History of Northampton, Massachusetts, from its settlement in 1654;

160 HISTORY OF NORTHAMPTON. [1662-1664.
no candlewood was allowed to "be got within seauen
[miles] from y'' meting house.'" The punishment in this
case was the forfeiture of the product.
Ample Protection In 1G62, the towu adoptcd a series of orders
for the Meadows, relating to the meadows, but not till 1664,
was the clerk, William Jeanes, ordered to'
transcribe them upon the ''Towne booke." The first had
reference to the driving of cattle or swine through the corn
fields in Manhan, "wherther is noe common drift way."
They must either be "yoakt or led in a Coard from the
time of the first of May till the Indian corne be gathered
on the Penalty of twelue pence y® head to bee to the informer."
The second provided for repairing the fence and
gates of the common field. Fences were to be "suffitiently
made vpp and repayred on or before" the 30"^ of March,
"upon the penalty of 2^ 6'' per rod for every defect;" and
the gates were to be repaired before the middle of March,
upon a penalty of "five shillings a gate." A third order
prohibited indiscriminate mowing in the highways in the
"common Corne feelds and Meddowes," by those who had
no land bordering on them. Those whose lands were separated
by the roads had liberty to mow all the land in them.
Where difl^erent parties owned on opposite sides, each was
entitled to mow one-half of the highway. For disobeying
this order the penalty was the forfeiture of the grass or hay
or the value of it, to the person owning on the other
side of the way. The fourth by-law forbade persons while
at work in the meadow, or at any other time, permitting
their "cattle to trespasse by eateing other men's grasse,"
without the consent of the owners of the land. Whoever
trespassed in this manner should "forfeit to the pty Dam-
nified two shillings for every time for every beast." Sec-
tion fifth related to the driving of "Cattle with ther
Cartes or sufi^ering them to trespasse on other mens Corne
and Meddowe," the trespasser to forfeit two shillings to the
party injured for every such unlawful act. A sixth pro-
1 Resinous pine, split into convenient size, called ''candle wood," and pine knots
were iised for eandle.s and for kindling fires. This candle wood was so named from
the fact of its use for lighting the way about the house at night. Farmers were accustomed
to gather every fall a quantity of pine knots and hearts of pine trees.
They would almo.st as willingly commence the winter without hay as without a good
supply of candlewood.—Judd's History of Hadley, pp. 302, 303.