CHAPTER III. 



THE RATE OF PRODUCTION IN THE THIRTEENTH 

 AND FOURTEENTH CENTURIES. 



THE proportion between the seed sown and the crop 

 gathered, to be discovered by studying the records of con- 

 secutive years, supplies most valuable information as to the 

 effectiveness of medieval agriculture. The rate of seed to 

 the acre was about the same as at present, where broadcast 

 is adopted, that is to say, about two bushels of wheat, rye, 

 beans, peas, and vetches, and about four bushels of barley, 

 bere, and oats. The tables given above, pp. 38-49, supply 

 the evidence of the exact produce obtained from certain 

 estates belonging to Merton College, for the four years 

 1333, 4, 5, 6, and, consequently, for the return of seed sown 

 in. 1333, 4, and 5. The return in these years must be con- 

 sidered as favourable, or above the average. The average 

 price of wheat in the four years was 45-. 2f^., 4^. o^., 5^. 3^.5 

 41. IK/.J of barley, y. ^d., is. lofW., y. ^d., y. 8^. ; of 

 drage or bere, is. 9f</., is. 6|</., is. uf^., is. iof*/. ; of oats, 

 is. 2X5 u. iof</., is. i\d.^ is. ild.; of rye, is. 5^., is. 

 y. 8^., y. id.; of beans, 31. 4-^., 3*. 6^., y. 4^., is. 

 of peas, 3*. o^/., y. o^., is. 10^., 3*. id.; of vetches, 3*. 4^., 

 y. lof^/., is. n|^., is. io^d. In all these years the price 

 of corn is low, never reaching the general average, i. e. 

 f y s. \Q%d. in wheat, 4$-. 3^. barley, y. ^d. drage, is. ^d. 

 oats, 4^. 41^. rye, 4*. 3^. beans, 3*. yd. peas, y. g\J. vetches. 





