The improvement by cinque-foile, which now spreads much in the stone—brash lands, was first used at North Wraxhall by Nicholas Hall, who came from Dundery in Somersetshire, about the yeare 1650. George Johnson, Esq. counsellour-at-law, did improve some of his estate at Bowdon-parke, by marling, from 6d. an acre to 25sh. He did lay three hundred loades of blew marle upon an acre. Sir William Basset, of Claverdoun, hath made the best vinyard that I have heard of in England. He sayes that the Navarre grape is the best for our climate, and that the eastern sunn does most comfort the vine, by putting off the cold. Mr. Jo. Ash, of Teffont Ewyas, has a pretty vineyard of about six acres, made anno 1665. Sir Walter Erneley, Baronet, told me, a little before he died, that he was making one at Stert, I thinke, neer the Devizes. The improvement of watering meadows began at Wyley, about 1635, about which time, I remember, we began to use them at Chalke. Watering of meadows about Marleburgh and so to Hungerford was, I remember, about 1646, and Mr. John Bayly, of Bishop’s Down, near Salisbury, about the same time made his great improvements by watering there by St. Thomas’s Bridge. This is as old as the Romans; e.g. Virgil, “Claudite jam rivos, pueri, sat prata biberunt”. Mr. Jo. Evelyn told me that out of Varro, Cato, and Columella are to be extracted all good rules of husbandry; and he wishes that a good collection or extraction were made out of them. 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.