barley. Sty-gate flatte served 15 pease-pullers three whole dayes and rather more. Our usuall manner is to sette 5 peasepullers to one broade lande, and sometimes but 4, if they bee all men; and sometimes againe 6 on a lande. Wee imploy aboute this labour our mowers, binders, and onely some of the ablest outliggers, wheare we thinke good. The men have 8d. a day, and the women 6d. a day; they usually make the right hande furre the farre furre, and therin goe usually women and the weakest sorte of them. When wee perceive mowinge to growe to an ende, then doe wee seeke out our pease-hookers, grinde them and lye them in readinesse, providinge for every one of our owne folkes one, and likewise reservinge 4 or 5 in store for such day-taile folkes as have not of theire owne. The best time for pullinge of pease is in wette weather and dewy morninges, for that may bee done best att such times when the grownd is the wettest and softest; then doe they come up by the rootes with most ease; againe they pull the best when they are the most feltered togeather. Pease-pullers allwayes lye one of theire handes viz. ; theire uppermost hand, juste on the ende of the shafte, holdinge it somethinge under the shafte; and theire nethermost hande they allwayes lye above the shafte; and soe strike they with theire hooke neare unto the rootes of the pease; and soe strikinge they eyther breake the stalkes, cutte the stalkes, or else pulle them up by the rootes; and then, ever as they strike, they rowle them on forwards, tumblinge them over and over till there bee as many as they thinke sufficient for a reape, and then doe they parte them, and throwe by the reape. Pease-pullers are to bee admonished that in makinge of theire reapes, they allwayes observe to tumble them well over, and wrappe them up rownde, that they lye not flatte towardes the grownd; for then doe they drinke up raine, and keepe longe wette and moist. They are likewise to bee forewarned that they make not theire reapes too bigge, for then are they unweeldy and troublesome, both to forke to the waine, and likewise from the waine to the stacke; and besides, if they gette any wette, then are they longe erre they dry. They are alsoe to bee forewarned that they wrappe as fewe thistles and greenes amongst theire reapes as possibly they can, and then the pease of themselves will bee soone welked and dry. Twelve pease reapes goe to a cocke, and 14 and sometimes 16 cockes to a loade; but it is an unusuall thinge to cocke pease, unlesse it bee wheare they pay tithe, and then they must of necessity bee cocked; but our use and custome is to soe our pease allwayes on our Demaine flattes, and then are wee neaver troubled with cockinge of them, unlesse it bee to preserve them from dewes

I

and small showers; for if theire come any great raines, then they are better uncocked then cocked, because then they shall neede noe throwinge out, but soe soone as wee finde the upper side dry to gette them turned; but if the upper side of the reapes bee wette, then is it a folly to turne them, because that is but to turne the dry-side upwards; unlesse it bee after a longe wette season, soe that you are affrayed that they will sproute and growe to the grownde as they lye, by reason of theire longe lyinge moist. Our usuall manner is to lette them lye 7 or 8 dayes on the landes, after they are pulled, to welke and dry, viz.; three dayes afore they be turned, and the fourth day to turne them, and then to lette them lye a day or two longer, and the sixth or seaventh day to leade them, if it bee faire. The manner is to turne pease with shorte forkes, such as they use for tiftinge of hey, and on the mowes, settinge two folkes to each lande, and throwinge the reapes up allmost as high as the ridge of the lande on that side wheare the waines are to come downe, but on the other side of the land but a little distance from the furre, because the reapes shoulde not lye over close, but that the winde shoulde come to dry them, if they chance to bee wette. Eight folkes turned allmost all Stygate flatte in one day. There was in Stygate flatte (this yeare) just five score and tenne loades, wheareof the Greate Helme in the Staggarth helde 43, the Helme in the Foregarth helde 23, and there was 45 loades which were stacked in the West hall East close which stacke was just 12 yards in length and sixe in breadth, and woulde have helde, easily, 50 loades. Wee ledde pease constantly with 5 waines, and each waine fetched hoame 5 loades a day from Stygate flatte, (beinge a fortnight after Michaellmasse); wheareof one or two of the last weare allwayes sette to the stacke side and left unteamed; wee had yoaked allwayes by that time wee coulde well see in the morninge. Wee lye on usually fower course of pease, if the reapes bee small and dry; but if they be wette and loggery, then wee lye on but three; if the pease be very dry they sometimes tye theire waines, but if they bee anythinge wette, then they neaver use to tye them. There allwayes goes two folkes with a peasewaine, viz.; one to forke and one to loade; and in loadinge of pease they allwayes lappe the reapes up rownde which they lye in the corners; and for every course they lye on the waine, they lappe up two reapes for each corner, whearof the loader makes one, and the forker makes the other belowe; and giveth it up ready made.

A helme now generally holds the carts, and gear; and answers the purpose of a cart shed. There still remains at Elmswell a helme ancient enough to be one of those bere mentioned. One of much larger size was pulled down thirty years ago. See more on this subject at a subsequent page.

OTHER SHORTE REMEMBRANCES.

It is usuall in some places (wheare the furres of the landes are deepe worne with raines) to imploy women, with wainerakes, to gather the corne out of the said hollow furres after that the sweathrakes have done. A good soakinge shower aboute the latter ende of September, or immediately after harvest is in, doth much good, both in helpinge forward the Michaellmasse springe, and besides, it is said to lye corne finely, that is, such corne as is sowne shortly after will lye fine and moist, which will bee a meanes to make it come up the sooner. The landes are att this time of the yeare soft and heavy, whearefore they goe allwayes to the farre ende of the landes with the empty waines, and loade homewards. Wee have constantly two folkes on the stacke, and oftentimes three, viz.; the foreman to lye the courses; another to lye the fillinge and to fill after him, and the third to treade; soe that hee that forketh the waine is to stande on the stacke, and forke to the stacke and fillers, and when the scaffold is made to stande there and forke them up to the toppe. When wee beginne a stacke on the grownde wee lay every course out further than other till the stacke bee more then two yards in height, and that is called lyinge out of a stacke to the eize, and then doe wee beginne to take it in againe by degrees; and when it is somewhat more then fower yards in height, then do wee putte in three board ends for one to stande upon and give up the reapes to the toppe. Our manner

it

is neaver to lye any courses with the last two or three loades that come in att night but to lye them all in the fillinge to keepe the stacke from wette, and then in the morninge to take them up againe and lye them when the waines are gone to the field. If wee chance to take over much compass for a stacke soe that wee finde that wee are like to wante pease wherewith to rigge then are we glad sometimes to cutte of one of the endes of the stacke with an hey spade, takeinge of as much as wee thinke will serve our turne for toppinge up or rigginge of the same. That which is layd in the fillinge overnight to save the stacke from wettinge is called boll-roakinge of a stacke, and that which is cutte of the stacke ende is called (for the most parte) a coupe-band.

up,

FOR THATCHinge of a STACKE

Wee allwayes preserve eyther wheate or rye strawe in some house ende, wherewithall to thatch our pease stackes, for these

Here is an error, as any one may see by considering what is the length of a man's arm. The passage must be read thus," he that forketh the waine is to stand ON THE WAINE, and forke to the stacke and fillers; and when the scaffold is made, ONE OF THE FILLERS is to stande there and forke them up to the toppe."

two are the longest and best strawe for thatchinge of stackes, and strawe wherewith a workeman commeth the most ridde; and yow neede make no reckoninge which of those two it bee, for there is noe difference but onely that rye strawe is the more usuall, if it bee to bee had; but sometimes for wante of these wee have beene forced to hawme wheate and rye stubble and therewith to thatch our stackes, and then our manner is to mixe haver-strawe with it to make it cragge well, that is, to drawe out and lappe about the ende of the wispes, to keepe them fast. Wee provide (for this labour) onely one to drawe out the stubble and lye it smooth in the bottle, and allsoe to serve the thatcher; those that serve have allwayes haver strawe lyinge beside them, whearwith to make their bandes, and allsoe to mixe amongst the stubble. The thatcher lyeth on his thatche noe lower than the eize, that is, wheare the stacke beginneth to come in; and hee goeth up in height till hee come within a foote of the toppe; but on the toppe of all hee layeth noe thatch, but onely loose strawe, which hee calleth the rigginge; and then doth hee twyne hey-bands, and cast over the stacke to keepe the said rigginge from blowinge away.

In thatchinge of stackes, they thatch onely the sides, and neaver the endes, because the endes are layd out easily, by degrees, till they come to the very toppe of all. A good thatcher will in one day thatch a whole side of the stacke that standeth on the longe helme in the staggarth. Our usuall manner is for the foreman to rigge our stackes, and then is hee to have two to helpe him, viz. ; one to drawe out the stubble and make it into bottles, and another to give him the bottles and bandes up, and to make the bandes fast att the eize; and his manner is, first, to lay his stubble crosse overthwart the ridge of the stacke, that the raine may runne downe, and then upon that doth hee lye more stubble eaven on the toppe of the ridge, thereby supposinge that the bandes which goe crosse the stacke will have the more power to keepe it downe, and soe that which lyeth above to keepe that fast and firme which lyeth under it. They make theire bandes usually eyther of hey or haver strawe, but most commonly of haver strawe, and att makinge of these bandes there are to bee two folkes, viz.; one to sitte beside the strawe and feede the bande therewith, and another to goe backewards with the rake to drawe forth and twyne the same. Looke howe many yards the stacke is in length, they make for every yard two bandes; for the bandes are not to bee above halfe a yard asunder, whearof the two bandes that are nexte the endes of the stacke have in eyther ende of them two peeces of wood tyed, to keepe the endes of

the stacke from risinge, and the rest of the bandes are all made fast att the eize. If the strawe or stubble lye farre from the stackes, then there will bee imployment for two folkes, viz. ; for one to drawe and make bottles, and for the other to carry and serve. Our stackes weare (this yeare) thatched with stubble, and by reason of the shortnesse of the stubble, wee weare glad to mingle haver strawe with it, whearof two parts of the bottles weare stubble, and the third part haver strawe.*

OTHER SHORT REMEMBRANCES.

When wee finde our white corne wette or greene, soe that wee feare that it will heate in the mowe, then doe wee drawe up a leape aboute the middle of each roomstead; and soe by this meanes the storme getteth a vent by the leap-holes, whearby the dainger of firinge is prevented, and the corne allsoe much bettered. Aboute three weekes or a moneth after the stackes are all covered, they will be much sattled, for that the bandes will blowe aside with the winde, and the rigginge blowe away, if you do not minde to pull the bandes downe starke, and tye them fast againe.

OF BEES, AND HOWE TO ORDER THEM.

The usuall time of bees swarminge and castinge is betwixt the 20th of May and the 10th of July, but especially in the beginninge of June; and theire usuall time of day is betwixt nine of the clocke and three, but especially betwixt nine and eleaven, yett if the morninge bee faire, that they goe abroade to worke, and then a little shower come and bringe them hoame aboute noone, then they will rise assuredly soe soone as the sunne breakes out againe and shines cleare. Aboute the 16th of May, you shall see the greate bees stirre abroade when the hives are good. Within a fortnight after the comminge abroad of the greate bees, that hive will cast, if it cast that yeare, unlesse weather hinder. Bees will flourish and make profer of castinge fower or five dayes before they cast indeed, and that usually aboute halfe an houre after tenne, and halfe an houre after one of the clocke. There is in most hives 17 or 18 wreathes, whearfore the best way for spellinge of an hive is to putte in the two lowermost spelles aboute 4 wreathes from the bottome of the hive, and the two uppermost spelles just 4 wreathes above them; but first of all, for tiftinge of a newe hive, you are to take an handfull of balme, and an handfull of See more on thatching in the last three chapters.

The country people in Dorsetshire will yet call the coming out of the drones about noon, "to pli gurt bees.”