68 AGRICULTURE IN THE 



vated, they are excellent for sheep, keeping the animals in 

 health, and themselves getting into good condition. The best 

 land of all, however, for corn and grass and for sheep breeding, is 

 limestone. Nothing but bad husbandry can injure it, or make 

 it weedy. It will bear every kind of crop ; it can be manured 

 with the lime which is produced from below the surface, and 

 sheep which lie on it are safe from rot. 



It will be seen, from these extracts, what was the extent to 

 which the husbandry of our forefathers went. Nor is it difficult 

 to recall in imagination the appearance of a fifteenth-century 

 village. The lord's house is the principal building, being 

 perhaps the only habitation in the township which is built of 

 stone or brick. It consists of a central portion, which is the 

 dwelling-house of the lord, or is let to some tenant, in case the 

 lord is absent. Two parallel ranges as high as the central por- 

 tion project as wings. A part of this may be used for domestic 

 purposes, but the principal portion is granaries and stables or 

 cow-houses. The central space is the dungyard. On the other 

 side of the central portion is the garden, with its few poor 

 herbs, and the orchard. The lord's closes, containing pro- 

 bably the best meadow, are hard by. Then comes the parson's 

 house, the best-off man in the village, next to the lord, pro- 

 vided always that some repentant sinner has not contrived 

 to make amends for an ill life by appropriating the tithes 

 of the parish to some monastery. Or it is very likely, as in 

 Fitzherbert's manor of Dale, that the parson is a pluralist, and 

 has allowed the parsonage to go to decay. Then come the 

 lands of the monastery, which are visited in earing time and 

 harvest by the business-like Benedictine, who superintends 

 the culture and the sale of produce. The freeholders and the 

 copyholders have each their rude farm-houses, mainly built in 

 timber frames, and lathed and plastered in and out, (except on 

 the ceiling where hangs the bacon rack,) and garnished with 

 sickles and bill-hooks, low benches with chests under them 

 running round the walls, while in winter the busy farmer sits 

 under the great chimney, where the wood for his tools has 



