28 The Demesne. 1270- -1307. [nr. 



in more than two successive years 1 . This doubtless necessitated 

 artificial enrichment of the soil, but for this provision was made-. 



The crops raided were barley, wheat, oats, and peas. The areas 

 assigned to the different kinds of c^rain varied somewhat from year to 

 year, but generally some 80 acres were sown with barley ; 50 with 

 wheat : 35-45 with oats, and as many with peas. 



Most of the plowing was done by the three 3 demesne teams 

 of stotts and oxen 1 . Two of these teams seem to have been driven 

 by hired plowmen 3 , while customary tenants assisted in driving the 

 third*. The tenants also plowed some fifty acres with their own 

 teams. Plowing for seed' took place at three seasons of the 

 year: for wheat, between Michaelmas and Christmas; for oats and 

 between Purification (February 2) and Easter; for barley, 

 between Easter and Pentecost. Between Purification and Pentecost 

 there was a 'second plowing,' in preparation for the barley (rebinatio 

 ad ordeum) 7 . It was so late in the spring when the barley was sown 

 that the earth had become dry and hard, and the clods had to be 

 broken up a task performed by the tenants 8 or by the plowmen 9 . 



The harrows were usually drawn by demesne teams : very rarely 



1 Thus, in the rol's of each of the three successive years 1278-80, it is recorded that 

 'erected' 'ante bladum comitis' at Smalllmsk (II. i, St Mary's, near 

 I <angmoor Common), Cawdwcllwong (III. 6, St Mary's, near Cawdwell Common), at Hane's 

 gate (II. 4. St Mary's, near C'awdwell Common), at Deknesgate, at Hallcroft (V. 3, St Mary's) 

 and at Hallswong. Apparently these lands needed special protection from trespassing cattle 

 bccan .numms. But, if these lands were fallow in any of the three 



succc- mentioned, what need was there for inclosing them? And it does not seem 



probable that the phrase 'ante Madum comitis' is meaningless. Walter of Henley, p. 19, 

 speaks of 'lands which are sown yearly'; and cf. Yinogradoflf, Groivth of Manor, p. iS:. 



3 See below, p. 32. 



:: 1270. 'In ii. vomeribus emptis ii,/.' ' In i. vomere fabricando u/.' ' In iii. carucis re- 

 :dis iii</.' Since the demesne comprised about 300 acres of arable and 50 acres were 

 plowed by tenants' teams, a team-land must have been about 80 acres in extent. This is 

 larger than it was in ioS6, but far short of the iSo acres which Waller of Henley thought 

 might be plowed by a single team in a three-course manor. For a discussion of the team- 

 land see M ait land, Domesday, ;, 



4 Appendix VIII., xxxiii. 'In i. stoiin einpto ad earucam.' Allowing six or even but 

 four slotts to a team there \\ere not enough stotts on the manor to pull three plows. The 



doubtless consisted partly of oxen, a considerable number of which were constantly 

 retained on the manor. For mixed teams of h,rs<> and oxen, cf. Walter of Henley, 1 1. 



! plowmen; probably two went with one plow. 



Min Arc'ts, 935/6, 935/7, 935/'<>, ' In tertia caruca fuganda temporibus seminationishoc 

 anno. l\vj. opera.' 



VIII., \\ 'Hie Forncett mils do not mention the 7,v;r< /,///<>, or 



:. of the fallow; but since the rolls furnish detailed information only in regard to 

 'wiK* p< ^\( may, perhaps, be inferred that the -a'arectatio 



was pci the teams of the dm. 



Appendix VI I 



fi-angi-ndi-. nil. ijtiia per carucarios.' 



