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beft covering to this is the Somerfetjhire' 

 reed'y which is nothing more than the 

 ftrongefl wheat- ft raw which can be met 

 with, combed clean from weeds, having 

 the ears of the corn cut off, inftead of 

 being thrafhed, and fo laid on upon the 

 building in whole pipes, unbruifed by 

 the flail. This latter reed may be had in 

 any other county, as well as Somerfet- 

 JJjirey in fufficient quantity i and it is 

 abfurd, in the laft degree, to make ufe of 

 ftraw for thatching in any other way, 

 becaufe the difference of expence in the 

 preparation is a mere trifle, compared 

 with the difference of duration between 

 the SomerfetJJjire-t hatch and that of other 

 counties. The comm.on, injudicious, 

 flovenly pradice of beating the ftraw to 

 pieces with the flail, and then laying it 

 on with fome of the feeds and many 

 weeds in it, caufes it very often to grow 

 M quite 



