La Maison Rustique - March

From: L'agriculture et maison rustique, Charles Estienne (Rouen, 1658).

The works that the laborer should do for each month of the year.

(Chapter 10)

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March

In March sow in the first days the flax, dyers woad (if it was not sown in February), oats, barley, millet, fleabane, hemp, peas, lentils, bitter vetch, lupins, small corn, vetch, beans, and other similar marks.

Give a second work to the fallow grounds, which are well rested, and smoke that which are prepared for sowing.

Weed the corn, take the grafts to fasten when the trees are in sap, and before the buds emerge. Plant the fruits of chestnuts, almonds, hazelnuts and filberts, and the stones of olives, and apricots, and diverse other fruits.

Draw up several seed plots of apples, pears, mulberries, and other similar fruits: Plant the plants of foot herbs, like asparagus, artichokes, required cardoons, sage, lavander, rosemary, strawberries, gooseberries, roses and lillies, gourds, cucumbers, mellons and pumpkins.

Dress all the gardens, as well kitchen gardens in beds, and sow there the necessary seeds: prune and bear the roots of the vines and fruit trees, so that they bear more fruit: saw away the tree roots: gather together the branches for heating.