98 ENCLOSURES OF Thr, EIGHTEENTH 



We have no means of knowing the proportion of wast 

 to common field enclosed by private agreement, but, as 

 have shown, the larger number of Private Acts passe 

 between 1702 and 1802 were for the enclosing of common- 

 able open fields, although in some cases some waste 

 enclosed by the same Act. 



Further, it appears that the larger proportion of the land 

 enclosed was, during the first sixty years of the century at 

 least, used for pasture. Mr. Cunningham l argues that 

 this could not be; because the prohibition of the export of 

 wool kept prices down, and the bounty on exportation of 

 corn encouraged tillage. Mr. Cunningham, however, 

 forgets that the price of corn was still low (from 1700 

 to 1765 it only reached an average price of 30.?. a quarter 

 (or from 26s. to 48#., whereas just before 1700 it had 

 touched 68s.), and that the price of meat was high. It 

 should also be remembered that the small farmer did not 

 grow corn for the market but for his own consumptioi 

 the products for sale being cattle, sheep, pigs, poulti 

 fruit, vegetables, and eggs. Moi'eover, the net product 

 pasture-farming was greater. 2 Mr. Slater has come 

 the probable conclusion that in the Midlands and West the 

 best land was used for pasture, especially in Northampton, 

 Leicester, Lincoln, Oxon., Bucks., Warwick, Huntingdon, 

 Gloucester, and reminds us of the evidence to be seen to 

 this day in the ridge and furrow on grass lands, the remains 

 of the open field running through hedges. Now, 3 as hedges 



1 Cunningham, English Industry, ii. 384. 



2 Slater, p. 108 ; Eden, State of Poor, ii. 30, says, that in Berks, 

 arable land was laid down in pasture as late as 1797 ; cf. also Hasbach, 

 p. 89 ff. ; Thoroton, Notts., Preface, says, however, that in 1677 ; 

 'Pasture already begins to exceed the vent for the commodities 

 which it yields '. 



8 A. Smith, ed. M c Culloch, p. 69 ; A. Young, Farmers' Letters, 

 p. 95. 



