earth-tilth en · NOUN
Etymology
From Middle English erthe-tilthe, equivalent to earth + tilth.
Meanings
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(archaic, dialectal, rare, uncountable) Cultivation of the ground; farming; agriculture.
"That was my mother's father," Grandfather Crey had said. "And he used to say 'feather-heeled' when he meant agile. A horse's fetlock was his 'foot-lock,' and we fanners did not engage in farming, young Joze, we engaged in 'earth-tilth.'
2000, Nancy Varian Berberick, A Child of Elvish - Page 101:Dumb-founded Nature You will crown the chorale of our hearts The day you rise - Who give us weight, earth-tilth And tincture - God will fill the opening Of your eyes.
1994, Paul Matthews, With My Heart in My Mouth: