle is an yll wede, and there be other wedes, as dee 

 nettylles, dodder [it seems remarkable he should have known this vile parasite], and 

 suche other that doo moche hanne. 



Draining land is a subject he has a good deal to say about, and 

 describes a system practised in the marshes in Essex, near Stratford, as 

 to the treating of water meadows for making hay. Chapters on how 10 

 set on sheepfolds, how to mow grass and make hay, to make an ewe love 

 her lamb, several chapters on cattle, horses, and other stock, not 

 forgetting the properties of a woman, various diseases with remedies, 

 lopping, cropping, and grafting fruit trees. A curious lesson made in 

 Englishe verses to teache a gentylman's servant " to say at every time, 

 when he taketh his horse for his remembrance, that he shall not forget 

 his gere in his inne behynde hvm." 



Purse, dagger, cloke, nyghtcap, kerchef, shoying horn, boget, and shoes. Spere, 

 mole, hode, halter, sadelclothe, spores, hatte, with thy horse combe. Bowe, arrows, 

 sworde, bukler, home, leishe, gloves, string, and thy bracer. Penne, paper, inke, 

 parchemente, reedwaxe, pommes, bokes, thou remember. Penknyfe, combe, thymble, 

 nedle. threde, poynte, leste that thy gurthe breake. Bodkyn, knyfe, lyngel, give thy 

 horse meate, se he be showed well. Make mery, synge an tliou can, take hede to thy 

 gere, that thou lose none. 



His description of heathlands is interesting, and I gather that the 

 value of dung was as greatly realised by farmers in his day as it is now. 

 He appears to have originated the present custom of granting leases on 

 condition that but one crop of corn shall be raised in three years upon 

 the same piece of ground. He also has a deal to sav on the moral and 

 religious conduct of the husbandman. His advice to a " yonge gentylman 

 that standeth to thryve " is to get a copv of his book and read it from 

 beginning to end, and according to the season of the year dictate that 

 particular chapter to his servants. He is to be up early, go out in his 

 fie'ds, and note down for future reference anvthing he observes 

 likely to be helpful. This Fitzherbert says he did " for xii. yeres 

 or more." 



After these ancient references comes the first book in the English 

 language which treats expressly on this subject, written by John 

 Fitzherbert, entitled " The Boke of Surveyinge." Here begynneth a^ 



