DIVIDING THE LAND. 141 



Fences, made probably of split rails, were built at the 

 borders of the upland to keep the cattle off when the hay 

 was growing, and to keep the owners' cattle in after the 

 crop had been harvested. This "after feed," to which 

 cattle might be turned loose, caused some contention. 

 When several lots of marsh lay in one piece so that a 

 short fence in a certain place would keep it secure against 

 stray cattle, the several owners would have to mow at the 

 same time, or else the cattle of one owner, let in upon his 

 after feed, would spoil the uncut grass of the others. 



Accordingly an ordinance was passed March 13, 1648, 

 that "the after feed" must not be opened to cattle until 

 the major part of the owners consent. 



Sometimes a fence about a meadow might be very much 

 shortened by taking in a piece of upland, either a so-called 

 island or a peninsula. Thus on June i, 1655, 



It was ordered and agreed upon by the town that the owners 

 of the meadow at Conahassett shall have liberty to take in several 

 parcels of upland for the shortening and straightening of their fence, 

 provided it doth not exceed four score acres in the whole — which 

 said upland shall be laid common five weeks before Michaelmas, 

 until the twenty fifth day of December, and so to continue from 

 year to year, . . . and Nicholas Jacob and Matthew Gushing 

 are appointed to order every man where the fence shall stand. 



One instance of this fencing was when the whole of the 

 Beach Islands were so made into a private pasture, while 

 the uplands were still public property. It was on May 7, 

 1666, when 



It was agreed by the town that Daniel Gushing, John Tower, 

 and John Jacobs and others that are owners of meadow about the 

 Beach Islands shall have liberty to fence in their meadows from 

 Matthew Hawke's meadow to the rocks by the sea — so to fence 

 in the Beach Islands for this year, provided that they lay them 

 open a month before Michaelmas, according to the town order. 



Thus in the fall and spring all the uplands were kept 



