ON THE PRICE OF GRAIN. J 93 



prices are found on the two Sussex manors, Bosham and Funtington. 

 Barley follows the same rates and the same localities. All other 

 kinds of grain are markedly proportionate. 



1297. Evidence a little less in amount. Prices on the whole are 

 very proportionate, and represent average rates. Wheat continues to 

 rise till the end of the year, when the Cuxham price is high. But 

 there is a general correspondence over the country, from Norfolk to 

 Bristol, and from Notts to Kent. Malt is rather dearer than the pro- 

 portion, but all other kinds of grain follow it exactly, except rye, 

 which is low. 



1298. The evidence is more abundant again. On the whole the 

 year is singularly like the preceding in all particulars. The eastern 

 prices are rather higher, the western and northern slightly lower. 

 At Cuxham the highest price was reached at the latter end of April ; 

 but the fluctuations are not very considerable. Other kinds of grain 

 are very exactly related to that of wheat. 



1299. There is considerable difficulty in interpreting the prices of 

 this year, since permission was given for the circulation of certain 

 kinds of base money of foreign origin, which go under the generic 

 name of ' pollards.' Where the account states that the price is 

 taken in pollards, the quotation is struck out from the averages, but 

 it is not quite clear that this caution has been always given in the 

 original ; for instance, whether the high price quoted at Bristol is a 

 real market rate, or one estimated in the debased currency. It has 

 been thought safer to calculate all these entries in the average, since 

 there is no positive ground on which to exclude them. Such an 

 estimate gives a rather high rate for wheat." It is singular, too, that 

 the Cuxham account, which is generally so exact in its particulars, 

 does not specify the currency. But although I have made my esti- 

 mate from all such entries alike, I believe that the harvest was really 

 abundant and prices really low, since there is no other way in which 

 fo account for the great discrepancy between the two halves of the 

 year the early half, in which pollards had a legal circulation, and 

 the later, when they were demonetized. The evidence extends from 

 the extreme north to the extreme south, and from Bristol on the west 

 to Bigod's Norfolk estates on the east. The price of other grain is 

 hardly proportionate to that of wheat, falling considerably below the 

 average relation. On the whole, then, it may be concluded that prices 

 were low. 



1300. Information is abundant and varied. On the whole, the 

 price of wheat is below the average, the fluctuations being inconsider- 



