ii] The Demesne. 1270 — 1307. 31 



return, which, as the author of ' Husbandry ' asserts \ might have 

 been looked for. In some years oats were sold to the value of ;^3 or 

 ;^4, but the large purchases of other years, amounting sometimes to 

 ;^io or £\2, in the long run overbalanced the receipts from this source. 



The return from peas was small"^ and extremely irregular, ranging 

 from less than two to nearly six-fold, or from 4 to 12 bushels from 

 the acre^ Except what was kept for seed, and perhaps some half- 

 dozen bushels or more fed to the pigs, the issue was sold. In the 

 more abundant years some 200 or 300 bushels brought from £^ to 

 £6 ; while in the less productive years so much was retained for seed 

 that not more than a few shillings' worth reached the market. 



In general, it may be said that while the oats were consumed on 

 the manor, the greater part of the wheat, barley and peas were sold, 

 and that the receipts from the sale of grain were far larger than those 

 from any other single source. The grain that was not sold was used 

 for seed, or sent to other of the Earl's manors, or given to the 

 servants and live-stock. 



Acre for acre the low-lying meadows far surpassed the arable in 

 value. Though they were the only hay-producing lands their yield 

 sufficed for the demesne stock. As a rule, however, no hay was 

 sold; but in 1307, when the manor was in the king's hands, and 

 little live-stock was left upon it, more than £2 worth of hay was 

 sold ; and in 1273 hay was sold to the value of £\. \2s. During the 

 period under consideration some of the low wet lands of the manor 

 were being drained and converted into meadow^ In 1376 the 

 demesne meadow was 30 acres in extents 



The mowing of the demesne meadows was mostly performed by 

 the bond tenants, as part of their labour dues. 



While grain-fields and meadows thus contributed to the suste- 

 nance of the stock, they chiefly depended on the pastures for food. 

 The grazing grounds were of many kinds : common and several 

 pastures, fallow, meadow after the hay had been cut, waste, wood- 

 land, ditches and roads. The lord sold the herbage of the commons 

 and woodland, as well as of the lands in which he had sole rights. 



Walter of 



