.■)8 RURAL ECONOMY IN YORKSHIRE IN I64I. 



and small showers ; for if theire come auy gi-eat raines, then 

 they are better micocked then cocked, because then they shaU 

 neede noe throw nge out, but soe soone as wee finde the upjjer 

 side dry to gette them turned ; but if the upper side of the 

 reapes bee wette, then is it a folly to turue tliem, because that 

 is but to turne the dry-side u])wards ; unlesse it bee after a 

 longe wette season, soe that you are atfrayed that they will 

 sproute and growe to the grownde as they lye, by reason of 

 theire longe l>^nge moist. Our usuall mamier is to lette them 

 lye 7 or 8 dayes on the landes, after' they are pulled, to welke 

 and chy, viz. ; three dayes afore they be turned, and the fomth 

 day to tm-ne them, and then to lette them lye a day or two 

 longer, and the sixth or seaventh day to leade them, if it bee 

 faire. The manner is to tmiie pease with shoi-te forkes, such as 

 they use for tiftinge of hey, and on the mowes, settinge two 

 folkes to each lande, and thromnge the reapes up allmost as 

 high as the ridge of the lande on that side wheare the waines 

 are to come downe, but on the other side of the land but a little 

 distance from the fuiTe, because the reapes .shoulde not lye over 

 close, but that the winde shoulde come to dry them, if they 

 chance to bee wette. Eight folkes turned aUmost all Stygate 

 flatte in one day. There was in Stygate flatte (this yeare) just 

 five score and tenne loades, wheareof the Greate Helme* in the 

 Staggarth helde 43, the Hehne in the Foregarth lielde 23, and 

 there was 45 loades which were stacked in the West hall East 

 close which stacke was just 12 yards in length and sixe in 

 breadth, and woulde have helde, easily, 50 loades. Wee ledde 

 pease constantly with 5 waines, and each waine fetched hoame 

 5 loades a day from Stygate flatte, (beinge a fortnight after 

 Michaellmasse) ; wheareof one or two of the last weare allwayes 

 sette to the stacke side and left unteamed ; wee had yoaked all- 

 wayes by that time wee coulde well see in the morninge. Wee 

 lye on usually fower course of petuse, if the reapes l^ee small and 

 dry ; but if they be wette and loggery, then wee lye on but 

 three ; if the pease be very dry they sometimes tye theire 

 waines, but if they bee anythinge wette, then they neaver use 

 to tye them. There allwayes goes two folkes with a pease- 

 waine, viz. ; one to forke and one to loade ; and in loadinge of 

 pease they allwayes lappe the reapes up rownde which they lye 

 in the corners ; and for every cour.se they lye on the waine, 

 they lappe up two reapes for each corner, whearof the loader 

 makes one, and the forker makes the other belowe ; and giveth 

 it uj) ready made."' 



' A hi'lme now >roncially Iiolds the raits, and goar ; and answers the pnriwsc of a 

 cart shed. 'I'hoic Htill remains at Elni.swell a helnie ancient enou^jh to be one of 

 those here mentioned. One of mnch larfjer size wan jniih'd down thirty years ago. 



^ Sec iiinif ni\ tliiu subject at a suhscquent page. 



