RURAL ECONOMY IN YORKSHIRE IN 16-11. 13 



If sheepe bee fatte against Easter, the best way is then to 

 bee ruled by the marketts, and to putt them of forth-wdth, 

 whiles they are in request ; because that aboute the latter ende 

 of May or beginninge of June, butchers will beginne to seeke 

 aboute for fatte lambes ; and then againe all such as have any 

 feedinge grownde, or indeed but goode sheepe pastures, they 

 - will usually have fatte sheepe to putte of betwixt that time 

 and Midsummer. 



Wee have solde fatte three-sheare weathers att Easter time 

 for 16s. and 17s. a peece ; and fatte lambes, aboute the begin- 

 ninge of Jime, for 6s. 8d. and 7s. a peece. Sometimes a man 

 shall meete with a score of large and well- wold weathers aboute 

 Easter Munday, which (beinge boughte in aboute 71. 10s., 81., 

 or 81. 10s. the score) will by Midsummer or then-aboutes yeeld 

 alhnost powndes a peece, if there pastui-e bee goode, and theii-e 

 skinnes keepe whole, or howsoever if theire woll beginne to 

 loosen, that you be forced to take of theire coates ; yette some 

 yeares the marketts will prove soe quicke that such sheepe will 

 (without theire coates) give 161. or 17/. the score. Such as 

 intend to make money of ewes and lambes aboute Easter time, 

 should neaver picke out halfe a score of the worst and eldest 

 sorte of all, neytlier such as are bitted or broken mouth'd ; but 

 rather make choice of halfe a score or a score of such as are 

 whole and well wool'd, and indifferent well mouth 'd, and Hke- 

 wise such as have the oldest lambes ; and then yom* way is 

 aboute three or fower dayes or a weeke afore the faire to take 

 them and putte them into a good fresh pastiu"e, wheare both 

 they and theire lambes may recover themselves, and then 

 aboute nine of the clocke to take them out of theire pastvu'e, 

 and soe to carry them full and rownd to the faire ; and woulde 

 sheepe thus delt withall will usually yeeld nobles and 7s. the 

 couple, and sometimes 7s. 6c/. or 8s. 



It is allwayes observed, that sheep which have been kept and 

 then are putte into a good pasture in the springe time, wheare 

 they recover and rise sudenly, the woll of such sheepe will imme- 

 diately beginne to rise, ragge, and faU of ; whearefore aboute the 

 latter ende of Aprill and beginninge of May, the sheappeardes 

 manner is to looke aboute wheare hee may espie any sheepe 

 which have theire woll beginninge to rise and loosen, and 

 wheare they finde any they usually plucke them naked, or howe- 

 soever they leave noe more on then that which they preceive to 

 bee fast, and not easily to bee gotten of : but as for such sheepe 

 as wante theire coates, they are not to goe to ffield till towardes 

 the middle of May, unlesse they bee such as have a good under- 

 growth, otherwise they wiU neaver bee able to abide a stomie. 



