54! RURAL ECONOMY IN YORKSHIRE IN 1641. 



sloumie and not pubLle ; whearefore the best way is to sowe 

 wheate and rye on such lande, and especially rye. When wee 

 mowe barley wee provide for every two Sythes a binder, un- 

 lesse it be wolde-barley that chance to bee very thinne, and then 

 a good binder will binde after three leyes willingly ; and if the 

 barley be very ranke, if theire chance to bee 9 Sythes, the 4 

 binders will not refuse to binde up the odde sweath amongst 

 them. Wee allowe one stooker usually to 3 binders or G 

 Sythes, and oftentimes a painfull fellowe will not refuse to 

 stooke after 7 or 8 Sythes, if the binders vrill but doe soe much 

 as throwe him in the sheaves ; yett usually when there is above 

 7 Sythes, wee provide two stookers ; and if there bee 9 Sythes 

 that wee bee forced to provide two stookers, then perhapps wee 

 make one of them to binde up the odde sweath, and stooke 

 after thi'ee leyes. They usually stooke barley as they doe 

 wheate and rye, viz. : nine sheaves sette togeather in three rowes, 

 being perfeckt square as they stande ; then doe they take the 

 other three sheaves, and first cover the toppes of the nine stand- 

 inge sheaves with two of them, and then doe they lay the third 

 above the uppermost two, and (as it weare) betwixt them ; and 

 this serveth to shoote of raine. Others againe will take 10 

 barley sheaves and sette 5 against 5 as they doe in windrowe- 

 stooke, and then will they take the two sheaves that remains, 

 and (with them) cover tlie topi)es of the 10 standing sheaves, 

 makinge the arses of the 2 sheaves meete aboute the middle of 

 the stooke, and the toppes of them goe slantinge all alonge the 

 toppes of the standinge sheaves. Others, againe, when barley 

 is loggery, and full of greenes, will sette it windrowe stooke, 

 viz. : sixe sheaves against sixe, Jis they doe allwayes in stook- 

 inge of haver, and this is the best way for welkinge of the 

 weedes, and for hardeninge of corne in the stooke when it is 

 mowne afore it bee fully ripe. The Demaine fiatte in the 

 Middle field lyinge betwixt the Bricke clo.se and Keldie gate 

 had in it (this yeare) very ranke and stronge barley ; it was 11 

 good day workes and rather more ; it had in it just 40 loades of 

 sheafe-corne, besides rakins. If a mower have a good and stiff 

 Syth, hee may mowe (with as much ease) amongst ranke bar- 

 ley as otlier, if it stande streight, and bee not trifled, neyther 

 with the winde, nor with ciittle-feete. Wee gotte all oiu" barley 

 mowne (this yeare) in sixe dayes and an halfe, and made an 

 ende of mowinge this Kith of September. It is noe pointe of 

 good husltandiy to lye such barley aside for .seede as is e^'ther 

 mowebuint, or liayth much sliiiiu^ in it ; for eyther you .sliall 

 finde a wante in your increase, or else much infcckted with 

 slaine come ; neyther ought yow to slippe chainginge of your 



