190 



OLD WEST SURREY 



I have some two dozen of them of all sizes ; some quite 

 tiny, of a half-pint capacity, evidently made for children. 

 Some have been painted, the paint being nearly always of a 

 good quality of blue ; though the large one in the illustration 

 has been painted white, with black hoops — but this was one of 

 a set that had belonged to a squire. 



A harvest bottle, when not too large or heavy, is a pleasant 

 thing to drink from, and when a fine labouring man drinks 



Z --21 



Harvest Bottles 



standing, with his head thrown back and his two arms raised, 

 the attitude is generally a strong and graceful one. 



The head of the little barrel is always made of one piece. 

 In one that I have, the head has split, and has evidently 

 leaked, and the leak has been stopped with pitch. 



The owner's initials were usually branded on both heads ; 

 some of those I have show three ownerships, bearing three 

 sets of initials. 



One large bottle shows P. R. in a very old kind of letter- 

 ing. Branded right across this is F. F. S. and above and 

 below this, C. F. The F. F. S. is the most recent ; one can 



