160 
Farming Customs and Covenants of England. 
the 1st of November nothing is allowed for tliem. There seems 
to be no custom as to manure, as on some estates the incoming 
tenant pays for it, and on others he does not ; but usually it is the 
property of the landlord, and the incomer is not charged for it. 
The incoming tenant has a right of pre-entry on the stubbles 
after the 1st of November, the outgoing tenant having to find 
stabling for his horses, and on the meadows at Candlemas (but 
not on the pastures). The new tenant ploughs for his own spring 
corn. Hay and straw must be consumed on the farm, and 
whatever remains unconsumed on the 1st of May becomes the 
property of the landlord. 
We are indebted to Mr. George Hilditch, and Mr. James 
Bourn, of Stourbridge, for information on the customs of this 
county ; and to Mr. Bowen Jones and the Shropshire Chamber 
of Agriculture for a revision. 
SoMEliSETSHIllE. — Lady-day and Michaelmas are the usual 
times of entry, but the greater number are at Lady-day. The 
customs prevalent in this county are very diverse, differing 
widely even in adjacent parishes. The four-course shift is the 
usual one, but sometimes the three-field course is adopted on 
deep and rich soils. With a Lady-day tenancy the outgoing 
tenant sows the clover and other grass-seeds with the Lent corn 
of the previous year, and also the vetches in the autumn of the 
last year, and the seed is paid for by the incoming tenant ; the 
seeds, however, must not be stocked after the 1st of October. 
The outgoing tenant usually claims an off-going crop of wheat 
on one-fourth of the arable land ; if not, the incomer has a right 
of pre-entry to prepare and sow the same : under any circum- 
stances the incomer has a right of pre-entry on November 1st to 
the arable land not sown with wheat or turnips, to prepare for 
spring corn, but in some cases the outgoing tenant does the 
ploughing, sowing, tScc, and the incomer pays for the same. 
When an off-going crop of wheat is taken the landlord has the 
right of taking one- third of the crop by valuation when fit to 
cut, and the outgoing tenant retains a portion of the barns, folds, 
and premises until the 24th of June in the next year to consume 
his crops. On a Michaelmas entry the tenant has a right of 
pre-entry on June 24th to prepare for wheat, or he pays the 
outgoer for acts of husbandry performed thereon. The outgoing 
tenant is paid for his root crops, and he holds a portion of the 
l)arn-buildings and folds until the following 25th of March to 
consume his wheat crops. In the case of orchards, the tenant 
must preserve the trees, and if any get destroyed he is obliged 
to replace them with young stocks. Tenants in this county 
cannot mow any meadow or grass-land more than once in any 
one year, nor mow more than half the meadow land in any one 
