GREAT AGRICULTURAL WRITERS 135 



have his breakfast, for which half an hour is allowed. Getting 

 the harness on his horses or cattle, he is to start by seven to 

 his work and keep at it till between two and three in the 

 afternoon. Then he shall bring his team home, clean them 

 and give them their food, dine himself, and at four go back to 

 his cattle and give them more fodder, and getting into his 

 barn make ready their food for next day, not forgetting to see 

 them again before going to his own supper at six. After 

 supper he is to mend shoes by the fireside 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 

 befall eight o'clock '. Then he shall take his lantern, visit 

 his cattle once more, and go with all his household to rest. 

 The farm roller of this time, according to Markham, was made 

 of a round piece of wood 30 inches in circumference, 6 feet 

 long, having at each end a strong pin of iron to which shafts 

 were made fast. 1 He mentions wooden and iron harrows, but 

 this refers only to the tines, the wooden ones being made of 

 ash. From an illustration of a harrow which he gives, it 

 appears it was much like Fitzherbert's and many used to-day : 

 a wooden frame, with the teeth set perhaps more closely than 

 ours ; the single harrow 4 feet square drawn by one horse, the 

 double harrow 7 feet square by two oxen at least. Wheat he 

 says, when the land is dug 15 inches deep, and the seed dibbled 

 in, will produce twelve times as much as when ploughed ; but 

 he admits the ' intricacy and trouble ' of this method. 2 As to 

 the question of mowing or reaping corn, he is of opinion that 

 though ' it is a custom in many countries of this kingdom not to 

 sheare the wheat but to mow it, in my conceit it is not so good, 

 for it both maketh the wheate foule and full of weede'. 

 Barley, however, should be mown close to the ground, though 

 many reap it ; oats too were to be mown. His directions for 

 planting an orchard 3 are interesting, both as showing the kinds 



1 Whole Art of Husbandry (ed. 1635), i. 5- 2 Ibid - ' IO - 



3 Ibid. i. 121. 



