54 THE RATE OF PRODUCTION IN THE 



and Basingstoke it is about thirty-four per cent. ; at Wolford 

 a little less than fourteen; and at Cuxham about eleven. 

 Similarly heavy losses will be found in the other years; 

 and it will be remembered, again, that these are times of 

 singular cheapness. See also vol. ii. p. 608. ii. It must not be 

 imagined that the loss in these cases was absolute. Though 

 meat was, comparatively speaking, cheap, according to the 

 lowest estimate of the size of the animal, the flesh of ani- 

 mals who died of disease was often eaten. Braxy mutton, 

 that is, the flesh of sheep who had died of disease, was, 

 perhaps is, a common dish with the Highland shepherds. 

 Besides, there was the woolfell, and the skin of cattle. It 

 is possible, however, that diseased meat is as much consumed 

 now as it was in bygone times. 



In contrast with modern prices, cheese and butter were 

 abundant and cheap. Butter, I imagine, since it is so com- 

 monly sold by the gallon, was melted a process which pre- 

 serves it from becoming rancid, though at a great loss of 

 flavour. Cheese was made from ewe as well as cow-milk. 

 Goats are very rarely kept, since they are hardly restrained 

 by ordinary fences; and there can be no doubt that fields 

 were fenced in ancient as well as in modern times. The 

 Oxfordshire system of stone walls is, beyond doubt, very 

 ancient, the more certainly so, as labour was less valuable 

 because it produced less. 



The rate of production in any country which imports no 

 food, or very little food, could it be positively ascertained, 

 is the gauge of the possible population. I will attempt to 

 draw an inference on this subject, leaving to my reader the 

 task, if he wills, of correcting or modifying my conclusion- 

 Suppose we assume the amount of land regularly under 

 the plough was equal to three-fourths of that which is now 

 cultivated, and that the remaining fourth of the area repre- 

 sents that portion which was necessarily left waste in con- 

 sequence of its lying on the Scotch and Welch borders, or 

 from its being part of the less perfectly settled parts of Eng- 



