537 



these articles were sold, I cannot but allow that variations in 

 the size and weight of the share make the price, under the 

 annual and even the decennial averages, somewhat uncertain. 

 The heavier ploughshare must have weighed about eight or 

 nine pounds. 



According to Markham, the plough-foot was not used when 

 the plough went on wheels. But it seems that such a rule did 

 not hold good in the earlier period. Plough-wheels are often 

 mentioned in the accounts, but I have not thought it necessary 

 to collect evidence. They were worth about 4^. each, and 

 rise to about 6d. towards the end of the period. It is clear 

 then that they were merely wooden wheels, probably only a 

 disk of wood bored to hold an axle. 



The shel-board, or mould-board, was protected by flat plates 

 of iron nailed to the wooden frame. These are called plough- 

 clouts, and are of frequent occurrence in the accounts. As, 

 however, I felt constrained to make a selection from the 

 materials before me, I did not tabulate these articles. Plough- 

 clouts are generally much dearer than cart-clouts, of which 

 latter notice will be taken below. 



The accounts seldom give evidence of the price of coulters. 

 Six, however, of these articles will be found in the catalogue of 

 Sundry Articles, all being entered before the Plague, and at an 

 average of 105^. The reason, however, for this omission is 

 obvious. Nothing was more easy than to shape a bar of iron 

 into the long, pointed, and edged implement of the medieval 

 plough ; and hence coulters are generally made from the iron 

 of the farm, even at times when other iron implements were 

 purchased. 



PLOUGH-SHOES, or PLOUGH-FEET. In page 15 above the reader 

 will find it suggested that the c ferripedales } of the accounts 

 were means for protecting the woodwork of the plough. The 

 word is not found in Ducange, nor is its equivalent in English, 

 c plough-shoe,' noticed in the Glossaries. It seemed to me that 

 no other account could be given of this oft-quoted part of the 

 medieval plough than that which was suggested above. But 



