CHAPTER IV 



AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION 



Between 1790 and 1799, says Porter, Eng- 

 land ceased to be an exporting country for 

 wheat. Up till then a good season still pro- 

 duced a superabundant supply for the needs 

 of the population, and the excess was ex- 

 ported ; in bad seasons the supply was 

 deficient and had to be made good by 

 imports. Thus of the ten years 1780-90 six 

 were years of exportation and four of im- 

 portation. The change from an exporting to 

 an importing country had been going on 

 since 1765, which Mr. Prothero selects as the 

 turning point. From 1715 to 1765 the 

 exports amounted to ii| million quarters, 

 the imports only to 300,000 quarters. The 

 change which set in after 1765 was consum- 

 mated in 1792. Porter quaintly remarks that 

 " this was the last occasion on which our 

 farmers found relief in foreign markets for 

 an over-abundant stock of grain." The price 

 of wheat that year was 41s. gd. a quarter 

 according to Porter, or 43s. according to 

 Agricultural Statistics (Cd. 5786, 1910). 



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