l88 AGRICULTURAL SURVEY 



one more, which I cannot pafs over without no- 

 tice, which applies to the poor, I mean that fcan- 

 dalous cuftom of cutting up the commons for fuel, 

 without any diftinclion of foil : if they were to 

 confine it merely to boggy or rough coarfe 

 parts, it would be lefs reprehenfible, for I will al- 

 low the argument of neceflity to be very flrong ; 

 but to cut them up, as they now do, indifcrimi- 

 nately, frequently paring off green fward, the 

 herbage of which is worth twenty (hillings an 

 acre, is unpardonable ; for independent of their not 

 having a fhadow of right to break up the foil, they, 

 in fad, deftioy their own intereft in the mouthage, 

 in which, perhaps, their right cannot be difputed, 

 I hope, therefore, that this caution may have fome 

 good effect in recommending it to the poor, to be 

 more modeft in this practice in future, and not to 

 do it without leave firft obtained from the lord of 

 the manor, and, at the fame time, be a hint to the 

 latter to look into this abufe, and endeavour to 

 flop it in time. 



NOTES. 



