36 SHEEP INDUSTRY OF THE UNITED STATES 



latin g their use. For instance, on April 16, 1638, the selectmen of 

 Boston, in view of a scarcity of pasturage, ordered 



Forsoe much as our common pasturing is but scant upon thenecke and cow-keep- 

 ings for the inhabitants is of necessity, that, therefore, all the sheepe on the iiecke 

 and dry cattell, such as are not for draught, shall be had away from off the necke by 

 the laste day of this month, in penalties for every head after that time 11s. a weeke 

 for every weeke after, and the sheepe not. 



In May, 1646, it was ordered that there should be kept on the com- 

 mons, by the inhabitants of the town, but 70 milk cows, and that no dry 

 cattle, young cattle, or horse should be free to go on the commons, "but- 

 one horse for Elder Oliver," and it was further ordered that if any de- 

 sired to keep sheep, they "may keep foure sheepe in lieu of a cowe." 



The herding of cows under care of a keeper was a common custom in 

 all New England. During the day the keeper watched them, drove 

 them into the settlement at night or late in the afternoon, where they 

 were milked by their owners night and morning, and then turned over 

 to the care of the cowherd or keeper, who drove them out to the com- 

 mons. The cowherd also had the keeping of the town bull, for whose 

 services he was to receive 2 shillings and sixpence per head for every 

 cow, he to pay for the wintering of the bull. Boston was prosperous 

 enough in 1654 to own two town bulls, and Thomas Alkok, the keeper, 

 was allowed to receive sixpence a head, with " power to gather upon 

 every cowe." At first the same person who kept the cows watched the 

 sheep, but as they multiplied there was a division of labor, the cows hav- 

 ing a "cow-heard" and the sheep a " sheep-yeard." The former ranked 

 the highest. The latter, in 1659, was allowed " 6d. for every sheep and 2 

 pence for every lamb." Sheep were not allowed to be kept upon the 

 neck without a keeper, and no ram was permitted there after the 10th 

 of June until the 1st of November. Some years later than this, " for the 

 preventing of rams going with the ewes out of due season, within the 

 district of Eumney Marsh," it was ordered 



That whosoever of the inhabitants within the district aforesaid shall finde or take 

 up any ram going with his or their sheep, at any time from the 10th of August to 

 the 10th November yearly, such ram shall be forfeited to such person so finding and 

 taking up the same. 



The connection of "Rumney Marsh," an exposed neck of land, with 

 sheep and sheep pasturago leads us back to Roinney Marsh, Kent 

 County, England, a similar tract of land lying near the sea and sus- 

 taining more sheep than any other tract of land of like size in England. 

 Men of Kent came about this time and before to this part of Massa- 

 chusetts, and it is reasonable to infer that they gave .this neck of land 

 its name and stocked it with their Komney Marsh or Kentish sheep, 

 some of the best of Old England. 



The outlying towns were governed by the same general orders of the 

 court, and followed, substantially, the customs ol Boston 5 they had 

 cowherds and shepherds, and followed the practice of common herding 

 and keeping town bulls. In Andover the herdsmen and shepherds 



