. 
‘Se sts el > 
[ 129 -J 
Cow commons.—Cow commons (called cow downs) 
_ are frequent in the undivided parts ef this diftridt, 
but not general. They were more general formerly 
than now, many ‘of them having been, at different 
times, turned into fheep commons by confent of 
the commoners. Thefe cow downs are ufually 
the beft and moft level parts of the down lands, 
and are fometimes worth from 5s. to near Ios. 
per acre. 
The common herd of cows ufually begin to feed 
the cow downs early in May, (ufually Holy-Rood 
Day) and finifh when the fields are clear of corn. 
At the beginning and end of the feafon, they are 
driven to the down in the morning, and brought 
back in the evening; but in the heat of fum- 
mer, they are only kept on the down during the 
night, and in the morning they are brought back 
into the villages, where they feed the lanes. and 
{mall marfhes by the river fide (if fuch there be) 
till after the evening milking. When the ftubble 
fields are open, the cows have a right to feed them 
jointly with the fheep: and if there are common 
meadows (whether watered meadows or not) they 
have an exclufive right to feed them, till the end 
of the commoning feafon (ufually St. Martin’s Day, 
11th November, O. S.) when the owners take them 
home to the ftraw-yards. After the cows leave 
the cow down to go into the ftubble fields, it be- 
comes common for the fheep flock, during all or 
VOL, VII. hy a certain 
