If you sowe Winter-corne, as eyther Wheate or Rye vpon swarth ground, looke how much Corne toucheth the mosse, so much will be drowned and cannot spring, the mosse in his owne nature dooth keepe so much wette in it selfe. In some Countries, if a man plow deepe, hee shal plough past the good ground, and so haue little Corne, but that Country in my iudgement is not fitte for tyllage, but rather thereto to reare and breede Cattell, as Oxen, Kine, or Sheepe, or els they must goe beate their lands with Mattocks, as they doo in many places of Cornwall, and in some places of Deuonshiere. The manner of plowing land is in three formes: eyther they be great Lands, as with high ridges and deepe furrowes, as in all the North parts of this Land, and in some sotherne parts also, or els flatte and plaine, without ridge or furrow, as in most parts of Cambridge-shiere: or els in little Lands, no Land containing aboue two or three furrowes, as in Midlesex, Essex, and Hartfordshiere.
For the first, it is needfull, where the grounde is stife, tough, and binding, beeing alwaies capable of much wette, that if the Lands did not lie hie, not onely would the fatnesse choake the Corne ere it could come foorth, but also the colde soaking wette, would confound the vigor and strengthe of the seede. For the second, that is good where the ground is somewhat light, and giuen to barrennesse: so that what forcst [_read_ forct] vertue soeuer you thrust into the ground, either by manure or otherwise, the Land lying flatte and plaine, shall still retaine it, not suffering it as els it would to wash away with euery shower. For the last, that is, where the grounde is both barren, cold, and stiffe: if there you plough in large Lands, the wether and season will so binde it together, that the seede shall burst, but not finde any passage to sproute. Againe, such ground is subiect to much weede, besides, if your lands should be any greater, you should neuer possibly come to weede them, eyther as they would or they should be done.
=9.= I. R. alters this section, noting--“Neuer sowe Pease or Beanes on a light, hote sand ground, for that will neuer beare them, but for the Beane, the extreamest and the stiffest ground is the best. If it bee lesse stiffe, then the mingled ware[38] is best, as Pease and Beanes well sorted. If it bee neither stiffe nor light, then cleane Pease is the best, for they wil prosper most kindliest.”