Cylchgronau Cymru

CAE GWYN-HUSBANDRY AND CROPPING 1814-15 1814 Oct. 31st-Dec. 16th Ploughing. 1815 Jan. 6th 18 loads of dung received. Feb. 6th­18th Ploughing. Feb. 27th-March 11th Ploughing. March 18th Harrowing and sowing 3 bushels of vetches. March 2oth­25th Harrowing. March 27th-April 8th Ploughing, harrowing and rolling for beans. April 4th—5th Sowing 8 quarters of beans. April 5 th- 16th Ploughing for peas and sowing 13 measures of peas on lower part. April 17th Dunging and preparing top of field for vetches. April 27th Sowed 19 measures of vetches. May 29th — June 3rd Sowed potatoes. July 3rd-8th Harrowing and sowing buckwheat on headland. Aug. 14th — 19th Put on dung from yards. Aug. 15th Reaped peas. Harvesting peas and vetches. Sept. 4th­3oth Ploughing pea land and rest of field. It is clear from the husbandry details set out in the accounts that apart from the light harrow, the plough, drawn either by horses or oxen, was the sole implement of both primary and secondary culti- vation. Two full-time ploughmen were occupied through the majority of the year, being assisted at peak periods of activity by plough teams provided by estate tenants. The Autumn months were occupied in ploughing the summer fallows in preparation for winter wheat, while dung applied in the summer was ploughed-in during the winter months prior to the sowing of barley and oats in the spring. Seedbed prepara- tion, in the case of both winter and spring crops, involved numerous passes with the plough before a final harrowing provided the required tilth. Generally seeds were broadcast by regular farm labour assisted by tenants, although references to the drilling' of turnips indicate that a seed drill was available on the demesne farm. As far as it has been possible to determine them from the accounts, the sowing times of the major crops grown on the farm are set out in Table I below.