RURAL ECONOMY IN YORKSHIRE IN 1641. 61 



the stacke from risinge, and the rest of the bandes are all made 

 fast att the eize. If the strawe or stubble lye farre from the 

 stackes, then there wiU bee imployment for two folkes, viz. ; 

 for one to di-awe and make bottles, and for the other to carry 

 and serve. Our stackes weare (this yeare) thatched with 

 stubble, and by reason of the shortnesse of the stubble, wee 

 weare glad to mingle haver strawe with it, whearof two parts 

 of the bottles weare stubble, and the third part haver strawe.* 



Other short Remembrances. 

 When wee iinde our white corne wette or greene, soe that 

 wee feare that it wiU heate in the mowe, then doe wee di-awe 

 up a leape aboute the middle of each roomstead ; and soe by 

 this meanes the storme getteth a vent by the leap-holes, whear- 

 by the dainger of fu-inge is prevented, and the come aUsoe 

 much bettered. Aboute three weekes or a moneth after the 

 stackes are aU covered, they will be much sattled, for that the 

 bandes will blowe aside with the winde, and the rigginge blowe 

 away, if you do not niinde to pull the bandes downe starke, and 

 tye them fast againe. 



OF BEES, AND HOWE TO ORDER THEM. 



The usuaU time of bees swarminge and castinge is betwixt 

 the 20th of May and the 10th of July, but especially in the 

 begin ninge of June ; and theire usuall time of day is betwixt 

 nine of the clocke and three, but especially betwixt nine and 

 eleaven, yett if the mominge bee faire, that they goe abroade to 

 worke, and then a httle shower come and bringe them hoame 

 aboute noone, then they wiU rise assm^edly soe soone as the 

 siume breakes out againe and shines cleare. Aboute the 16th 

 of May, you shall see the greate bees stirre abroade when the 

 hives are good.'' Within a fortnight after the comminge 

 abroad of the greate bees, that hive wiU cast, if it cast that 

 yeare, unlesse weather hinder. Bees will flomish and make 

 profer of castinge fower or five dayes before they cast indeed, 

 and that usually aboute halfe an houre after tenne, and halfe 

 an houre after one of the clocke. There is in most hives 17 or 

 18 wreathes, whearfore the best way for speUinge of an hive is 

 to putte in the two lowermost speUes aboute 4 wi-eathes from 

 the bottome of the liive, and the two uppermost speUes just 4 

 wi'eathes above them ; but fii'st of all, for tiftinge of a newe 

 hive, you are to take an handfull of balme, and an handfull of 



* See more on thatching in the last three chapters. 



•» The countiy people in Dorsetshire -wall yet call the coming out of the di-ones 

 about noon, "to pli giirt bees." 



