412 AGRICULTURAL IMPLEMENTS AND TOOLS. 



The seed was cast on the ground from a seed-cod or seedlep, 

 the latter word being still used. There are two entries under 

 the former name at $d. and ^d. ; four under the latter, all but 

 one at ^d. 



I have found no entry of a harrow ; but its use is indicated 

 as early as 1414 ; for in that year the bailiff of Alton Barnes 

 buys a quantity of harrow pins, the number not being given, 

 for i s. lod. Testing this price again by that of iron, it would 

 imply not more than from 14 to 16 Ibs. weight of wrought iron. 



Manure was carried to the field in carts, and apparently in 

 ' dung pots,' two of these being quoted in 1402 and 1420 at 

 6d. and u., and spread by dung-forks, five of which are 

 entered at 5^., $d. y 4</., and id. Eight gong-spokes, a word 

 meaning the same as dung-fork, are bought in 1527 at \od. 

 each. In 1410 three dung-pykes and a mattock were pur- 

 chased for is. $d. A dung-cart is bought in 1430 for 5^., the 

 body of such a cart in 1452 for 2s. 6d. In 1430 King's 

 College, Cambridge, sells the pigeon's dung from its dovecot 

 for zs. 8d., in 1461 for 3^., in 1537 for 4^. 



Hoes are found at prices from y\d. to is., under the names 

 of Hercia and Herpica. Tribuli ferrei are found at 4^., 3^., 

 and id. Weed-hooks at from $d. to id. Rastra, which seem 

 also to be hoes, at 3^. and id. Pitchforks are priced at 3^. in 

 1410, and yd. in 1450. Hedging-bills at yd. in 1522 and 

 1530, %d. in 1525. 



Ox-bows are found frequently during the first thirty years 

 of the fifteenth century, and cost a halfpenny, or a little more. 

 Ox-yokes have been found at id. But these articles were 

 generally fashioned by the farmer himself in the winter months. 

 I have found one entry of a coulter in 1427 at 8d. But I am 

 at a loss to interpret a < padell ' for a plough in 1407, or the 

 plough-handle of 1418. 



Spades are called vangae. They are sometimes described 

 as iron shod ; and it appears that owing to the high price of 

 iron, only the lower part of the spade was made of this ma- 

 terial. Twenty-two entries of tools under this name between 



