50 THE FERTILITY OF THE SOIL [CH. 



manure, mingled with any bracken, straw, rushes, 

 etc., gathered for litter, went to fertilise the arable 

 land. The distribution was not very uniform, as the 

 lord often had special claims, but all the arable land 

 did receive some dung. 



The manure having been put on, a crop of wheat 

 or rye or both was taken. After harvest the in- 

 dividual cultivators no longer had any special rights 

 in their strips and the whole field became common ; 

 the fences were removed and the cattle allowed to 

 enter and graze the weeds and grasses. The ground 

 was somewhat enriched by folding on it sheep that 

 had grazed during part of the day on the common. 

 This period lasted from Lammas Day^ (August Ist) 

 till Candlemas (Feb. 2nd). The land was next sown 

 with barley, oats, or other spring or " Lent " corn, and 

 after harvest (Lammastide) again grazed until the 

 following Candlemas. It was then ploughed up and 

 left fallow throughout the summer ; finally it was 

 dunged and sown with wheat. Occasionally, however, 

 barley was taken first and wheat after : 



"First rie, and then barlie, the champion saies, 

 or wheat before barlie be champion waies; 

 But drink before bread come with Middlesex men, 

 then lay on more compas, and fallow agen^." 



1 Lammas Day (Aug. Ist) may seem early to a modern farmer for 

 the individual rights to cease and the whole field to become common, 

 but it must be remembered that the Julian Calendar was then in 

 force so that the date is really later than it looks. 



2 Tusser, Five Hundred Pointes of good Husbandries Octobers 



