jplinics Natural! Hiftorid. 55^5 



A 



Chap. XXViii. 



^ of meJdotves and Itsy grounds for hay andpaflure, 7 he manner how to refrefh and repair'c 

 a meddi^w. Of fnh.flones and whet-flones : of Silhs and Sickles, K^lfo^ the 

 Ume for forving corne^and the defcription of thofe fixed ftars 

 thatgoverne this feafon^ 



THe ordinarie feafbn to mow mcddowes^ is about the Calends or beginning of lune. And 

 verelyjulbeit thele kind of grounds askc Icaft care and toile about them for to bee maintai- 

 nedjand ftand the Husbandman in as little chargesjyet fomething would bee faid thereof, 

 B and thefc few rules following obferved.Firft therefore^ a ground would be hained in^left lay^and 

 kept for grafle and hey, which is for foile good and fat^ for fituation lying either low and moift^ 

 or elie having water at commaund from a brook or rivet nearc athand : but above all^if it be poP 

 fiblejitmuftlicfojthatitmayhavcthebenefiteof iheraincby.letting inland-floudsintoit(run- 

 ning along the lanes and highwaies) for to refrefh and water the fame. Alfoitispaffinggood 

 otherwhiles to plough up a meddow ground [for the graflc will come and grow afterwards the 

 betterjfo it be well harrowed or raked thcreupon,and laid even and levell. Provided alwaiesjthac 

 hey- feedsj flowers & all^ be fowed upon it(fuch as be found in hey-lofts and ricks^or els that fhed 

 out from the rackeinto the crib or maunger) which would bee done before the fame ground bee 

 harrowed as is abovcfaid-Howbeit^neither ought a meddow diat is laid for hey and paflure, bee 

 C watered the firf^ yearCjne yet grafed with caticUjbefore the fecond mathj for feare leaft the beafls 

 pluck up the gralTe quite ere it be well tooted, or kill the heart thereof by ikining and trampling 

 it under their feet. Moreover, it is to bee noted, that fuch meddow grounds in time will age(as it 

 wcre)and decay :in which regard^they ought to be helped and reftored to their heart againc^by 

 fowing therein either Beanes, Rapes^Na vews^or M.illct : and when, you have taken a crop of one 

 of thefe from thence, the yeare follovting they would bee fownc with fome Frument pr brcad- 

 corne : and fo the third yeare left lay for meddow againcOver and befidcs^this would not be for- 

 gottenjthat at every math, fo often as the grafTe is mowed for hey with the ly thjthere come one 

 after with an hooke^to cut downe thole, tults and manes which the mowiers paffed over and left 

 {landing behind them .-for there is noihingworfefora meddow, than to fuifer grafTe grow to 

 D feed. The belt hearbe in a meddow is the Claver grafle or Trefoile : next to it is the common 



graile called Gramen,?.Coich or Dogs- tooth : iheworflis^Mimmulus . Alfo the Camocke or * Some read 

 VVhin,called Refl-harrow,and fuch like cQ<^AQd grafTcjis not for mowiers/or they crie out upon '^^^^^2na 

 fuch and curfe it.Moreover,they cannot away with the hearbe Equifetis, /.Horfe-taile, fo called 

 for the refemblancc it hath to an horfe- taile or mane. 



The fit time to mow downe grafle,is when the fpike or head thereof beginneth once to fhed 

 6owers,and to waxc ftiiie : for in no cafe muft it fland untill it be drie and wiihered. Bee not too 

 late (quoth Ci/i?) inyourheyharveft, but downe with your meddowes^ before the feed of your 

 graffe bee ripe. SotDe,the day before that they fet fyth into their meddowes^water thenijif there 

 be a brooke at hand to be let in. And indeed the bcff cutting downe of grafieisprefently upon 

 E fome good dcwes that have fallen overnight. * hi fome parts of Italic the manner is to cut their * ^^^P'^J^^ 

 meddowsaftercorneharveft.Moreoverjinold time it was more coifly andpainefulltomow(by c^nT^^uiK 

 far)than it is now adaies: for they ufed no other whetftones,butfuch as were knowne and ordina- 

 riCjas brought out of Candie and fi-om beyond feas which would not give an edge to their fythes 

 and make them keene^vAjithout they were whetted with oile[as Barbers doe their rafours^and gra- 

 vers their fine chezils and carving yrons :] and to that purpofe the mowier went ever with ahorn 

 fiill of oilcjtied fafl tojiis flianke. Since which time there have been found in Italie other munec 

 of grindftonesjwith waterjwhich will bring any y ron toole to an edge quickly^aswell as a filcBuc 

 thefe water grindleff ones fbonc get a fwarth and ptefently become greene. 

 : As touching the very Sythes,there bee two forts of them. For thoie of Italic be fhortcr than 

 F otherjcafie to handle and weldjand it were among buihes,briers,andbramblcs.In France where 

 their fields and meddowcs be l3rge,they goe a nearer and fhorier way to worke,for they make no 

 more adoe,but cut the grafle down at the middlc,and let that alone which is fhort. Our mowiers 

 here in Italie^ take but one hand to it, and that is commonly their rightj and fo cut downe their 

 yrafTe : thus you lliail have a man ordinarily in one day goe over an acre and cut it downe clean, 

 • ° 13 Alfa 



