Inclosing.- Anciently, in the hundreds of Malmesbury and Chippenham were but few enclosures, and that near houses.  The north part of Wiltshire was in those dayes admirable for field-sports.  All vast champian fields, as now about Sherston and Marsfield.  King Henry the 7 brought in depopulations, and that inclosures; and after the dissolution of the abbeys in Hen. 8 time more inclosing.  About 1695 all between Easton Piers and Castle Comb was a campania, like Coteswold, upon which it borders; and then Yatton and Castle Combe did intercommon together.  Between these two parishes much hath been enclosed in my remembrance, and every day more and more.  I doe remember about 1633 but one enclosure to Chipnam-field, which was at the north end, and by this time I thinke it is all inclosed.  So all between Kington St. Michael and Dracot Cerne was common field, and the west field of Kington St. Michael between Easton Piers and Haywood was inclosed in 1664.  Then were a world of labouring people maintained by the plough, as they were likewise in Northamptonshire.  ’Tis observed that the inclosures of Northamptonshire have been unfortunate since, and not one of them have prospered.
        ___________________________________

Mr. Toogood, of Harcot, has fenced his grounds with crab-tree hedges, which are so thick that no boare can gett through them.  Captain Jones, of Newton Tony, did the like on his downes.  Their method is thus:  they first runne a furrow with the plough, and then they sow the cakes of the crabbes, which they gett at the verjuice mill.  It growes very well, and on many of them they doe graffe.
        ___________________________________

Limeing of ground was not used but about 1595, some time after the comeing in of tobacco. (From Sir Edw.  Ford of Devon.)
        ___________________________________

Old Mr. Broughton, of Herefordshire, was the man that brought in the husbandry of soap ashes.  He living at Bristoll, where much soap is made, and the haven there was like to have been choak’t up with it, considering that ground was much meliorated by compost, &c. did undertake this experiment, and having land near the city, did accordingly improve it with soap ashes.  I remember the gentleman very well.  He dyed about 1650, I believe near 90 yeares old, and was the handsomest, well limbed, strait old man that ever I saw, had a good witt and a graceful elocution.  He was the father of Bess Broughton, one of the greatest beauties of her age.
        ___________________________________

Proverb for apples, peares, hawthorns, quicksetts, oakes: 

        “Sett them at All-hallow-tyde, and command them to grow;
        Sett them at Candlemass, and entreat them to grow.”
        ___________________________________

Butter and Cheese.  At Pertwood and about Lidyard as good butter is made as any in England, but the cheese is not so good.  About Lidyard, in those fatt grounds, in hott weather, the best huswives cannot keep their cheese from heaving.  The art to keep it from heaving is to putt in cold water.  Sowre wood-sere grounds doe yield the best cheese, and such are Cheshire.  Bromefield, in the parish of Yatton, is so — sower and wett — and where I had better cheese made than anywhere in all the neighbourhood.