86 Ancient Wiltshire Customs. 
3.—THE HARVEST HOME. 
At a Harvest home, which in Wiltshire is called a Home harvest, 
care is taken that the last load shall be a light one; and when 
loaded it is drawn home by the best team, (with their bells on) a 
little boy, with a shirt decorated with ribbons worn over his other 
clothes, riding the fore horse. On the top of the load the rakes, 
&e., are placed; and as many as possible of the work people, male 
and female, ride on the load, the rest of the party walking on each 
side. As they proceed homewards, they chant in a sort of monotone 
the following verse :— 
‘‘ Ploughed well, sown well ;* 
Reaped well, mown well ; 
Carried well, housed well ; 
Nur’a load overdrowd: 
Harvest home !” 
On a subsequent evening, or as it sometimes occurs, on the same 
evening, all the work people are regaled by their master with a 
hot supper, at which the head carter takes the head of the table, as 
the head shepherd does at the sheep-shearing supper. 
At the Harvest home supper the following song is sung :— 
‘‘Here’s a health unto our Master the founder of the feast, 
I hope to God with all my heart his soul in heaven may rest ; 
That all his works may prosper that ever he takes in hand, 
For we are all his servants, and all at his command; 
i el ea eS ee 
* In Mr. Hone’s Every Day Book (vol. ii. p. 1164,) another version of ‘‘Sown 
well, grown well,” is mentioned as being repeated at the Harvest homes in 
Gloucestershire; and the song ‘‘Here’s a health unto our Master,” with some 
alterations, and an ungallant omission of the Mistress is given (Id. p. 1168,) as 
sung at the Harvest homes in Norfolk. 
