Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1882-01-02

iOSalu " OdtetC WCIC cfcn numerous
and strict than in Brittany proper. There
was a law providing for the pasturage of all
cattle on the commons, under one mans care,
who was responsible for them, and who, his
oath being decisive, settled all disputes about
the cattle. Flowing was prohibited with
horses, mares, and COWS and was restricted
to oxen. The plews were very weak and
poor affairs probably for the reason that no
man was allowed to guide a plow who was
not able to make one; and the plowman was
even expected to make the rope of twisted
willows by which it was drawn. 1t was Gus
tomary for six or eight farmers to join to
gether to make and equip one Of these plows
and minute and curious laws were made1for;
the government OF such societies. Privileges
were allowed all persons who manured their
land or who cut down timber. The Anglo
Saxon land owners deemed the cultivation Of
the soil as too ignoble and laborious Gn occu-
patton for them TO practice, and hence the
farming depended almost solely on slaves.
They depended mainly on their herds for
living, and even took the trouble to enact
laws calculated to prevent themselves and
descendants from acquiring liking for agri'
cultural pursuits.
The practice of dividing lands into inlands
and outlands originated with ths Anglo
Saxons. The inlands lay adjacent to the
mansion OF the proprietor, and were kept
under his immediate supervision. These
lands were cultivated by slaves under
bailiff or overseer. The outlands lay at
greater distance from the mansion, and were
rented to small farmers at moderate rents.
The rate Of rent was established by law and
not by the owners of the land. The greater
part of the crown lands were let to these
farmers or ceorls, who were generally soldiers
and freemen. Little is known of the
AGRICULTURAL IMPLEMENTS
OF the Anglo-Saxons. The laborers were
slaves, and the beast of draught the OK. The
lands belonging to the mnnasteries were much
the best cultivated for many OF the secular
canons, TO some extent, cultivated their lands
themselves. The conquest of England by the
Normans in the fifJh century contributed
greatly to the improvement of English agri-
culture. After the Norman conquest Eng
land was settled to great extent by hus-
bandInen from Flanders, France and Nor
way. These immigrants introduced into
England the practices to which they had
become accustomed in their own country,
which being much superior to the practices
of the Angio-Saxons, Immediately tended to
the improvement of English agriculture.
Many of the Norman nobility took much care
and interest in the improvement of their es-
tates. The clergy, and particularly the
were HLlit RiStbcE llllDEONGt5 btldll blG
nobility The monks of each monastery
kept the cultivation Of the contiguous lands
under their own personal supervision, and
sometimes worked in the fields themselves.
1t was the custom, especially in harvest and
seeding time, fer the monks, and somstimes
even the priests and bishops. to assist in the
fields. Canons were passed by the Church
granting perfect immunity to all persons
while engaged in the pursuit Of agriculture |;
and Furnishing by accommodation those
persons who molested the farmers, providi *
they did not desist when requested so to do
| by the monks.
The implements of husbandry were the
same as, though less perfect than, those OF
the present day. There seems 20 be no very
| detailed account of the methods OF use of the
| farm instruments to be had. It is pretty
certain that lands were only ploWed once, ex-
| cept for wheat, when following was resOrted
TO. Especially in Wales was this the practice.
! The seed was sown broadcast by hand, and
was narrowed in in much the same manner as
it is done in the present time. Manuring
was common practice after stable manure,
mari was the next highest esteemed. Farm.
ers who were possessed of cattle were obliged
| by law to begin blowing at certain date,
which was fixed by the King. Those people
who had no cattle wers forced to " delve as
much with hand as foot as would produce a
sufficient quantity of corn to supply them
selves and families" The
EXTINCTION OF PERNIoIoUs WEEDS
Was made obligatory by statutes. Agri-
culture was carried on with vigor during the
thirteenth aud fourteenth centuries. In q
law book called 8 Fleta," which is supposed
to have been written by some lawyers
who were prisoners on The fact about
1910, some very minute and partic-
uiar directions were given in relation to
many of the principal agricultural practices.
During the greater part Of the fifteenth CEN
fury England was engaged in civil wars, and
agriculture again declined. At one time
laborers became so scarce as to make it almost
impossible to get them st any price. This
dearth of farm hands Obliged the lords to
inclose immense tracts of land for pasturage.
This inclosing of land was taken for the
cause instead of the effect of the desrth of
laborers by an ignorant Parliament, and a
law forbidding the inclosing Of large tracts OF
land was passed in the latter part of the four
tenth century. England enjoyed almost
unbroken peace from the year 14S5 until the
middle of the seventeenth century, but it
took almost q century to remove the
effects of former wars upon agricult-
ure. The culture of hops was revived
at about the beginning of the fifteenth CEN
fury, and that of fax attempted, but ii
failed. Considerable attention was also paid
to the rearing of horses. Parliament passed
ordinances prohibiting animals under GER
tain size from being used for breeding pur-
poses. James ". of Scotland improved upon
! this method by importing horses from foreign
countries, in order TO improve the degenerate
breed of his own. Cattle were not plentiful
in England even as late as the reign of Eliza
beth. During her time, in the year of 1868,
a law was passed prohibiting the use of meats
on Fridays aud Wednesdays, under penalty
of fifteen dollars ; however, in case of sick
ness, or by special license, the use Of meats,
except beef and veal, was allowed on these
days. Below we give an extract from Fitz.
| herbert's Book If Husbandry, published prior
TO the year 1888 This is taken from the
"prologue to the wives occupation" but it is
not expected, or even wished, that it should
form basis for the actions OF the thrifty
wives of the present time. However, we
! give it as
A CURIOSITY.
she ia to "make herself and husbanda some
| clothes - She may have the lockes of the
shepe, either to make blankettes and cover
lettes, or both $3.50 l. is a wives occupation
to winowe all manner of cdrnes. to make
matte, to wash aud wryDge, to make heye, to
sheve corne. aud IL time OF nede to help her
! husbande TO fill the muckewane or lounge
cart, drive the ploughe, to load heve. corn,
and such other And to go or ride to the
market, to sci butter. cheese, mylke, egges,
chikyns, cspons, hennes. pygges, gese, and
all manner of cornes." This is quite round
and variety of duties, and that tue wife could
be asked to do 1t all is proof in itself that
women must have been, TO say the least, more
tracsable during those times than are their
sisters of the present century. From the
time Of Henry VII to Che present time
/ agriculture continued steadily TO improve.
Buckwhest, hops, hemp and fax were IN gen
eral cultivation during the fifteenth century.
In the seventeenth century clover and turnips
| were introduced INFO England. They were
both used quite extensively as sheep. feed
Potatoes, introduced in 1885, also began to
attract attention as bsing "a pleasant food,
boiled or roasted and eaten with butter and
sugar" Restrictions ware laid on the ex-
portation OF corn. but the importation was
never restrained. In Scotland during the
fifteenth and sixteenth centuries agriculture
languished except on the ecclesiastical estates.
! The profession OF war was held in higher
estimation by the mass of the people than
that of farming. During the sixteenth CEN
fury it became customary for the church to
levy tithes on all isnds fer its support. The
paying OF these tighes caused much hardship
among the people until early in the seven,
| teenth century, when the tithes were Iegu-
lated by law, thus doing away with the extol-
| tomato demands OF tbs Church. The progress
of ayric1Itrre in Scn+iap1 as in most nthar