RURAL ECONOMY IN YORKSHIRE IN 1641. 5 



its fulth of milke, it will forbeare the longer ; and the lambes 

 that forbeare grasse the longest, prove for the most parte, the 

 straightest, and best quartered ; and these usually that fall to 

 grasse over soone, proove short runtish sheepe, and are of the 

 shepheardes caUede dumplinges, or grasse belly'de lambes. 



A weake lambe that is suckled a day or two with cowe milke 

 and then putt to an ewe, will shoote and seowre allmost for the 

 space of two dayes, neyther will it throden (as the shepheardes 

 say) tiU such time as the cowe milke bee all voyded, for the 

 cowes milke and ewes milke will not agree together. 



Lambes when they first fall have no teeth att all, tiU they 

 bee aboute a weeke olde, and then may yow perceive two teeth 

 afore ; when they are about a fortnight olde yow may perceive 

 four teeth ; att the three weekes ende, sixe ; and when they are a 

 moneth olde, eight : aboute which time (if theyre dammes bee not 

 not well stored with milke) they will beginne to fall to the gro wnde. 



The husbandman's sayinge is, that the losse of an eive's 

 lambe is as greate as the losse of a coives calfe, for a calfe is 

 accoimted (at the first) scarce worth the milke which is de- 

 voures, and the calfe dyinge the owner hath the benefitt of the 

 milke stiU remaininge, but that lambe dyinge, the whole profitt 

 is lost, neyther is there any hope of any futui-e benefitt for that 

 yeare. 



All lambes, both gimmers and weathers, have att theyre fii-st 

 fall a navele-stringe hanginge downe, which usually in four or 

 five dayes, but howsoever in a weekes space, it wiU diye awaye 

 and fall off: this stringe in some lambes wiU sometimes swell 

 and seeme as though it weare filled with winde, whiche if yow 

 strive withaU, you are in danger of breakinge the same, and 

 then the gutts fall through and the lambe dyeth immediately. 



An ewe putt into a goode pasture three weekes afore shee 

 lambe, is as goode as to left her goe in a goode pasture three 

 weekes after, for it both strengthens her to bringe forth, and 

 likewise inableth the lambe to seeke after a livinge soe soone as 

 it is lambed : hence ariseth the shepheardes phrase, that 

 Whiles the grasse groweth, 

 Ewe dryeth, lamle dyeth. 



Whearefore the best way is to lett the ewe goe in a good pas- 

 tvu-e three weekes before shee lambe, and five weekes after till 

 the lambe fall to the gromide, and by this meanes may yow 

 make lofty sheepe ; therefore, nowe of late, is it accoimtede a 

 goode way to putt ewes into the CaiTe three weekes before 

 Lacly-day, aUowinge five ewes for a lande, which in all cometh 

 to nine score and two, allowinge Finders East howse farme 

 twelve sheepe, i. e., tenne for his two landes and two for his 



