204 History of the English Landed Interest. 



"w^ere held by seven persons and the other third was occupied 

 by twenty-six persons. The lord held in hand 572 acres of 

 arable land, 50 of meadow, 40 of wood, and pasture for 

 24 cows, 12 horses, and as many oxen. His live stock con- 

 sisted of 10 horses, 1 bull, 20 cows, 10 oxen,^ 6 heifers, 6 

 calves, 92 sheep, 200 two-year old sheep, 5 geese, 30 capons, 

 1 cock, and 26 hens. No doubt his cote contained a large 

 flock of pigeons,^ which, together with rabbits from his warren 

 and fish from the moat, largely supplemented the other foods 

 which were dished up at his table ; thirty-two tenants did suit 

 at his court, and their provost was not only exempted from 

 various services but ate his meals at the lord's table and 

 "liveried" his horse in the manor stables. 



The processes of cultivation practised by good thirteenth-cen- 

 tury farmers have been handed down by several ancient writers ; 

 and taking first the rotation of cropping, we gather that wheat 

 rarely succeeded a spring-sown crop, such as barley or oats, but 

 was put in just after the last ploughing of the summer fallow. 

 The land was ploughed three times during its year of fallow,^ 

 first in April, a second time in June, and lastly about Michael- 

 mas. A mixed team of oxen and horses* (two of each), was 

 preferred for the plough, except on very hard or stony ground, 

 when a team entirely of oxen worked best. They ploughed if 

 anything quicker than horses, for they were always moving and 

 never came to a standstill like the latter on boggy ground, and 

 their costs of keep were considerably less. Both kinds of animals 

 were stalled for twenty-five weeks, beginning from St. Luke's 

 day (Oct. 18th) and ending on that of the Holy Cross, or about 

 the end of April. During this period the horse ate one-sixth 

 of a bushel per diem of oats at \d. and twelve pennyworth of 

 grass in summer, his shoeing cost one penny per week, making 



* In this case it would seem as if tlie weekly predial aud boon service 

 was performed with the lord's plough beasts. 



^ The pigeon cote was the lord's monopoly, except on church lands, 

 where there was less " red-tapism." Rabbit skins were used as articles of 

 clothing. 



■' The fallow land was called warectatio. 



"• The plough horses were called " affri," Anglice " avers." Their hair 

 was collected by the provost to inake ropes of. — Hosehonderie, anon. 



