TUSSER, THOMAS. 



TUSSER, THOMAS. 



"Though beans be in sowing; but scattered in, 

 Yet wheat, rye, and peason, I love not too thin : 

 Sow barley and dredge with a plentiful hand, 

 Lest weed, stead of seed, overgrowelh thy land. 



It is evident that in those days the farmers 

 were not able to grow their grain on many soils 

 where the modern holders find no obstacles. 

 Thus he speaks of the difficulty they found in 

 producing barley in the parish of Brantham, 

 in Essex, where he farmed some land; and, 

 again, he tells us, what will surprise the mo- 

 dern skilful Suffolk farmers, 



" In Suffolk, again, whereas wheat never grew, 

 Good husbandry, used, good wheat land I knew." 



And he adds, 

 "As gravel and sand is for rye and not wheat." 



He mentions several varieties of wheat then 

 grown by the farmers of the reign of good 

 Queen Bess, such as white and red rivet, white 

 and red pollard, Turkey and gray. But of this 

 last he says, 



' Oats, rye, or else barley, and wheat that is grey, 

 Brings land out of comfort, and soon to decay." 



The land, however, was evidently farmed 

 with little skill : 



"Two crops of a fallow, enricheth the plough, 

 Though t' one be of pease, it is land good enough : 

 One crop and a fallow some soil will abide, 

 Where, if ye go further, lay profit aside." 



He warns the farmers to beware of corn- 

 stealers, and to keep their soil in good heart ; 

 to manure their land with the earth from head- 

 lands and old banks ; he commends the use of 

 night-soil for gardens; and recommends the 

 manure of the farm-yard to be laid up "round 

 on a hill." And he had the wisdom to perceive 

 the advantages of shed-feeding live-stock : 



" The houseing of cattle, while winter doth hold, 

 It is good for all such as are feeble, and old ; 

 It saveth much compass and many a sleep, 

 And spareth the pasture for walk of thy sheep." 



Grazing has, since Tusser's days, been more 

 and more on the decline, as soiling has been 

 better appreciated. A distinguished modern, 

 witty divine, in a letter to a friend, thus zeal- 

 ously denounces the grazing system : " Grazing 

 is an absolute barbarism ; it is just the same 

 as if you desired your servants to trample and 

 roll over your bread and butter." 



For faint cattle he recommends the use of 

 bay-salt ; and in his February's husbandry gives 

 some directions for the management of their 

 dung, which betrays a deplorable want of know- 

 ledge in its economy : 



" Wholayeth on dung, ere he layeth on plow, 

 Such husbandry useth, as thrift doth allow : 

 One month ere ye spread it, so still let it stand, 

 Ere ever to plow it, ye take it in hand. 



Place dung-heap alow, by the furrow along, 

 "Where water, all winter-time did it such wrong : 

 So make ye the land to be lusty and fat, 

 And corn thereon sown, to be better for that." 



In another place, however, he recommends 

 the farmer to use the mud from ditches and 

 ponds as a dressing for their land. 



They harvested their corn, it seems, then, 

 much after the same manner as at the present 

 day. They reaped their wheat and mowed 

 their stubbles ; and this they carried as we do 

 now, as soon as possible after harvest : 

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" For fear of destroying with cattle or rain, 

 The sooner ye load it more profit ye gain." 



And as to barley, Tusser says, 



" The mowing of barley, if barley do stand, 

 Is cheapest and best, for to rid out of hand : 

 Some mow it, and rake it, and set it on cocks ; 

 Some mow it, and bind it, and set it on shocks." 



They let out, at the period when Tusser 

 wrote, it seems, the harvest-work either by the 

 acre or by the day ; of which modes of getting 

 in the corn he seems to prefer the latter : 



" By great will deceive thee, with ling'ring it out, 

 By day will despatch, and put all out of doubt." 



His directions to the farmer with regard to 

 the treatment of his harvestmen and the poor 

 gleaners, and his warm hopes for the farmer's 

 success, betray the excellent benevolent spirit 

 with which he was actuated. He says, 



" Corn carried, let such as be poor go and glean, 

 And after thy cattle, to mouth it up clean ; 

 Then spare it for rowen till Michel be past, 

 To lengthen thy dairy, no better thou hast. 



In harvest-time, harvest-folk, servants and all, 

 Should make altogether, good cheer in the hall ; 

 And fill out the black bowl of blythe to their song, 

 And let them be merry all harvest-time long. 



Once ended thy harvest, let none be beguil'd; 

 Please such as did help thee man, woman, and child. 

 Thus doing, with alway, such help as they can ; 

 Thou winnest the praise of the labouring man. 



Now look up to God-ward, let tongue never cease 

 In thanking of Him for his mighty increase, 

 Accept my good will, for a proof go and try; 

 The better thou thrivest the gladder am I." 



Having commenced his directions with the 

 outgoing tenant, his last stanza concludes with 

 a reference to the incoming : 



" New farmer he thinketh each hour a day, 

 Until the old farmer be packing away." 



"Thus endeth and holdeth out 

 August's Husbandry till 

 Michaelmas Eve. Tho. Tusser." 



The Book of Husbandry of Tusser is also in- 

 teresting from the information it gives us with 

 regard to the oustoms and habits of the farmers 

 of more than two centuries and a half since. 

 It is evident that they then lived very much 

 upon salt fish, for in his directions for the far- 

 mer's diet, he mentions for Lent herrings and 

 salt fish at Easter they had veal and bacon 

 at Martinmas, beef before the feast of St. 

 John, mackerel fresh herrings at Michaelmas 

 at Hallowtide, sprats and spurlings for 

 Christmas fare they seemed to have all the 

 modern standing dishes, 



"Good bread and good drink, a good fire in the hall, 

 Brawn-pudding and souse, and good mustard withal ; 

 Beef, mutton, and pork, shred pies of the best, 

 Pig, veal, goose, and capon, and turkey well drest." 



They evidently, however, lived generally 

 very frugally : 



"Where fish in scant, and fruit of trees, 

 Supply that want with butter and cheese, 

 Quoth Tusser." 



They bought, in Tusser's time, such stocks 

 of salt fish as would amaze a modern farmer 

 in these protestant days, when, by the increase 

 of green winter food, cattle and sheep are kept 

 easily through the winter, and fresh meat is 

 always to be had. Few farmers would now 

 think of undertaking a journey to buy fish ; 

 yet he directed the farmer of the sixteenth 

 century, 



