Rural economy of the west of England by William Marshall 1796.

Public corn mills are usually supplied with water by means of leats. These most ancient of public works still remain, here, in their pristine state. The poor take their own corn to the mill, and there dress it, themselves; the miller finding them dressing sieves; and the farmer of whom it is purchased, a horse, to take it and the female who dresses it, to the mill.

[Text may be taken from a different source or edition than that listed as the source by Somers Cocks.]