[nee | 
In fome inftances, the water meadows are com- 
mon for the fheep ftock; in others, they are pri- 
vate property. 
When feeding the water meadows, the theep are 
penned on the barley land; and by the time the 
water mead grafs is eaten, and the barley fown, the 
fummer fiecid (efpecially if fown with ray-grafs) is 
ready to receive the fheep, where they generally 
ftay till near fhear-time, and then go to the down 
until the ftubble fields are broken, at which time 
(perhaps about the middle of September) they 
ufually put the rams to the ewes. Thefe rams are 
provided, and the common fhepherd paid, at the 
joint expence of the commoners. 
As in this ftate of commonage (where there muft 
neceflarily be a great f{carcity of winter food) it is 
neceflary to reduce this fheep ftock before winter, 
it is cuftomary to fell off the old ewes and the we- 
ther lambs about Michaelmas, and put out the ewe 
Jambs to winter, either on pafture land or turnips, 
in other parts of the county, and frequently in the 
adjacent counties. 
Thefe lambs are ufually put out from the roth 
of October to the sth of April, and the price is 
feldom lower than ss. and in fome inftances this 
year has been as high as 8s. for that time. And 
yet after this reduction of ftock, the commo.i-field 
fafmers of this diftrict are frequently obliged to buy 
hay for the reft, which they are often under the ne- 
ceffity of fetching from:ten to fifteen miles. Cow 
