53. ¶ To drawe and seuer the badde shepe from the good.
[Sidenote: Separate the sheep into flocks.] Whan thou haste all shorne thy shepe, it is than best tyme to drawe them, and soo seuer theym in dyuers sortes; [Sidenote: [Fol. 33.]] the shepe that thou wylte fede by them-selfe, the ewes by theym-selfe, the share-hogges and theyues by them-selfe, 4 the lambes by theym-selfe, wedders and the rammes by them-self, if thou haue soo many pastures for them: for the byggest wyll beate the weikeste with his heed. And of [Sidenote: Put those of one kind together.] euery sort of shepe, it may fortune there be some, that 8 like not and be weike; those wolde be put in freshe grasse by theym-selfe: and whan they be a lyttel mended, than sel them, and ofte chaunge of grasse shal mend all 12 maner of cattell.
It is necessary that a shepeherde shoulde knowe what thynge rotteth shepe, that he myght kepe them the [Sidenote: Spear-wort.] better. Ther is a grasse called sperewort, and hath a long narowe leafe, lyke a spere-heed, and it wyll growe 4 a fote hyghe, and beareth a yelowe floure, as brode as a peny, and it growethe alwaye in lowe places where the water is vsed to stande in wynter. An other grasse is [Sidenote: Penny-grass.] called peny-grasse, and groweth lowe by the erthe in a 8 marsshe grounde, and hath a leafe as brode as a peny of two pens, and neuer beareth floure. All maner of grasse, [Sidenote: [Fol. 33_b_.]] that the lande-floudde renneth ouer, is verye ylle for shepe, bycause of the sande and fylthe that stycketh 12 [Sidenote: Marshy ground is bad.] vppon it. All marreys grounde, and marsche grounde is yll for shepe; the grasse that groweth vppon falowes is not good for shepe; for there is moche of it wede, and ofte tymes it commeth vppe by the rote, and that bryngeth 16 [Sidenote: Mildew.] erthe with it, and they eate both, &c. Myldewe-grasse is not good for shepe, and that ye shall knowe two wayes. One is by the leaues on the trees in the mornynge, and specyally of okes; take the leaues, and putte 20 thy tonge to them, and thou shalt fele lyke hony vppon them. And also there wyll be many kelles vppon the grasse, and that causeth the myldewe. Wherfore they may not well be let out of the folde tyll the sonne haue 24 [Sidenote: Hunger-rot.] domynation to drye them awaye. Also hunger-rotte is the worst rotte that can be, for there is neither good flesshe nor good skynne, and that cometh for lacke of meate, and so for hunger they eate suche as they can 28 fynde: and so will not pasture-shepe, for they selden rot but with myldewes, and than wyll they haue moch [Sidenote: White snails.] talowe and fleshe, and a good skyn. Also white snailes be yll for shepe in pastures, and in falowes. There 32 [Sidenote: Pelt-rot.] is an other rotte, whiche is called pelte-rotte, and that [Sidenote: [Fol. 34.]] commeth of greatte wete, specyally in woode countreyes, where they can not drye.