124 HISTORY OF AGRICULTURE 



At the commencement of this important century an old 

 calendar of 1606 clearly sets forth the farming work of the 

 year l : 



January and February are the best months for ploughing 

 for peas, beans, and oats, and to have peas soon in the year 

 following sow them in the wane of the moon at S. Andrewstide 

 before Christmas ; which may be compared to Tusser's advice 

 for February, 



' Go plow in the stubble, for now is the season 

 For sowing of fitches of beans and of peason.' 



' Clean grounds of all such rubbish as briars, brambles, 

 blackthorns, and shrubbs ' (then more often choking the ground 

 than now), which are to be fagoted as good fuel for baking 

 and brewing. 



' Do not plough in rainy weather, for it impoverisheth the 

 earth.' 



March and April. Take up colts from grass to be broken. 

 Sow beans, peas, and oats. In these months are all grounds 

 where cattle went in the last winter to be furthed (apparently 

 managed) and cleared and the mole-hills scattered, that the 

 fresh spring of grass may grow better. All hedges and ditches 

 to be made betwixt ' severals ', evidently enclosures as distin- 

 guished from common fields. From March 25 to May i 

 summer pastures are to be spared, that they may have time 

 to get head before summer cattle be put in. In the meantime 

 such cattle are to be bestowed in meadows till May Day, and 

 after that date such meadows are to be cleansed and spared 

 until the crops of hay be taken off. From now till mid- 

 summer sell fat cattle and sheep, and with the money buy 

 lean cattle and sheep. Sow barley. 



May and June. Sort all cattle for their summer pasture 

 on May Day, viz. draught oxen by themselves, milch cows by 

 themselves, weaning calves, yearlings, two-year-olds, three- 



1 Farming Calendar, from an original MS., printed in Archaeologia, 

 xiii. 373 et seq. 



