HISTORY OF STAFFORDSHIRE. [13 



die of September, after which it is sown with rye, allowing for seed 

 two strikes to an acre, which if it yield 25 strike again, they reckon 

 it a competent increase. After rye they sow barley, making their 

 fallows about Candlemas, and giving another plowing in April, then 

 sowing it, affording for seed three strikes to an acre* which gene- 

 rally yields them thirty again ; and next barley* or white peas, fot 

 which they plow but once in March, and then sow them, allowing 

 three strikes to an acre; fourthly) after peas, they sow oates, either 

 red or white) if it be in good heart, but if poor and weak, black oates, 

 for either of which one plowing is sufficient in March, and four strike 

 of seed ; lastly, they sow oates again, (for their common heathy 

 grounds will seldom afford but one crop of barley) and then their 

 tiiclosures are thrown open-to the commons again. 



Their broomy, gorsy, or fursy hot sandy land, they first clear of 

 those incumbrances by stocking with the mattock, or drawing 

 them up by the roots by a certain instrument made like a strong 

 lever, armed with a iron hook, which roots up bushes by force 5 they 

 then manure it with marie, which doth not only so fertilize it as that 

 it shall yield the husbandman 7 or 8 crops, but as some conceive 

 frees it from the annoyance of these plants for ever after. The ma- 

 nure being laid on, they plow and sow this as the heathy lands are, 

 bnly in some places they first sow with French or buck-wheat, for 

 which they make their fallows in winter, and stir them in May en- 

 suing, allowing oiie strike to the acre, and so brings their land in 

 order for rye> which they sow after once plowing. Their gouty* 

 moorish, peaty, cold black land, they husband also much after the 

 same manner, only they burne the earth to a good depth ; yet these 

 will bear little else than oates, white oates upon the gouty, and black 

 bates upon the cold black land. 4n marling their lands, upon sound 

 grounds, whether day or gravelly, they lay eight or nine score or 

 two hundred loads on an acre : on loose wormcy ground they 

 commonly lay more. 



The white flaxen, and bright red wheat, are the ordinary grains 

 of the country^ besides which they now and then sow the Triticuiq 

 Multiplex, or double-eared wheat ; Triticum Polonicum, or Poland 

 wheat I and for barley., besides the common long-eared, and spratt 

 barley, they sow sometimes the Triticum speiia, or naked barley* 

 And amongst tho oates, besides the white, black, and red oates, at 

 Biirton-upon-Trtnt I found they also sowed the Avena nuda, or 

 naked oat ; and besides the summer and winter vetches, the wild 

 Vetch, Vicia Cracca, is sown in some places ; but tjiese only in mea 



