RURAL ECONOMY IN YORKSHIRE IN 1641. 51 



Lande that is well maimiired and in hearte, will bringe corne 

 farre faster forewards then that which is bare and out of hearte ; 

 for I have knowne bare clay lande which hath had greene bar- 

 ley when all the better lande was mowne and most parte of the 

 corne ledde. When wee have a flatte of good chinnell-oates, 

 that are large and well headed, wee usually lay them in a roome- 

 steade by themselves, and reserve them as choise seede for the 

 clayes ; as wee did (this yeare) the oates that came of the Dog- 

 hill flatte. 



For Trailinge of the Sweathrake. 

 A sweathrake is soe called for that it raketh a whole mowers 

 sweath att once ; for as an ordinary mower taketh a broade lande 

 att fower sweathes, soe doth hee that traileth the sweathrake 

 take a whole lande att twice goinge up and twice downe. A 

 sweathrake hath usually 33 teeth, sometimes but 32, and some- 

 times againe 37 or 38 ; the teeth are of yron, the heade of sea- 

 soned ash, and the shafte usually of saugh ; betwixt the two 

 graininges of the rake shafte they tye a stringe, which they can 

 lappe aboute and make as longe and as shorte as they list, and 

 then to the ende of that stringe or bande they fasten a broade 

 halters headstall, which they putte aboute theire neckes like a 

 paire of sword-hangers, and soe traile the rake therewith. 

 Wheare the oates have beene steare, and much scattered, theire 

 they lye downe theire rakins att every stooke ; but wheare they 

 are thinne and httle scattered, theire they caiTy them to each 

 other stooke, unlesse it bee wheare tythe is to bee payd, and 

 there every stooke must have his due of the rakins. A good 

 raker will rake eight acres in a day, for wee account it an easy 

 thinge for one good raker to rake the Megdoore flatte in fower 

 dayes. Doghill flatte served fower rakers a whole day. Wee 

 have constantly (for oates) two rakers, and sometimes three, if 

 neede soe require. Fower rakers will hardly finde three waines 

 imployment. 



For Leadinge of Oates. 

 Wee leade haver, constantly, with fower waines, allo^vinge to 

 every waine two folkes, viz. : a forker and a loader, for when 

 you are to provide a wainerake to carry to fleld with them ; for 

 in loadinge they first give up the stooke, then doe they (with 

 theire forke) putte togeather and give up that which is gathered 

 togeather with the sweathrake ; then lastly they sticke downe 

 theire forke and take theire wainerake and gather togeather all 

 that which is scattered aboute, and likewise that which is lefte 

 in the staddle-stead wheare the stooke stoode. They lye on 



