50 RURAL ECONOMY IN YORKSHIRE IN 1641. 



the mid-way, and to rake lialfe the sheafe up to the hande. and 

 soe to goe beyonde the bande and to bringe the other lialfe 

 downe backewards ; and soe need they not to trouble themselves 

 with hailinge on soe much att once. 



It is a greate fiu^herance to mowers when oates stande 

 streight that they may mowe rounde aboute them ; otherwise, 

 when the wind is bigge then are they faine to fetch them all 

 one way, and that is a greate losse of time ; for if they shoulde 

 not follow the come, and goe with the winde, the oates woulde 

 shpe and diu-ze extreamely with the cradles. 



A goode mower will mowe fower acres of oates in a day : but 

 usually three. One of the longe Wandill landes is accounted 

 full two acres. The longe Wandills are the 12 landes in the 

 east field, which lye betwixt Stygate tiatte and Megdoore fiatte, 

 wheareof 8 belong to the West hall, and 4 to Labome farme ; 

 wee have had those 12 landes mowen in one day with 7 good 

 mowers ; I have knowne Stygate fiatte mowne in one day ^vith 

 8 mowers, and the Spellowe flatte is not altogeather 5 day- 

 workes. 



Oates are a graine that may bee cutte greener than any other 

 white come, because they will ripen and come on in the stooke ; 

 and, besides, if the fore-ende of them bee not taken somethinge 

 neare the way, the hinder ende of them will shake afore yow 

 can gette to mowe them. 



Oates are a graine that are longe afore they shoote, that yow 

 woulde oftentimes thinke that your barley woude bee afore 

 them, but when they once beginne to shoote they will streight- 

 way after beginne to flecken, and bee ripe on a suddaine. 



It is a very rare thinge to see oates ripe kindel}', for usually 

 the ridges will bee ripe and ready to shake when the furres are 

 greene ; and therefore wheare the come ripeth kindely and all 

 alike, it is an argimient that thei-e hath beene a good seedsman, 

 whose care hath beene to give the ridges a thicker seede than 

 the fuiTes. 



In some places againe yow shall finde come to come up very 

 thicke in some partes of the lande, and in other places Httle or 

 nothing att all ; and thereby you may conjecture that such a 

 seedsman doth ovei-stride his ca«t, and thereupon cometh the 

 lande to bee hopper-galde. 



In a moiate and kindely sunmier oates will proove large and 

 well headed ; and in a droughty and unkindely siunmer they 

 will usually proove ."-horte, and oftentimes such weake oates that 

 they can saircely bee gotten mowen, theire stalkes, stemmes or 

 blades are soe feeble that they will yeeld and waver to and fro 

 from the sythes. 



