220 PROC. COTTESWOLD CLUB VOL. xill. (3) 



perches long and i perch wide. Now the length— 40 

 perches — is a furlong, i.e. a "furrow long"' being the 

 length of the drive of the plough before it is turned upon 

 the land at the end, called the " headland." It does not 

 appear that the strips are always true to these measure- 

 ments, but the shape is, where possible, oblong ; and the 

 fields consist of a number of long lands, or strips, divided 

 by balks of fixed length, taking their shape as most con- 

 venient for ploughing. The complete acre would repre- 

 sent a day's ploughing: hence a German term Tagwan, 

 and late Latin jurnalis. The local word for a perch is 

 " lug," meaning first a stick or pole used to measure, as 

 well as to pull up or pull down ; hence what is pulled is 

 termed " luggage." 



The term "acre" according to Professor Skeat means 

 a " pasture " or " hunting ground," clearly implying the 

 absence of fences, cp. : "acorn "—fruit of the field. 



It was common for the balks, or meers, to enclose two 

 strips, so that the space within consisted of half an acre. 



We read in Piers the Plowman — 



" I have an half acre to erye, by the heigh way 

 Hadde I eried this half acre, and sowen it after 

 I wolde wende with you." 



This implies that the two strips made what was a usual 

 holding or unit.* 



Grass land, which could not be treated thus, was divided 

 by stones. 



It will thus be seen that the open field system was 

 general— by no means exceptional— and that the shape 

 and size of the various plots was intentional, with both 

 purpose and meaning. 



Rider Haggard, in 'Jess,' describes the purchase of 3.000 Morgen— ?.«. y^ acre— 

 in the Transvaal -. the term is much used in Germany. Tlie term " Jour de terre " is used 

 in East France. 



