"Fevrier remplit les fosses: Mars les seche."—Fr. Provb.
See also Swainson's Weather Folklore, pp. 40-42.—Note by Mr. J. Britten, F.L.S.
[E188] "Leaue iobbing," i.e. leave off jobbing, or pecking, with their beaks. See Prompt. Parv. p. 36. "Bollyn, or jowin wythe the bvlle as byrdys (byllen or iobbyn as bryddys K. iobbyn with the byl H.P.). Rostro."
[E190] Moles, for the trapping of which each parish used to maintain a sapper and miner, are found to be excellent husbandmen, the little heaps of friable soil which they throw up furnishing, when spread abroad, the best of top dressings. "It may be novel to some to be informed that moles may be taken with dogs, properly trained. This may serve to diversify the life of a professed hunter."—M.
[E191] As for mole-hills forming a warm and dry station for lambs, the same may be said with much greater propriety of ant-hills; yet neither would be suffered to remain on a well-managed farm.
[E192] Lease, a small enclosure near the homestall.—M. A name used in some countries for a small piece of ground of 2 or 3 acres.—T.R.
[E193] "Mestlen." "Years ago in Norfolk thousands of acres yeelded no better grain crop than rye, of which the bread of farm households was made. Meslin bread made of wheat and rye in equal quantity was for the master's table alone."—Forby. "And there at the manor of Marlingford, and at the mill loaded both carts with Mestlyon and Wheat."—Paston Letters, iii. p. 294. "For they were neither hogs nor devils, nor devilish hogs, nor hoggish devils, but a mesling of the two."—Fairfax. The mixed grain, meslin, was used in France in the concoction of beer, as appears by the regulations for the brewers of Paris, 1254, who were to use "grains, c'est à savoir, d'orge, de mestuel, et de dragée."—Reglements t. Louis IX. ed. Depping, p. 29. At a dinner given in 1561 to the Duke of Norfolk by the Mayor of Norwich, there were provided: "xvj loves white bread ivd., xviij loves wheaten bread, ixd., iij loves mislin bread iijd."—Leland, Itin. vi. xvii. Plot (Hist. of Oxford, p. 242) says that the Oxfordshire land termed sour is good for wheat and "miscellan," namely wheat and rye mixed.
[E194] It is to be regretted, both on the score of policy and health, that in reforming false principles, we renounced salutary practices. Days of abstinence from flesh-meat, if not prescribed by authority, should be voluntarily imposed on ourselves. If the fisherman purchases bread of the farmer, the farmer in his turn ought to encourage the fisherman, who in peace and war has the highest claims to support.—M.
[E195] "Auens." "Avence herbe, Avancia, Sanamunda."—Prompt. Parv. By some called harefoot. It was used in cookery; see Pegge's Forme of Cury, ed. 1780, p. 13.