June.

The emblem which we have given for this month (Fig. 246) is assigned to July in the Saxon Calendar; but Mr. Strutt is of [the] opinion that the illuminator transposed the emblems of June and July, as there would be no leisure for felling trees during the harvest time, which is represented in the original as taking place in June and in August. The field operations of August are properly a continuation of those of July, according to Mr. Strutt. But it is not improbable that the hay harvest was meant to be represented by one illumination, and the grain harvest by the other. June was called by a name which describes the pasturing of cattle in the fields not destined for winter fodder. These were the meadows, which were too wet and rank for the purposes of hay. The blythe business of hay-making was upon the uplands. Verstegan says: “Unto June they gave the name of Weyd-monat, because their beasts did then weyd in the meadows, that is to say, go to feed there and thereof a meadow is also in the Teutonic called a weyd, and of weyd we yet retain our word wade, which we understand of going through watery places, such as meadows are wont to be.” The felling of trees in the height of summer, when the sap was up, was certainly not for purposes of timber. It was necessary to provide a large supply of fuel for winter use. In grants of land sufficient wood for burning was constantly permitted to be cut; and every estate had its appropriate quantity of wood set out for fuel and for building.