[Sidenote: End of June.] Also in the later ende of June is tyme to begyn to mowe, if thy medowe be well growen: but howe-so-euer [Sidenote: July.] they be growen, in July they muste nedes mowe, for diuers causes. One is, it is not conuenient to haue hey 4 [Sidenote: Mow hay early.] and corne bothe in occupation at one tyme. An other is, the yonger and the grener that the grasse is, the softer [Sidenote: [Fol. 19.]] and the sweter it wyll be, whan it is hey, but it wyll haue the more wyddrynge; and the elder the grasse is, the 8 harder and dryer it is, and the worse for al maner of cattell: for the sedes be fallen, the whiche is in maner of prouander, and it is the harder to eate and chowe. And an other cause is, if drye wether come, it wyll drye 12 and burne vpon the grounde, and waste away. Take [Sidenote: How to mow.] hede that thy mower mow clene and holde downe the hynder hand of his sith, that he do not endent the grasse, and to mowe his swathe cleane thorowe to that that 16 was laste mowen before, that he leaue not a mane bytwene, and specyallye in the common medowe: for in the seuerall medowe it maketh the lesse charge, and that [Sidenote: Mole-hills.] the moldywarpe-hilles be spredde, and the styckes cleane 20 pycked out of the medowe in Apryll, or in the beginnynge of Maye.
24. ¶ Howe forkes and rakes shulde be made.
[Sidenote: Forks and rakes.] A Good husbande hath his forkes and rakes made redye in the wynter before, and they wolde be gotte bytwene Mighelmasse and Martylmasse, and beyked, and [Sidenote: [Fol. 19_b_.]] sette euen, to lye vpryght in thy hande: and than they 4 wyll be harde styffe and drye. And whan the housbande sytteth by the fyre, and hath nothynge to do, than maye he make theym redye, and tothe the rakes with drye wethy-wode, [Sidenote: Bore holes for the teeth of the rakes.] and bore the holes with his wymble, bothe aboue 8 and vnder, and driue the tethe vpwarde faste and harde, and than wedge them aboue with drye woode of oke, for that is hard, and wil driue and neuer come out. And if he get them in sappe-tyme, all the beykyng and drienge 12 that can be had shal not make them harde and styffe, [Sidenote: Use hazel and withy.] but they woll alwaye be plyenge: for they be moste comonly made of hasell and withee, and these be the trees that blome, and specially hasell: for it begynneth 16 [Sidenote: Use no green wood.] to blome as sone as the lefe is fallen. And if the rake be made of grene woode, the heed wyll not abyde vppon the stele, and the tethe wyll fall out, whan he hath mooste nede to them, and let his warke, and lose 20 [Sidenote: Make all evenly.] moche heye. And se that thy rake and forke lye vpryghte in thy hand, for and the one ende of thy rake, or the syde of thy forke, hang downe-warde, than they be not handsome nor easy to worke with. 24