Now! Then! Henry Best of Elmswell (Driffield) starts haymaking

7 July 1641: Henry Best of Elmswell (Driffield) starts haymaking

Henry Best. 1857. Rural Economy in Yorkshire, in 1641. Ed. Charles Best Robinson. Durham: Surtees Society. Get it:

Excerpt

The cutting of grass falls not out always alike, but sometimes sooner and sometimes later, accordingly as men can perceive it to begin to turn and die; for so soon as the penny-grass [yellow rattle] begins to welk and seem dry, then is it time to begin to mow; and in those closes first that are the most barren; for if they be overlong forborne, they will burn and dry away, and prove very hard and stumpy when they come to be mown; but such places as are fat earth, have been long enclosed, and are lately layen, should always be left till the last of all. We began to mow this 7th of July, 1641, being Wednesday; for indeed it is most usual to begin about the middle of July; we had this year a very kindly spring, and the weather very moist, so that almost in all meadows and hay-grounds grass proved to be very strong, and well grown; and great store of bottom grass [thick short grass] arose; and besides it began to turn and die betimes, so that we had a very forward and seasonable hay-time. Mowers have usually 10d. a day, and meat themselves; if they be to take a piece of ground to mow they will scarce deal with it, unless they can almost assure themselves that they shall come to 12d. a day. The tools that mowers are to have with them are scythe, shaft, and strickle [whetting tool], hammer to pit the strickle with to make it keep sand, sand-bag, and grease-horn. They usually buy their scythes at some fairs hereabouts. The price of a scythe is usually 2s. 2d. or 2s. 4d. The best strickles are those that are made of froughy [spongy], unseasoned oak; you may buy one for 1d., but a good one will cost and is worth 2d. As for sand, they usually buy it at Malton by pennyworth and 2 pennyworths. Mowers will usually come before five in the morning, and they then will sleep an hour at noon. You are to mind what time they arise and fall to work at noon. You are likewise to see that they take their full breadths, and cut clear at point and at heel, otherwise there is a loss both of time and of grass, when he that follows is forced to cuts his foreman out almost to his foot. A good mower will go the breadth of those broad lands [a wide strip of ploughed land] with a whet, and take a broad land and more at four swaths, and when he hath done, you shall scarce perceive his swath-balk [ridge of grass left unmown between swaths].

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To facilitate reading, the spelling and punctuation of elderly excerpts have generally been modernised, and distracting excision scars concealed. My selections, translations, and editions are copyright.

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Original

DIRECTIONS FOR CUTTINGE OF GRASSE AND TIFTINGE OF HAY.

The cuttinge of grasse falleth not out allwayes alike, but sometimes sooner and sometimes later, accordingly as men can perceive it to beginne to turne and dye; for soe soone as the pennie-grasse beginne to welke and seeme dry, then is it time. to beginne to mowe; and in those closes first that are the most barren; for if they bee over longe forborne, they will burne and drye away, and proove very hard and stumpie when they come to be mowne; but such places as are fatte earth, have have beene longe inclosed, and are lately layen, should allwayes bee left till the last of all. Wee beganne to mowe this 7th of July, 1641, beinge Wensday; for indeede it is most usuall to beginne aboute the middle of July; wee had (this yeare) a very kindely springe, and the weather very moist, soe that allmost in all medowes and hay-growndes, grasse prooved to bee very stronge, and well growne; and greate store of bottome grasse arose; and besides it beganne to turne and dye betimes, soe that wee had a very forward and seasonable hay-time.

Mowers have usually 10d. a day, and meate themselves; if they bee to take a peece of grownde to mowe they will scarce deale with it, unlesse they can allmost assure themselves that they shall come to 12d. a day; the tooles that mowers are to have with them, are sythe, shafte, and strickle, hammer to pitte the strickle with to make it keepe sande, sande-bagge, and grease-horne; they usually buy theire sythes att some faires here-aboutes; the price of a sythe is usually 2s. 2d. or 2s. 4d.; sometimes they may bee bought for 22d., and sometimes againe they cannot bee bought under 2s. 6d.; the best stricles are those that are made of froughy, unseasoned oake; yow may [buy] one for 1d., but a good one will cost and is worth 2d.; as for sande, they usually buy it att Malton by penniworth and 2 penniworthes. Mowers will usually come afore five in the morninge, and they then will sleepe an houre att noone; yow are to minde what time they arise and fall to worke att noones; yow are likewise to see that they take theire full breadthes, and cutte cleare att pointe and att heele, otherwise there is a losse both of time and of grasse, when hee that followeth is forced to cutte his foreman out allmost to his foote. A good mower will goe the breadth of those broade-landes with a whette, and take a broade-lande and more att fower sweathes, and when hee hath done, yow shall scarce perceive his sweath-balke.

In a moist yeare hardlande-grasse prooveth better then carres, or ing-growndes, and ridges of lande better then furres, for water standinge longe in the furres spoyleth the growth for that yeare. Haymakers have 4d. a day and are to meate themselves; the tooles that they are to have with them are onely shorte forkes and rakes; if there be any odde ones amongst them the odde ones should have rakes, for there is more use for rakes then forkes. Wee have constantly fower, or five mowers, and eight or tenne haymakers, because there are many thinges belonge to tiftinge of hay; as spreadinge, and, sometimes, turninge, rakinge, and cockinge, throwinge togeather, and castinge into greate cocke, carryinge out of bottomes and lowe growndes with forkes and rakes, and in wette weather throwinge out and tiftinge amongst. The best time for spreadinge of grasse is allwayes the next day after it is cutte ; for the sooner that it is spreade, the sooner will it welke, and dry, and neede the lesse sweate in the cocke, yow are to lette it lye two whole dayes spreade before yow rake and cocke it, and if a longe raine come after it is spreade the grass will growe thorowe it and make it very trowblesome to rake, and att such a time yow are to turne it all over and lette it dry afore yow rake it; otherwise the many greene soppes that are in it will bee a meanes to make it cleame togeather in lumpes, and moulde in the cocke; one spreader will spreade as much in a day as sixe goode mowers will mowe; then after your grasse hath layen two dayes spreade, yow are to gette it raked and cocked, and if it bee both well welked and dry when yow cocke it, yow may venture to leade it within five dayes without any more to doe; butt if it bee eyther wette or greene when yow cocke it, yow are not to lette it stande above three dayes afore yow throwe it out againe and gette it well tifled in, and then cast it into greate cocke yow may if yow please. When hay is raked, or throwne into wind-rowe, there shoulde bee just as many with rakes as there are with forkes, viz.: first a forke and then a rake; and then if there chance to bee an odde one, the odde is to goe last up, and with her rakeshafte to throwe up the sweath, and then to come first downe againe, and rake the same; and then are they right againe. Haymakers will cocke as much in one houre as they will rake togeather in two, whearefore they seldome beginne to cocke afore three of the clocke, and then doe they beginne theire first wheare they beganne first to rake. When hay hath stoode fower or five dayes in small cocke, then they carry them togeather, and putte two or three grasse cockes in one, and sometimes fower; if the winde be any thinge bigge when they beginne to cocke, theire manner is to twine two bandes with their rake out of the bottome of the cocke, on either side, and soe to make them meete over the toppe of the cocke. Such closes as pay tithe shoulde allwayes bee tended in grasse-cocke, and then are there 9 grassecockes for the owner betwixt the procter’s tythe cockes, which cockes beinge putte togeather are usually throwne into 3, viz. : three into one. If there come any raine whiles the hay is in cocke, soe that it bee ill wette, the first faire day that cometh yow are to gette it throwne out, aboute nine of the clocke, and then turned againe, aboute twelve, and soe cocked up towards night. A good mower will mowe 40 grasse-cockes in a day, which are accounted a loade and an halfe, for 26 or 28 grassecockes are a sufficient loade, and fower good haymakers will rake and cocke five loades in a day; wee sell our best hay usually for 16s. a loade, and our coursest and longest bottome hay for 138. 4d., viz. : such as groweth in the bottomes and ing-growndes; if wee sell it by the cocke, wee sell it usually when it is in grasse cocke, viz.: grasse cockes for 8d. a peece; or else double cockes, beinge throwne two into one, for 14d. or 16d. a cocke; and sometimes, when hay is plentifull, wee sell double cockes for 12d. a peece. The shortest and most leary hey is allwayes accounted the best for any goodes, and especially for sheepe and younge foales and calves. It is a greate folly in men to make theire grasse cockes too little, for the bigger the cocke is the better it will endure both winde and wette. It is likewise a greate oversight in men to necleckt throwinge out of theire hay when it is cocked either wette or greene, for then sure it is to be rated, and beinge rated looseth both the goode smell and goode taste; and likewise the colour, as yow may perceive by the blackenesse of the cocke on the outside; for if the hay bee right, and have stoode any time in the cocke, the outside will looke allmost as white as strawe, and yette as greene within as though it weare nothinge welked; and this is the best, sweetest, and most nourishinge hay of all; for lette your hay stande neaver soe longe and have sweate both in small cocke and greate cocke, yette when it cometh to bee layd togeather in a mowe, it will sweate againe within three dayes, and be soe hotte that one may allmost roste an egge in it. When hey is beginninge to be rated, the best help is to throwe it out a little, and then to remoove it, and sette it on a newe, fresh, and sweete staddle. Hay-rakes may be bought at Malton for 22d. a dozen; they have usually fifteene teeth a peece, and are all of saugh, bothe shafte, heade, and teeth; sometimes the heades and teeth are of ashe. One may buy allsoe att Malton shorte forke-shaftes, made of seasoned ashe, and quarter cliffe for 28. or 22d. a dozen.

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