Tillage

Also 6 tilladge, 6–7 tyllage, 7 tilage, tilledge. [f. TILL v.¹ + -AGE.]

  1.  The act, operation, or art of tilling or cultivating land so as to fit it for raising crops; cultivation, agriculture, husbandry.

1538.  Starkey, England, I. iii. 96. Me semyth ther ys a grete faute in tyllage of the ground.

1616.  Surfl. & Markh., Country Farme, 555. Barley asketh the greatest tillage of all graines.

1707.  Mortimer, Husb. (1721), I. 137. Pease and Beans belong to Garden-Tillage, as well as that of the Field.

1712.  J. James, trans. Le Blond’s Gardening, 166. There is no Danger in giving the Trees a good Tillage, that is to say, in breaking up the Ground pretty deep.

1735.  Berkeley, Querist, § 85. If all the land were tilled that is fit for tillage.

1833.  Ht. Martineau, Briery Creek, iii. The farmer makes his land yield double by good tillage.

  b.  The state or condition of being tilled or cultivated. In tillage, in or under cultivation.

1488–9.  Act 4 Hen. VII., c. 19. xx. acres of lond … lyeng in tillage or husbondrie.

1523.  Fitzherb., Surv., 2. It is at the lordes pleasure wheder they shall lye to pasture or to tyllage. Ibid. (1523), Husb., § 123. As moche land kept in tyllage.

1669.  Worlidge, Syst. Agric. (1681), 37. There is much waste Land,… although for the most part … it may be reduced into Tillage, and become very fruitful.

1787.  Winter, Syst. Husb., 33. When land has been long in tillage.

1897.  G. Allen, Type-writer Girl, iii. They have bought ten acres of wild land…; they are getting it into tillage.

  c.  fig. The culture of the mind or spirit.

1555.  Eden, Decades (Arb.), 64. If I shal perceaue the fruites of this my tyllage to be delectable.

1586.  T. B., La Primaud. Fr. Acad., I. (1594), 47. The true medicine and tillage of the soule whereby all vertue is taught us.

1683.  Tryon, Way to Health, 472. We do also esteem that Country most miserable, that doth neglect the proper Tillage, and Education of Children.

1878.  T. L. Cuyler, Pointed Papers, 185. He needs the tillage of prayer and Bible-study.

  2.  concr. Tilled or plowed land; land under crops as distinct from pasturage; the crops growing on tilled land.

1543.  Act 35 Hen. VIII., c. 17 § 3. Noe persons … shall converte or torne into pasture or tillage anye suche Coppies.

1632.  Lithgow, Trav., V. 191. It is also beautified with all the Ornaments of nature, as Herbage, Tillage, Pastorage, Fructiferous Trees.

1649.  Alcoran, 228. Will ye forsake eternall riches … to put your trust in your gardens, your fountains, your tillages, your dates, and fruits?

1681.  Worlidge, Syst. Agric., viii. § 3 (ed. 3), 159. Of Beans, Pease, Melons, Cucumbers, Asparagus, Cabbage, and several other sorts of Garden Tillage … An Acre of ground will yield far more of Tillage than of Corn.

c. 1710.  Celia Fiennes, Diary (1888), 108. Lands … with all sorts of Herbage and tillage.

1894.  Ld. Wolseley, Life Marlborough, I. 334. The fence … which divided the tillage from the moorland.

  fig.  1582.  Bentley, Mon. Matrones, 70. I praie God all men … may haue grace to become meete tillage for the fruits of the Gospell.

1611.  Bible, 1 Cor. iii. 9. Ye are Gods husbandry [marg. tillage], ye are Gods building.

  3.  attrib. and Comb.

1542.  in J. H. Glover, Kingsthorpiana (1883), 73. xxx acres of tyllage land.

1583.  Exec. for Treason (1675), 5. These … Jesuits … have as Tillage-men, laboured … to perswade the people.

1585.  T. Washington, trans. Nicholay’s Voy., II. x. 43 b. Gardens…, tillage grounds and pastures.

1712.  J. Morton, Nat. Hist. Northampt., 7. Tillage-land or Fielden.

1834.  Brit. Husb., I. 40. Tillage Farms are the most profitable to the community.

  Hence Tillaged a., brought under tillage.

1854.  Jrnl. R. Agric. Soc., XV. I. 24. The servitude of day labour upon the newly tillaged Fens.