Iff] A TOPOGRAPHICAL 



cattle of never so deep a black or other colour, be put to feed in a 

 place called the Clots, in Newbold ground, in the parish of Taten- 

 hill, about a mile east of Dunstall, they will certainly change the 

 colour of their coat to a whitish dun, (like a daw's head) in a sum- 

 mer's running' ; and so they will if put upon Tatenhill, about a mile 

 upon Tatenhill Common ; or into Buck stew, another parcel of 

 Newbold grounds ; nor does only the grass but the hay of these 

 grounds also turn cattle to this whitish dun, which 'tis said they 

 recover not in two or three years time, tho' put into other grounds; 

 as for horses they are improved upon these grounds at a great 

 rate, only they make them dappled, be they of what colour so-* 

 ever before." 



In the Moorlands they cut the turf in the spring time with au 

 instrument called a push plow, being a sort of spade shod some- 

 what in the form of an arrow, with a wing at one side, and having 

 a cross piece of wood at the upper end of the helve after the 

 manner of a crutch, to which they fasten a pillow, which setting 

 to their thigh, and so thrusting it forward, they will commonly dis- 

 patch a large turf at two cuts, and then turn it up to dry, which in 

 good weather is done on one side in 8, on the other in 4 or 5 days ; 

 when dryed, if intended for fuel in winter, they pile them up round 

 in manner of a hay-rick 10 or 12 foot high, and let them stand all 

 summer ; but if for manuring their land, they heap it up round a 

 good quantity together on the ground, and set it on fire : these 

 heaps they keep burning sometimes three weeks together, still 

 putting on new turf as the old burns away, only giving them vent 

 by air holes, which they make with a stick ; the ashes of this turf 

 they call ess, which laid on their meadows, or tillage land, goes 

 further than dung or lime : they also use turf to ridge and head 

 their meaner houses, and sometimes thatch with it. In their 

 moorish boggy grounds they also dig peat, either for fuel or to 

 burn for manure as above. 



Of herbaceous plants, the Vicia Sylvestris Cracca, or wild 

 tufted vetch, or tare-grass, has been observed to do so well in 

 meadows, that it advances all staryen wealy cattle above any thing 

 yet known.* 



* Tliis is a perennial plant well deserving a place in the best meadows, beittg 

 excellent, either eaten green or ia hay. 



