Part 5 (2/2)

OR,

The Enriching of all sorts of Barren and Steril grounds in our Kingdome, to be as fruitfull in all manner of Graine, Pulse, and Gra.s.se, as the best grounds whatsoever.

Together with the annoyances, and preservation of all Graine and Seed, from one yeare to many yeares.

As also a Husbandly computation of men and Cattels daily labours, their expeences, charges, and utmost profits.

The fourth time, revised, corrected, and amended, together with many new Additions, and cheape experiments:

For the bettering of arable Pasture, and wooddy Grounds. Of making good all grounds againe, spoiled with overflowing of salt water by Sea-breaches: as also, the Enriching of the Hop-garden; and many other things never published before.

_LONDON_, Printed by EDVVARD GRIFFIN for IOHN HARISON, at the signe of the golden Vnicorne in Pater-noster-row. 1638.

Photo by Thomas L. Williams]

Now it may be intended, that there may be in the houshold more servants than one; and so you will demand of mee, what the rest of the servants shall be imployed in before and after the time of plowing: to this I answer, that they may either goe into the barne and thrash, fill or empty the maltfat, load and unload the kilne, or any other good and necessary work that is about the yard, and after they come from plowing, some may goe into the barne and thrash, some hedge, ditch, stop gaps in broken fences, dig in the orchard or garden, or any other out-worke which is needfull to be done, and which about the husbandman is never wanting, especially one must have a care every night to looke to the mending or sharpening of the plough-irons, and the repairing of the plough and plough-geares, if any be out of order, for to deferre them till the morrow, were the losse of a daies worke, and an ill point of husbandry.

APPENDIX II

THE TRANSPORT OF GRAIN

In the early years at Jamestown, much grain was s.h.i.+pped from England for the use of the colonists. The extract, which follows, is from Markham's _Farewell to Husbandry_, 4th edition, 1638. The term ”corn”

as used by Markham does not mean maize (Indian corn), but wheat, barley, rye, or oats.

And first for transportation of graine by sea, it is two waies to be done, as either in great quant.i.ties for trade and the victuallyng of other nations, or in smaller quant.i.ty for victualling the men in the s.h.i.+p, prepared for a long and tedious voyage.

For the transporting of graine for trade in great quant.i.ties, it is to be intended the voyage is seldom long, but from neighbor to neighbor, and therefore commonly they make close decks in the s.h.i.+ps to receive the graine, faire and even boorded, yet if such decks be matted and lined both under and on each side, it is much the better, and this matting would be strong and thinne; there bee some which make the decks only of mats, and sure it is sweet, but not so strong as the boord, therefore the best way of transportation is to have strong boorded deckes well matted, and then spreading the corne of a reasonable thicknesse, to cover it with matting againe, and then to lay corne on it againe, and then mats againe, that betweene every reasonable thicknesse of graine a mat may lie, the profit whereof is, that when the corne with his owne heate and the working of the sea shall beginne to sweate, which sweat for want of aire to drie it up, would turne to putrifaction, then the mats thus lying betweene, will not only exhale and sucke up the sweate, but also keep the corne so coole and dry, that no imperfection shall come unto it: and here is to be noted, that these mats should rather be made of dry white bents, than of flagges and bulrush, for the bent is a firme, dry, crispe thing, and will not relent or sweat of it selfe, but the flag or bulrush is a spungy and soft substance which is never empty of his own and other moystures.

Now for transporting of graine, for victualls for the s.h.i.+p, which is in much smaller quant.i.ty, because it is best for the private use of a few within the s.h.i.+p; the only best and safest way, is, to take salt-fish barrells, or any caske in which any salt-fish hath beene piled, as cod, herrings, salmon, sprats, or any other powdred [_i.e._, _salted_] fish; and whilest the vessels are sweet, you shall calke them both, within and without, plaster [and] daubing them all over; then into them put your graine of what kinde soever it be, and head them up close, and then stow them in such convenient dry place of the s.h.i.+p, as you shall thinke fit; and questionlesse, if beliefe may be given to the worthiest authors, which hath writ in this kinde, you may thus keepe your graine sweet, sound and in full perfection from one yeere to an hundred and twenty yeers; but certainly daily experience shows us, that all kind of graine thus put up and kept, will remaine sound and sweet, three, foure, and as some say, seven yeeres, for so far hath lately been try'd; and what here I speake of [on] s.h.i.+p-boord, the like may be done in any town of war or garrison, whether besieged, or not besieged, or in any other place, where any necessity shall compell; the proofe of this manner of piling or putting up of graine, serveth as well for land as sea.

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