LITTLE GADDESDEN. 211 



like a house with a span-roof, they begin to thatch it 



with wheat-straw, which is effected thus : A little above 



the thatch-foot of the hay-stack, a hole is stuck here and 



there horizontally all the way along the roof of the stack 



with a kapp or " rick-peg; " thereupon long wheat-straw 



is taken, at one end of which is made a fold or twist, 



et veck, and the. straw is twisted tightly together by the 



twist. The highest part of the straw, or the twist, is 



then stuffed into the holes which have been made in the 



hay, with the rick-peg, by which means it is fastened. [Here 



is a figure.] When the straw has thus been stuffed into 



the hay, a whole row along the roof, hela raden langs 



dfver taket, they begin a foot or more higher up, to do 



likewise along the whole roof, taking care that this row 



is parallel [T. I. p. 213] with the former or lower, when 



this stuffed-in straw covers over the upper ends of the 



lower rows. They continue thus to stuff in the straw 



into the hay as far up as the ridge or the highest top of 



the roof, when in every case the upper straw covers the 



ends of the lower. Along the ridge, which resembles a 



roof-ridge, kroppas, there are first laid brackens, 



Ormbunkar, and then straw on those, which is fastened 



at the summit, thus : Two long split-sticks or " rods," 



langa spjalkor eller sprator, are laid over the straw 



along and on opposite sides of the roof or thatch, which are 



fastened with many rick-pegs, as the accompanying Figure 



shows. The rick-pegs are knocked down into the hay, 



so that the crook at the top presses down the " rods," 



spjalken, and holds the straw fast. [It is not necessary 



to reproduce the figure. J. L.J 



On both sides, at the gables from the highest ridge 



down the edge of the thatch there are laid long rods which 



are in the same way fastened with similar " rick-pegs " 



which hold fast the straw and prevent the wind from 



carrying it away at the edges. 



p 2 



