12 RURAL FX'ONOMY IN YORKSHIRE IX 1G41. 



layinge them in theire closes a nights ; then aboute the middle 

 of Aprill, when the fields have gotten some foreholde, they 

 carry them further from lioame ; and our manner is, when our 

 lambes are putte foi-th, to lay them aboute Hugill-hill or the Dale 

 bottome from mid- Aprill till such time as wee beginne to fold. 



Lambes are not to bee putte forth till they bee a full moneth 

 old, that they fall to the grownd ; and till such time as yow 

 see the weather att some certaine ; whearefore younge and 

 weake lambes, and such ewes as have not then lambes, are to 

 bee drawne out and putt apart into some close by themselves. 



The manner is to give lambes a taire marke before they goe 

 to the field, and our usuall way is to give them onely the botte 

 on the fari-e buttocke, and sometimes to ninne the edge of the 

 botte downe the neare liske, makinge a stroke therewith. 



For Weaninge of Lambes. 



Such as intende to milke theire ewes, usually putte theire 

 lambes from them aboute St. Hellenmasse ; but siwh as use it 

 not, they neaver weane them att all, but lette them sucke as 

 longe as they will ; and they will oftentimes sucke till after 

 Michaelhnasse, till such time as the ewes have againe taken 

 tuppe. 



A foreard lambe is the best for us for two reason : — 



1. Because they may have the longest time in the closes, and 

 that Avith the least hinderance to the springe in them. 



2. They may have the fore-eatage of the towne-side and 

 lands, and likewise bee sooner fitte to putte forth to field and 

 folde. 



Many lambes have att theire first fall a weakenesse in them, 

 that the middle joynt of theire forelegges will seeme as if they 

 weare broken, and theire hinder houghs will yeeld and seeme 

 allmost to tm-ne rownd aboute ; and yette, with carefuU atten- 

 dance and sucklinge, these lambes within three or fower dayes 

 will recover theire strength againe. 



Aboute the middle of A])rill, when sheepe are first putte out 

 of the closes into the field, they will sattle and goe l)aoke ex- 

 treamely for the space of a weeke or allmost a fortnight ; and 

 after that, fresh gi-ass and wanne weather cominge on, they 

 will amend againe as fast ; yett ewes which have lambes suck- 

 inge on them will not bee att the lowest till allmost a weeke 

 after the other l)Oginne to recover againe. 



Sheepe that are not veiy nnich to l)lame, ought not to bee 

 greased after May-day for hurtinge of theire woll ; besides it is 

 a businesse that may Ijee deferred from that time till such time 

 as the clipping*' dav beo past. 



