126 HISTORY OF AGRICULTURE 



this season being the driest ;' an extraordinary assertion, unless 

 the climate has changed, seeing that according to the monthly 

 averages from 1841-1906, taken at the Royal Observatory, 

 Greenwich, October is the wettest month in the year. 1 



November and December. Sort all kinds of sheep until 

 Lady Day, viz. wethers by themselves, and weaning lambs by 

 themselves ; and do not put rams to the ewes before S. Lukes- 

 tide, October 18, for those lambs fall about March 25, and 

 if they fall before then the scarcity of grass and the cold will 

 so nip and chill them that they will die or be weaklings. It 

 is good at this time to take draught cattle and horses from 

 grass into the house before any great storms begin. Thrash 

 corn now after it hath had a good sweat in the mow, and so 

 dried again, and give the straw to the draught oxen and cattle 

 at the standaxe or at the barn doors for sparing of hay, advice 

 which Tusser also gives : 



' Serve rie straw out first, then wheat straw and peas, 

 Then ote straw and barley, then hay if ye please.' 



1 The writer of the diary probably meant this work should be done in 

 September. 



