ON THE ETHNOGRAPHICAIv SURVEY OF THE UNITED KINGDOM. 485 



571. Balmaghie. — It is accounted unlucky to meet a funeral. 



572. It is looked on as unlucky to stand on the threshold and look on 

 a passing funeral. 



573. Kirkmaiden. — When the master of the house dies, if bees are kept, 

 they die or leave. My informant said he knew of such cases in the parish. 



Farminff Customs. 

 Sowing. 



574. Kirkmaiden. — When once the bags containing the seed-grain are 

 taken to the field to be sown, if rain come so as to prevent the sowing 

 from being carried out, they are not lifted from the field and carted back 

 to the barn, but left till the weather permits the seed to be sown. 



575. The grain used to be sown from a sheet knotted up and hung 

 from the neck. This sheet had always to be taken clean out of the fold 

 for the grain that was first sown. 



576. If the knot by which the sheet from which the seed-grain was 

 sown was tied undid itself, the sower would not live to sow another spring. 

 W. Morrison, farmer in East Muntlock, was sowing one spring when the 

 knot of the sheet unloosed itself. He died before the next spring. 



Reaping, 



577. Gallotcay (general). — Reaping was at one time done by the 

 hook. 



578. Rerrick. — The reaper on the first 'rig,' who was always supposed 

 to be the best workman, was called 'The Pintsman' (pointsman), and the 

 one on the last ' rig ' ' The Heel.' There was a binder and stooker to 

 each four ' shearers.' Breakfast was between five and six o'clock in the 

 morning, and consisted of oatmeal porridge and milk. The porridge was 

 always made the night before in a big boiler, and poured into small 

 wooden tubs called ' gones.' These ' gones ' were then covered up with 

 the grain sack, to keep the porridge warm. The steam got condensed, and 

 fell down all round the inside of the ' gones,' making the outside of the 

 porridge cold and unpalatable ; so that, as my informant said, ' We suppit 

 as fast as we cud, till we got to quhaur they were warm.' For sixteen 

 reapers and four binders there might be three of these ' gones.' They were 

 placed along a big table. A basin to hold milk was placed for each two, 

 and not one basin for each. 



Instead of milk what is called ' crap ' was sometimes used. This 

 ' crap ' is boiled whey. When curd for making cheese is separated from 

 the whey, small lumps of curds are left in the whey. When all the curd 

 that can be got is separated from the whey, the whey is boiled. This 

 boiling causes all the small particles of curd to coagulate still further, and 

 then to tioat. When the whey cools, they sink to the bottom. 



Dinner, which consisted of broth made of swine-flesh along with 

 potatoes, was served at noon. Work was resumed almost as soon as 

 dinner was finished, and was carried on without stop till 8 or 8.15, if 

 daylight permitted. Supper consisted of porridge and milk, the same as 

 breakfast. This was the course followed about fifty years ago on the 

 farm of Baligue, parish of Rerrick. (Told by one that did harvest work 

 on the farm for one harvest.) 



579. Balmaghie. — The 'pint' (point) rig was shorn by the 'first man* 

 in the kitchen, and the second rig by the byre-woman. 



